Page 23 of The Bodyguard

“Jesus, Ryder,” she says, waving the white paper at me. “This is what I was talking about. You have no boundaries.”

I reach across and snatch it out of her hand.

“Hey!” Savannah comes running around the counter as I hold it over my head and open it.

What the fuck?

She jumps in the air and tries to grab it, but I hold her off, hand firmly on her shoulder.

“Is this the first one you’ve received?” I demand, taking in the crude message.

“Give it back!” She slaps my arm. Uselessly, I might add.

“Answer me.” I growl and toss it on the counter. Then I grab her by both shoulders and get in her face.

She’s pale and scared.

She should be.

“Is. This. The. First. Threat?” I growl.

She nods, her eyes filling and fucking hell if she cries again, I am resigning.

“It’s probably not real,” she whispers.

Jesus Christ.

“Well, maybe your security team could decide,” I growl. “What were you going to do? Put it under your pillow and hope it magically disappears when you wake up?”

“Don’t be a dick,” she snaps.

“I’m trying to keep you safe. But I’m in fucking training, so what do I know?” I release her and head over to the box. “This the envelope?” I hold up the white envelope.

Savannah nods.

I rustle through them and find a dozen or more in the same paper and style.

Great. It could be anyone.

“Ryder,” she says, and I close my eyes momentarily hearing my name on her lips so softly.

I turn.

“I meant what I said. Thank you for your service. I appreciate what you’ve done for our country.”

I shake my head.

“You have no idea the shit I’ve done,” I growl, continuing my search through the box.

I don’t know why I’m so angry with her. The fact she was going to fucking hide this from me has triggered me.

I’ve lost one female under my protection.

It isn’t fucking happening again.

“Go have your shower. I’ll see if there are any more, then take them back to the Black Hawke Security office to be analyzed.”

“Should we tell the police?” She wraps her arms around herself.

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