Read Online Damsel in Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 1) by Olivia Jaymes - Free Book Online Page B

an intruder Huck would be barking his head off with your leg dangling from his teeth. I figured it was you wandering the house.”
    Brinley sagged against the counter. “I was trying not to wake you.”
    “I was already awake. I have trouble sleeping a lot of nights.” He picked up the jug of milk. “Were you thinking about some warm milk? How about some hot chocolate? It’s not really cold enough but I can turn down the thermostat if you like.”
    “Hot chocolate sounds really good. Thank you.” She slid onto one of the barstools around the kitchen island. “I know why I’m awake. What’s your excuse?”
    “It’s kind of a long story.” He poured the milk into a pan and added sugar and cocoa. “I’ve got some of those over the counter sleeping pills if you want to take one. It might help.”
    Jason reached into a high cabinet above the refrigerator and pulled down a bottle. “I tried them once but they made me groggy the next day.”
    “I’m desperate.” She checked the label with a knowing nod. “Just as I thought. They’re basically Benadryl. I will take one. It can take care of my allergies and sleeplessness all at the same time.”
    “I took two. Maybe that was my problem. Do you want a glass of water?”
    “I’ll take it with my hot chocolate. Now you said something about a long story. Well, I’ve got nothing but time before this pill kicks in. Is it a secret? Will you have to kill me if I find out?”
    *
    Jason’s story wasn’t a secret.
    It wasn’t all that pleasant either.
    Mostly he went about his days trying not to think about it. The therapist he’d been seeing talked about filling his days with good and pleasant experiences. She’d even suggested that he work on his personal relationships.
    So he’d adopted Huck.
    It wasn’t at all what she’d had in mind but at the time it was the closest he could come to reaching out to other human beings. It was easier now. He’d strengthened his friendships, especially with Jared and Logan, not to mention the bonds with his own family. But still on many nights sleep eluded him.
    When it was dark and he was alone…that’s when the memories came rushing back.
    He poured the hot chocolate into two mugs, his hands shaking slightly but not enough that she would notice. He handed one to Brinley before taking a stool at the island. Reaching into the jar on the island, he plucked out a dog treat and tossed it to Huck who downed it in one big gulp.
    “You don’t have to tell me anything. I was just making conversation.”
    Brinley had misunderstood his silence, mistaking it for a negative response to her query. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her. Hell, if she hung around Tremont long enough she’d learn the story. Part of it, anyway. The details that were fit for public consumption. He’d deliberately allowed the gossip in town about him so he didn’t have to personally talk about it.
    It didn’t hurt or scare him now. Mostly he kept it locked away in its own little box. Just like he had been in that hell hole of a prison.
    “It’s not a secret,” he began, picking his words carefully. “I’m kind of surprised no one else has told you. Gossip and all.”
    “I didn’t take part in gossip. When people start that I walk away. Nothing good ever comes from it.”
    Jason smiled at her naiveté. “If you control it, manipulate it, it’s not so bad. Since the gossip mill tells this story I don’t have to.”
    “Do they get it right?”
    Jason sipped at the hot chocolate to give himself time to answer. “No. But that’s okay. No one ever asks me about it.”
    “It was bad.”
    Brinley didn’t make it sound like a question.
    “As I mentioned before I used to work for the DEA. During one of my investigations I was taken hostage by a drug cartel and held for weeks. I finally escaped. That’s why I find it hard to sleep,” he stated calmly. Now she knew what pretty much everyone in Tremont knew.
    “That’s why you