Page 36 of The Forbidden Sitter
“You don’t understand,Gannon.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. So I pulled her to me and kissed her again. I wanted her to feel what we had. It was new, but it was strong. And it was real. Why couldn’t she put her worries behind her and just let me take the brunt of her brother? I could handle him. I knew Icould.
The kiss had her melting into me, stroking my hair with one hand and running her other hand along myshoulder.
Letting the kiss end, I rested my forehead against hers. “I have a meeting with Brad later today. Let me test the waters with him, Brooke. You’ll see, I can show him that you’ve changed me. I’m not the man I was before you came to live with us here. And I’m completely and hopelessly devoted to you, just the same way I’m devoted to Braiden.” Our lips met once more then I heard hersigh.
“Promise me you won’t blurt anything out.” She pulled back to look at me, taking my face between her palms. “You’ll have to go in easy to make sure he’s taking things well. If not, he’ll beat the living hell out of you and come get me. I know my brother. He’s irrationally protective when it comes to me. My whole family is,Gannon.”
She proceeded to tell me some of the over-the top-things each and every member of her family had done for her and I had to admit there were some crazy things. But I was certain they’d all see the love I genuinely had for their little precious baby girl. She was that to me too, in away.
She was my girl. My angel. I’d protect her the same way theydid.
So, with her blessing, I left her and my son under the watchful eye of Samson and went with my driver and the bodyguard Samson had called in to stay with me. Josh was also a veteran who Samson had a ton of respect for. Heading to the office for the meeting I was an hour late for, I was finding myself nervous over having to leave the two people I loved mostbehind.
The meeting lasted about an hour, and I asked Brad to go to my office with me. He hadn’t noticed my bodyguard until we got to my office and Josh was suddenly there, standing by thedoor.
Brad jerked his head in a gesture at him as he asked me, “You’re keeping him very close, Gannon. Whatgives?”
“Step inside, and I’ll enlighten you.” I opened the door and in we went. I wanted to enlighten him about a couple of things, actually, and had high hopes he’d take them bothwell.
Brooke’s stories were kind of scary, but all those people had been nobodies to her family. I was Brad’s best bud. He couldn’t be that angry withme.
Brad went straight for the sofa, taking a seat. I decided that would be a great place to talk about things. So I took the chair that sat across from him. “Hey, you want adrink?”
He shook his head as he leaned up to rest his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. “I wanna know why you’ve got your bodyguard all up on you. That’s what I wanna know. And I wanna know if my sister issafe.”
“She’s very safe. I have my personal bodyguard watching over her and my son. Not to worry.” I sat back, taking a more leisurely position. I didn’t want him to get riled up in theleast.
“So what’s up?” he asked, still looking a little on the tenseside.
I decided showing him the text would be a good place to start, so I pulled out my cell. “There was an incident at the nightclub we’re building. That, and this little text, are why I’ve amped up security around my son and me. And Brooke,obviously.”
He took the phone I held out for him and read the text. His eyes were almost red, shooting flames out of them at me when he looked back up. “What the fuck, Gannon? I want her out of there rightnow!”
“Brad, she’s fine. Samson is the best. They’re in the best place they could be. I’d never let anyone hurt either of them. Brooke’s important to me. Just as much as Braiden is. Of course, I have them under the best watchful eyes Ihave.”
He tossed my cell back to me as he got up, towering over me. “Brooke’s important to you?” His voice was aroar.
“Chill, dude,” I said as I got up too. He wasn’t about to tower overme.
“Chill?” his voice cracked as he shouted atme.
Josh opened the door and looked at me, silently asking if I needed his help. I waved him away without saying a word, and he closed the door. “Brad, you’reoverreacting.”
“Overreacting? You have no idea. Something’s not right there. You know your place isn’t safe and you know you should be sending Brooke home, yet you’re keeping her in harm’s way. That tells me one thing and one thing only. You’ve got a hard-on for my babysister.”
My jaw dropped. Not because he was hitting the nail on the head, but because he was talking like I was some kind of a pervert. “Brad, would you listen to yourself? I’m keeping her where she is because she’s much safer there. Plus, I still need help with my kid. Whoever is threatening me like this knows she’s with me. If I send her off somewhere, then she’ll be in danger and so will anyone she’s around. Can’t you seethat?”
All he heard was one part of what I said though. “She’s with you? She. Is. With.You?”
Fuck, had I really said those exactwords?
“You know,” I tried to fix my mistake, “she works for me. For my son. You know what I mean.” I felt the fire from his eyes wash over me. He had that much power, I swear. Brook hadn’t been wrong at all. Her brother could turn into a raging maniac overher.
“You might be right about her being safer under your guard. But I smell a rat, Gannon Forester. I smell a horny, oversexed, billion-dollar rat who wants to bone my little sister. And I’ve already warned you about doing so much as touching her.” He slammed his fist into the palm of hishand.
I had to admit; he was intimidating. But I tried to play it cool as I lied, “Dude, I wouldn’t harm a hair on your sister’s head.” That part was true, so it came out pretty easily. “I care about Brooke. I genuinely care abouther.”
