Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
That was never a smart idea on a good day. But a day like this when he was skating close to the edge?
Yeah, that would be stupid.
Really stupid.
“Got it,” he said. “Where’s Charlie?”
“Sleeping,” Clint barked. “And if anyone disturbs her, I’ll kill them.”
Corbin held up his hands. “I wouldn’t dream of it, man. I was just going to say that I have some experience with babies. I’d be happy to look after her for a few hours for you today.”
Clint put his hand protectively over the baby’s back and took a step away, glaring at Corbin as though he’d just threatened to dangle Annabel upside down over a bridge with rushing water underneath it.
“You can’t have my baby.”
“Clint, I don’t want your baby,” he soothed. “I just thought I could take care of her for a while.”
“Come near her and you’re dead.” Clint backed away, eyeing him suspiciously.
Okay. Perhaps it’d be best if he left.
But he needed to talk to Kent about his brother. Because Clint couldn’t keep surviving on no sleep.
An hour later, he walked into the meeting room. Hayes was already there, standing against the wall.
The other man nodded at Corbin in greeting.
Hayes wasn’t much of a smiler. Or a talker. He was all business. He was muscular with broad shoulders and thick arms covered in tattoos. But it was the dark look in his eyes that caught your attention.
It was a look that Corbin had started to see in his own eyes when he’d looked in the mirror. And the reason he’d left the CIA and taken this job with JSI.
The operations he’d participated in had usually been clandestine. Sometimes skirting that edge of what was legal.
And at times, going right over that edge.
What he’d had to do had started to darken his soul. And that wasn’t the person he wanted to be. Working for JSI might not be as high adrenaline, but at least he could look at himself in the mirror without wondering whether he was one of the good guys or not.
“Want some coffee?” Corbin asked, moving to the coffee pot.
Hayes shook his head and stared silently at the door.
Right. Cool. Good talk.
Corbin sat as Kent walked in. “Sorry, I’m late. Asher and Digger had a mud bath together this morning. I’m not sure which one was more of a mess. At least Midnight wasn’t involved.”
Asher was Kent’s toddler, while Digger was their one-year-old pup. They also had a cat, Midnight.
Corbin had to grin. “Hmm, I wonder who the instigator was?”
“Oh, there’s no secret about that. It was definitely Asher. He’s gonna give his mama gray hairs by the time he’s five.” Kent was grinning as he said that, though.
“Talking of children . . . I saw Clint earlier with Annabel.”
Kent winced. “I can imagine how that went.”
“I asked him where Charlie was and he threatened to kill me. Then I offered to take Annabel for a few hours so he could sleep and again, he threatened to kill me.”
“Jesus.” Kent took a seat and ran his hand over his face. “The baby stage is hard, especially when they’re born early. You don’t get any sleep. You’re constantly worried you’re doing the wrong thing. You’re trying to support your wife while she heals and recovers. It’s hard, but you have to learn how to let others help. Unless you’re Clint and have a premature baby girl and a superhero complex, then you simply try to do everything yourself and lose your mind. I’ll try to talk to him.” Kent grimaced. “I’ll take Asher and Abby with me. He won’t kill me if they’re with me. I hope.”
“He sounds perfectly reasonable to me,” Hayes said.
Both of them turned to gape at Hayes. It wasn’t normal for him to offer his opinion about anything that wasn’t work-related. Or to show any interest in anything beyond his work.
“He does?” Corbin queried. “Because I thought he sounded like he was losing it.”
“He’s protecting what’s precious to him. If you love someone, you do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”
“I’m not a threat to Charlie or Annabel,” Corbin told him.
“Everyone is a threat.”
Corbin stared at Kent with wide eyes. The head of JSI just sighed. “Clint will be all right. It’s just an adjustment period. He knows that you aren’t a threat, Corbin.” Kent threw Hayes a look as he said that.
Hayes just shrugged.
“It’s all good,” Corbin reassured Kent. “I’m not worried about what he said to me. I’m worried about him. And Charlie.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Kent promised.
“Maybe we could start talking about work now. Or is this social chitchat going to last a while?” Hayes snapped.
“Yeah. I need to talk to you both,” Kent said, not taking offense at Hayes’ words.
Corbin was pretty sure that Hayes was suppressing some massive emotions. And he didn’t want to be around when the big guy lost his control over them.