Page 36 of Found Through Fire

Giving my biggest, fakest smile to the most annoying, sexy, frustrating man that has ever worked for my dad, I say, “I’m so sorry to inconvenience you, Greyson, that does sound frustrating. I wouldn’t blame you if you were so mad that you got your ass— the one that has a stick the size of a totem pole lodged in it—off the plane and went back home. I can tell my dad that I was the worst, and he can send Kaiser, which is who I thought would be with me.” Batting my eyelashes at him, I wait for him to get even more pissy, since I used his full name that I know he hates. Is it childish? Yes, but do I give a damn? Fuck no.

“Kaiser is on another job,” he says while staring down Jackson and Knox. After a moment, he decides to add, “Are your new worshippers coming? Or are we going to do this shit so I can get back to my real job?”

“Greyson, I’m not sure what you were told, but let me clear some things up for you. Firstly, you’ll be a spotter, meaning that you’re there just in case.Wewill not be doing anything,youwill be on standby.Idon’t want to be able to even see you whileIam working. I would rather have Kaiser…or literally anyone else come with me. It’s sad that you think people liking you is considered ‘worship.’ I mean, I understand because I don’t see why anyone would want to be around you,” I say with my hands on my hips.

I have no idea why he hates me; we have only had three short conversations in the six months that he’s worked for my dad. I didn’t even meet him until his second month because I was too wrapped up in taking care of Mom, the move, and my businesses. He gives me another glare and stomps back on the plane. This is going to be such a fun twenty-three-hour flight.

“You going to be okay with him? Isn’t his job to have your back?” Knox asks as I turn back to them and notice that both him and Jackson must have moved closer to me as I was putting Grey in his place. His strong jaw is set in a scowl, and his hands are clenched as he gives a deadly looking glare to Grey’s back. Jackson is giving the same death glare, but also doing the thing that Gig does, where you can see him thinking of all the different ways of killing someone and predicting the outcomes.

“It should be fine. Like I said, I work alone. His job is only to hang out and bring my body home if shit goes wrong,” I say with a laugh. Looking at Jackson and Knox’s faces, I can tell they didn’t appreciate my humor. That’s okay, not a lot of people do.

“Why would your dad send him if he is that big of a dick to you?” Jackson asks in an attempt to move away from my joke.

“He doesn’t know. I stay out of my Dad’s business. He only brings on the best, so I know he’s good if Dad hired him in the first place. Dad takes people that physically can’t go back to being a civilian after they leave the military. If Grey needs to be there with everyone else that needs it, I won’t take that away from him,” I say while shrugging my shoulders.

“Do your other brothers get annoyed that you are so nice, too? He was a dick to you, and your dad is his boss! And you’re just going to suck it up so he isn’t alone?” Jackson asks, looking a little frustrated.

“I mean, they do sometimes, but then I go on a job and kill a few people, and they remember that we are all morally fucked up, so that helps,” I say with a smile.

“Good to know,” Jackson replies while shaking his head, still looking frustrated. My idiots would be upset, too, if they knew how Grey spoke to me. But I would like to think they know me well enough to understand that I can deal with Grey’s shitty attitude on my own.

This is why I would never be in a relationship with someone who works for my dad; it would be too complicated, and possibly end up with him dead. Not sure if it would be from an overprotective dad, brother, or even me, if he pissed me off too much.

“I should get on the plane. I’m already behind a day,” I tell them, gesturing towards the plane.

Jackson pulls me in for another hug. “I’m not joking. Please text me while you’re gone, just so I know you’re okay,” he says one more time.

I smile at him. “I promise. I don’t know how long I will be gone for, but when I get back, I still have to take you on the tour,” I say, trying to reassure him that Iwill becoming back.

Jackson steps away from me, and the second there’s space, Knox butts in for a hug. I wasn’t expecting it, so I tense up. He probably felt it, because he ends the hug after only a second.

“Go fuck some shit up and come back. We still have a lot to get to together,” he says with a wink, and I don’t know what the shock did to my face, but he looks down at me and chuckles. I feel another fucking blush creeping on my face, and just turn away and start walking to the plane without saying a word back to him. I’m not taking any chances of embarrassing myself as I leave.

This is horrible. I can’t believe I have no idea how to interact with a guy that I am attracted to! It’s finally happened! I found a hot, nice guy, that knows what I do for work, is not intimidated by my dad or brothers, and doesn’t work for my family, andI don’t know what the fuck I’m doing!

I think I am going to have to call Aunt Jaz since Mom isn’t here to tell me what to do. I just have to make sure she knows not to tell Uncle Mark, or anyone in their club, or my dad, or my brothers. Shit!

Never mind, everyone is too intertwined. I guess I should have worked a little harder to have a life outside of work or my family, but in my defense, it’s a lot of family. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that shit.

I step on to the plane and can feel the asshole staring me down from the back of it. I take a seat in front, facing away from him. It’s a nice-sized plane that even has a small bedroom in the back, so at least there is enough space to not have to be too close to him during this long ass flight.

CHAPTER 14

GREY

Why did I say yes to this?I think to myself as Willow finally gets her ass on the plane. And of course, she sat as far away from me as she could in this confined area.

When Michael asked if I would be her “spotter,” as he called it, for her job, I hesitated. I knew that Kaiser used to go on her jobs out of the country with her. I also knew that she hasn’t taken any since her mom got sick, and that this is her first time back.

Kaiser was already on another assignment, so Michael asked me since he knew that I didn’t have anything holding me back here. When I hesitated, he started to list off the other guys he would ask, trying to make it easier for me to say no. Unfortunately, it did the opposite.

All the guys that he listed were all obsessed with her and followed her around like puppies. They would use this job as a way to be alone with her for who knows how long, away from her dad and brothers. That didn’t sit right with me. I don’t understand why Michael is okay with his only daughter doing this stupid shit alone.

When I first started working for Vital, he mentioned his sons and daughter. He went into detail about his sons being in the military before they started training to take over, and that hisdaughter didn’t want to work in the business. I figured she was some spoiled princess that lives off Daddy’s money, but I didn’t ask any questions. It wasn’t my place.

Throughout the first two months of being at Vital, the vets would talk about her. It was clear that this company was a family one, and I haven’t had that since I left the military and came home to nothing. It took a while, but I started to warm up to everyone there. They invited me in, and I let myself get comfortable. Two months in, and I met Willow for the first time.

I was putting up the guns that I was using in the range that day, and she walked in, looking around. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt that almost hit her knees, some loose jeans, and her hair up in a bun. With the clothes and her already-small-stature, I assumed it was someone’s teenager looking for their parent. I knew a few of the guys had families living on base.