Page 24 of Trust My Bodyguard

“That’s not what I mean.” She marches toward me. “All I’ve been doing for the past week is resting. I can’t take it anymore.”

I keep my expression bored. “This is how you stay safe, Ivy.”

“Can’t we just take a walk or something?” She runs her hands through lustrous brown curls I want to wrap around my fist. “I can almost feel the walls closing in on me.”

I start to refuse when Iris speaks. “Yeah. I don’t care if anyone sees me at this point. I’m going to go insane before the bad guys get to us.”

I exhale, considering. “Fine. We can go skiing. It’s the middle of the week and the holiday rush has slowed down. It’s unlikely that we would run into anyone we would have to worry about.”

Iris’s eyes open wide. She skips forward and stands next to her sister. “Really? We can?” She turns to Ivy. “And you said he would refuse.”

My brows pull together and Ivy gives me a defiant I-dare-you look. I wouldn’t dream of it since I want some peace.

“But, Brody, we don’t know how to ski.” Iris points between herself and Ivy. “Could you teach us? I’d love to learn.”

“You don’t need to teach us.” Ivy sticks her chin out. “We can handle ourselves.”

“No, we can’t.” Iris frowns. “Growing up we never did anything special. Our parents were too busy making ends meet to spend time taking us to learn. And after things got better”—her eyesmeet her sister’s—“everything was different. Now, they’re no longer here and we can do something. Together.”

I feel like I’ve invaded a deeply personal moment but Iris doesn’t miss a beat as takes her sister’s hand.

Ivy smiles softly at her. “Fine. He can teach us.”

“Well, thank you for the privilege.” I can’t resist the opportunity.

Ivy sends a withering look my way.

“Oh, thank you! I’ll go get ready.” Iris runs along to the bedroom.

“Why are you being nice?” Ivy asks.

“I’m just doing my job,” I say flatly. “Don’t mistake that for niceness.”

She huffs and stomps away, giving me a sweet view of her tight ass. I hope I survive the day playing tour guide.

Soon after, all three of us are leaving the cabin we’ve been enclosed in for days. I can already see life breathed into the sisters. Iris has a scarf wrapped around her lower face but her excitement is clear in her bouncy steps. Even Ivy who likes to be mad all the time has a soft smile on her face as we walk.

I kind of like her this way. Calm, centered, and not fighting me.

“Maybe we should take a tour first. I’ll show you around the grounds before we go skiing.”

They share a glance and Ivy nods.

The resort is spread out over acres and acres of land with trees covering large areas. It has hills and valleys and cold winds whisk through.

I show them around the main lodge, the other cabins, and the ski school.

On one of our long treks, Iris pauses and looks around us. “I can’t see anything. What does the resort do if someone gets lost up here?”

“You get that orientation if you’re a guest. There are spare cabins scattered around the plot and there are markers to find them. They have all the supplies to keep someone safe for a few days. And there’s a phone to reach the front desk and ask for help.”

“Oh, that’s good then. I’ll hate to think anyone would get lost out here without help,” Iris says.

I glance away from her to her sister. She looks at Iris with tender eyes. I’m supposed to be protecting them both but sometimes, I feel like the second line of defense. Ivy acts like she will be the first take on someone who comes after her sister. Even though I know her puny arms and slim frame cannot handle any threat, it’s impressive that she has the heart.

She meets my eyes and lifts a challenging brow.

“Let’s head to the rental.” I lead the way.

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