Page 11 of Glamour and Grit

Harlowe turns and walks away.

“Sounds like a you problem.”

She pauses next to me and smiles.

“It was so nice to meet you, Selene. I’m sorry you drew the short straw and got this annoying dillhole as your bodyguard, but he will keep you safe.”

I can’t help but grin. “It was nice to meet you too.”

Dane sighs, and holds the door open for me. I climb inside the passenger seat. The interior has every piece of tech imaginable, which tracks with Harlowe being the procurement agent.

He puts my address into the navigation panel, and we’re off. My stomach gets twisted up the closer we get to my place. I keep replaying the moment in my mind. Your home is supposed to be your safe place. Now mine feels violated.

“So, you do makeup for movies?”

His voice startles me out of my spiral. I nod, turning my gaze his way.

“Yeah. You ever heard of theShambling Deadseries?”

“One of the guys in my unit was obsessed with that show. Zombies and stuff, right?”

“Right. I’m working on the newest spin off, actually. Just started.”

A smile spreads over his face. I see a hint of something besides the abrasive, swaggering warrior persona he projects.

“That’s really cool. I snuck my brother Rafe intoAn American Werewolf in Londonwhen he was ten and I told him the werewolf parts were real. It was years later and a lot of nightmares later that he found out it was all special effects.”

He’s not afraid to join me in laughter at his expense. Something inside of me relaxes, the suspicious part. The part that’s afraid of being let down and hurt.

I really want to like this guy. Can’t I just like him and not have it end in disaster?

I shake it off and put my barriers back up.

“That’s a terrible thing to do to a child. But that movie did have excellent practical effects. We try to use that on the show as much as possible.”

“I’m surprised CGI hasn’t put you out of business. No offense.”

“None taken. CGI costs money, and if you have fifty extras shambling across the set it’s just more cost-efficient to use makeup and practical effects. Plus, have you heard of the Uncanny Valley? It’s impossible to create a convincing face because of how the human brain is hardwired…I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I’ve steam rolled through the conversation with all of my rambling, as usual.

“It’s all right, I like the way you ramble, Selene. Besides, I find this stuff fascinating.”

“Thanks.”

Now I’m blushing for a different reason. It’s hard to meet his jade gaze.

“What about you? You were in the service, right? So what was your specialty?”

His tattooed arms ripple as his hands tighten on the steering wheel. I look at Dane’s hard set jaw and realize I’ve touched a sensitive spot.

“It's all right, you don't have to answer,” I say.

“I was a SEAL. Sniper,” he says, putting the car in park and shutting off the engine. “We’re here.”

I’m surprised to find that he’s right. We’re parked outside of my duplex. My heart thuds harder in my chest as we walk up to the front door. Apparently, I’m not the only nervous one. Dane lifts his shirt and reveals a holstered 9MM automatic, nickel-plated pistol.

I gasp as he takes out the weapon, its metal gleaming in the security lights.

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