AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Cooper, are we good to go?” To detract from the awkward moment, I look to my bodyguard.
“When you are.” He nods back at me and grabs my belongings. “I’ll put these in the car.”
“That won’t be necessary. Georgie is jumping in with me, right?” Jordan looks between the two of us before giving me that imploring look of his. “We have things to clear up before we get to the Aviary and it gets really awkward.”
“I will drive Miss Gladstone,” Cooper states, not leaving any room for argument.
“Please?”
God, I already feel like the biggest bitch for leading him on or making him think that we could ever be more than just friends and dance partners.
“It isn’t up for debate,” Casper says from behind me, holding Grace in his arms as she gnaws on the frozen banana in her hand. It seems to be doing the trick with the teething discomfort. “You’re welcome to ride with her though…and Cooper,” he adds to ensure there’s no room for misunderstanding.
“How about Cooper drives ahead, and we follow behind with one of the security guys in with us?” I offer, earning a glower. “Casper…”
“Excuse us.” He gives Jordan a terse smile before ushering me into the kitchen. “The answer is no for no other reason than he drives a fucking Punto. You know what happens to Puntos when they’re in an accident?”
“We’re not going to get into an accident.”
“Georgina, if this is your way of getting back at Freddie because of the whole security thing…”
“Security thing? Why would I get back at him for that?”
He looks at me, perplexed, making it obvious there’s more to it than I’m aware.
“Casper?”
“Doesn’t matter. Regardless, you’re in the Range. It’s armoured and the safest option. “
“Not if you don’t tell me what you meant by the whole security thing,” I press, taking Grace from him so I can give her a goodbye cuddle. “Tell me what you meant and I’ll stick with the plan. You’ll just have to get someone to drive Jordan’s car to the academy. Unless that’s a problem?”
“Cooper won’t allow you to deviate from the plan, so good luck with that. Freddie’s made it very clear that if anything happens to you on Cooper’s watch, his life won’t be worth living.”
“I get that we had our heart-to-heart and that Freddie is your friend, but you are still my brother, and you should still be on my side. Besides, Francis is in charge of security, so…”
A long, drawn-out chuckle rumbles from him, the kind that makes me think I’m missing something. “Cooper isn’t one of Francis’ men. Or at least he wasn’t until Freddie brought him in…for you.”
“What?” Holding Grace to my chest, I look back even though I can’t see the front door from the kitchen doorway. It’s a force of habit from my small mews house. “What do you mean he brought him in for me?”
“Every single one of your detail has been hand-picked and vetted by Freddie, and so it makes him the one with the orders. You should see some of their references—you pretty much have your own GI Joe team.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I know, I thought it was excessive too, but I suppose he has to make up for his dickhead behaviour somehow. Keeping you alive seems a good way to do it. Don’t you think?” Casper makes a face at Grace as she spits some of the mush out of her mouth and drops the rest of the banana on the floor. “Point is, good luck getting Cooper to change plans that have been meticulously put together by fuckface.”
Shrugging, he picks up the banana and throws it in the open bin, watching as it hits the bag before he wipes his hand with a wipe he grabs from the side and takes Grace from me.
“Don’t rock the boat, and don’t flaunt Jordan in his face because he will hurt him if he sees him going all starry-eyed at you. I won’t stop him either because my loyalty is to him, not Jordan, and you did ask me to have his back, right?”
Of course he would twist my own words against me. “You’re a bastard.”
All he does is smile as he lifts Grace in the air and blows loud raspberries until she starts laughing so hard that she drools.
All the things he told me take a moment to digest, the shock and surprise wearing off, even though deep down I already knew. In everything that’s happened, Cooper has never once taken orders from anyone except Freddie. When he and Casper talk, it’s more of a man-to-man and pro-to-pro kind of thing. The other night when Freddie got to my place and he backtracked into the kitchen was the biggest giveaway of them all. Come to think of it, Cooper has always slinked away into the shadows when Freddie and I are together.
“I’ll see you when I get back,” I tell him, smiling up at Gracie as she squeals at her daddy.
Right there and then, it hits me that I want this. I want it so fucking bad. More than that, I want it with Freddie. And I can just picture it—a little boy with blond curls and blue eyes. That’s the thing about Freddie—he has the makings of a wonderful father. He’s protective to a fault, and he cares so deeply that it feeds the profoundest of love. It’s why I forgive him because when it comes to him, begrudging what’s happened would be a misfortune to me.
