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

at me.
    I hold up my hands in surrender and he walks off towards the pawn shop.
    Here we go. Bantering like siblings.
    This is going to be one strange road trip.

Chapter 9
    Fox
     
    “Back again so soon?” Caleb’s thick, pink lips grin at me as I step inside the shop. “I’m starting to think you’re falling in love with me, Fox.”
    “You think every man that walks in here is falling in love with you, Caleb,” I fire back.
    “All except my father,” she quips. “May he rest in pieces out back.”
    I chuckle. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy Caleb’s dark brand of humor. “Bit slow today,” I note, glancing around the abandoned shop.
    “It’s still early. The weirdos don’t come around until the afternoon…” Her lips curl. “Usually .”
    I stop at the counter in front of her and take one last glance around the shop to make sure we’re alone. “I need a few more things from your back room.”
    “Buy or trade?”
    “Loan.” She raises an eyebrow and I tilt my head. “You know I’m good for it, Caleb.”
    “You’re good at a lot of things, Fox. Returning my stuff, not so much. Guns, ammo, phone calls …”
    “I died.” I shrug.
    “How convenient for you.”
    “Come on, Caleb. I said I was sorry.”
    She chews on her lip with crumbling resolve. “I know… but I reserve the right to feel bitter about it for a little while longer.”
    “I don’t blame you. Please, Caleb. One tiny loan and I’ll have Boxcar wipe out some of your debts. It’s a fair trade.”
    She scoffs and brushes her auburn bangs away from her eyes. “You still hanging around with that prick?”
    I throw up my hands. “He’s useful.”
    “So are lobotomies. Still wouldn’t recommend one.”
    I smile. “Help me out and I’ll tell him I found you spread eagle with some beefcake in the back room. That outta piss him off.”
    She finally drops her head and lets out a smooth breath. “What do you need?”
    “A few boxes of those Win Mag rounds, a bowie knife, and that Model 60 I saw yesterday.”
    She hisses. “That’s my special occasion gun.”
    “I wouldn’t ask for it if it weren’t one.”
    “Going hunting?” she asks with a raised brow.
    “More on the defensive side this time.”
    “What are you defending?”
    “Bit of unfinished business.”
    “Let me guess…” She leans forward to speak with a deep whisper. “Black hair? Red lips? Scary-looking gash on her left cheek?”
    I pause. “What makes you say that?”
    “Because she followed you in here and it’s pretty obvious she doesn’t give a shit about my antique fishing lures.”
    I turn around to see Dani standing in the corner behind a tall tower of lures. “Dani—”
    She twitches at my tone, but a smile creeps to her lips. “Hey.”
    “I told you to stay in the car.”
    Dani wanders over to the stand next to me. “And I objected to it. You’re not my father.”
    “Go back outside.”
    “No.” She looks at Caleb. “Hello.”
    “Hello, there…” Caleb greets her with a knowing twinkle brushing her green eyes. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
    “I just have one of those faces,” Dani says, shrugging.
    Caleb bites her cheek. “Uh-huh.”
    “So, how do you know Fox?”
    I hang my head in annoyance. “We don’t have time—”
    “Army buddies,” Caleb answers.
    Dani’s eyes grow wide with interest. “You were in the Army?”
    “Once upon a time.”
    “You’re not anymore?”
    “Nope.”
    “Why did you leave?”
    Caleb grins and her eyes fall on me. “Got boring without old Foxy here.”
    Dani twists in my direction. “Foxy?”
    “Can you please just go take a look around?” I ask Dani, gesturing away from the counter. She rolls her eyes and wanders off, once again lingering around the fishing lures with zero interest. I turn back to Caleb and she tilts her head at me. “Don’t encourage her, Caleb.”
    She laughs, her lips dancing into a long grin. “I should have known. Who else could bring you back