Page 54 of Protective Heroes

“Marry me, Evie.”

Surprise washed away the fear and she took my hands, the smile from last night lighting her face once again.

Three knocks came at the door.

“Wait right here.”

I swung the door open to find a surprised Calvin starring back at me.

“Yes?” I hated to sound curt.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Dyson. He insisted on coming up.”

Evie’s father stepped into my loft wearing a scowl that would scare a demon back onto the straight and narrow. And he pinned it on me.

“It's all right, Calvin. We’re old friends.”

The Colonel was one of those men who appeared taller than he was. He took in the bed’s rumpled sheets and his daughter’s kiss-swollen lips before his hard gaze settled on me.

My friend’s face darkened with malice.

Good thing I had more grit than most.

“Gabriel,” he said and I held my ground, but stood on a fine edge. I had no intentions of betraying my friendship with the man. What happened between me and his daughter wasn’t planned. I didn’t want this to come to a fight. He was a man of few words and one of the reasons we got along so well.

I gave a curt nod out of respect and old habits before crossing the apartment and coming to a stop in front of him. “Davidson, we tried calling. Where the fuck were you?”

Back when he was my commanding officer, speaking to him like that would have earned me a demotion and a few days in the brig. Today, it earned me a cold, hard stare from a friend and I was pretty sure that fist he made was intended for my jaw.

“I’ll let you land one because I deserve it. After that, I don’t want to spend Christmas explaining to your daughter why I had to knock her old man out.”

Beside us, Evie shakes her head and she was chomping so hard on her lip I think she’s going to cut through it.

A few seconds passed before he spoke.

“What the hell is going on here? I send you to retrieve my daughter and you bring her here? To do what? Violate her?” I’ve never heard the man raise his voice, but it seemed he was about to break.

He’d have a fucking heart attack if he saw the last place.

“Dad, I can explain,” Evie began.

“I wasn’t asking you,” he quipped. “The limo is outside. Wait for me there.”

“Like hell,” we both said and I meant every word.

I pulled her to my side.

“She’s not going anywhere,” I hissed.

Evie turned her gaze up to mine. “Dad, how did you find us?”

Captain Davidson raised an eyebrow. “I drove all night to get here because I lost my cell phone. I knew there were only two places you would be. Mystique or here. Given how well I know you and your ability to be persuasive, I knew there was no way you would leave Mystique without her so I stopped here first. The SUV outside told me I was right. But I had no idea you would violate my daughter.”

“Hold it. There was nothing that wasn’t consensual. And with all due respect our friendship and past have earned you, you should know I’ve fallen in love with your daughter. If she’ll have me, I’m going to marry her and never let her leave my side again. She deserves someone who will always be there for her.”

“And you think that’s you?”

“I know it is.”

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