Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6) Read Free Page A

had your desired effect.”
    “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” she tells me, as her face gets even
redder.
    “I was Special
Forces, Angel. And before that, I grew up on the streets. I know
every game there is. You were hoping that by not paying attention to
me, I’d finally make a move. I’m telling you I would have. I
can’t even fathom how bad it would feel to be ignored by you.”
    “It feels pretty bad.
At least from this end.”
    She drops her chin, so
I bend over to look her in the eye. “I’m sorry you thought that,
but it’s not true. I never really ignored you, even when it seemed
like I did. I always knew exactly where you were in a room, and who
you were with.”
    “Even when you were
kissing other women?”
    “Even then. It was
you I pictured. I know that’s all kinds of fucked up and wrong, but
it’s true. When I kissed another woman, or took one to bed, it was
always you in my mind.”
    “It could’ve been
me. All those times. I would’ve said yes. Every damn time.”
    “I know.”
    “Then you have to
understand why I can’t just be all ‘rah-rah Nate likes me now’
and life is good. I have people who want to kill me, and a father who
is seriously ill. I can’t worry about you walking away because you
get bored when I just need a hug sometimes. I want you, you know I
do, but I don’t think I could survive losing you right now on top
of everything else.”
    “First of all, I
don’t need to fuck all the time. I can hug, and cuddle even.” She
raises an eyebrow at me, and I have to laugh. “Okay, so I don’t
ever do that, but I can. For you. I want to be here for you. I came
here for you, and I promise you that I’m only going to leave if you
tell me to. You know that I don’t take promises lightly. Let me
help you.”
    “I do know that you take your promises seriously. So let’s go talk to my
dad.”
    “Your dad?” I ask,
swallowing hard.
    “Um, yeah. If you’re
hanging around, you’ll have to meet him.”
    “Of course, yeah,
sorry. I just don’t usually meet the parents.”
    “Then it’s a good
thing I only have one, isn’t it.”
    I manage to smile when
I want to throw up. I never expected—or wanted—to see Hunter
Garrett again. If I’d known Jade was his daughter, I would’ve
asked Matt to place me in one of the other Corrigan & Co.
locations. But I didn’t, and now the demons I ran from are about to
come back to not only haunt me, but possibly end me. If I still had
faith left, I’d say a prayer, but when I lost my soul, I lost that
too. So I’m going in alone.

Chapter 2
    Nate
    Jade holds the door for
me as I carry her ladder inside the gym. She’s smiling as we set
everything down, but the guy at the front desk isn’t. He’s bigger
than me, but I don’t scare easily. Jade notices his frown and takes
my hand, pulling me over to him.
    “Heath, this is my
good friend, Nate. Nate, this is Heath. He watches out for my dad.”
    “Hey, man,” I say,
holding out my hand.
    He looks down at it and
crosses his arms. So he knows who I am. I nod my understanding, but
Jade is pissed.
    “You’re not going
to shake his hand? What the fuck, Heath?”
    “Language, Jade,” I
hear from behind me. I haven’t heard that voice in sixteen years,
but I still remember it like it was yesterday.
    “He won’t shake my
friend’s hand, Daddy.”
    “Exactly how long
have you and Nate Anderson been friends?”
    “You know Nate? I
mean, I guess you know who he is because of his career, right?”
    “Something like that.
You didn’t answer my question.”
    I still haven’t
turned around, but Jade pulls on my hand, making me look at him. His
eyes are cold, which is no surprise. Jade is tense next to me, and I
can only imagine what she’s thinking. Since she hasn’t answered
her father yet, I jump in to save the day. Or at least this
conversation.
    “Jade and I met
because I work security for Corrigan & Co.”
    “You don’t just
work security, Nate. Stop