other, but he also runs classes for the neighborhood kids. Everyone in Warfield idolizes him because that’s the type of man he is.”
She held silent for a bit, noticing that he again checked the rearview mirror, then the side mirror. Just cautious, or was there a problem? She checked her side mirror but saw nothing amiss, just other cars on the road.
As the light faded from the horizon, streetlamps flickered on. They each removed their sunglasses. The headlights automatically flicked on as Justice took another exit and turned down a busy street.
“Do you miss fighting?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
She heard the longing in his tone and it bothered her. “Why switch to being a bodyguard then? I’d think if you enjoyed it and you were good—even if not the best—it’d be worth it to continue.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m no good at being second best. Too competitive. My last fight was a good win. I was the underdog. Everyone expected me to get my ass handed to me. Instead, I nailed a quick, clean knockout in under thirty seconds. So I figured I’d go out on a high note, you know?”
“Wow.” But because she didn’t know, she asked, “That’s fast, right?”
He laughed. “Yeah. Usually we go three five-minute rounds. Championship fights are five five-minute rounds.” He shifted, popped his neck, then admitted, “Nine times out of ten, he’d have beaten me. But he shot in, I threw a punch and pow, he went down for the count.”
“I’d say there’s luck, and then there’s being ready. Clearly you took advantage of an opportunity. You were prepared and you did what you needed to do, when you needed to do it.”
Grinning, he patted her knee again. “Yeah, that’s how I tell it, too.”
“Do you still train?”
“Sure. Once a gym rat, always a gym rat. But now I can eat burgers when I want.” He patted his flat abdomen. “And drink an occasional beer.”
Absurd for him to pretend he had any fat on his body. From what Fallon could tell, he was muscle layered on muscle. But given it was probably a somewhat new occurrence, she was ridiculously pleased that he’d drunk a beer with her.
“On top of being competitive, I like a challenge. Let me tell you, this gig is real challenging. Hell, every day I learn something new. Another fighter friend, Leese Phelps, was the first to cut out for personal security. He sort of paved the way.” With another cocky grin, Justice added, “I still get to be a badass and have some interesting assignments. As a bonus, I get to carry a gun.”
Startled, she asked, “You’re carrying a gun?”
He gave her a “duh” look. “You thought I wouldn’t?”
“I never thought about it either way.” She looked him over, but didn’t see—
“Want to see for yourself, huh?” He leaned forward a little, lifted his T-shirt and showed her a black automatic in a holster connected to his belt, situated at the small of his back.
It took her a second to find her voice. Justice had just flashed a swath of firm skin and muscle, and the waistband of black boxers riding low on his hips. Temperature rising, Fallon asked in a whisper, “Have you ever shot anyone?”
“Not so far, no.” As he pulled up to a stoplight, he turned to look at her. “But I would if necessary.”
She believed him.
Then he flashed another grin, flexed his arms to make massive muscles pop in his biceps. “But with guns like these, it’s usually not necessary.”
Fallon felt like fanning her face. Good Lord, he looked fine. Needing another switch, she said, “I’m sorry I’m not a more interesting assignment.”
“You fit that ‘challenge’ part, and that keeps it interesting.”
Before she could ask him what he meant, the light changed and he moved his foot off the brake.
“Before you,” he said, “I worked with Mark Stricker.”
Her jaw loosened. “The movie star?”
“Yeah. Let me tell you—that was interesting. Did you know he’s, like, five-two?”
“Really? I thought he was taller.”
“Me, too.”
“In movies, he looks to be at least six feet tall.”
“Yeah, but it’s a trick. They put him on a platform when he’s next to the taller female actors. Crazy, huh?”
“Fascinating.” Curious why he’d been assigned to Stricker, she asked, “Was he in danger?”
“Nah. Mostly I helped him train for a new role as a fighter. But there were also times I had to keep the rabid fans away. I can’t talk about it much. The deets on the film are still hush-hush.”
“Okay, sorry.” When he again checked his mirrors, Fallon huffed a breath. “Is there a problem, Justice?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep checking behind us like you’re expecting trouble.”
“It’s my job to expect trouble.”
She started to relax...
Until he added, “Especially when we’re being followed.”
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