Willing. Lucy Monroe

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      “I’ll look, but chances are he’s not using plastic for anything and he’s got an alternate identity set up somewhere.”

      Daniel knew Hotwire was right, and the chances of tracing Tyler McCall’s whereabouts with the computer were slim, but they had to try. Because, frankly, unless Josie saw something in the journals he hadn’t, they had no other leads for finding her dad.

      He’d been reading them ever since she went to bed and Claire had left for her classes. He’d learned a lot, but none of it relevant to the explosion and fire at the compound. So he’d called his friend Hotwire for his input.

      “His disappearing act doesn’t make sense,” Hotwire added. “Why would he leave Josie to fend for herself if he knew the source of the threat and was hiding from it? Wouldn’t he take her with him?”

      “Maybe Josie isn’t at risk.”

      “Someone willing to blow up his compound to kill him would be willing to use his daughter to get to him.”

      That’s what worried Daniel. “It’s not going to happen.”

      “You said he had Josie call you before he took a powder.”

      “Yes.”

      “Then he didn’t leave her to fend for herself, did he? He knew you’d watch her back and better than he could in the state he was in.”

      “Maybe.” But Hotwire was right. Tyler knew Daniel well enough to know he’d never abandon Josie to investigating the explosion on her own. Just as he had to have known Daniel would call his friends in to help.

      “Besides, the guy’s brain isn’t exactly running on all six cylinders right now. For all we know, he’s had a flashback and is living in some Vietnam jungle in his head.”

      “That’s what worries me.”

      “You worried?”

      “This is Josie’s dad we’re talking about here.”

      “And you don’t want Josie hurt?”

      “No.”

      “Now, that’s very interestin’. I don’t remember you ever being overly worried about a woman’s feelings before.” The deliberately accentuated southern drawl needled Daniel.

      “Drop it.”

      Hotwire’s incredulous laugh irritated Daniel to the point of cursing.

      “Tch, tch, tch…You’ve got to clean up your mouth. You’re staying in a woman’s house now. Didn’t your mama ever tell you it’s not mannerly to swear in front of a lady?”

      His mother had been cursed at on a regular basis…every time his dad drank. “No.”

      “Then take my advice. Clean up your mouth.”

      “Josie’s a soldier, for crying out loud.”

      “Ex-soldier and her roommate is a sheltered little thing.”

      Claire hadn’t seemed all that sheltered to him. She had a mind like a computer and even the personality of one at times, but she hadn’t seemed particularly naïve.

      “Why didn’t you tell me Josie was getting out of the business?”

      “Because you bit my head off every time I said her name over the past year.”

      “You’re no shrinking violet.”

      “I’m also not stupid.”

      “You’ve been helping her with her computer studies.”

      “You make it sound like I’ve been breaking the Sixth Commandment instead of helping a friend change her life.”

      “So now you’re friends.”

      “Josie and I have always been friends.”

      “Since when is friendship an automatic by-product of working with another merc?”

      “It isn’t.”

      “But you’re friends with Josie.”

      “Unlike some people, I realized right off that not only is she a good soldier who can be counted on, but she’s also a sweet woman worth knowing.”

      “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      “You haven’t exactly gone out of your way to make friends with her.”

      “I don’t go out of my way to be nice to anybody.”

      Hotwire laughed. “That’s true, but I think your lack of enthusiasm for her company has hurt her feelings.”

      He’d come to the same conclusion, and it bothered him. “I don’t dislike her, damn it.”

      “Whoah…buddy, no need to go ballistic here.”

      “I don’t go ballistic anymore.”

      “That’s what I thought, but Josie brings out some pretty powerful feelings in you.”

      “Like hell.” The only feelings he allowed himself to have for women were sexual. He would never give a woman the power to tap the deeply buried root of his temper.

      “Whatever you say, but I swear if you don’t clean up your mouth while you’re staying in Josie’s house, I’m going to sic my mama on you. You’ll straighten up, or she’ll have your guts for garters.”

      “She raised you and let you live. She can’t be all that bad.”

      “She’s not, but she’s hell on your conscience if you disappoint her.”

      “Mothers are like that.” His certainly weighed on his and probably always would.

      He would never forget the sight of her, bruised and motionless, in that narrow hospital bed. He would never allow himself to forget it had been his fault either.

      “Josie said you offered her a job,” Daniel said to banish the memories and change the subject.

      “Yeah. She’s a natural with computers. Wolf and I both think she’d be a real asset to the business.”

      “So your only interest in her is because of her computer skills?”

      “I didn’t say that.”

      Daniel’s heart actually stopped in his chest. Women fell all over themselves getting to Hotwire. Josie wouldn’t be any exception.

      “You СКАЧАТЬ