Read Online Full Force Fatherhood by Tyler Anne Snell - Free Book Online

Redstone Solutions before Orion was even a thought. We did almost the same thing as Orion does now, but for a high price.” Sadness crept across his face. Kelli realized that perhaps she’d jumped from one sore topic to another. “One day a woman named Morgan Avery came in, asking for protection while she traveled to the UK. She was competing for placement in an astronomy program that was really hard to get into. She said she’d been receiving threats and was terrified. We were told to turn her down—she didn’t have enough money—but still she came day after day to ask again.”
    He paused. Instead of trying to find the right words, Mark looked like he was trying to forget them. “Her body was found in a ditch near the airport.” Kelli and Lynn gasped. “That’s when Nikki used the contacts she’d made as secretary to leave and start her own security group. She named it after Morgan’s favorite constellation. She wanted to help those who couldn’t afford it. Orion occasionally takes on wealthy clients to keep the place running, but the bottom line is we protect those who don’t have the money for it.” His frown tilted into a half smile. “And I went with her.”
    â€œWhoa,” Lynn whispered.
    Kelli couldn’t help but agree. Warmth at the realization of why he helped people who couldn’t afford it started to spread throughout her chest. Without a doubt Mark was a good man.
    The conversation from there became lighter. A storm rolled in, and they found a more comfortable ground of discussing—of all things—the weather. It led to other topics mundane enough that no one was forced to remember a tragic past but interesting enough that the conversation stretched into an hour. Mark was more than the quiet man she’d met before and met once again. He livened up enough that she could see he wasn’t just a bodyguard—former or otherwise—but a normal guy with a sweet smile.
    He complimented her cooking and thanked her for the meal. He talked directly to Grace as much as any person could and even gave her a few compliments of her own. Lynn must have decided she liked him, as well. Without asking Kelli or Mark, she cleared the table and replaced their dishes with wineglasses.
    â€œIt’s storming outside, so it’s not like you can leave right now,” she explained to Mark. “While we wait, let’s have a glass of this wine I was polite enough to bring over.”
    Kelli found that she quite liked that idea.
    â€œYou said you’ll never turn down free food?” Mark asked Lynn, eyeing the bottle. “I won’t turn down free wine.”
    * * *
    T HE STORM DIDN ’ T DISSIPATE .
    The longer they waited, the worse it got. If Grace hadn’t skipped her nap, she would have been terrified. As it was, she was bundled up in Kelli’s bed, fast asleep. But with the growing volume of each boom of thunder, she wouldn’t be for long.
    It was well past ten and Lynn, Mark and Kelli had thoroughly exhausted all small talk. A majority of that had been done by the vivacious best friend who hadn’t been shy with the wine she’d brought over. Whether she was making sure to fill the conversational void constantly or was just really excited for new company, Kelli couldn’t tell. What she did know was that Mark had been nothing but polite. He hadn’t been quiet, but she realized he hadn’t said much about himself, either. The only time he’d momentarily opened up was about Orion before the wine. Past that? It was like talking to a ghost.
    It made her wonder how he lived his life.
    And how much of it he didn’t.
    â€œIf you think I’m letting you two leave in this—” Kelli motioned to the living room’s front windows “—then you’re sadly mistaken.”
    Mark’s head was tilted down over his phone, but he chuckled. “It isn’t that