Page 40 of Whatever It Takes

That’s why I worked my ass off to make something of myself.

Now I take care of them in return.

But I knew if they spotted Briar, we would never be able to get back out the door. They’d probably start asking when the wedding is, but that’s because I’ve never brought a woman home.

I’d need to date one to bring her around, and although it’s hard for people who meet me now to believe, I didn’t always look like this. I was picked on mercilessly when I was growing up. Not just because we didn’t have money or nice things. I was tall as hell, skinny as could be, and I’ve always been weird.

My IQ might be off the charts, but that never helped me learn how to interact with kids my own age. Having no parents to take me to school activities didn’t help. I was the weirdo who was more adept at having conversations with the teachers or other parents than the students in my grade, but I survived.

A whole lot of people have it worse than I did. And my hard work paid off in the long run. Easton pays me more than enough to take care of myself, Grandma, Pop, and their medical bills.

My grandma sends two huge trays of food back with me. Somehow, she loves Easton. It’s weird, but he’s not a threat to her and maybe she can sense that. Grandma knows I’ll be away, and she wanted to make sure we have a hearty meal before heading out. My grandparents are used to the fact that I sometimes have to go on missions, but describing the trip we’ll be taking as one might have been a stretch of the truth.

Easton made the call that we would be heading to Virginia to back up Arden and his team. That chick they’re into is about to have a baby, and they need someone watching their backs. More than that, there’s a package on its way to Blacksburg that could have exactly the kind of ammunition we need to take Briar’s brother down. If nothing else, we can use the files to negotiate some type of meeting with Titus Manzo.

Depending on how that goes, Easton will make the call to decide if it’ll be a tentative peace agreement or the kind of op where the teams clean house.

Logically speaking, it’ll probably be the second option.

Either way, we got a lucky break by learning there is information out there that we can use to negotiate Briar’s freedom…even if the rest of the day was kind of a clusterfuck.

And while we’re away, Easton is having the office redone. It’ll be a solid way to cover any DNA we may have missed when disposing of Jameson.

Easton had one of the guys bring food to the office earlier, but Briar didn’t eat more than three bites.

I’m concerned when the same thing happens with the food my grandma sent. Briar nibbles, but she’s clearly not interested. Afterward, she heads up to her room for a shower.

Easton told me to keep eyes on her at all times, but I’m thinking there’s an exception for showers and bathroom visits.

I use the opportunity to take a quick shower of my own in the bathroom attached to the bedroom I always stay in when I sleep over.

Cool air floods the shower as soon as I cut off the water, but I ignore it, pulling back the shower door and snagging the towel I left out.

I swipe at my abs but freeze when I spot Briar sitting on the counter just a few feet away.

“This house is really big, and I got scared. Please don’t make fun of me,” she says, keeping her eyes on mine.

My heart melts.

She had to be terrified to seekmeout for safety. If she wants someone locked out of their financials, I’m her man. If she wants to plant a false digital trail, I could do that too. But I’m not the most imposing guy. I mean, I got in shape because Easton wouldn’t hire me if I wasn’t physically prepared to watch someone’s back in the field. I’m still not built like Keir or East, and I never will be.

Briar is in a giant T-shirt that probably belongs to Keir or Easton. I have no idea how it came to be in her possession, but it looks good on her. The top is slightly see-through from where her wet hair made the material transparent, and I only remember I’m nude as my dick begins to thicken.

Goddammit.

I drop the towel to cover my pelvis. “I would never make fun of you. Do you want to wait in the bedroom while I pull on my sweats?”

Her eyes finally leave mine, dancing down my chest and back up again. She nods and pushes herself off the counter until her feet hit the floor. “I’ll wait in your bed.”

That makes my cock act even more of a fool. I’m not sure what alternate universe I fell into that the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen wants to cuddle in bed with me, but I figure I’m due some good in life.

“I forgot you wear glasses.” Briar’s eyelashes flutter as she smiles at me from across the room. “They’re nice. I mean, they make you look really handsome.”

If that’s the case, I won’t bother with my contacts ever again.

She lies on the edge of my bed with her arms crossed over her chest, and everything that makes me an alpha screams at me to pounce.

“I figured out the TV,” she says, gesturing to the wall. “Could we watch a movie or something?”

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