Page 19 of Top Secret Cowboy


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“But who…?” Big deep brown eyes landed on his. “Why?”

“That’s what I aim to find out. The condo will need a few tweaks to make it secure enough for my liking, but I want you to know that I’m here to protect you.”

She wagged her head as if in disbelief.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked. “Get you more water or feed your cat?”

Why did the last bit sound so damn dirty coming from his lips? He hadn’t meant for it to sound like a euphemism in his Southern drawl. His brother Jaren would be laughing his ass off if he’d heard Jace say such a thing to a ward.

Her voice was soft. “No. Hemingway has a full food dish in the kitchen at all times.”

“Then I’ll just let you go about your evening while I make some calls. Okay?” He studied her closely. She didn’t appear upset on the surface, but he didn’t know her very well. Some people were good at masking their emotions, but up until now, Bronte seemed to have no trouble letting him know how irritated she was with him. Now she was a bit too quiet.

She scooted to the edge of the sofa and the cat leaped off her lap. “My head still aches, so I’m going to lie down for a while.”

He nodded. “Sleep if you can. I’ll take the guest room.”

She blinked at him.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Bronte. I have high clearances.” He’d been sent to protect a lot of people more important than the CEO of a smaller tech company, from celebrities to government officials.

He’d only failed once.

He didn’t tell her that. The part of his past still stung because it meant he and his brothers lost their security company. He was only working now because WEST Protection had given him a second chance. One he wouldn’t waste.

She stood up, and he did too.

“After you’ve rested, we can talk more about what happens next,” he told her.

She gave him a nod and drifted off toward the hallway where the bedrooms were located. He watched her enter one and close the door.

Whipping his phone out, he called in to the office. One of the guys answered, but Jace wasn’t clear about which Wynton brother it was.

“This Boone?” he asked.

“Noah.”

“Hey, Noah. It’s Jace. Calling with particulars on my case.”

“I’m ready. Fill me in and I’ll pass on the information so we can do what we can to support you.”

He spent several minutes giving Noah details on the events of the day, beginning with the work he’d done on the Artemis system and ending with the dead man being carted away.

“Goddamn. He died right in front of your ward? That’s rough,” Noah said.

Jace nudged the brim of his hat up and massaged his forehead. Bronte’s headache must be contagious.

“How’s she holding up?” Noah’s question threw him.

It took Jace a few heartbeats to respond. “She isn’t totally present in the situation yet.”

“Normal behavior at this stage of the game.”

“Yeah.”

“Keep watch over her. Be on the lookout for any signs of distress and call us if you need counsel.”

“Will do. Thanks, Noah.” He aimed his stare upward at the ceiling. Not a security camera in sight. “I’ll be in touch.”

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