Bodie by Nyssa Kathryn
Chapter 2
“Tell me why I would hire you when you don’t have a lick of bartending experience? I’ve already got one newbie, don’t know that there’s room for another.”
Bodie gave Trish his best smile. The bar owner was, of course, referring to Maya as the new staff member. Maya was as inexperienced in serving drinks as they came. Just like Bodie.
He wasn’t leaving this bar until Trish hired him though. Not a chance. He needed a reason to be around Maya. To protect her.
But that was a truth he wouldn’t be sharing.
“Because it’s coming into ski season, which is probably your busiest time of the year. Because the couple of times I’ve come in here, I’ve noticed that you’re understaffed, and an extra worker who’s learning the ropes is better than no extra worker.” Bodie leaned over the bar. “Because I’ve served in the military, which means I can double as bar security. When customers get rowdy—which we both know happens often—and you need someone to kick them out, I’ll be that person.”
Bodie had been watching the bar for a week now. He knew that Trish only had two other bartenders helping her serve drinks and bus tables—Maya and a woman called Shayna. In the back, she had one cook who appeared far from capable of throwing out a group of rowdy men.
Bodie could see the older woman’s mind ticking. He could also see an underlying respect for him, likely due to his mention of serving in the military.
Being good at reading people came in handy. Right now, he could see he’d almost won the woman over. Almost.
Trish leaned across the bar. “Say I did hire you. Your first night, a guy grabs one of my girls’ asses. What do you do?”
What he’d want to do is tear the guy’s arm off for touching a woman without her consent. And he wouldn’t feel bad about it. Not for a second. But that wasn’t the answer Trish was looking for.
“I’d give the asshole a chance to apologize. I’d wait three seconds for that apology to leave his mouth. If he chose not to, I’d ask him to leave. I’d ask nicely, but only once. If he chose wrong a second time, he’d be out of choices.” Bodie’s eyes hardened, and he looked Trish dead in the eye. “Then I’d make sure he left and didn’t come back.” Using whatever means necessary. “That night, or any other.”
Bodie had no time for men who touched women without their permission. As far as he was concerned, they were the scum of the earth and needed to be taught a lesson. It would be his pleasure to be their teacher.
Trish flung the tea towel she’d been holding over her shoulder. The bar owner was in her mid-fifties, with curly hair that was only just being tamed by a hair band. There was a hardness to her.
The one time they’d spoken before, Trish had mentioned an asshole ex. He was sure that had helped create the hard exterior. He was also sure that the woman didn’t tolerate crap.
Bodie liked that.
“Good answer.”
Bingo.
“You get a trial run. Tonight. Thursdays aren’t overly busy, but they’re not quiet either. Come back at three, I’ll show you how to make the most popular drinks before the crowd rolls in. If someone asks for a drink you can’t make, call me over. Dress code is white shirt and jeans.”
Bodie was already smiling. “Yes, ma’am. You won’t regret it.”
“I hope not.”
Tapping the bar, Bodie gave Trish another smile before strolling out.
He breathed a sigh of satisfaction. The final part of the plan was in place. He’d set himself up in Keystone and was in the best position possible to achieve his goal.
He wouldn’t be here forever. Just long enough to build a relationship with Maya, so that he could confide in her about who he was and how he could help keep her safe.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Bodie dialed his friend and teammate Wyatt.
Wyatt picked up on the first ring. “Red, how’d it go?”
Bodie smiled at the use of his nickname, one that only his team used. “I’m in. I start tonight.”
“Good. Is everything else going to plan?”
Bodie ran a hand through his hair as he strolled back to his rental. “So far, so good. I hate that the apartment is a street away from hers. I’ll have to spend a chunk of my nights watching her place from my car.” He wished there was a way for him to remain close to Maya at all times. Unfortunately, he did need some sleep. Not much, but some. That meant there would be moments when she’d be unprotected. Working with her and watching her house when he could would have to suffice.
“I ran into Maya this morning on her run. She was skittish and scared.” So damn scared. “I’m going to do what I can to gain her trust before I open up about how I can help.”
There was something about the woman that had him wanting to fight all the evil in the world to keep her safe. It wasn’t just the air of fragility that surrounded her. It was more than that. She desperately needed someone in her corner. Bodie had barely spent ten minutes with her, but he already knew that he wanted to be that person.
“And you’re sure it wouldn’t be easier to just tell her who you are from the start?”
Bodie had gone back and forth on that very question multiple times. Always coming to the same conclusion.
“The woman’s terrified. She witnessed men use out-of-this-world strength, speed, and hearing. She watched them rob her workplace and kill her colleagues. Now she’s running for her life.” If she knew that he could do, what they could do, before she got to know him…no. He needed to build a relationship. “I’m sure she’ll run if I don’t do it this way.”
He could only go with his gut on this. And his gut told him to gain her trust first. There wasn’t a single part of Bodie that wanted to put more fear into the woman.
“I trust you to do what you think is best. I’m sorry it couldn’t be me and Quinn there.”
The team only knew about Maya because of Wyatt’s partner, Quinn. She had been an investigative journalist for The New York Times when she’d stumbled across a series of lab break-ins. Maya had worked at one of the labs and been a witness to robbery and murder. She’d made contact with Quinn, confiding in her about what she’d seen.
Then Maya had disappeared, and Quinn had been kidnapped.
Even though his friend couldn’t see him, Bodie shook his head. “After being kidnapped and having a damn bomb strapped to her chest, Quinn definitely needs time to rest.”
“How long she’ll stay here and rest is the question, though.” Bodie chuckled when he heard Wyatt’s sigh. “Anyway, let me know if you need anything else from me.”
His chest warmed at his friend’s words. Wyatt was one of his seven teammates. The eight of them had been on the same Navy SEAL team. They’d also gone through Project Arma together. Been changed together.
Everything they’d gone through had created an unbreakable bond. The men on Bodie’s team were his brothers. Together, they ran Marble Protection, a security and self-defense business, in Marble Falls, Texas. They also had a shared enemy.
Even though his friend couldn’t see him, Bodie nodded. “Thank you, brother. I’ll call if I need you. Stay safe.”
“Right back at you.”
Hanging up, Bodie continued walking to his rental.
The moment Bodie had arrived in town, he’d set up nearly undetectable silent alarms above her doors and windows. He’d also installed hidden cameras around the exterior. The moment someone attempted to enter her home, the silent alarm would trip, and he’d be able to view the video footage on his phone.
Bodie smiled at an elderly couple who walked past. He hadn’t met many people in Keystone yet. But those he had met were friendly.
That was good. He needed friendly. To take his mind off all the ugly in the world. In particular, one man who kept evading capture. The man responsible for Project Arma, the program that had changed Bodie. Made him stronger. Faster. That had changed every facet of his life.
Hylar.
The team had managed to weaken him, but so far, they hadn’t been able to take him down.
For a moment, Bodie wondered if Maya had discovered anything about Project Arma. The men who had broken into the pharmaceutical company had demonstrated their abilities. But was that all she knew? That men like him existed?
A part of Bodie suspected there was something else the former lab technician was hiding. Call it a hunch. What, exactly, he wasn’t sure. But he definitely wanted to find out. He hoped that soon, she would trust him enough to tell him. He also wanted to get to know her better. Who she’d been before she’d become a woman on the run.
He had no idea why he wanted to know. Maybe because his friends kept finding love. Five of the eight of them now had partners. They were changed men. Better men. He saw the way his friends looked at their women. Like they were the centers of their worlds. Like they would walk over fire to protect them.
Bodie couldn’t help but want the same. Want to feel that love and connection. Want someone to depend on him, who he could depend on right back. And he was definitely attracted to Maya. Felt their chemistry the first time they’d met.
Shaking his head, he entered his apartment building. Even if he did find someone to love—Maya or otherwise—there was no guarantee that love would be reciprocated. If there was anything he’d learned in his thirty-two years, it was that nothing in life was guaranteed.
Not love. Not trust. Not even tomorrow.
The best anyone could do was follow their instincts and hope they led to a semblance of happiness.
Bodie shut the door of his newly rented apartment. The place was fully furnished, small but comfortable. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and everything was fairly new. Not that any of that mattered to him. His mission was all that mattered.
To an outsider, Bodie protecting Maya without her knowledge may seem strange. To him, it was necessary. Most people didn’t know the danger that lurked in the world. It creeped in the shadows, rarely presenting itself until it was too late.
Being a Navy SEAL, Bodie had been exposed to a lot of that danger. Hylar being the worst. Hell, the man had his own sister killed not even a month ago. He had no morals. No heart.
If Hylar’s men were searching for Maya, wanting her dead, she didn’t stand a chance on her own. Bodie would be her only chance. And he took his new job as her protector very seriously.