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He led me through the house to his bedroom. The unmade bed was small for a guy his size, and his furniture looked secondhand. Despite the shabbiness of everything, I had to admit the place was pretty clean. The clothes he’d worn earlier were discarded on the floor, but aside from that, the place was spotless. He threw some things into a duffle bag and grabbed his work boots before motioning for me to head back to the front door.
Grady locked up, tossed his bag into the back of the truck, and then we were heading back to my place. He hadn’t said a word the entire time we were at his house, and I found it a little strange. He wasn’t quite as tense on the way home, but I noticed he checked his rearview mirror every minute or so. Was he worried that we’d be followed from his place? Or was he just being vigilant in his new role as a bodyguard?
“Thanks for helping me,” I told him. Even if I was paying him, he didn’t have to agree. He had to have better things to do than babysit me while I figured things out. Assuming I could find a way out of this mess without starting over somewhere else. It didn’t seem fair that I was being punished for something Bradley did.
“Maybe I just need the money,” he said.
“Or maybe you’re a nice guy.”
He smiled a little and glanced my way for a brief moment.
At my house, he parked at the curb again. “You can use the driveway.”
“The truck leaks oil. It’s better if it stays on the street.”
“Suit yourself.”
I got out and went to open up the house while he got his things. The air conditioning was welcome after being in his hundred-degree house. I tossed my keys onto the table inside the door and waited for Grady to catch up. After I locked the house up behind him, I crooked my finger.
“Follow me and I’ll show you to the guest quarters.”
“I need a room close to yours if I’m going to protect you. And you’ll have to sleep with the door open. Your privacy is going to be invaded while I’m here, but it’s the only way to make sure you stay safe.”
He followed me upstairs, and I showed him the room next to the master suite. The master had been my parents’ room, but it had seemed like a waste of space to not use it after they were gone. I’d only moved in about three months ago, which left my old room for Grady. The white furniture and lavender bedding were a little too feminine for him, but it was only temporary.
“Sorry about the girly colors,” I told him. “It used to be my room.”
He set his duffle on the floor. “It’s fine. Not like I sleep much anyway.”
“I’ll go order Chinese while you unpack.”
Grady shook his head. “I go where you go. The unpacking can wait. If you’re going downstairs, I’ll go with you.”
He reached into his duffle and pulled out a gun, tucking it into the back of his pants. My jaw dropped, and I looked up at him with wide eyes. When the hell had he packed a gun? I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. Bradley was an abusive asshole, but surely he’d turn tail and run the moment he saw Grady.
“Don’t worry,” Grady said. “It’s registered, and I have a concealed carry permit.”
My jaw snapped shut. I’d asked if he knew how to use a gun, but I hadn’t realized he would actually bring one with him.
“I left my phone in the kitchen earlier.” I turned, knowing he would follow, and went downstairs. I flicked on the kitchen light and picked up my phone from the counter. My favorite Chinese place was programmed in, but I pulled out a menu from one of the drawers and gave it to Grady.
He stared at it pretty hard, and I wondered if he just couldn’t decide, or if he was trying not to order too much. A guy his size probably could put away a lot of food. I always ordered the same thing, so once I had Grady’s order, I could place the call. They usually delivered within a half hour of my call.
“Order anything you want,” I told him. “Seriously. If you want one of everything, order it.”
He smiled a little. “I’ll take a number four and a number eleven with some eggrolls on the side.”
I called and placed our order, then went back upstairs. Grady shadowed me, and I wondered if he planned to follow me into the bedroom. I didn’t have time for a shower, as much as I would have loved one, so I just grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it over my bikini top. I turned and nearly collided with Grady’s massive chest.
“Sorry,” he said, stepping out of the way.
“I just wanted to have more clothes on when they delivered the food. I’ll need a shower after dinner though.”
He nodded. “I’ll take a quick one after you go to bed. I’ll make sure the house is locked up tight first.”
“We can set the alarm. I never really use it, but I know the code. It’s the same one my parents used when they were alive. I don’t think they shared it with anyone.”
At the bottom of the stairs, I veered left and went into the family room. There were four six foot tall bookshelves that were filled with movies. I probably should have let Grady pick, but I was in the mood for something lighthearted, and he seemed more like an action kind of guy. I pulled my favorite movie off the shelf and loaded it into the Blu-ray player.
