Page 91 of Untamed Protector

“Iris is reading upstairs in her room. Her mom’s out for the evening,” Stella said on the phone. “I’ve been waiting for you to take this step for a while. Bless you for deciding to do it,” she added. “See you in a bit.”

It’s a quick ride to their house. On this lazy late summer afternoon, there aren’t many tourists around. Lexi, sitting next to me in the car, holds my hand the entire way, letting her fingers trail along mine as I drive. We made a quick stop to pick up a large bouquet for Nana Stella. I didn’t think to get anything else.

I feel awkward showing up like this, out of nowhere, and totally unprepared. When I told Lexi where we were going, she jumped into my arms and wouldn’t let go. Maybe she sensed the frantic thump of my heart echoing through my ribs as she hugged me. This feeling of support and the deep connection we share is uncharted territory for me. It’s scary as hell, but also incredibly comforting. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but with her by my side, I feel a strange sense of security.

Nana Stella is out in the yard, waiting for us. I brought her and Iris here when Iris was thirteen, preparing for high school. I wanted her to have access to a better education and a chance at bigger dreams. So, I found them a nice house near the school. Stella had always lived in the town where my mom left me and where the orphanage took me in. Jake, on the other hand, came from a different small town. We quickly grew close and became brothers—not by blood, but by soul. It was tough leaving him behind when I joined the Navy, but I had no other choice. I was overjoyed when he wrote to say he’d fallen in love and was going to have a baby. I didn’t know he was involved in risky secret car races.

When I finally completed my training and could come home on leave, I found a tombstone with Jake’s name on it, and I met the woman carrying his name and his child. Jake never got to meet his daughter, but I hoped he found, at least for a while, some sense of love and family with Iris’s mom.

“There you are!” Stella beams, pulling me into a hug. She’s outside on the porch, a pitcher of cold lemonade resting on a small table next to her.

“This is Lexi,” I say, pointing to the woman who’s been cheering me on all the way over here, but now looks uneasy standing next to me.

“Welcome,” Stella says, her eyes twinkling as they land on her. She gives Lexi a big hug and invites her to take a seat. “Want some? It’s fresh, I just made it,” she adds, pointing to the lemonade.

“Sure,” Lexi says, taking a big gulp from the glass Stella hands her.

Stella looks at me, pausing for a moment. “Do you want to go to her room, or should I call Iris here?”

“I think it’s better if she comes here. There’s more space, and me going to her room might be overwhelming for her.”

A knot tightens in my chest as Stella goes inside. Iris. I know all about her—her friends, her grades, her teachers, what she likes to eat, and where she likes to hang out. But I haven’t sat next to her since she was five, right before I was drafted into Black Ops, and my life became unpredictable and dangerous. I couldn’t bear to put her through losing another father figure. She only has a vague memory of me from our few meetings, and she was too young to remember much detail.

“It’s going to be fine. She’s going to adore you,” Lexi says. “I already do, and I’m good with people,” she adds.

I rub my hands together and rake my fingers through my hair. My mouth is dry, so I glance down and snatch a quick sip from her glass of lemonade. The tangy taste jolts me awake as I anxiously watch the door, waiting for Iris to come out.

Minutes tick by, agonizingly slow. Then, Iris walks out, barefoot and casual in jeans and a bright T-shirt. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. Her big, bright eyes meet mine, and a light blush creeps across her face. It’s crazy how much she’s grown in the last few years. In just a few short months, she’ll be eighteen.

“Hi,” she says, reaching out her hand to Lexi, who scrambles to her feet.

“Oh. Hi, I’m Lexi,” she stammers, nervously gesturing towards me.

My jaw drops. I can’t think of a thing to say. Suddenly, I feel like a little kid who got caught ditching class. I really want to give her a big hug, but I’m not sure if that’s weird. I have no idea how teenagers greet each other anymore. But one thing I do know—Stella has done a great job raising her.

“Uncle Gabriel. Hi. Nice to see you.”

“Hi, Iris,” I say, trying to keep my emotions from showing in my voice.

I reach out my hand. She squeezes it tightly, then throws her arms around me in a big hug. Her small frame barely reaches my shoulders. I instinctively run my fingers through her hair, then gently pull back, cupping her head with one hand. “Hi,” I say again, searching her eyes. They’re like Jake’s—grey and deep, but Iris’s eyes sparkle with life.

She breaks away from the hug, walks over to the table, fills a glass with lemonade, and brings it to me before pouring herself one.

“It feels strange that we finally meet. But if it makes it any less awkward… I know you. I’ve seen you many times watching me from the street. I’ve known you, Uncle Gabriel, since you first came to our house.”

I didn’t expect that, but it does make things easier. She knows who I am, and she’s not upset with me.

“And I know who those big guys were, who scooped me up from a few parties and gave me a ride home. They’re not the sons of those church ladies Grandma is friends with, are they? They work for you, right?”

“Yeah, they do. Look, I did it for your own safety. I’m sorry if that caused you any trouble.”

“A bit, nothing major, though. Actually, my girlfriends have a crush on Dean. So, you can send him anytime to drive us around. Besides, your guys are way cooler than my classmates’ parents, who get all hysterical.”

I giggle. Dean is the youngest and most handsome on my team. I know he was his usual professional self around them, yet he has no clue what he unintentionally stirred up.

“So, we’re good, Iris?” I ask in a hopeful voice. I don’t know how to talk to teenage girls. Honestly, that’s what scared me the most about this meeting—that I wouldn’t know how to act around her. I know how to protect a family, not how to be in one.

“We’re good—if you remove the tracking app. I actually wanted to talk to you about it.”

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