Page 78 of Her Devoted HERO

“I put on sunscreen,” she said.

“You need more than just sunscreen, you’re awfully fair, and we’re going to be here awhile.” He leaned back on his elbows, and she watched him as he watched everything.

“Do all of you guys do that?”

“Do what?”

“Observe. Take in your whole environment. I’ve seen Dex do the same thing.”

“It’s our training.”

She thought about it. “It’s a chicken and an egg kind of thing. Do you think that you were kind of like that before hand, and that’s the reason you took to the training?”

Hunter burst out laughing. God, he was gorgeous when he laughed.

“You’ve met Wyatt, haven’t you?” he asked.

“’Nuff said.” Wyatt was not the quiet and observant type, he ran on all cylinders at breakneck speed. “Some of the training must have been nails on the chalkboard for that poor kid,” Kenna said.

“It sure as hell wasn’t his nature,” Hunter agreed.

Kenna shifted on the picnic table so she would be more comfortable.

“Look, Hunter!” She pointed. “Austin is on his knees!” It had been over an hour, she had seen him in the water more often than on the surfboard, but there he was balancing on his knees.

“He’s going to get his legs under him in no time.”

“Do you think?” she asked excitedly.

“Definitely.” She rummaged through the backpack she’d brought, and then realized she’d left the peanut butter cookies in the truck. Dammit.

“Do you want a water?” she asked Hunter.

“Thanks,” he said as he took a bottle. Austin’s phone beeped with an incoming text. “That must be Denny. Hopefully, his mom can come by. Austin hasn’t seen him since all of this shit started.” She dug through Austin’s backpack. God, the kid didn’t keep anything organized. She found the phone at the bottom and pressed the display as she pulled it out of the sack. It was a text message, but not from Denny, she opened it.

Mary Poppins, if you talk to your bodyguard, Austin dies.

She looked at Hunter who was drinking his water and watching the surf, then she swiped her thumb over the attachment in the text and a picture of Austin came up. He was on the surfboard. In the middle of a rifle’s cross-hairs.

Hunter looked over at her. “Everything all right? Is Denny coming?”

“Yep,” she said brightly. “I have to text him back.” Her thumbs were flying.

What do you want?

She waited for the answer.

There’s an empty green Monte Carlo with a white top behind the concession stand. Get in it. Answer the phone in the car when it rings.

She sat there, unable to move. Unable to think.

“Kenna, are you all right?”

She nodded.

“What did Denny say?”

The phone beeped.