Page 12 of Untamed Protector

Dominic’s voice fades away, leaving an awkward silence. Lexi walks beside me without saying a word. I know she’s upset. This is probably not how she imagined her night would be.

Outside by the door, she turns to me, and I can see the fury in her darting eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you trying to keep me away from Lucas?”

4

Lexi

Gabriel literally dragged me out of the Casino. Why the hell did he have to be here tonight and ruin everything for me? I was supposed to be with Lucas now. I could’ve gotten him to fess up. The plan was to take him home, let him pass out in my arms, and then search the place for the evidence I needed. Damn it, Gabriel, you just had to be the hero!

“I needed to get you off the stage before he started talking trash.”

“Talking trash about what? What were you so afraid of? He was wasted. No one was paying any attention, anyway; they couldn’t even hear him. If you hadn’t butted in, I would’ve just kissed him and left the stage with everyone cheering. But you had to cause a scene, didn’t you? I could’ve handled things my way.”

A look of stunned disbelief washes over Gabriel’s face. Yeah, I didn’t want or need rescuing. I can manage Lucas.

“Why don’t you leave the risk assessment to me? I’m better at it; I’ve been doing it for years. We should’ve kicked Lucas out sooner. He’s been a liability ever since he stepped foot inside. I only allowed him to stay because of Peter and because…”

The air gets thick as he pauses, his eyes slowly burning down my figure. It’s that look again, that look that seems to wash over my thighs and my breasts. Because of me, is what he meant?

“Dean, get a car out front so someone can take Lexi home.” He sounds pissed off. You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s the angry one now? And what am I supposed to be—baggage he has to carry around?

“Stop telling me what to do! I don’t need a car,” I snap, my voice clipped. Maybe he finally gets it.

“I won’t let you drive yourself home or get a cab.” He stares down at the phone in my hand like it’s a ticking time bomb, ready to snatch it away with a patronizing sigh. Seriously?

I walk down the alley, but he’s right behind me. God, the audacity… Who does he think he is, acting like he has a say in my life? He doesn’t.

“You won’t you let me? Get a grip!” Why is he suddenly acting like an asshole? And silly little me, thinking we had a moment earlier when we danced, and he finally let his guard down and acted like the perfect gentleman and a man I could actually trust.

“I’m not going alone. My friend is coming to pick me up. She’s in a bar nearby, waiting for me to text her. It’s just around the corner.”

I head for the parking lot where Lena left her car, open my phone and send her an audio message on WhatsApp. “Hey, can you come to the car? We’re going home. It’s just me.”

“I’m going to meet Lena alone. Please don’t follow me.” If he dares to stop me, I swear I’ll scream.

“I’m not following you.” His voice is calm. “Look, it’s late. Let me walk you to your car, so I know you’re safe.” This whole princess-prisoner routine is giving me a headache. Pick a lane already!

His eyes seem sincere, though. Maybe he really wants to do the gentlemanly thing. He’s the one who’s been taking care of me tonight, after all. Well, he also purposefully held me back from being near Lucas, pissed him off, and pushed him to act out. But hey, when was the last time two guys fought over me? Never, that’s when.

“Can you ask your team about Lucas, please? Is he okay? You can wait with me until Lena comes if you want to.” Not only does he want to, but he walks so close I can practically feel his breath on my neck. I agreed with Lena that she’d be close by, waiting for me in case Lucas got drunk, and I walked out with him so she could drive us to his place. I had a plan. Damn it. Mr. Let me do the risk assessment just had to butt in and ruin it!

Gabriel takes off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders. “Dean, what did you do with Lucas?” he asks his team through his earpiece.

Oh, God… “What did you do with him?” I can just see Lucas shoved into a car trunk and hauled to a gritty interrogation room, where they douse him with buckets of ice water to wake him up. They don’t look like thugs, though. Plus, there’s also Peter. They respect him and probably work for him. I know the name of the company that handles all the security for Peter’s business, but I don’t know if Gabriel is part of it. I’ll figure everything out first thing tomorrow, including the infuriatingly bossy, grumpy, and ridiculously attractive Gabriel.

“Lucas is fine. One of our guys is driving them home,” he reports back. I wonder if he’s as harsh with his employees, too.

“Them? Who’s them?”

“Anita showed up on the way out. She’ll look after her brother. He’ll be fine. It’s not the first time he’s made a mess of himself. But you should know that.”

Well, I didn’t. And what’s that got to do with anything? Shit. Is this him scolding me right now?

“Huh, you’re one to take the moral high ground! It must’ve rubbed off from your friend Anita. You two seemed tight.”

He smiles, obviously amused. Shit. I sounded jealous. Anita is a conniving bitch who will walk all over people to get what she wants. But maybe that’s his type. Not some small-town girl who needs to borrow dresses from her friend.

Lena’s car pulls up right next to us. She gets out, and her eyes light up as she sees me. She’s always had this contagious energy that makes everyone around her feel better. In moments like this, I truly appreciate having her in my life.

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