Page 104 of The Bodyguard Situation

“More than I’d like.” His voice carries a calm determination that steadies me. He studies me closely. “Look, I know you’re really fucking worried right now, but don’t be. That man is tougher than nails. He got shot and lived … twice. Fought in wars. He’s a badass. He’d tear the world apart before he let anything happen to you.”

A small smile touches my lips. “I know, but that’s also what scares me. What if he tearshimselfapart instead?”

Understanding fills his eyes. He leans back slightly, watching me carefully. “You know, Billie taught me that, sometimes, the people who’ve seen the darkest shit in life love the hardest. Brody’s like that too. He’s been through hell, Harper. He’s lost more than anyone should, but it made him into someone who knows exactly what he has to do to protect the people he cares about. Not someone I’d want to be up against. He’s like a fucking Terminator.”

Laughter bursts out of me. “I thought the same thing.”

Asher smiles. “Because that shit is true.”

His words steady me.

“I don’t know how you and Billie did it,” I admit. “How you made it through everything—all the chaos, the media, the lies.”

Asher glances toward the couch, where Billie sleeps. “You have to refuse to let fear win. You look it in the face and tell it to fuck off and keep going. When you find someone who’s your reason for everything, giving up isn’t an option. You fight until the very end. If it’s meant to be, you make it out to the other side together. Maybe a little scorched, but alive.” His voice carries conviction, the kind forged through battles fought and won together.

I watch him silently for a long moment, absorbing the strength he radiates.

“Brody loves you, Harp,” Asher adds, his eyes steady on mine, “in a way that doesn’t ever break.”

I inhale, the tightness in my chest loosening slightly. A glimmer of hope fills the hollow space left behind by fear. “Thank you, Ash. For staying, for helping. For being here.”

He gives me a grin. “You’re Billie’s best friend. The two of you are a package deal. I’d do anything for you. So would Nick, Easton, and Weston. Especially Brody. You have an army standing behind you, and there is a light at the end of this dark-as-fuck tunnel.”

I nod, his words etching into my bones.

For the first time since flying away from Brody on that mountain, I let myself truly believe that strength and love will be enough to bring him safely back to me.

26

BRODY

Igrip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white, the leather creaking beneath my tense hands. I’m fucking livid.

Easton’s sleek, vintage car growls beneath me as the tires rip across the winding mountain roads. The trees blur outside the windows, nothing but streaks of green and gray under the pale slice of sky. Every mile stretching between me and Harper twists at my nerves.

I should’ve been on that fucking helicopter. I should’ve been right beside her, keeping her safe. Instead, I let Micah fucking Rhodes get too close—close enough that I pulled my gun, felt my finger twitch against the trigger.

If Nick hadn’t stepped in … well, Micah would’ve disappeared.

My jaw clenches, teeth grinding against each other, anger throbbing like a heartbeat in my veins. I refuse to even glance at Nick, who’s sitting beside me, lounging casually in the passenger seat like this is some goddamn road trip.

Nick shifts slightly, deliberately stretching his legs and sighing loudly, breaking the tense silence that’s been building like a thunderstorm. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

I bite down harder, fighting the urge to throttle him right here. I imagine myself slamming the back of my fist into his face, knocking him out completely. “Don’t. Fucking. Start,” I growl.

“Oh, I think I’ve earned the right to start,” he says, smug amusement clear in every word. “Saved your ass back there. Didn’t even get a thank-you. Typical fucking Calloway.”

I breathe through my nose, keeping my eyes locked on the road. “You stopped me from finishing it.”

He snorts, unbothered by my anger. “You mean, I stopped you from landing yourself in jail, dumbass. You pull that trigger, you don’t see Harper again. Ever. And we don’t find Mia or the other missing women. Sorry, but we need Micah alive.”

I don’t respond—don’t need to. He’s right, and he knows it, which only makes the burn, combined with his cocky-as-fuck attitude, even worse. Anger is simpler than admitting he saved me from my recklessness. Easier than admitting just how deeply I lost control the second Micah stepped into that clearing.

Nick lets the silence hang just long enough to become uncomfortable before nudging me again. He’s relentless in his baiting—a total Banks trait. “So, tell me exactly how long you’ve been in love with Harper? Asking for research purposes.”

Heat spikes dangerously in my chest, crawling up my throat. I grip the wheel even harder, knuckles aching now. I cannot fuck this up—it’s something I repeat to myself. “None of your damn business.”

“That long, huh?” He chuckles, clearly amused by the rage crackling off me. “Damn.”

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