And she would work her way up.
It would be okay.Although what had they said?“What did youmean I need a bodyguard?”
* * * *
Nate Carter had been working at McKay-Taggart for exactlyone week, and he was fitting in well.It was good to be around the men andwomen of the bodyguard unit, good to feel this brotherhood thing they hadgoing.
It wasn’t the lightning bolt he wanted, but it was enoughfor now.
He was about to finish up his first week on the job, andtonight was his first night at The Hideout.He planned to spend his weekendsettling into his new space.
“Hey, I thought I’d come down and hang with you while mysister is being interrogated for her latest adventure.”Aidan O’Donnell strodeup to the desk Nate had been assigned.“It’s a doozy.”
He’d heard a lot about the ball of chaos known as DaisyO’Donnell.“What’s she up to this time?”
She was a mystery.He hadn’t seen a picture of her since hedidn’t do social media, and Aidan was packing up to move in with his fiancée,so his part of the house was looking pretty sparse.He hadn’t seen his otherroommates yet since Cooper McKay and Tristan Dean-Miles were… He had no ideawhere they were since it was classified.
He’d worked with both young men on a CIA op in Sydney a fewmonths back, so he was certain he could hang with the guys.Though everyone hadthought Tristan would be moving out with Aidan since they’d been involved withCarys Taggart since they were kids.For reasons he didn’t understand, Aidan wasmarrying Carys in a few short weeks, and Tristan was out of the relationship.
It was a lot of drama, but they were all blokes so theydealt with it by drinking beer and not talking about anything but sports.
“So my sister recently took a job as a receptionist for aprivate investigation firm.”Aidan sat in the chair across from Nate’s assigneddesk.He was in the back of the floor, fairly close to the boss’s office.Heand Aidan had fallen back into an easy friendship.Like the years between themhadn’t mattered at all.It was comforting to be around Aidan.
“I thought she was going into real estate.”He’d heard manystories of the chaos that seemed to follow Aidan’s baby sister.She was acomplete mess, but it was obvious her brother adored her.
“Yeah, real estate did not work out.She passed the test andeverything, but then she put the wrong keys in all the lockboxes they use andmistakenly put in some list prices she said seemed more in line with theneighborhood.”Aidan shook his head.“She lives in her own world.”
She sounded like a hoot.“So now she’s a receptionist.Howmuch trouble could she get into there?”
Aidan’s eyes went wide.“She managed to uncover a cocainedistribution organization.”
Nate felt his jaw drop.“She did what?How?How doesanswering the phone lead to exposing criminals?”
Broad shoulders shrugged.“I have no idea how she does it.She should have a patent or something.Anyway, to hear her describe it therewas a client looking for her cheating boyfriend and the new bosses were out forlunch, so she took the case.”
“But she was the receptionist.”
“My sister has a confidence only Hollywood stars have.Themen, I mean.Daisy plows through life never understanding how dangerous theworld can be, probably because our da chased after her making sure she neverhad to deal with anything.Don’t get me wrong.My sister is a wonderful woman.She would do anything for a friend.She’ll literally give you the shirt off herback.She did it one time when this woman she met had been dumped by herboyfriend at the lake and he’d taken off with her clothes.She was in a bikiniand crying.Daisy told the girl she spends half her life in fet wear, sowalking around in her bra wasn’t a problem.”
Nate tried to wrap his head around the idea.“She’d just metthe girl?”
“Yup, and she managed to find the girl a ride home and talkher parents down from grounding her because she wasn’t supposed to be outlate,” Aidan explained.“All while wearing short shorts and a pushup bra.”
He was rapidly becoming fascinated with the idea of Daisy.“So did she get hurt?When she exposed the cartel?I assume she called thepolice.”
“No, she was too busy not understanding what she was doing.She was taking a selfie memorializing her first ‘case’ as a detective.”Aidanused air quotes around the wordcase.“Her best friend caught it whenshe posted it on Instagram and Brianna called the police.Luckily she’d taggedher location.So now she’s a material witness against a drug lord.Just anotherday in the life of Daisy O’Donnell.Not even her worst day.”
“Is your dad freaking out?”Liam was famous for having adistorted view of his daughter.He claimed she was a saint most of the time.When he’d seen the man the last few years, Liam would always announce his Daisywas the sweetest, most perfect child in the world and Aidan… Aidan was a boy.
Aidan nodded.“Beyond freaking out.It’s why I spent lastnight at Daisy’s.Carys and I had to be with her because my da wouldn’t let herstay alone.Daisy loves her little house.It’s a dump, by the way, but shebought it for a song, and for some reason she’s obsessed with living on herown.Though if the meeting goes the way I think it is going to, she’ll becoming back to our place tonight.”
“Why?”He didn’t mind.In fact, he was curious.If she wasanything like she was when she was a kid, she would be pleasant to be around.She used to tell him how smart she thought he was, how much she liked beingaround him.He’d only been a year older than she was, but he’d been so bigphysically the age difference seemed larger.“I thought we were going to theclub.Isn’t there a party tonight?”
“There is, and we wouldn’t miss it.It’s our annual maskedball.”Aidan’s lips curved up in a devilish grin.“It’s the best night sinceeveryone’s in a mask and you can pretend to not know you’re playing with thesub you’ve always wanted to play with.It’s fun.”He sat up.“I mean that in awatch the drama way.Not in an I participate way.Trust me.I know exactly whatCarys will be wearing.But it’s funny to watch the others fumble their waythrough.My cousin Lucas likes it because he can pretend he’s sleeping withsomeone new.He has to pretend since he’s gone through most of the availablesubs already.Seth will try to find Chloe Lodge because he wants her so bad,but he wants to pretend like he doesn’t want her at all.Chloe will stay awaybecause she’s the smart one.I won’t even go into what Kala and Coop would do.They won’t be here because they’re saving the world or something.But it willstill be a crazy night.”
He was looking forward to it.Not because he would playtonight.He intended to take it slow, to get into the groove of the club beforelooking for a play partner.He would put on his leathers and the mask Aidansupplied him with and sit in the lounge for most of the night.He might watchsome scenes.“So what’s Daisy doing while we’re playing?”
“She usually sits in the locker room,” Aidan explained.“Shedoesn’t mind.She’ll grab a bottle of wine from the lounge and pop some popcornand watch bad reality shows on her tablet.You need a ride?I was planning ongoing home and grabbing my kit and Carys before picking up baby sis.”
