The others followed him over. “A job that could make us. Maybe.”
We’d worked our asses off to get the security agency off the ground. This opportunity to work with a rising star in the music industry was just what we needed. Fingers crossed, Lucia didn’t fuck it up by kicking the chief’s ass.
4
HAYDEN
We pulled into the driveway at Conrad Carter’s house the next day, and my mouth fell open as I gawked. A blue two-story clapboard house rose in front of us and sprawled in both directions.
“What the fuck?”
Lucia nodded and said, “I know, right? It’s crazy. He lived in that tiny little cottage for years, and now, he’s living like a king.”
The front door opened as we got out of the car. A beautiful, middle-aged woman came onto the porch with Chief Carter. This lovely lady had to be the woman he was engaged to. I couldn’t remember her name, even though Lucia had given us the rundown of everyone the night before. They both had smiles stretching their faces. Lucia grumbled next to me, but I ignored her. I got her rationale surrounding the chief. That shit was spot on, once she explained it, but she needed to keep it to herself.
“Hayden!”
I groaned as the man left his fiancée and jogged toward us. Luce snickered.
“Shut up.”
Priest and the others cackled like the peanut gallery. I ignored them and let the chief pull me into his embrace.
“Damn, son, I think you’re still growing.”
I glanced back at my buddies, hoping Conrad didn’t see me roll my eyes. “Nah, it’s just been a while.”
“Well, you guys were the last to arrive. Let’s get this show on the road.”
He motioned for us to follow him into the house. When we stepped up on the porch, he stopped and took the hand of the woman he’d left standing there as he greeted us.
“Everyone, this is Marion, my fiancée.”
Barely giving us a chance to greet her, the chief ushered us into the house, rambling on about the stalker and not knowing what the hell was going on and how Katie had gotten herself in such a mess.
“How’s she the one to blame?”
Priest’s voice carried more than he realized, and I saw the chief turn to look at him. Conrad was stupid if he thought that look would get the gunnery sergeant to back down. Priest stared back, one brow cocked, until Conrad turned forward again and continued in the house.
Hushed whispers hovered in the air around us as Lucia and the guys talked, but the chief ignored them, moving through to the back of the house.
“Everyone’s gathered in the living room.”
I nodded, catching the eye of a gorgeous girl standing in the corner, trying her best to be invisible. I had news for her. That shit wasn’t possible for anyone who looked the way she did. Traffic-stopping came to mind. But she was so damn short. It would shock the hell out of me if the top of her head came up past my nipples.
I winked at her, then turned to survey the rest of the room. My heart slammed to a halt and dropped to my stomach as Priest, Scott, and Cameron all cursed.
Lucia’s voice barely registered as she asked, “What?”
I turned to look at her, pulling her out of the room. “How the fuck could you not tell me? How could you let me walk into this fucking shit show without giving me a heads up?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s Declan’s fucking family, Lucia. Jackson’s the kid Mara used to hide me from her damn daddy.”
The light dawned in her eyes, and she muttered, “I didn’t know it was him, Hayden.”
“How could you not know? He looks just like Declan! He was here last night, and so were you.”
