Page 33 of Untamed Protector

“How the hell did she get herself in this situation?” He pauses mid-sentence as someone knocks and enters to get his signature on some papers. “So, what’s the game plan? Are you locking her up somewhere safe?”

“The plan is for her to move in with me.”

“Wow, Gabe. That was fast. Already?”

“It’s the only option, Dom. Look, I get why this seems wild. She’s not exactly thrilled to have me around; she’s made that pretty clear. But she needs help.”

“Auch. Sounds like your charm offensive fizzled faster than a wet firecracker.”

“Well… sort of. She called me an asshole. But I’m sure she could get much more creative with her insults. She’s feisty, that one.”

“So, what did you do to deserve it?”

“I asked her if anything was going on between her and Peter.”

“Yeah, that would do it. But why? You don’t usually care about these details.”

“It’s related to the case. I want to understand who she bothered and where the threats are coming from.”

Dominic shoots me a skeptical look before collapsing dramatically into another chair. Meanwhile, Damien’s text says he’s running a little late. Out of all of us, he’s the only one still enrolled, but with the police, not the Navy.

The Navy is where our story as Protectors began. We didn’t grow up in the same town or know each other before we ended up in the same Black Ops unit. We had different backgrounds and training and had previously served in different places. After eight years of working together, we all retired around the same time, a few months to a year apart. Now we’re all back together in this port city that’s our new home, and a huge Navy base, too.

A year younger than me, Dominic loves to refer to me condescendingly as my boy. It’s his way of showing he cares without all the big words. He retired first, after losing his little brother. I remained enlisted with an injured leg and a few surgeries for another year, but not in active service.

Damien hung up his Navy uniform only last year and dove headfirst into the police force’s undercover unit. But he teamed up with Dominic and me once that undercover gig wrapped. Together, we formed a secret brotherhood we call The Harbor Protectors. Our mission? To look after those who served, the veterans who deserve a hand. We also help anyone in the city who’s down on their luck, can’t afford lawyers, or doesn’t have the connections to get the help they need. We tackle the problems the police can’t touch, the ones tangled in red tape and bureaucratic nightmares.

Most of my team are veterans I served with, guys I trust with my life. Dominic also hires retired vets to guard his businesses, paying them well above what they’d find elsewhere. It’s a win-win—they get good jobs, and we have a pool of skilled, loyal people whenever we take on a new case for someone who can’t afford help. No veteran gets turned away at our door. We take care of our own, and in return, we’ve built a team that’s always ready to answer a call.

Even with busy schedules, we stay connected. Like a tight-knit family, we can always count on each other through thick and thin.

“How’s your mom?” I ask Dominic while we still have some alone time before Damien arrives. It’s hard for him to talk about her, so he usually offers a bittersweet smile when people ask.

“Some days are good, some are not. Lately, it’s been mostly bad days. She’s still waiting for him. When she’s more lucid, she cries. When she wanders off, she’s happy, sets up his room, and waits for him with food on the table, like a soldier’s mother.”

Dominic inherited a coastal empire of nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels—a family business passed down from his old man. His father has been managing it, leaving his two sons free to choose what they want to do with their lives. The handsome Dominic has always been a hit with the ladies, so the nightclub business was perfect for him. He started working with his dad in college and was preparing to take over part of the business when the family received the news of his younger brother enlisting. Dominic’s brother, Axel, five years younger than him, joined the Navy. Dominic’s mom asked him to enlist as well, to watch over Axel. Axel’s enlistment, followed by his tragic passing, broke their mom’s heart.

I rise from my chair and grip Dominic’s shoulder in a silent show of support. Words feel hollow in the face of this grief. We all carry the weight of loss, but Dominic’s is a boulder. Losing a friend in the line of duty is brutal, but witnessing your little brother fall carves a permanent scar. Dominic never blamed me, but I’ll always blame myself.

“Does your client know about the Protectors?” he asks. It’s probably for the best that we change the subject. We need to live in the present. We can’t undo the past, but if we’re lucky, we can find peace with it.

“No, of course not. She only knows about my company and what I do for a living. And that Peter asked me to look after her as a favor to him.”

“And that’s the problem,” Dominic says, pointing his finger at me. “That’s why she’s being hostile. She won’t take you seriously if you present it as a favor you’re doing for someone else. You’re also bringing her to your home. I mean, I can see why she’d act like this. And who knows what she thinks of you or this whole thing? I saw her last night. I think she’s an innocent girl who ended up in a world she knows nothing about.”

“What if she knows about the Protectors?” I give voice to my fears. “What if she’s hiding something from us? I don’t get why she’d get involved with the Maiers. With her intelligence and unique talents, I wonder why she’d choose a seemingly ordinary job as an accountant in Peter’s company. Why isn’t she in school or somewhere else she can hone her special skills? I owe Peter for helping me out when I started my business. But he didn’t handle her situation right.”

“She’s not like anyone you’ve dealt with before. Don’t kid yourself; she’s not just a client. She’s already a part of your life, and you’ve only known her for a day.”

“Who’s that you’re talking about?” Damien asks, walking in. The core team is together now, so we can begin.

“Gabriel’s new girlfriend, Lexi,” Dominic says, flashing me a grin. He knows he’s the only one who can run his mouth like that without my fist having something to say about it.

“A new client,” I jump to clarify.

Damien’s the toughest one among us. With just one glance, you can see the battle scars of his past in his eyes. Undercover work only hardened him further. He returned with a jagged scar and cryptic tattoos, each a silent story he’d never tell.

According to Dom, I’m the grumpy one. I see myself as more of an introvert, discreet and cautious. That also comes with the job. I still go on dates sometimes and let myself be seen out and about. But Damien? He’s the king of solitude. His idea of a perfect Saturday night is hanging out with a boxing bag, trying to exorcise the city’s underbelly from his soul.

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