The Hero I Can’t Resist (The Brodys of Whiskey Run #1)

Chapter 1

ZACH

The last time I saw her, she was a kid. She was a tomboy who trailed after her five older brothers and swore to anyone that would listen that she was going to marry me someday.

I was a twenty-something-year-old and was too busy and too dumb to pay her any real attention.

Now her older brother, my best friend and business partner, wants me to protect her.

“Check your phone,” Logan orders me.

I hesitate. My gut has never steered me wrong, and right now it’s screaming that this is something big and not to be taken lightly. I should hand this job off to Alex. He’s solid. He’s a good bodyguard and has plenty of military experience.

Even though I know I shouldn’t, I open the video Logan just sent me, and immediately I forget how to breathe.

The woman staring back at me is not a kid. She’s a grown, curvy woman. She has her hair twisted up in a messy knot, flour on her cheek, and she’s giggling at something off camera. For the first time in my life, I can’t look away from a woman.

A thousand questions go through my head, but I know I can’t ask Logan any of them. He’s overprotective of his sister.

I can just imagine how it would go if I asked him if she was single.

“Zach,” Logan says.

I force my eyes off my phone and look at my friend. “What does she need protection for?”

Logan growls. “She’s been doing these silly videos, and now she has a stalker.”

My heart starts to race, my blood starts to boil, and I’m fighting to remain calm. I start to ask and then stop and clear my throat before trying again. “What do you mean a stalker? And what is this?” I ask, holding up my phone.

Logan shakes his head and waves his hand around. “It’s ClipClap.”

I am trying to keep the frustration out of my voice, but it’s getting hard. “Logan, I know it’s ClipClap. I know what ClipClap is. I mean, what is it? Does she do videos like this all the time?”

He rolls his eyes. “It’s her job… I mean, that’s how she makes her money, and no matter what my brothers or I say, she won’t quit.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “What do you want me to do? Find the stalker and neutralize him?”

He blows out a breath. “If only it was that easy. I’ve had the team working on it, and they said that whoever it is has a VPN set up, and we can’t trace the IP address.”

I turn away from Logan and walk over to the big window. Logan knows me, and there’s no hiding from him, but the last thing I need is for him to know I am attracted to his sister. “So what’s the plan?”

I can hear the frustration in Logan’s voice. “I have to finish this last mission for Walker. I don’t have a choice, but I can’t just leave my baby sister unprotected.”

I’m taking the job. I took one look at her and decided that, but I don’t want to seem too interested. “Logan, we’re just getting Stronghold started. We have so much to do and—”

“Miller is paying the bill. He put up two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to keep our sister safe.”

I turn and look at him in shock. I know Miller. He’s Logan’s older brother, and I knew he had money, but I didn’t realize he had that kind of money. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”

He shrugs. “He’s a millionaire. He wanted to invest in Stronghold, and when I told him I wanted to do it on my own, this was his way of keeping our sister safe and helping me out.”

I think about my sister Abby. If she was in danger, I would do—or pay—whatever necessary to do to make sure she was safe.

We’re a start-up. We really aren’t in a position to turn down paying cases, but getting paid for this doesn’t sit right with me. “I’m not taking any money. I’ll do it for free.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know it was the wrong thing to say. Logan is instantly curious. He tilts his head. “You want to turn down the money?”

I shrug. “It’s your sister, man. She’s your family.”

He nods, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s what I told Miller.”

“And? What did he say?”

He chuckles. “He charmed the bank, got the routing number, and deposited the money into Stronghold’s account this morning.”

Relieved, not because of the money but because we are definitely taking the job, I shrug. “All right. Did you do the intake paperwork, or do I need to do it?”

He shakes his head. “I haven’t done it yet.”

I walk over to my desk, which is stacked with boxes and paperwork. “Okay, I’ll get a packet and head over. Can you send me the address?”

Logan holds his hands up and shakes his head. “I’m going to go over there and talk to her before I go out of town.”

I nod, pick up a packet, and walk toward him. “I’ll go with you.”

He puts his hand up to my chest and stops me. “Not so fast.”

I’m tense and on edge because now that I know that Skyler has a stalker, I don’t want her to be alone for another second. “What do you mean, not so fast? I can’t protect her if I don’t go over there.”

“I need to talk to her first.”

“Logan... What’s going on?”

He shrugs. “Look, she’s not going to be happy about this. As a matter of fact, it’s probably going to turn into a big argument, so I need to break it to her easy.”

I’m practically vibrating with a need to get to her. “What’s there to talk about? She has a stalker and needs protection. She has to know with five older brothers that you all are going to step in.”

Logan starts to laugh. “Zach, I don’t think you get it. Sky isn’t the same little twelve-year-old you remember. She doesn’t just do what we tell her anymore. She’s twenty-five and does what she wants.”

Twenty-five. She’s ten years younger than me. I mean, I knew that, but this is the first time that I’ve ever done the math. She’s too young for me. She’s the sister of one of my best friend’s. She’s off-limits…

“Plus…” Logan starts and then trails off.

I look at him pointedly. “Plus what?”

He clenches his jaw. “Well, so, my brothers and I always gave her shit about the crush she had on you. I’m sure you don’t remember that, but anyway, we sort of tormented her about it.

Uh, to the point where she flipped out on us, and after that, we promised we’d never bring you up again…

So I’m not sure how she’s going to take this. ”

Stunned, I sit down on the edge of my desk. Fuck, she doesn’t even want to hear my name. How am I supposed to protect her?

Logan sighs. “Look, it will be fine. Give me an hour. Go home and pack a bag. I’ll text you Sky’s address, and by the time you get there, it will all be worked out.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

Logan takes his keys out of his pocket and strides to the office door. He stops suddenly and turns toward me. He gives me a look. “This is my sister, man.”

I swallow. The weight of it all is heavy, but I know the importance of this assignment. Logan knows I do or else he wouldn’t ask me. “I know. I’ll protect her with my life.”

His shoulders sag with relief, but he instantly tenses again. He gestures to me. “Hey, can you do something about that?”

Confused, I ask, “Do something about what?”

He rolls his eyes. “Come on, Fabio. All women turn to goo around you. Turn down the charm.”

I choke out a laugh. “Not once in my whole life has anyone thought I was charming.”

He waves his hand around. “You know what I mean. Women fall at your feet, pretty boy. I need you to tame it down. Protect my sister.”

Normally, I’d tell him to fuck off, but this is his sister we’re talking about. “Got it. Like I said, I’ll protect her with my life.”

Satisfied, Logan nods and holds up a finger. “One hour.”

As soon as he walks out of the office, I pull my phone out of my pocket and watch the video in its entirety.

Skylar is making s’mores cookies, and when she takes a bite, my dick twitches in my pants as I watch her lick her lips.

I’m not sure how I’m going to survive this job, but I knew the second I looked at her that I had to take it.

I’m not going to let anyone touch her… no one but me.