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CHAPTER1
Hank “Montana” Patterson
My tossingand turning must have woken Sadie again. The first time, she dropped featherlight kisses over my forehead until I sighed and drifted off again. The second time, she was facing away from me. As I rolled from my side to my back, then to my other side, she shifted around, rested her head against my chest and wrapped an arm around me.
Smiling, I kissed her head and wrapped my arm across her hip, pulling her even closer to me. There were so many things on my mind—most notably, the conversation I had with Daniel Archer a few days prior.
It had started with his manager reaching out.
“I’m not someone who needs to be handled.” I told the man who said his name was Andy. “If Daniel wants to speak with me, we don’t need a go between. He knows where I lay my head.”
“What am I supposed to tell him?”
“What I just said.” I’d growled into the phone. “Or whatever you’d like. That’s a you problem.”
Angry, I’d hung up and dropped the phone back into my pocket.
Time passed and Daniel had reached out. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to help with whatever he’d wanted to meet about.
Hell, I was still trying to figure out if I only disliked the fool or if I absolutely hated him.
It was a week later, and as I walked through the doors of our main office, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to get involved. Then again, if he was in serious trouble, I’d feel like garbage should something I could have prevented happened to him.
“Hey Boss!”
I jerked around, reaching for my sidepiece.
“Damn it, Swede!” I growled.
“What’s your issue?” Swede wanted to know. “You’re walking into head office. You should have expected someone to be here.”
I sighed then rubbed my tired eyes.
Swede walked away, nibbling on a cookie and muttering to himself.
“I’m sorry.” I called after him.
“Yeah, yeah!” He tossed over his shoulder.
Eventually, I had to rant to someone. After I made a salad—I didn’t think my stomach could handle anything else with how queasy it was—I went and found Swede.
True to who he was, my friend didn’t hold a grudge. He merely smirked at me in that way he always did, offered me a seat then listen to what was on my mind.
“Are you taking this meeting?” Axel “Swede” Svenson asked, as he plucked a piece of cucumber from my plate.
“I’m thinking about it.” I replied. “I mean, he said it’s about a job.”
“I get that. But sometimes your indecision is just God’s way of telling you to just say no.”
I scoffed.
Exhaling loudly, I set my meal aside and leaned forward to speak with my friend and fellow protector. Swede had always been good with leveling me out. Usually, though conversations would be serious, he came through with humor.
“What does Sadie have to say about this?” Swede asked.
I sighed, remembering that Sadie and I started speaking about the situation, but we never got finished. Before I knew what was happening, we were making love.
I licked my lips. “Um—we kind of didn’t finish discussing it.”
