It’s late afternoon by the time Marcus pulls his pickup into Paige’s driveway. I swing my leg out of the passenger side and wince as the prosthetic hits the pavement. I fell asleep when I came back from seeing Paige this morning, the exertion having exhausted me. But I hauled my ass out of bed after lunch to make arrangements, and my first call was to Marcus.
We were never on the same SEAL Team, but the laid-back Kiwi with the sharp reflexes and potty mouth was a legend.
He runs Bedrock Security now and is just the man to help.
He takes a thick black case out of the trunk and sets it down on Paige’s front stairs. Her van isn’t in the drive, and Marcus looks uneasy.
“Does Hudson know about this?”
“Nope.” I pull my overnight bag out of the passenger seat. “And he doesn’t need to.”
“I can’t put spy cameras around Hudson’s little sister’s property without him knowing. I value my balls.”
I hear the sound of a motor and watch as Paige pulls her van into the driveway. Her window is down, and her hair catches in the breeze, skimming the soft skin of her neck. She looks gorgeous, and I hope I’ve helped to put the smile on her face.
“He wants to spy on you.” Marcus nudges a thumb at me. “Asked me to install cameras.”
Paige shakes her head, amused. “The cameras are for me.”
She gets out of the van and goes around the other side to unbuckle Noah.
“Does Hudson know?” Marcus asks.
Paige glowers at him, and I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that stare. “I don’t need my brother’s approval. And he doesn’t need to know.”
I didn’t give Marcus all the details because I wasn’t sure how much Paige wanted to share. I wait for her to explain now, but she swings Noah onto her hip and marches toward the house.
“Just put the cameras up and keep your mouth shut.” She turns at the door and puts on a smile. “Please.”
I stalk after her and catch her before she goes inside. “Paige.”
She turns, and when my gaze flicks to Noah’s wide brown eyes, I forget what I’m saying.
“Yes.” She tilts her head, waiting.
I drag my gaze away from my son and become just as distracted by his mother. My gaze flicks to her lips, and memories of the kiss heat my skin.
My gaze goes back to her eyes, and she’s watching me, amused.
“I’m bringing Marcus on board, which means he needs to know what’s been going on. He has resources, and we need a team if we’re going to catch this asshole.”
She pulls at her lower lip and glances over at Marcus. I’m used to working as a team, but it clearly comes hard for Paige. However, I can’t let her pride get in the way. This is too important.
“He’s a good guy, and he’s got resources,” I emphasize again.
“Okay,” she agrees. “But don’t tell Hudson yet. I don’t want him giving up another job for me.”
Paige takes Noah inside, and I hobble back to Marcus.
“Do you think Hudson will flip when he comes back and finds out we didn’t tell him?” I’ve only just gotten back in his good books. I don’t want another fallout with my best friend.
He keeps his gaze on the box of cameras he’s fiddling with as he replies, “Not as much as he will when he finds out you’re into his little sister.”
Marcus has seen us together for all of five minutes, and he’s spent most of the time with his head in a box. How he knows I’m into Paige is a mystery, unless I’m that obvious.
I bristle, but his eyes twinkle when he looks up. “Good luck, bro. Paige is as stubborn as her brother.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “Where you want this first spy cam?”
It takes an hour to get the cameras installed with good coverage of the house while remaining hidden. I’m here to catch a perp, not warn them off.
