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She laughed. “He’s a complete night owl. So, yeah. He’ll be there.” She swiveled in the seat to watch him as he pulled back onto the road. “Where did you learn all that stuff?” she asked quietly. “Taking out five guys by yourself? That’s… that’s unbelievable.”
He was silent for several moments. Finally he said, “I’m not supposed to share my background with you. With any of my protectees. For security reasons.”
Sierra sighed. “Okay. I get it. Sorry I asked.”
He drove for a few minutes, the tires humming over the asphalt, and Sierra stared out the window. Weariness washed over her, and she figured it was the adrenaline burning away.
As she turned to lean against the window and sleep, Cody said quietly, “I was a SEAL. Then I joined a CIA spec ops group. That’s where I met my bosses Dev and Mel. Jase, the guy who owns the farm? He was in that group, too.”
“Those are serious credentials, Cody,” she said, shifting to watch his profile in the fading light. “Impressive ones. No wonder you have mad skills.”
One side of his mouth curled up. “Just doing my job.”
“You’re protecting me now, but you used to protect everyone in the country. That’s… that’s amazing.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I take my job very seriously. I used to be responsible to the other men in my unit. Now I’m responsible for you. Whether it’s a bunch of people or just one, my job gets all my focus. All my attention.”
Cody was the real deal. A genuine hero. She’d seen the care he took guarding her. And now she knew he’d done that in every aspect of his life.
Warmth bloomed in her chest, and she said, “Thank you for telling me about who you are. Especially since you’re not supposed to share that with your protectees.”
“You’re not just a protectee, Sierra.” He glanced over at her, and even in the dim light, she saw the warmth in his eyes. “I trust you. I know you won’t tell anyone else. You know how to keep secrets, and I know you’ll keep mine.”
He reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. She felt safe. Secure. Whatever happened, Cody would be there to guard her. To help her.
As if he’d read her mind, he said, “You know you have every bit of my attention until whatever is going on with you is over. Dealt with.”
“I do know that,” she said, twining her fingers with his. “But what about… what about afterward?”
“After?” He glanced at her. Loosened his hand and slid it out of her grasp. “After your situation is settled, I’ll move on to my next job. Go wherever Mel and Devlin send me.”
“So whatever this is,” she motioned between them, “will be over, too?”
Staring out the windshield, his fingers whitened on the steering wheel. “Has to be, bae. I don’t make the decisions about where they assign me. My job takes me all over the country. And in between jobs, I live at the compound in Montana. Train with the rest of the team.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Thanks for being straight with me,” she said quietly. “For not shining me on.”
“Wouldn’t do that,” he said immediately.
Her hand was cold without the warmth of his grip. As she watched him, his profile was illuminated by the moonlight shining in the window. He looked… tough. Competent. The kind of man you could count on. A guy who’d never let you down. A straight shooter.
At least while he was protecting you. After the job was over? All bets were off.
As if he’d read her mind, Cody said, “I’ll always be straight with you, Sierra. I promise.”
She wanted to tell him to lie to her. Tell her what she wanted to hear. But she didn’t. Better to rip the bandage off quickly.
“You want to take turns driving?” she asked
“Nope,” he said immediately. “I appreciate the offer, but I was trained to stay awake and focused for long stretches. Four to five hours to Evanston? With no one shooting at us or otherwise trying to kill us? Piece of cake.”
He glanced over at her and said, “You look like you need to sleep. Just give me your brother’s address first.”
She rattled off Jack’s street address, then reached behind her for a coat to use as a pillow. Turned out to be Cody’s. After hesitating for a moment, she bunched it up and set her head on it. It smelled like him.
She told herself to put it back. To grab her own jacket. But sleep pulled her under before she could act.
She startled awake when someone set their hand on her arm. “Sierra. We’re here. At Jack’s place.” He leaned closer and touched her face. “Hey, bae. Wake up.”
