Page 53 of The Protective Gryphen

Ian paused.

“Want me to wait?” he asked.

This might be the only time he let Ian out of his sight, and it was only because he was calling home to see if he could trust this dude.

His gut wasn’t making him want to do that.

“No, feel free. Just stay in the library, Ian, until I can get back to you.”

As soon as the two men walked out, Gryphen called Callen.

It didn’t take him long to answer the phone. Hopefully, he wasn’t interrupting a case since they were working. They’d been crazy busy.

“Are you okay, Gryph?” he asked, moving away from his wife as he took the call. They were eyeballs deep in case and she was all over her whiteboard.

Gryphen had to know.

“Yeah, but is this Graham guy legit? He popped up, and I didn’t know he lived here.”

Callen figured this would be coming up sooner or later.

He explained.

“He lives there on the grounds. Think of him as security. Chris and I want the place safe, so one day, when we bring the family there, it will be secure.”

“He was a soldier.”

Oh, Callen was aware.

That’s what they preferred.

“We are accustomed to soldiers,” he admitted. “Graham is decorated and a good guy. I met him on a book signing when Saint and I ran into him. He and Saint did a stint somewhere in the desert. He was the one who recommended him for the job there.”

Okay, that helped.

“And Saint approves of him? Because he’s near my man, and I don’t like anyone I don’t trust near Ian. You know it makes me twitchy, and with good reason. I don’t like getting shot, and I don’t have body armor or a gun.”

Callen reassured him.

Gryphen sounded stressed.

“He’s safe. I swear. We wanted someone to help you keep Ian safe, but also, we wanted you to have a vacation with him. You can trust Graham. We do. He’s not going to let anyone in that castle that he doesn’t clear first.”

Well, then, that was settled.

“As for guns, there are guns there, Gryph. If you need them, there are hunting rifles in the one den. They are in a display case, and work.”

That helped even more.

“Okay. Thank you.”

Callen reassured him.

“Now, go enjoy your time there, and stop stressing. This is a vacation.”

He was honest.

“I will after I find out you guys found that asshole. Until then, I’m struggling with relaxation. Someone wants to hurt my man.”

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