But maybe Andrews is right. If a hit has been put out on me—no, not me, on Lucy—then maybe this is a reasonable adjustment.
“Go to the safehouse. We re-group, we plan, but we continue as planned. Owen is in a position of power. We need to let them come and try whatever they have planned so that the police can get involved. We need to let this play out.”
“You’re going to use her as bait?” Owen says tersely.
I shake my head. “No, he’s going to use usbothas bait.” I turn my attention back to Andrews. “Right?”
“Come on, little one, this is the perfect plan.”
“You and I have very different ideas of what constitutes theperfectplan,” I groan. “You know I’ve been shot already on this assignment, right?”
“You’re fine,” Andrews responds quickly, waving his hand, sitting back in his seat before changing the subject. “So, Cooper, changing the world one speech at a time? How’s life as an MP?”
“Hmm,” he responds, not biting, his eyes assessing Andrews. “Kara tells me you saved her?”
Andrews laughs. “On which occasion? This one and I have saved each other’s arses many times. Not for much longer, though.” He smiles fondly at me.
“I’m done after this one,” I explain.
“Done?” Owen looks over at me, and I shift in my seat under his scrutiny.
“Out, done, finished. Debt paid,” Andrews fills in.
“And you got her off the street?”
“I did.” Andrews looks over at me proudly. “She was like a feral dog, wild, untamed but such raw talent.” He leans forward and grabs my hand, and I squeeze it.
Andrews is a lot of things to me. A pain in my arse, a boss, in some disturbing way a father, and I owe him a lot.
“So, how did you find yourself in the private security industry?” Owen probes. “It’s a strange recruitment technique, I must admit.”
Fuck.
There’s no missing the tone in his voice, the way his eyes bore into Andrews.
Owen leans forward. “Taking young teenage girls, girls who have been chewed up and spat out, left to fend for themselves, let down by the system…”
“And family,” Andrews adds.
I tense.
He doesn’t bite. “You took them off the streets. If that doesn’t scream taking advantage of people, I don’t know what does…” Owen snarls.
“Jesus, you two may as well get your cocks out and piss on me. Stop it, the pair of you!”
Owen crashes back into his seat and continues to stare at Andrews, who is completely unfazed. His mouth fighting a smirk, which I’m fairly sure if he lets loose, Owen will lamp him one.
“Testy, isn’t he?” Andrews nods his head towards Owen, who looks about ready to launch himself at Andrews.
I reach over and grip Owen’s hand in mine, and squeeze it. I press something on my headset to change the channel, so I’m talking directly to Owen.
“I don’t need you to save me from the big bad wolf that is Andrews. That ship has long sailed. Stop.”
“I don’t like him.” His attention is firmly on me. Andrews is ignoring the exchange and looking out the window.
“You’re the one who hired him!”
“Because I was told to. That was before I found out that he pulled you from the street and turned you into a bodyguard!”
