SEALionaire Book 2: A Navy SEAL Romance
Page 24
As soon as we returned to her grandfather's house, I was telling Devlin Pope that I quit.
25
Haze
“No big lectures,” Leighton snarked as I parked the car in her grandfather's garage. “I'm impressed.”
“Your decisions are your own,” I said flatly. “As long as you're not in danger, I don't need to interfere.”
“And what did you decide to do last night?” she asked.
“I did my job.”
“You stayed outside that door all night.”
It wasn't a question or an accusation, just a confirmation of what she already knew. I watched her for signs of regret or embarrassment, but there were none. Leighton was stone-faced and sober.
“You kissed me,” I said.
The words left me shocked, but Leighton didn't seem surprised. I couldn't read her behind the dark sunglasses, but her mouth didn't even twitch. I knew she hadn't been drunk enough to completely forget, but I didn't know how hazy the memory was.
“Yeah, well, we all make mistakes.”
Okay, then. At least now I knew.
“Me included,” I said. “That's why I’m quitting.”
Leighton yanked open her car door and got out. I opened my door and remembered just in time not to tilt my head too far as I got out. The last thing I needed now was a sickening wave of vertigo. It'd happened last night when we kissed, and I was actually glad it had. I didn't know if I could've stopped kissing her on my own. I'd wanted her more than I ever wanted anyone in my life.
A smirk flickered across her tired face. “I don't know about you quitting, Mr. Welch. You might lose some of Devlin's respect that way. You know, good people are supposed to see things through until the end, right?”
“Is that what you're doing?” I asked. “Seeing things through to the end?”
The words sounded harsh, but I didn't call them back.
“What end?” she asked darkly. “This is going to be my whole life.”
She walked away toward the house, holding herself too straight. I watched her, wondering if it was the inevitable hangover, or a different kind of hurt. Was she upset that I said I was leaving? Would it matter to her if I stayed or left?
I followed her into the house, forcing myself to keep my steps slow. I wanted to catch up to her, tear those sunglasses from her eyes, and see what she really thought. Maybe it was all an act. She thought she was supposed to play a certain part, the stereotype of a spoiled, rich girl in Los Angeles. She didn't believe anyone, including her grandfather, thought she could be anything else.
My resolve weakened. It didn't matter what she'd done. I hated the thought of her hurting.
“Leighton?” I called as she walked down the hall ahead of me. “Ms. Machus.”
I had no idea what to say except that I wanted more from her, for her. She'd probably laugh at me, ask me why she should care what I thought, but before I left I had to tell her I knew she could be more.
“Leave her,” Devlin said, opening the French doors from his office. “Some of that fancy water, vitamins and a few sleeping pills, and she'll be right as rain by tonight. Just in time for you to have to chase her out and around again.”
As much as I didn't like it, I had no choice but to let Leighton go and follow my employer into his office. He was a busy man, and I could tell he'd been up working for hours, if he'd ever gone to bed to begin with. Despite running an empire that kept him busy day and night, there wasn't much that escaped his notice. Devlin deserved to know right away that I planned to leave.
Before I could speak, however, he held up his hand to stop me and said, “I know, I know. You're giving notice. You want to quit.”
“Yes, Sir, I apologize for the inconvenience,” I said.
“I don't accept and you're not leaving,” he countered mildly.
He marched around the other side of his desk and flipped through a stack of papers. He pulled out a folder and placed it in front of him before crossing his arms and looking at me.
Not surprising, but that didn't mean I was going to let it go. “I'm sorry, sir, I just don't think I'm the best person to guard your granddaughter.”
“Because you met Leighton four years ago when you saved her from drowning?” Devlin asked, eyes sparking. “Because you slept with her that night?”
I dropped down in the chair Devlin indicated and gritted my teeth. He could've only gotten that information from one place. “Paris Lockhart told you.”
“Yes, I got a call from Paris last night,” Devlin said. “I made a few calls. It wasn't hard to confirm enough of the basics to know she was telling the truth.”
Shit. Well, there went any chance I had of ever returning to active duty. Devlin could pull strings and make sure I never got near the military ever again.
“Please accept my resignation, sir,” I said. “There are plenty of qualified men in personal security. I'm positive you can find someone with more experience than me. Someone without my...history.”
“I won't find someone else because you're not quitting,” he said. “I need someone with your finely honed ability to suss out other people's motives. I need someone with your hand-to-hand combat training, your instincts, your quick-thinking, and your dedication to your mission. And you've already proven that you'll save my granddaughter in life-threatening situations.”
“With all due respect, sir, Leighton is more adept at surviving in Los Angeles than me,” I continued to argue. “I'm sure there's someone else who knows the territory better than me and will blend in with Leighton's lifestyle easier.”
“Tell me.” He leaned over his desk. “Did you consider breaking down the door and dragging her away from that little bastard she sometimes calls her boyfriend?”
Of course Paris would have included that tidbit in her trouble-making phone call. I gripped my knees and said nothing.
“Exactly,” he said. “That's why I won't accept your resignation. I need someone who truly cares for Leighton, someone who will truly fight to keep her safe, but knows when to draw the line between protecting her and letting her make her own mistakes.”
“Safe from what?” I didn't like the sound of that.
“These.” He opened a folder on his desk and spread out a thick stack of threats. Almost all of the letters mentioned Leighton by name. The most recent mentioned dates, times, locations, and details of what she was wearing. It was obvious someone was watching Leighton. What exactly that meant was unclear, but one thing was certain: Leighton's life was in danger.
End of HERO: The Assignment. The story continues in HERO: The Ambush. Click Here to read the entire trilogy in one box set. On sale for a limited time.
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About Shiloh Walker
Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more…ah…serious works of fiction. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance, and urban fantasy under her penname, J.C. Daniels. You can find her at Twitter or Facebook. Read more about her work at her website. Sign up for her newsletter and have a chance to win a monthly giveaway.
About M. S. Parker
M. S. Parker is a USA Today Bestselling author and the author of the Erotic Romance series, Club Privè and Chasing Perfection.
Living in Las Vegas, she enjoys sitting by the pool with her laptop writing on her next spicy romance.
Growing up all she wanted to be was a dancer, actor or author. So far only the latter has come true but M. S. Parker hasn’t retired her dancing shoes just yet. She is still waiting for the call for her to appear on Dancing With The Stars.
When M. S. isn't writing, she can usually be found reading– oops, scratch that! She is always writing.
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