Page 79 of Shield and Savior

Not Specs, who has been trained to do this.

Not any of the guys on payroll.

No one with military training.

Izzy ran into a burning building and saved not only me, but my best friend too.

And now she’s here laying on my chest telling me we’re a team, and we protect each other. There’s a feeling that swells inside of me, one I’ve never felt on this scale before. “You were our savior.”

“You and Alana have been protecting Drew and I for months. You’ve been our shield.” She nuzzles deeper into my chest.

My words come out faster than I can close the gate and keep them inside. “I think I’m in love with you.”

“Good. You should be. I’m pretty freaking adorable.”

Someone clears their throat, and our moment is destroyed the second I see who’s standing in the doorway. Phoenix.

“What are you doing here?” we ask each other at the same time.

Phoenix looks better since I saw him last. Less dead, so it’s a pretty low bar. He motions to Izzy. “I heard some staff from Mastodon was here. I thought they were working, I didn’t know you had been admitted.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Is it because of what happened last week?”

“No.” I state the obvious.

There’s instant relief from Phoenix, but it’s like his brain stopped buffering. “I got a message saying Mastodon is paying for my rehab, as long as, quote ‘I don’t do any of that horse therapy shit.’”

I laugh and instantly regret it as my body reels in pain. Alana, no doubt, left that message. And probably already has him admitted to a rehab center.

Phoenix exhales, and I’m kinda jealous he can do it so easily. “I don’t need you guys to pay for that,” he says.

But Izzy steps up. “It’s not negotiable, forty-five days minimum. Is there anything else we can do?”

Phoenix pushes his hair back and glances over his shoulder into the hallway. “Yeah, I feel terrible even saying this, but I think you should consider Delta’s employment with Mastodon. I don’t think he has what it takes to be a personal protection agent.”

Izzy looks at me with a glint in her eye. “Oh we agree. Delta has been terminated.”

“Yeah, he was fired.” I pinch my lips to stifle the laughter.

Izzy adds, “But he feels bad about what he did. I’d go so far as to say, he’s in pieces over it.”

I snicker into her shoulder.

Phoenix tilts his head to the side, like a confused dog. “Why are you saying it like that?”

Izzy pauses and starts to talk to him like he’s a five-year-old. “The Mastodon building exploded.”

“Oh my god. Is everyone okay?” Phoenix gasps.

Seriously?

Izzy slaps her hand to her forehead. “No.”

The gears start working. “That’s why you’re here? You were in a fire? Shit, you’re having a rough couple of days,” Phoenix says and takes a few steps closer to me. He reaches into his jacket inside pocket and pulls out an envelope. “Um, I know you don’t like me, but I wanted to say thank you for saving my life.” He turns the envelope in his hands. “But now, I don’t think it’s enough.” He shakes his head. “I’ll extend it to two years.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” There’s literally nothing he can give me that will restore my trust in him.

He swallows and nods. “Well, maybe your girlfriend might want it. She probably had a rough few weeks too.” He hands the envelope over to Izzy.

“Thanks.”

---