Page 64 of Untamed Protector

“That’s crazy. As long as we don’t know who’s behind this, you’re still very much in danger.”

“It’s clearly someone who’s annoyed by me being here in the city. They want me gone, not dead. I can handle it from here.”

“Lexi, just trust me on this. I’ve been in these situations before.”

“I’m not your client, so you can’t boss me around,” I snap back, more irritated by his tone and attitude than his words.

“Exactly. And because you’re not a client, you’re my responsibility. So, we’re doing this my way.”

The responsibility he keeps throwing around feels more like a business contract than something real. Not exactly the spark I was looking for. He’s clearly upset; something’s brewing beneath the surface. And judging by his reaction, it’s not client-related. This feels deeper and way more personal. Gabriel’s got his secrets locked up tight. All I can do is keep mine under wraps, too. We had a moment, a connection, but now he’s back to Mr. Authority, and I can’t seem to crack through. Maybe I need to stick to my original plan: find that damn car, find some peace, and make sure my family gets the justice we deserve. There’s no more time to waste.

19

Lexi

Imust’ve fallen asleep on the couch for an hour or so. As soon as Gabriel left, Mike set himself up at his desk. I let Gabriel go without arguing since he seemed upset and worried and obviously wanted to get away from me and deal with that private matter of his. Before leaving, he hugged me and placed a soft kiss on my lips, just like a proper boyfriend.

Mike made me a sandwich and a coffee and even got me a blanket to keep warm. It was sweet of him, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a prop, shuffled around while Gabriel tackled his secret crisis. There was no point in pushing him to continue the talk about the marina show and our fake dating thing for now.

“Are you sure you don’t have better things to do than to babysit me? This must be annoying for you,” I tell Mike after watching him fawn over me for a few minutes.

He hits pause on the movie flickering on his laptop. “That’s the job. I think you’re a little too relaxed about this whole thing. I saw how those vultures went after you at Grain Inc. today—all of them. You don’t have any friends there. I mean, what’s happening to you is a big deal. You shouldn’t downplay it.”

Gabriel left me in Mike’s capable hands, assuring me the fridge and bathroom had everything I needed. He even mentioned a small, secret bedroom disguised behind a door in the dressing room if I wanted a nap. I opted for the couch and stuck near Mike. Solitude wasn’t exactly appealing right now. Besides, Mike seems like a patient soul who’s used to waiting for people—whether for hours or even days.

“Any idea when Gabriel will show up?”

“He said he needed to finish work and would let me know where to meet so he could pick you up.”

“But that could be anytime, even at midnight. It’s already getting dark. He’s been gone for hours.”

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asks in a calm tone. He either doesn’t know what’s happening with Gabriel or doesn’t want to tell me.

“I’m okay, thanks.” I stand up and take a few steps, then hear Mike’s phone ringing.

“Hi, boss. Yeah, I know the place. I’ll be there.” He hangs up and tells me we need to go.

Fifteen minutes later, we meet Gabriel at the northbound exit on our way to his house. Mike puts the box with my office belongings in the back as I hop into the front seat.

Gabriel thanks Mike, then throws his jacket on the back seat, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt already rolled up. A hint of urgency flickers in his eyes before he slams the car into gear and peels off, leaving me scrambling to buckle up as the city blurs past the windows. Where was he?

“Hey, slow down.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize. Do you want me to pull over?”

“No. I want you to tell me if you’re okay. What’s going on?”

“It’s just work. I’m sorry it took so long. Did Mike take care of you? Did you eat?”

“I’m okay, but you don’t look too good,” I say, looking at his right hand all scrunched up as if he smashed it into something. “What happened there?”

“It happens sometimes when I’m out doing my job.”

“Does it hurt?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks. We’ll be home in a minute, and I’ll put some ice on it.”

His gaze stays glued to the road, a tense line etched across his jaw. Pushing him won’t get me anywhere. The way his hand hovers over the wheel, barely gripping it, tells me the pain must be fierce.

---