News Boy - Susan Hawke Page 0,2

criminal and freely admitted it at his arraignment. He got five years in exchange for his testimony. This is where our news anchor comes in. Neil Klein is known for joking around and isn't always shy with his opinions. The day of sentencing, he made a comment on air about the injustice of Mad Dog getting off light, when he was guilty of the same crimes the people he'd testified against would serve decades for. He also mentioned how the dead family paid the ultimate price for their father's sins."

I sat back, rubbing a hand over my face before dropping it into my lap. "Yep. I can see why Mad Dog would be pissed. And you have reason to believe he's coming after this Neil Klein? There is a chance he didn't see the newscast or is ready to move on with life, rather than revisiting what must be a painful past."

Mack opened a different tab, revealing six photographs of letters. "These were all sent to Channel Eight, addressed to Neil's attention. The first is a death threat, promising to permanently shut his preppy mouth for talking shit about Mad Dog's family. He got a subsequent letter every year on the anniversary of the Tate family's deaths. Each one contains a bullet point list of snarky comments Neil made during the year and ends with a promise to teach Neil some respect. This final one arrived two weeks ago at Neil's private residence."

I still felt like I was missing something. "Explains why Neil needs a security guard. But now I'm back to my original question. Why me? Surely you have people trained for this and probably less rough around the edges. Don't get me wrong, Mack. I'm interested, but I need to understand why you want me."

Mack studied me with an understanding gaze. "I get it. You've still got one foot in a foreign desert. It's hard to adjust after twenty years of service. It's probably a good thing I didn't hear you were out until last week. I'm sure you needed the downtime. But I know better than anyone how important staying busy is."

He walked over to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Neil needs a special kind of guard. Someone who won't raise an eyebrow or make him feel uncomfortable if they see something out of the norm. Given the nature of the threat, this is a live-in position for the duration of the case—which will undoubtedly reveal personal details of Neil's private life."

"Well, you definitely have me intrigued."

Chuckling over the rim of his cup, Mack sat back down. "Not to spoil anything, but this client is a little more hands-on—emphasis on the little—but I have to play my cards close to the vest until you've agreed to take the job and have signed a nondisclosure agreement."

I stiffened as the dots quickly began connecting. "Ah, Mack. Like I said, I’m not interested in the scene these days, remember? My inner Dom has no desire to play anymore. Josh broke up with me while I was overseas, did you know? And he was correct. I wasn't the Dom he agreed to kneel for. I don't see myself ever taking another sub. If and when I decide to date again, vanilla will probably be my new favorite flavor."

Mack hovered his hand over the desk, rocking it from side to side. "Maybe, maybe not. Never say never, Brody. Sometimes, life throws us curveballs. We don’t quit playing the game. I'm not saying you have to come running back to the community but keep your mind open. In the meantime, Neil would solely be a client. Maybe it's a good way for you to see other possibilities. In the meantime, let me give you a taste."

He turned back to the computer and clicked play on a video, snippets from the Channel Eight morning news. We were both cracking up at the snide remarks, snark, and bad puns Neil Klein couldn't seem to hold back.

As the video ended, I was still chuckling. "Yeah, I've seen him. I didn't place the name. It's been a while since I've watched the news. Wow. He’s a real brat, isn’t he? If anyone ever needed a Daddy to take him in hand, it's…" I stopped mid-sentence as the final puzzle piece snapped into place. I scowled at Mack. "He needs a Daddy. Are you shitting me? Please tell me you thought of me for some other reason. I might be getting older, but I'm nobody's idea of