Page 32 of Untamed Protector

“And how about your plans? Hitting the road with some VIP client?” Dominic says.

“Not really. I promised Peter I’d take on a case.”

“Is he in trouble?”

“Not him, more like someone who works for him. A woman.”

“A woman? Is Peter having trouble with the ladies?”

“Shut up. It’s not like that. She’s his employee. Young, smart. He put her in danger unnecessarily, and now some creep is threatening her. You met her last night.”

“Gorgeous green eyes, feisty as hell? Yeah, I remember now. Shit, you’re lost. I see someone’s breaking their famous no-woman client rule…”

“Not like lost, lost. But yeah, she’s thrown me off a bit.” The truth is, she’s starting to break through all my defences, but I can’t tell Dominic that. He’ll mock me for days.

“No, my boy, I saw you last night. That’s it, you’re hooked. I saw the show you did, swooping in to rescue her like some Prince Charming. That was so not like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The woman pulled you out of your cave. You danced with her, carried her in your arms… I mean, come on.”

“It wasn’t like that. I only helped her get off the stage. Then she just walked away on her own.”

“Sure. Don’t fight it; this is good. And about goddamn time. Trust me, this is exactly what you needed. Where’s Green Eyes? She deserves a medal and a hug for her outstanding work. I thought we’d lost you. That you were broken for good.”

“Not broken, Dominic. Just cautious. As for Green Eyes, you’ll see her again, and soon, trust me. This case is a total mess, and she’s being a real pain. A hostile client.”

“Hostile, huh? You mean she doesn’t want you after last night? Is she really being hostile, or are you just feeling a little insecure?”

“No, I can tell she’s hiding something. She pushed back on getting help from me, and the threats didn’t seem to faze her. Plus, she has her own theories about this case. She only accepted working with me because Peter asked her to. There’s just something about Peter that makes her listen to him.”

“Isn’t she Lucas’s girlfriend?”

“No.” My phone buzzes with an email notification.

“Hold on. Damien just sent me her official file before he left work; he says he’s on his way.”

“Damien’s coming too? Is it that bad?”

“Well, let’s see. There’s the Dark Sun Cartel, police informants, and a bunch of pissed-off employees and other high-profile people that Peter has humiliated in the past… all that shit’s just waiting to blow up. The woman sure knows how to make enemies. And she has no one. Her dad’s back in her hometown, and she only has a journalist friend who’s as young as she is.”

“My boy. I’m proud of you. For once, you seem ready to open your heart.”

“Dom, you, of all people, should know I’m not the type to fall in love.”

“Sure, I do. You keep parading your dates through my hotels, then vanish before sunrise. Your social life seems to keep the night shift busy, you know? That’s not a relationship; it’s a disappearing act. Not healthy.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk! How many girlfriends have you had this past year again?”

“See, here’s the difference between us. I date openly. I might not be the steadiest guy, but while I’m with someone, I treat them well for however long things last.”

There’s no point fighting Dominic on this—I know I’ll never win. Plus, he’s right. I snatch the fresh coffee from him and plop down in an armchair to look at the file. “Read it out loud. Let’s see what it says before Damien gets here,” Dominic asks.

“Alexis Flores, twenty-four, from Istria. Lives with her father, parents divorced, mother left the country when she was a kid. Finished high school in her hometown and did one year of math at the university, then dropped out and went back home. It doesn’t say why. She’s worked for Grain Inc., Peter’s company, for four years. The last known address here in the city is the home of Helena Medina, investigative journalist and local correspondent for the most prominent national newspaper.”

“I know Helena. That woman is trouble,” Dominic says with an eye roll.

“They both are, trust me.”

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