Page 53 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
“Poor little pretty girl has a mean old uncle problem. She blows everything out of proportion to cling to her man. I thought Tony would be immune to such a pathetic, transparent drama, especially after he more or less ignored Audrey Duff’s ‘suicide,’ but I guess I overestimated him.” She gives me a lazy, penetrating head-to-toe. “You must be really good.”
I stare at her. At least she doesn’t think I’m weird. Just an opportunistic, parasitical man-clinger. I can’t decide if I should be happy or offended. “You think I faked the problem with Sam? Just imagined that he tried to drown me?”
She shrugs. “You wouldn’t be the first chick who manufactured a little drama to get some attention. I’m not judging you.” She pauses. “Not much, anyway.”
“Hey! You don’t get to claim not judging while totally giving me that judgey look. I’m not faking anything. He did try to drown me.”
“Okay. I believe you,” she says carelessly.
I cross my arms. If she’s going to be rudely honest, I can return the favor. “Tony didn’t tell me he was hiring someone. I never wanted you here.”
“Great! Tell him you hate me and have him let me go.”
What the hell? She’s serious about not wanting this job. She really believes I’m just some drama queen exaggerating the danger. “I can’t. I promised him. Besides, what are you going to do if you’re out of work? You have somebody else to guard? Some hot actor you’ve been fangirling over?” Two can play this game.
“Don’t want to guard anybody. I want to open my own bakery and be a cake decorator. Get married and have babies. As many buns as my oven can handle.”
I look at the clearly visible veins in her biceps. Cake decorator? Married, with kids? Bobbi looks like she could subdue a rabid hyena without breaking a sweat. Maybe her idea of cake decorating is smearing the congealed blood and powdered bones of her enemies as frosting and sprinkles.
“I’m a damn good baker,” she says. “I can bake better than you play that stupid piano.”
“Riiight.” I infuse the word with as thick a layer of condescension as I can manage. The only reason I played badly is that she kept glaring at me. “So if you’d rather be stuffing your oven, why are you here?”
“TJ made me.”
That’s news. I’m surprised TJ would go that far for me, even if the bodyguard he sent has too much attitude. “Is that why you don’t like me? You think I forced TJ?”
“Nah, he only listens to Tony. And for what it’s worth, I don’t dislike you. I just want you not to like me. Then fire me before I have to catch a bullet.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about anyone shooting at me.” I doubt Sam would go that far. He’s too fastidious, and guns are messy. And leave too many clues.
“That’s what one of my previous clients said.” Bobbi leans sideways and lifts her shirt. There’s a puckered scar on the left side of her belly.
“Oh my God.” One hand over my mouth, I stare, my stomach growing queasy. I know it’s her job, but I don’t know if I’d be able to handle it if she got hurt protecting me. My annoyance with her attitude evaporates.
Bobbi continues, “I took it for a sniveling little bitch who staged a fake attack to get her rich ex back. She’s so stupid she didn’t think to use blanks. And I got shot, trying to protect her Instagram bimbo ass.”
“That’s horrible. People actually do that kind of thing?” And here I thought Audrey Duff was extreme.
“You think that’s bad? My last client decided he should ‘reward’ me with sex for saving him from a crazy ex, who was so pissed off over losing custody of their dog that she decided to run him over in front of the courthouse.”
“Wow,” I say, unable to think of anything else. No wonder she wants to quit. “Does he still have his man-bits?”
Her smile is slightly feral. “Only because I’m a professional.”
I breathe out long and hard. That explains her behavior. Maybe she’s burned out. Does Tony know? Is that why he’s been ignoring her less-than-friendly disposition?
Still, I can’t have her consider me her enemy. It’s going to drive me crazy to live under that glower. “Okay, look. I’m sorry about what happened, but I didn’t do that to you, so don’t take it out on me. And I swear I’m not a drama queen. If I do something stupid, you’re more than welcome to smack me upside the head. I’ll put that in writing if it’ll make you feel better. I don’t want a bodyguard any more than you want to be one, so let’s just get along until Tony’s satisfied I’m not in any danger. And if you do that for me, I’ll…ask him if he’d be interested in investing in your bakery.”
“I have my own money,” she says stiffly.
“Yeah, but why use your own when you can use somebody else’s?” I don’t know how much it costs to open a bakery, but it can’t be that much for Tony. If Bobbi has a good plan, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind putting some money into the business.
She looks at me like I’m the Serpent of Eden.
“I don’t have an ulterior motive here. I just want to have a life that’s as normal as possible. Please?” I stick my hand out. “Truce?”
A long, assessing squint, then she grips my hand.
