Bodyguard: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (Snake Eyes Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

to bless me with an explanation?”
    “Not just yet,” I say. “I need your help.”
    “Did you try turning it off and back on again?”
    “Little more technical than that, Box.”
    “You came all the way back from hell to ask for my help?” he jokes.
    I pause as a man walks a little too close. A nervous habit, but not unnecessary. “Are you in L.A.?”
    “Nope, I’m a bit farther east these days.”
    “How far?”
    “Boston.”
    I roll my eyes. “That’s more than a bit .”
    “Lucky for you, I’ll be in Denver this week,” he says. “Forty-eight hours from now, to be more exact.”
    “Where?”
    “Botsford Plaza downtown. I’ve got a little party to attend…”
    “Think you can spare a few minutes to decrypt a drive?”
    He sighs. “And here I thought you had a challenge for me. Meet me at the hotel. I’ll see what I can do.”
    “Thanks, Boxcar.”
    “But only if you’ll dazzle me with the tale of the sly fox who cheated death.”
    I smile. “You got it, man.”
    “If I were to wager a guess,” he continues, “I’d bet this little resurrection has something to do with a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed starlet .”
    “You might not be wrong.”
    “Predictable,” he sings. “But I get it.”
    “Bye, Box.” I hang up and leave the terminal behind me.
    The bright California sun blinds me as I step outside. There’s an energy in the air; a unique hustle one can’t find out in Iowa farm country. I can’t say I miss it, but I don’t hate it either. It’s been five years.
    Home sweet home.

Chapter 4
    Dani
     
    I stare at my reflection in a compact mirror, my gaze lingering on the giant, white bandage covering my cheek. It’s finally stopped hurting but it’s left behind an itch that’s impossible to scratch unless I want to piss off the plastic surgeon my father is pouring way too much money onto to make it all disappear.
    I slide the mirror back into my purse and look out the car window to see my father’s neighborhood rushing by. “Smith, where are we going?”
    He glances at me in the rearview mirror. “Your father’s house.”
    “I see that. Why? I said I wanted to go to my apartment.”
    “Sorry, kid. Daddy’s orders.”
    I sit farther back in the seat. “Great…”
    Smith says nothing more, keeping his blank, stoic face forward as we turn off onto my father’s street. I haven’t decided whether or not I like this new escort my father has hired to follow me around. He’s an ex-cop, obvious by the way he holds his shoulders like he’s reliving the old glory days of his career. Could be worse, I suppose. My hand rises to my cheek but I manage to stop myself from scratching the stitches lying beneath it.
    “Hang on…” Smith says, slowing the car to a near halt as the paparazzi barely parts for us. They fill the end of my father’s driveway, cameras flashing at the tinted windows, hoping to get just one shot of my new, mangled face to sell to the highest bidder.
    We pass through the gate and it closes behind the car, leaving the army of cameras disappointed and angry as we travel down the long road and park in the circle drive up front.
    “Stay put.”
    I nod at Smith as he steps out and slides his jacket off his shoulders. We’re far enough away from the gates that they’d never get a decent shot to sell but Dad doesn’t want to risk it leaking out at all. Smith opens my door for me and holds his jacket over my head to block their view of me as we walk up the stairs to the front door.
    “Honey, she’s home!”
    I hear Cora’s voice from the living room the second my heel touches the shiny, marble floor. “Yep, I’m home,” I mutter as Smith drops his jacket.
    “I’m going to see if I can get them to piss off.” He steps back outside to deal with the vultures with cameras.
    My father’s study door bursts open and he steps out into the foyer. His face instantly contorts into a frown and he walks over to me to grab my jaw.
    “Ow—”
    “I can’t