Page 206 of Bossy Hero

He lightly taps the back of my seat. “Let’s do this.”

We pull out of the parking lot, leaving the rest of our contingent behind at the hotel.

And no, that term isn’t an exaggeration. We’ve assembled a small army of people for this brief trip to my daughter’s hometown. With the Lenkov threat hanging over our heads, I’m taking no chances.

I reserved a block of rooms, all of them clustered together. The hotel seems safe enough. Even with the festival in town, it’s not too crowded, so the number of people coming and going is minimal. And I brought enough guards with us for around-the-clock protection.

Although this trip was primarily for Lettie and me, the passenger list got bloated awfully fast.

Maddie asked to come so she could support me and be here for any fallout Lettie might experience after confronting her grandmother. They’ve become quite close since being stuck under the same roof. I love how everyone has accepted my daughter into the fold. It’s like she was meant to be here.

At first, I shot Maddie down, preferring to keep her safe at HQ. Then the idea of being a state away from her started eating at my insides. I’d rather keep her near and protect her myself.

Once Maddie was on the manifest, Leo insisted on traveling with us for extra protection, which meant Sue was also coming.

I can’t blame them for wanting to turn this into some type of unconventional vacation. We’ve all been going a little stir-crazy, even Sue, who never wants to go anywhere. That’s how you know it’s gotten bad.

I sent Junior, Josh, and Scotty on a commercial flight two days ago so they could scout the area to get things prepped for our arrival, secure the hotel, and so forth. Jonesy and Aaron traveled with us on a chartered plane yesterday, along with Lettie, Tomer, Maddie, Leo, and Sue.

Thankfully, Lettie’s friend Stella also made the trip after deciding to return home. It’ll be nice to have Jonesy back in the usual rotation.

However, now that I’m chewing on this, I wonder if he’s concerned about leaving Stella unprotected here in Climax when we fly home tomorrow. It isn’t unusual for a guard to become attached to a charge when they’re protecting them. You spend so much time and effort watching over them and looking for trouble around every corner. We’re not machines, so bonds are formed.

I just hope he hasn’t gotten so attached that he crossed a line.

Meh. That’s a problem for future me.

For now, I need to get my thoughts in order for what’s to come.

As we drive away, I peek at the side mirror, watching the hotel’s lights get smaller in the distance.

My gut doesn’t signal any trouble.

With all the extra guards, I’m not worried about leaving Maddie at the hotel while I confront Charlene Holt. It’s my turn to pay the woman a visit. Lettie was able to talk to her today at the damn CLIT festival. No, it wasn’t a sex fest. It stands for Climax Lemon-Infused Tea, which is as stupid as it sounds.

So far, this town is... something else. I suspect the English language doesn’t have the words to do this place justice.

My phone buzzes, signaling an incoming text. A grin slips into place as I read it.

Maddie:

Just one more time, I need you to promise me you won’t get yourself into trouble.

Me:

Trouble? Me? How could you even suggest such a thing?

Maddie:

Seriously, Alan. These hot flashes have me ready to punch someone as it is. If I have to bail you out of jail, it’ll only make it worse.

Me:

What makes you think I’ll end up in jail?

Maddie:

She seems like the type to call the cops. And you don’t have your “friends in high places” up here to smooth things over for you like you do back home.

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