Page 112 of Thunderstruck
“What’s he doing to you?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Derek says at the same time Freya says, “Derek is so determined to send me an American soldier to be my bodyguard that he has already spoken with my mother, which means the matter is settled despite my reservations.”
Derek rolls his eyes, and I’m guessing this is a conversation that has been going on for most of the afternoon. “He’s not just a soldier, Peach. He’s a master sergeant in the Special Forces and has probably completed more missions than any of your past bodyguards combined.”
“How do you know a soldier in the Special Forces?” I ask. Am I really surprised? No. This is Derek we’re talking about.
Sure enough, Derek shrugs and mutters something along the lines of, “I knowa lot of people.”
One of these days he’s going to say something about how he’s actually related to the King of England and only a few spots away from the throne, and I would believe him. “What’s wrong with an American?” I ask Freya with mock offense.
She heaves a huge sigh, practically pouting as she gazes at us through the phone. “Nothing. But an Americansoldier? That is a different story.”
“If it helps, he’s leaving the Army,” Derek offers.
Freya narrows her eyes. “Why?”
“To come look after you, obviously.”
That was a hedge if ever I saw one, but I’m not about to get in between Derek and Freya. They’re both far too strong-headed and tend to turn into dogs fighting over a fresh steak if they have differing opinions, which happens about as often as you would expect between an altruistic European princess and an American actor with a tendency to play god.
“Sorry, Peach,” I say before she can keep pressing for information, “but I’m going to have to steal Derek. I’ve got to get to practice soon, and he’s not done helping me fix a problem.”
“I’m not?” Derek asks with genuine surprise.
I chuckle. “Are you ever? Believe it or not, you’re not as perfect as you look.”
“Ah, it is nice to have you back, Cole,” Freya says. “You were getting far too serious for my liking. Goodnight, boys.” She blows a kiss to the camera and ends the call.
Sighing, Derek slips his phone into his pocket and returns to leaning on the wall. “Sheis getting too serious. The closer she gets to that election, the more she’s convinced she’s going to lose.”
Despite being the heir to her mother’s throne, Freya still has to be elected by her people. So far, no one is running against her, but there’s still time. In a country as small as Candora, a lot could happen in three months.
“How about we focus on my problems instead of ones you can’t fix?” I say, clapping Derek on the back. “I need to figure out how to buy a rugby team. As soon as possible.”
It’s not often I can break through Derek’s uncrackable exterior, but for a moment he looks completely dumbstruck. Then his eyes light up. “Cole, that’s genius.”
“Contrary to popular belief, I can sometimes have good ideas.”
“Literally no one thinks you’re not smart.” He grabs his phone and opens up his contacts, poised to call the perfect person to help me take the steps I need to acquire the Thunder. But he pauses.
I furrow my brow. “What’s wrong?”
When he looks up at me, his blue eyes pierce through me. “Are you sure this is what you want? I’m assuming you’ve talked to Darcy.”
I nod. I spent the last couple of hours we had at the hotel this morning giving Darcy as much information as I could, and she was confident she could get the right facts to save the team from itself. She also threatened me when it came to treating Carissa right, so it was quite the conversation. “Yeah. Why?”
“You know Oregon would take you back.” Derek narrows his eyes as he studies me. “You could go back to the game you love and get another chance at a Super Bowl, and you could win.”
“It would take a few years to rebuild the team,” I counter, but my words come out hesitant. I hadn’t considered…
“You still have a solid decade in you, if not more,” Derek says. “Give Tom Brady a run for his money.”
I chuckle. “Brady only wishes he was as good as me.”
Derek purses his lips as he pockets his phone, like he thinks he’s convinced me to change my plan. “You can still try to save the Thunder, Cole, but you don’t have to put all your money into something that isn’t your passion. You’re…” He bites his tongue, like he isn’t sure if he should keeptalking.
I nudge his shoulder. “Say it.”
