Page 77 of Untamed Protector

“Eda, a teenager Jake had been seeing for a few months, was pregnant with Iris. The girl was born without ever knowing her father. I was in my first year of Navy training, miles away, and didn’t get leave. I couldn’t go to his funeral either. That’s pretty much what happened.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lexi whispers, her touch on my shoulder sending a tremor through me. I let out a shaky breath, the words catching in my throat. All I manage is a nod, leaning ever so slightly into her touch. Maybe, just maybe, a little bit of this heavy guilt would ease if I talked about it.

“So, this is what Eda’s asking you now? To pay for what happened? How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself? It’s not fair.”

“Until this guilt stops suffocating me every damn day, and I stop feeling like I failed him. However long that takes.”

***

I pull up into the driveway, the weight of the past still sitting heavy on my chest. It’s time to go inside. This will be a welcome distraction from whatever questions Lexi still has for me. She’s right; I need to talk about this, but I feel like it’s too much for one day. My wounds are deep, but hers are fresher, more raw with grief. She’s the one who needs me now. She doesn’t have my strength and endurance, which makes me want to protect her even more.

“Let’s just go take a shower, get something to eat, and we’ll talk later,” I tell Lexi as I help her out of the car. Mike suggested extra security detail to guard the house, and I agreed, even though I already have cameras scanning the whole area and Glitch installed protection software, too. Vargas wouldn’t dare come here, so we’re safe inside. I’m not sure he’s the mastermind, anyway. He’s nothing more than a trained brute. There must be someone more evil and cunning pulling the strings. I’ve got a few guesses, but they need to be confirmed. Mike’s already got his men on it, so I’ll be getting reports soon.

I follow Lexi inside, staying close as she moves slowly, cradling her injured hand to her chest, her face etched with worry. Going back through my past has been a brutal journey, stirring up a storm of confusing emotions inside me. It felt like a giant hole opened up, and I desperately need to fill it with action, just like diving headfirst into those crazy missions back in the Navy.

As we reach the living room, she pauses, turns around, and pulls me into a tight hug. Her injured hand rests lightly on my chest as her other hand slips into mine, warm and small. She presses her forehead against mine as I hug her back, stroking her hair—a silent thank you for being the anchor I needed in this storm.

“So, what do we do now?” she asks, pulling away after a few minutes, her chin held high despite the worry in her eyes. “We just sit around, wait, and do nothing?”

Whether it’s her intuition or the fact that she’s gotten to know me by now, I welcome the change of subject. That’s exactly what I needed right now—a problem to solve.

“We’ll look for the car and keep you safe—that’s what we’ll do.”

“We, meaning you, and who else? And where do I fit into this plan?”

“We, as in me and my partners—Dominic and Damien. And Mike. You’ll be in the loop on everything, every step of the way. Honestly, I wish you would’ve told me about the car from the beginning. It would’ve been helpful to know.”

“I was afraid one of your clients might be involved and that you’d cover for them.”

“Wow, did I really make that bad of an impression? Like someone who doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong? That’s not how we do things.”

“You’re driving me nuts with your cryptic answers. Who’s we? And why are Damien and Dominic involved? They’re not part of your company, are they? What brought you three together? It’s like you guys have a secret code or a silent pact or something, always answering each other’s calls so fast. I know there’s more to this than you’re letting on. Who are you really, Gabriel?”

She has a point. Lexi’s seen us work and sensed the bond we have. The guys and I understand each other without saying much. That’s how we do things. We’re used to working together as a team. But above all, we’re family, and we’d die for one another.

“We’re a tight group of friends who help people. We each have our skills and resources, and we decided to use them for good. In the beginning, we reached out to veterans to help them get back on their feet after retirement. Then, we started getting more unusual requests, like people started asking us to find folks who went missing. That’s when we realized we could do a lot more than we initially thought. We love what we do, but we prefer to keep things under the radar.”

“And how do people find you?”

“Well, we hear about cases from Damien, the press, or our network of contacts. Dominic, being the most public and successful of us, also attracts requests for help.”

“Gabriel, how much more is there that I don’t know about you?”

“That’s it. I promise. You weren’t supposed to find out about the Protectors; it’s not just my secret. But… I felt you needed to know to be able to fully trust me.”

“Was I like a case for you? Is that how it started?”

“No. You were a challenge, though. From day one.”

“You mean a woman who doesn’t do what you want?”

“No. I mean a stunning, brilliant, strong woman who never listens to me, disappears on me and keeps secrets from me—the same woman who melts in my arms.”

“Me, melt in your arms?” she laughs. “That’s not cocky at all, Mister.”

Lexi reaches over, her fingers playful in my hair, and ruffles it with a laugh. Standing on her tiptoes, she leans in, her eyes sparkling. Now that it’s just us two, I can’t resist any longer. Gently, I pull her arm and bring her into my embrace.

“Not cocky, just confident. I’m good at reading people. Being quiet gives me a chance to notice things others miss. I don’t stress about making myself likable, so I have more space and focus to take in all the details. And I know that in my arms, you’ve left all your fears and bad memories behind. I’ve seen it. So, stop fighting it.”

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