Love For Hire Read Online Free PDF

he should have disconnected it. With that in mind, he got up and quickly dialed Danny’s number.

    Jayden didn’t own a phone himself because it was a luxury he couldn’t afford, and frankly, there wasn’t anyone who would call him or whom he should stay in contact with anyway. He didn’t have anyone. Well, Danny, maybe.

    Danny, though, owned a phone, and Jayden had made sure he memorized his number for emergencies. Having found a job that paid well wasn’t an emergency per se, but Danny would be worried if Jayden didn’t show up.

    “Yes?” Danny’s gruff answer made Jayden smile.

    “It’s me,” he said, and after a moment of rolling his eyes at himself, he added, “Jayden.”

    “Jay!” Danny’s voice changed; he sounded happy now, with a hint of worry mixed in. “I got worried, man, when you didn’t come home this morning.”

    “Danny….”

    And before he could continue, Danny started, “Word on the street is someone got offed last night in a motel. There was a shitload of blood, and the cops are everywhere.”

    “I know,” Jayden said quietly, flashing back to the two men cornering him, attacking him, and for a moment, pain flared up in his side, reminding him vividly of the events. If Matt hadn’t shown up like some sort of dark angel, the rumors about someone dying would definitely be true.

    He did have the traits of an angel, Jayden mused, blond and pale. The only thing missing was a halo, but if Jayden spun this further, Matt could be a fallen angel, and then obviously he wouldn’t have a halo any more. He snorted at his own folly.

    “Are you hurt?” Danny’s voice took on an edge, and Jayden quickly started talking, filling his friend in on what had happened.

    After he was done, there was a moment of silence before Danny spoke again. “You sure you want to do this?” he said slowly, and Jayden nodded before he could stop himself.

    Since Danny couldn’t see him, he added for his friend’s benefit, “You know I need the money, Danny. And he is offering a lot of it.”

    “I know,” his friend said quietly. Danny was aware of Jayden’s plans, and he had been nothing but supportive of him. Jayden had never understood why someone like Danny wouldn’t want to get out of this life, but every time he had brought it up, his friend had simply said it was too late for him. Jayden had no idea what he meant by that, but he had gotten the hint and not pressed any further.

     “It’s just,” Danny continued, “if an offer sounds this good—”

    “I know,” Jayden cut him off. “I’m not stupid, but I owe him my life. I can’t walk away from this.”

    “Be careful, then.” Danny went into mother hen mode, making the switch from friend to protector with practiced ease. “And if anything funny happens, and I mean anything ,” he said, putting extra emphasis on the word, “you call me and I’ll come get you out.”

    “Yes, Danny,” Jayden said simply—there wasn’t anything else left for him to say. His heart warmed, though, at the thought that there was at least one person out there who was worried about him, even if, by most definitions, Danny was street scum and not worth a penny.

    The line disconnected abruptly. Danny wasn’t one for pleasantries, and while some might have considered hanging up to be simply rude, Jayden only smiled. He was used to Danny and his sometimes crass manners. Underneath his gruff comments and his I don’t give a shit attitude, there was a heart of gold, and Danny’s worry about him was all the proof he needed. If others couldn’t see the goodness underneath Danny’s abrasive behavior, well, that was their loss and not Jayden’s problem.

    The rest of the day was spent lying in the chair or in bed, watching TV and napping.

    He only took a quick shower, mindful of the stitches, and he was glad for the en suite bathroom, because he wasn’t ready to meet anyone else who lived in this house just yet. Tomorrow would come soon enough,