Bodyguard: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (Snake Eyes Book 1) by Tabatha Kiss Page B

behind his frames, but he doesn’t say a word. “So—” He looks at Fox. “You have something important for me to crack into, yes? Or can it wait until after the party? I can decrypt sober or sloshed, makes no difference.”
    “You’re a talented man.” Fox tilts his head. “But time is a factor.”
    “No problem. My laptop is upstairs.”
    As interesting as this Boxcar character is, I’d rather not sit around and listen to them drone on about Fox’s army days. I reach out and snatch a key card from Fox’s hand. “2617, right?”
    “Dani—”
    “I’m going to go lay down,” I say quickly before he can complain. “Come get me when you’re done.”
    He inhales fast but doesn’t attempt to argue as I turn around and make my way through the crowded lobby towards the golden elevator in the corner.

Chapter 11
    Fox
     
    “That’s her , huh?”
    I watch as the elevator doors close on Dani’s down-turned face. “Yeah,” I answer. “That’s her .”
    Boxcar nods with approval. “Good disguise.”
    “Thanks.”
    “So, what’d ya do?”
    I sigh and tilt my neck until it pops. “Nothing. That’s the problem.”
    He winces. “Ugh — I call that one the Caleb Special.”
    “She says hello, by the way.”
    “Pfft — bullshit . No, she fucking doesn’t.” We step towards the elevators and he taps the call button. “You still hanging around with that hag?”
    I chuckle as the doors open and we step onto the empty elevator. “You two are made for each other, you know that, right?”
    “Nope.” He rolls his hand into a fist and punches the button for the fifteenth floor.
    “I told her you’d take care of some debts for her as thanks for helping me out,” I say, my lips curling. “Hope you don’t mind.”
    Boxcar throws his head back. “ Come on, man. Why would you do that? Now I’m obligated to help her.”
    “You don’t have to even talk to her, Box. Just delete a few zeroes from her record and you’ll be square.”
    “I don’t want to be square with Caleb. I liked the freaky trapezoid. It was comforting to know that I always had the upper hand on her.”
    “Hasn’t this gone on long enough between you two?” I ask, feeling the rush of ascension. “Don’t you ever just want to make amends and be together again like a normal couple?”
    “Nope.” He shakes his head with unmoving eyes. “Never again. Not with her.”
    “What? You don’t believe in second chances, Box?”
    He peeks at me over his glasses. “Never give a second chance to a girl with a boy’s name. It’s science. And for the record, I don’t think a man in love with his stepsister has the right to use the phrase normal couple when dispensing relationship advice.”
    “Fair point.”
    “You know,” he continues, “you could probably benefit from that wisdom at the moment.”
    “Kind of need to have a first chance before worrying about a second.”
    “And I didn’t just witness a first chance crashing and burning down in the lobby just now?”
    I wince. “Maybe.”
    The elevator dings and we step off onto the fifteenth floor. “But enough about women ,” he says, waving a hand. “I want to hear about you and this epic journey of yours to the underworld and back.” I pause by the door as he slides his key card in. Then he studies my face. “It’s about a woman, isn’t it?”
    “Pretty much.”
    He sighs with rolling eyes. “All right— let’s hear it.”
    We walk in and Boxcar crosses to the table by the window and folds his laptop open. I reach into my pocket for the flash drive. “I have a file on here that needs to be decrypted.”
    “As you mentioned.” He cracks his knuckles and I hand him the drive. He pinches it between two fingers and points it at his USB port. “What’s on it?”
    “The Snake Eyes master file.”
    Boxcar drops the drive and it clatters against the keyboard. “Dude.” He sits back in his chair, his eyes sparkling like jewels. “The what ?”
    “The Snake Eyes