Free Bodyguard: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (Snake Eyes Book 1) by Tabatha Kiss Page A

shot. I know you did because you shot the guy in the doorway right between the freakin’ eyes. The only possible explanation is that you missed Mercer breaking in because you were staring at my tits—”
    “That’s not what happened!”
    “Then why didn’t you shoot Mercer before he attacked Smith? It would have saved us heaps of trouble…”
    “I was checking the stairwells and missed it.”
    “Is that right?”
    “You can only see one target at a time through a scope,” he explains. “I missed it. It was bad timing on my part.”
    “I’m not sure I believe you.” I narrow my eyes at him, studying his bearded face for any secret tells while keeping my laughter at bay.
    He glares at me with sideways eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Dani.”
    “You can tell me they looked great.”
    “I really have no idea how they looked.”
    A chuckle finally escapes my lips. “Okay, fine. I believe you.”
    “Thank you.”
    “For now.” He cranes his neck, exhaling a soft breath in frustration, but says nothing more. I slip on my socks and shoes. “Time to hit the road?”
    “We need to make a quick stop first.”
    “For what?”
    “Supplies.”
    “Like what? Snacks?”
    “Guns.”
    I blink. “Oh.”
    “It won’t take long. My dealer knows I’m coming.”
    “You have a dealer?” He nods. “What’s his name?”
    Fox pauses for a moment as we change lanes. “ Her name is Caleb.”
    “ Caleb? Your gun dealer is a girl with a boy’s name? How cliche.”
    He smirks and licks his lips. “Tell me all about it, Dani .”
    “Short for Danielle . At least, my mother wasn’t a hippie.”
    “My mother is not a hippie.”
    “She named you Fox .”
    “It’s a cool name,” he defends. “Don’t get me started on Danielle Roxanne Roberts . I mean, what the hell is that?”
    I pause, unable to contain the laugh in my throat. Nostalgia silences me even more. It’s strange how quickly old habits take over again. We’ve haven’t spoken in five years and we’re already tossing insults back and forth like nothing has changed.
    Like siblings.
    I reach for my left cheek to scratch an itch without thinking and my nail scrapes against the stitches holding my skin together. “Ouch—”
    Fox looks over at me. “How’s that feeling?”
    I check the mirror and peel back the bandage to be sure I didn’t do any more damage to it. “It’s all right.” I sigh with annoyance. “Any idea why he chose the face of all places?”
    “I have the same scar.”
    “You do?” I eye his dark beard and he slides a finger down his left cheek.
    “Right here. He knew I’d make the connection.”
    “When did you get it?”
    He furrows his brow in thought. “It happened during my first mission in Snake Eyes. I screwed up and got made. The target had a thing for knives and managed to sneak in behind me, but…” His voice falls. “I was faster.”
    I glance at his cheek. “Not fast enough.”
    “Mercer called it my trophy,” he continues. “He wouldn’t let me get it fixed. Just let it bleed , he said. It’ll look cool. ”
    “Why do you cover it up?”
    He keeps his eyes on the road. “Makes it easier to forget about, I guess.”
    We turn off the street and enter a small parking lot behind an old, brick building. A pink neon sign flashes above the entrance with several letters missing. I squint at it, trying to decipher the store’s name.
    “Fawn’s Pawn?” I read. “Who’s Fawn?”
    “It’s her last name.”
    I sit back. “Your gun dealer is a woman named Caleb Fawn ?”
    Fox pulls his seatbelt free. “Wait here.”
    “Wait here?” I repeat. “No way. I want to meet your gun girl.”
    “No.” He pushes the door open and steps outside. “I’ll just be a minute.”
    “Fox—”
    “ Dani.” He bends down and stares at me through the open window. “Stay here.”
    I sigh and fall back into my seat. “Fine.” I reach for my sunglasses.
    “Keep them on,” he warns, pointing a stiff finger