Read Nobody’s Hero for Free Online Page A

have, but he needed to check the place out, right?
    He opened the cupboard and saw a couple of plates and bowls, a few glasses and coffee cups. One coffee mug held a handful of silverware. A dish rack sat in the sink, and a bottle of dish soap rested next to the faucet. Walking across the room, he opened the door to the bathroom. Everything was clean and serviceable. Nothing flashy—the shower curtain was plain white plastic—and there was a green mat on the floor in front of the shower. There was no counter space, but a sink with a mirrored medicine cabinet filled in most of the room outside the toilet.
    Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to complete the tour. Danny leaned against the desk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his cargo shorts. Didn’t he realize how strange this was? Brad paced the small space again.
    “I was wonder—” Danny began, but before he could finish the thought, Brad interrupted. “I need to ask—”
    Danny gestured for him to go on and Brad cleared his throat. “Ah...I need to ask a favor.”
    “Sure thing. What do you need?”
    Was every person in the family so damned friendly? So helpful? “Well, could you maybe not—I mean, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t, you know, tell anyone. About me.”
    Danny furrowed his eyebrows. “Tell who what?”
    “Anyone. That I’m gay. I know I said I am, and I
am
, but I’m not...completely comfortable with people knowing. That’s why I said no last night. About seeing you again, I mean. I hope it doesn’t make things, you know, awkward at work.”
    “You don’t think it will matter to
mi papá
, do you? He won’t care, I promise you. It won’t matter to anyone else, either. I told you last night, my family’s cool about it.”
    “No, that’s not it.”
Not exactly.
“But thanks for not telling your dad not to hire me.”
    “That’s his business. I stay out of it. He’d be pissed if I tried to influence him over something as silly as whether a guy would go out with me or not.”
    Brad nodded. “I want—need—to keep being gay sort of private. I’m not going to lie about it or anything, but, well, things’ll be better if it’s not general knowledge.” Brad held his breath, waiting for a reaction.
    Danny’s dark eyes looked sad. “All right. It’s your call.” His lips twitched. “I’ll warn you, though—after they meet you, the women in my family are going to try and find you a nice girl to settle down with. If you want me to save you from their matchmaking, let me know. I’ll grab your ass or something and they’ll get the hint.”
    Brad forced a chuckle. Anything to lighten the mood. “I’ll risk it.”
    Suddenly mariachi music exploded from Danny’s pocket. Danny pulled his phone out. “
Bueno
, Mamá.” He listened, his grin growing wider by the second. “Sure. I’ll... Yeah, Mamá, I’ll make sure he does.” He winked at Brad with the last sentence.
    Danny disconnected the phone and looked at Brad. “I’m supposed to tell you to come to the barbecue tomorrow. She and my dad want to introduce you to the family.”
    Brad flinched. Not that he took Danny’s threat of matchmaking seriously, but he couldn’t imagine facing the Ortega clan. “I don’t know. I’m an employee, not a family friend...”
    “I’m also supposed to tell you she won’t take no for an answer, so don’t even try to get out of it.”
    “But why do they want me to meet the family?”
    “Didn’t you know?” Danny swung his arm around Brad’s shoulder. “We’re like the mob. Once you’re here, you’re family. You’ve been adopted, buddy.”

Chapter Five
    Bradley
, the email began,
I
don’t know why you have chosen to throw aside your heritage
,
everything we have worked so hard to achieve
.
    Stupid. Brad stared at the glowing laptop screen and cursed. He should have known better. After Danny left, Brad had put away a few things, then set up his computer to check his email. He hadn’t expected much. He’d closed