No One's Hero (Chadwell Hearts) (2 page)

Little does she know—for that, I’d need to still have one. Right now she’s peering at me intently, waiting for me to respond. Bored of pacing, I walk to the back of the room, drawn to the artfully arranged mantle over the fireplace.

“Sorry, what was that?” I ask, scanning the photos while I try to tune out the sounds of the lovebirds behind me. Happy people seriously suck.

Chelsea comes to stand beside me, so close our shoulders are almost touching. I scoot away. Her scowl does little to dampen her gorgeous looks, and I’ve got the distinct impression she’s used to men forgetting what she’s saying because they’re too busy staring at her tits. Just about any single, red-blooded man would be hard pressed not to, and probably some that aren’t single, too.

Me, on the other hand...my blood runs cold. I can’t afford to let myself be distracted by a pretty face. I refuse to botch another job.

“It’s awful, isn’t it? Having to tell people the things they don’t want to hear? I bet you get it all, right? Cheating spouses, stuff like that?” She reaches out, her fingertips brushing along a silver frame showcasing her mother and Axel’s father side by side, smiling. “I see it at the bar, too.”

Of course she does. College bars are like petri dishes for casual sex and bad ideas. “Sometimes.” I shrug. Generally, I’m not called in to find out
if
someone is cheating. I’m called in to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of someone cheating. I’m not afraid to walk the line beyond what most people consider too far. I know what they haven’t yet realized—following the rules means you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of eking out an advantage. If you’ve got anything on the line worth losing, you’ll take any advantage you can get, which means the rules have to change.

That’s where I come in. I protect the things worth losing, and I’m good at it, because I know how much failure costs.

“You don’t want to be here, do you?” Chelsea levels an unwavering gaze in my direction.

Damn. Axel’s stepsister is even more observant than gorgeous. Trying to dig out from beneath the weight of her scrutiny, I twist my gaze back to the pictures, noticing that not a single one of them was taken in a casual setting. Each and every photo is a staged portrait. Fake. Pretend moments. “Axel calls. I come.” Because Axel pays, and pays well. Which gives me the freedom to be choosy about the clients I take on when I’m not working for him.

“The way you avoided answering tells me that I’m right.” Her voice quickens, taking on an air of eagerness. She’s like a bloodhound, and she’s sniffed my weakness. Or at least she thinks she has.

“And the way you’re prying tells me you’re well-suited to being a bartender. So let me give you a tip: don’t presume to think you know me.”

She smiles, unfazed.  “I never accept tips without earning them, so let
me
give you a little unsolicited advice, while I pretend you’re only being an asshole because you’re drunk. If you’re only here to make a quick buck off my brother, don’t bother. I don’t know what Axel’s told you, but following Lexi around college isn’t going to be as easy as either of you think. That girl’s a caged bird, ready to spread her wings, and God help you if you get in her way.”

“Maybe you don’t know people as well as you think you do, Princess. Axel said she’s sweet, unassuming, and gets along with everyone. This should be a breeze.” And way better than guarding a spoiled rich brat who thinks everyone should fall at her feet. Thank the lucky stars Chelsea wasn’t here when Nick showed up. If I had to guard her I might be ready to off her myself before long. I hate people who think they’re so damn smart.

Even if she does have a point. About me acting like an asshole, that is. Something about this job has me on edge, and I don’t know what. Maybe because I nearly failed the last job connected to Tess and Axel, when they had me digging for info out in Tucson. Nick managed to get on a plane to come confront Tess without me realizing it, while I wandered around asking questions. If there’s one thing I hate, its feeling like I’m sidelined.

I know that technically I wasn’t, but still, that’s how the fallout felt.

I almost failed. And that can’t happen.

So yeah, it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get me to agree to this. The fact that it will be easy, and that I practically can’t fail, is an added bonus. Just what I need to get my confidence back. Axel said she spends all her time doing homework and working with the horses here, and that she’ll probably be the same on campus. The biggest security risk was her living arrangements, and we’ve already rectified that situation.

“She’s here!” Tess squeals. Her shoes thud softly across the floor as she bounds to the window, pulling aside the drapes. “Looks like she’s headed to the barn first.”

“I’ll go greet her,” Axel says as I stroll toward the couch to take up a silent, watchful position beside it.

“No.” Tess stops Axel with a light touch on his arm. “Give her a few minutes alone with the horses—this isn’t easy on her.”

“Then maybe she should have picked a closer school.”

I’m inclined to agree with Axel, but keep my thoughts to myself.

Chelsea settles into her own seat, near the window, with a smirk. “I don’t blame her for wanting to get as far away as possible.” There’s a touch of wistfulness in her tone. “I’m telling you, Axel. She won’t be back.”

“Of course she will. I intend to make it very worth her while.”

We wait for a few minutes, awkward silence crowding the room. At last the doorbell rings, and Angel motions for the rest of us to wait here while she heads into the hall. I lean close enough for Axel to hear, whispering, “She does know about this plan of yours, right? You consulted her, I mean?”

Axel’s wince gives him away.

This may have just become far more complicated.

But I’ve never been one to shy from a challenge. My gaze flicks to Chelsea and I find myself praying her earlier assessment of Lexi was wrong, and that Axel is right. By the time I hear two sets of shoes hurrying toward us, I’ve got my game face on, ready to work. My mind goes through a habitual review of my standard security protocol.

Assess the situation.

Check.
The subject may be unaware of her need for security, but since she’s not the one writing my paycheck, her knowledge isn’t my problem. That’s Axel’s land mine to avoid.

Assert control of the situation.

In progress.
As soon as Axel informs her of my assignment, I’ll take over and make it clear that I won’t tolerate her questioning my absolute authority. It’s the only way I can be sure to keep her safe. Then, I can begin to assess risks.

Piece of cake.

—-♥—-

L
exi

Stepping into the Chadwell’s living room almost always makes me feel a bit ill, but usually it’s because I’m terrified of breaking something that costs more than most people make in a year. It is literally like walking into a photograph from a magazine—because it’s been featured in at least three different spreads in home decorating magazines. My discomfort has never been quite as intense as it is  as I stand here, confronted with a small crowd of smiling faces and a pile of gifts towering on the coffee table, ready to smash the pristine white cake onto the even more pristine hard wood floor.

The only one not smiling is Angel, most likely because she knows I’m tempted to kill her for whatever part she played in this. Although...she isn’t the only one not smiling. I was momentarily distracted by the gifts, the cake, and the overly-expectant faces, but now I realize there’s another person with Angel, Chelsea, and Axel.

And he’s... Oh. My. God.

I think he may be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.

Despite what my few friends tell me, I’m not exactly boy crazy; at least I don’t think I am. I’ve only had one boyfriend, and that one didn’t last very long because Axel stepped in and scared him away, with the assistance of one of his friends. In fairness, even though Axel was being an overbearing pain-in-the-ass, the temporary boyfriend was prone to over-friendly grabby-hands, and I was almost glad he stepped in. What I wasn’t glad about was the fact that no guy wanted to give me the time of day afterward, because the story of Axel’s interference spread faster than a case of the stomach flu.

This guy, he doesn’t look like he’d be afraid of anything. His tanned, toned arms are folded across a black t-shirt, and just above them I can see the outline of a sculpted chest. His coppery hair is a mix of honey blond and wheat brown, like it can’t decide which color it wants to be, or like maybe he’s just spent long, glorious hours in the sun. Or he wants it to look like he does. My eyes flick again to his tan. Blue eyes dance with amusement above half of a smile. Despite my growing sense that he’s laughing—quite possibly at me—he looks better clothed than my imagination suggests most guys look naked.

If he’s my present, this party thing might not be so bad. I wet my lips and extend my hand. “I’m Lexi.”

His smile remains unchanged, as if glued in place, but he doesn’t take my hand; instead he ignores me completely in favor of turning an irritated eye in Axel’s direction. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Feeling burned, I withdraw my hand, pressing it awkwardly to my side. Angel’s giving both me and Axel huge, pleading eyes, Chelsea’s laughing in the corner, and the boys seem to be having a silent conversation consisting entirely of lip twitches and head jerks.

“I told you,” Chelsea says. “Axel doesn’t see anyone clearly, but it’s fine, don’t listen to me. No one else does.” She’s sort of right, but it’s also sort of her own fault. She looks like a life-sized Barbie doll, complete with long blonde hair and giant, crystal-clear eyes. And although I’ve seen evidence of her compassion and Angel tells anyone who will listen that Chelsea’s one of the smartest people she knows, Axel’s step-sister almost never lets anyone see far beneath the surface.

Axel steps forward while Angel perches on the edge of the couch with Molly at her feet. “Kevin, please.” Putting a hand on both of our shoulders, he guides the stranger and me closer together. If he hadn’t already made me feel so rejected I would have been eager to oblige, but I jerk away.

Kevin shakes his head. “If you think I can keep them away from
that,
” his eyes rake me from head to toe and back up again before he continues, “you’re out of your damn mind.”

Hey now, wait just a damn minute. My hand finds its way onto my hip. “And just what’s wrong with
this
?” I may not be as much of a knockout as Chelsea, but I don’t think I’m chopped liver, either.

“Nothing, Lexi. Nothing. Kevin was talking out his ass.” Axel glares, then shoots Angel a pleading glance.

“Come open your presents while we explain.” Angel pats the couch next to her.

The pile of gifts might as well have ‘bribe’ scrawled on the paper instead of horses, because it’s suddenly obvious they’re about to suggest something they know I won’t like and they’re hoping the gifts will soften the blow. “Just spit it out.”

Kevin’s face is red, and I almost expect steam to start shooting out of his ears at any moment. “She’s going to be a magnet for every quarterback, nerd, and dirty professor alike! Have you honestly looked at her, man? It’s going to be utterly impossible to know who is and isn’t a threat, because every male who sets eyes on her is going to be trying to get in her pants, and every female is going to immediately see her as the competition.”

Now it’s my face that’s red. He did
not
just say that.

Wait.

Seriously?

If his tone hadn’t been so offensive, I think I would be flattered. Does that mean
he
wants to get in my pants? I’m undecided as I settle on the couch beside Angel.

“She’s too young for that! And watch your mouth, jackwipe. She’s only—”

“Eighteen. Almost nineteen,” I fill in helpfully. I’m well aware of the way Axel sees me, and I gave up trying to change it years ago. To him, I’ll always be the pigtailed, gawky twelve-year-old who begged for a chance to brush the horses in exchange for the chance to ride.

Axel visibly sways. “God, seriously? Fuck. Sorry. Crap.” He shakes his head, then turns to Kevin. “See, this is why she needs you to protect her! She’s far too innocent. But you’re right. She’s going to attract all the wrong type of attention. And that’s not even counting the threat of Nick.”

“I do not need protecting.” I shoot to my feet, then glance down at Angel. “And you’re part of this? You know how I feel about crap like this!”

She bites her lip and tears spring to her eyes, punching me in the stomach with guilt before I get a handle on myself. I’m so tired of feeling guilty for wanting to live my life. I thought she got that.

Angel touches my hand lightly. “Lexi, do you remember how much it hurt me when I found out Nick hurt Johanna to get to me?” Of course I do. Nick put her friend, Johanna Rennert, in a coma in an attempt to get information on Angel’s whereabouts. Angel looked like she’d been run over by a train the day she found out. Fortunately, Johanna recovered, and she’s going to be one of the other witnesses in Nick’s trial.

I'm shaking my head like a giant bobble-head doll. I’m that out of sorts.  No, this can't be.  She can't possibly expect me to go for this, whatever
this
is.  But by the way she is looking at me, she does.  “Angel, I get that things have been hard for you, but—”

“—then you'll agree.” She looks at me as if it's that simple.  “I know what I'm asking is a lot, and if I could think of a different way, I wouldn't ask.  But you matter to me, Lexi, and I just couldn't handle it if something happened to you.  I need you to do this for me, please.  Please?"

I can see that unlike my father, and unlike Axel, and even my mother, Angel wants me safe for
me
. Sure, she's remembering what happened to someone else. But it's me she cherishes. She’s trying to hand me exactly what I’ve so desperately wanted, but I’m pretty sure it’s wrapped in packaging that says, “no way in hell.” I glance back to the handsome stranger who now has his head ducked close, talking animatedly with Axel. “And just what is it, exactly, that you’re asking?”