Page 105 of The Bodyguard Situation

I force air through clenched teeth, refusing to let him see how far he’s crawling under my skin. But Nick Banks is nothing if not persistent. He shifts again, obnoxiously relaxed as he taps an absent rhythm on the door.

“Got to hand it to you, Brod. Didn’t think you had it in you,” he muses, eyes glittering with that irritating spark of mischief. “To risk it all like that. Guess she’s worth it.”

“She’s my purpose,” I snap before I catch myself, the truth slipping through the cracks in my armor.

The car fills with abrupt silence. Nick’s gaze narrows, his playful edge softening into something serious. He watches me carefully, measuring the weight of what I just admitted. For once, he doesn’t have some smart-ass comeback. Instead, he nods and then looks away, leaving my words floating between us.

I wish I could read his fucking mind as my heart hammers inside my chest, and the realization of my admission sinks deeper into my bones. Harper isn’t just someone I’m protecting anymore; she’s everything worth fighting for, worth risking it all. And today, for a split second, I almost crossed that line and ruined everything.

Nick clears his throat. “So, you and Harper … wow.”

“Careful.” My jaw tightens, and I finally spare him a brief, enraged glance.

He lifts his hands defensively, palms up, but he smirks, loving that he’s annoying me. “Relax. I only ever saw her like a sister. Zane’s my best friend—I wouldn’t do that to him.”

“Nah, you just fucked his fiancée.” I look him up and down pointedly, voice flat and cold.

He barks out a surprised laugh, shaking his head. “Ouch. Tell me how you really feel, Calloway.”

I shift my gaze forward again, but the tension eases just slightly, replaced by something closer to respect. “I just did.”

“Zane and I are working through it. As you know, love can make you do stupid-as-fuck things.” Nick leans back into his seat, staring thoughtfully into the darkness beyond the windshield. “Anyway, there are other ways to destroy Micah Rhodes—ways that don’t land you behind bars. Ways that make him face every goddamn consequence. One day, you’ll thank me. I’ll be waiting.”

My fingers twitch; curiosity replaces my anger. “What do you know?”

“Enough to bury him,” Nick replies firmly, the hard edge returning to his voice. “But that’s a conversation for tomorrow, when we’re with Asher. He’s better at playing the long game than I am.”

I nod, accepting that much. My heart rate eases into a controlled thump.

For now, at least, Nick’s right. Ending Micah without killing him and making him suffer the way he’s made others suffer is what Harper deserves. What every woman he’s hurt deserves too.

“Do you know where he took Mia?”

Nick shakes his head. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I will. I just need more time.”

Silence stretches between us, and I have nothing else to say.

Eventually, he settles deeper into his seat, yawning dramatically. “Wake me up if you decide to crash. Preferably not into anything.”

I don’t bother responding, jaw tight as I stare into the endless road ahead of us. Harper’s smile visits my thoughts, and then I remember the fear in her eyes as the helicopter lifted her away. She was panicked, screaming at the top of her lungs. My heart constricts as I relive that.

I press hard on the gas, increasing my speed. I’ll drive eleven hours straight to find my way back to her tonight if I have to.

Stars sprinkle across the sky as clouds move overhead. A heavy mist clings to the highway, and we drive a few hours in a downpour. Fatigue pulls at the edges of my consciousness, but adrenaline mixed with anger keep me alert.

Beside me, Nick shifts restlessly, stretching his legs out as far as the cramped car allows. He sits up and glances at me. “Are we ever gonna stop, or is your plan just to torture me into submission?”

“I’d prefer unconsciousness,” I say flatly, eyes never leaving the road.

He chuckles dryly. “Careful, Calloway. I might start to think you don’t like me.”

“You’d be correct.”

Nick snorts, amused rather than offended. “Damn, someone needs a nap.”

“Then take one,” I reply.

Nick stops talking, but the silence never lasts long with him.

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