Free Secured Undercover by Charity Parkerson Page B

to hold still ; don’t twist the dress; not at the waist and not with your hands. I just need you to stand still long enough for me to get measurements and pin the hems. That’s all. That’s all I’m asking of you.”
    Bradley felt like shit. He was so accustomed to playing his part that sometimes he forgot that he didn’t need to play the game here with Flower. She deserved this break for her career, and lately he wasn’t the understanding friend he should have been. “I’m sorry. I have no excuse for my behavior. I know how important this is to you. Let’s try it again. I’ll be a good boy, and we will have your dresses ready even if I have to call in reinforcements. Okay?”
    She only seemed to cry harder at his words. He hated to see her cry. It was one of those things that was almost intolerable for him. He dropped his act completely. Becoming only the Bradley she had known all her life. “Seriously Flower,” he pled, using her name intentionally, hoping it would snap her out of her tears and make her realize how serious he was. “I will fix this.”
    She stared at him for a moment, as if in shock. He wondered if he was making a mistake by dropping his mask, but then she sniffled and smiled brightly. “You know I like Brandy because she is you, but I love Bradley, and I miss him, if that makes a lick of sense.”
    “You miss me?” He asked feeling confused but relieved.
    She nodded. “I do. You’re living over in Abernathy now, and the only times I see you are when you come in for a new dress. A part of me thinks that you’re not even coming to see me anymore, just my dresses.”
    Bradley’s chest tightened at her words. There were so many things he couldn’t tell her so he did stay almost solely in Abernathy just to keep from saying too much. Some truths went unchanged, and they were not secrets. “I love you too, and I miss you so much. I’m sure that I could find someone closer to my house to buy dresses from, but yours are the best, so for me it’s a twofer. I get to see you and get what I need.”
    She didn’t have to know that what he needed was her, because what she needed was not him. She deserved all the happiness in the world, and he was all that was wrong with the world.
    Flower was visibly straightening her shoulders. “Okay. I had a moment, but I’m over it now. Let’s get to work on your gown. I want my man to be the hottest chick there.” And that’s why he loved her; he’d loved her all of his life.

CHAPTER TWO
    Smith Security Services had been in business for five years now, and, in that time, co-owners Shannon Smith, Bob Sparks, and Weave Sparks all engaged in some crazy assignments in order to make ends meet. Not a single one of them wanted to crawl to their parents for money.
    The Queen of Diamonds annual charity event was by far the craziest assignment they took part in. It was being held inside a grand hotel. The numerous security issues they had to consider were mind-numbing. They were only just beginning to set up, and things were already insane. Each one of the queens were hard core divas. They each wanted their own personal guard refusing to accept that they weren’t there to guard them personally. They were there only to secure the expensive jewelry and gowns that were being put on display before being auctioned off at the end of the gala, but that little fact hadn’t stopped a single one of them from receiving some very personal demands that Shannon would be taking to his grave. With all of their equipment in place, and all of the charity pieces locked up tight, the three men were taking a much-needed break.
    The gala meant big bucks in tourism, since so many queens from around the country traveled to see the fashion show, fighting like cats and dogs at the end of the night to buy their favorite pieces. For this reason, several cities put in their bids each year in hopes of being the event’s hosting city. This year the winner was Nashville, Tennessee. Upon