Page 47 of Guarded By a Monster

Thurl’s arm tensed against me, but he didn’t argue. I glanced up at him. There was a flicker of conflict in his eyes, like two voices in his head were battling it out. Still, he nodded.

Kragen leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Is there any chance you could find something—evidence, old ledger entries, or a whistleblower testimony—to link him solidly to Vale’s illegal dealings? We could approach the council with something compelling enough to force their hand.”

I perked up at the good idea.

Bull shook his head, the muscle in his jaw working in annoyance. “He’s too careful. I’ve been searching since Thurl first asked us to poke around. His digital trail is squeaky clean. Anything that might incriminate him is deeply off-book or locked in an analog file, if it exists at all.”

I sank into the seat next to Thurl, adjusting my glasses. “So testifying is pointless. The cops can’t nail him, and without solid evidence of his wrongdoing, Society can’t help either. Great.” I tried not to sound completely defeated, but the frustration leaked in anyway.

Bull gave me a lopsided grin. “I’m good at what I do. Given time, I’ll find something.”

Zeus exhaled, the sound slow and rumbling. He was still standing, arms crossed. “In the meantime, you’ll have a bodyguard who will protect you when Thurl can’t. We’ll secure your house. Make it look lived in, lights on timers, a caretaker going in and out. If Vale’s men are watching, they’ll see normal movement, but not you.”

“I don’t like that idea. My friend Emma was attacked feeding the cats because they thought she was me. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

Zeus smiled. “I’ll ask River to housesit for you. If anyone else tries to pull a stunt like that, she’ll get a kick out of it.”

I didn’t quite understand, but from the way Bull chuckled, I guessed this River could handle herself. “What about my job? I can’t abandon my kids.”

“Returning to work makes you vulnerable and I can’t advise it. I have a feeling the detectives will call you in soon. Let’s see how that goes, and we can reassess.”

“Until then, I’m hiding?”

Zeus’s voice gentled. “In my line of work, when the threat is big enough, the best thing to do is disappear for a while.”

“For now, it’s the wisest move,” Kragen added sympathetically.

I swallowed. It wasn’t like I wanted to boldly walk down the street, daring these criminals to come at me. But being locked away made me feel like the walls were closing in. Thurl’s hand slid up my spine. The warm pressure of his palm was comforting in a way I couldn’t quite put into words.

“As soon as we have new intel,” Zeus continued, “we’ll regroup. Until then, Jade, I’m afraid you need to be patient.”

I pursed my lips, but I had to admit it was probably the safest course. “Alright. Do I get to know who this bodyguard is, or is that a surprise?”

A strange smile tugged at Zeus’s mouth. “I have someone in mind: a new recruit who’s been making waves in the company. She’s ex-military, specialized in close-quarters protection, and she won’t take up a lot of space in your personal life—unless you need her to. Best of all, she’s not about to poke Thurl’s territorial instincts.”

My eyes flicked to Thurl. His gaze was fixed on Zeus, no small measure of concern in his expression. “How soon can she start?”

“Immediately,” Zeus answered. “I’ll give you her contact information. If at any time you need or want to leave the compound, call her and she’ll be here.”

Bull glanced between Thurl and me, then turned the laptop so that I could see a map of Damruck. “We have your work address, your usual routes, and your gym. Did I miss anything?”

I coughed. “You know about my gym membership?”

Bull’s brows rose. “We like to be thorough.”

“I’ll say. I haven’t used it once.” I appreciated the thoroughness, given the circumstances. “I guess you should add Big Muddy’s. I go there way too often.”

Bull smiled. “Best burger in town.” He typed something quickly. I watched new pins populate the digital map, each one representing a location I frequented. The cluster was bigger than I’d expected—my routine felt so small, yet seeing it all on the screen made me realize just how often I moved around the city. Work, errands, meetups with friends, daily life.

Thurl’s hand wrapped around mine. “You won’t lose any of it. This is just… a time-out.”

I squeezed his fingers. “I know.” I looked up at him, letting some of my frustration, my fear, flicker through. “It’s just hard.”

“You’re not alone,” he murmured, voice so low it was almost a rumble. “Even if I can’t be by your side every second, the bond will let me know if you’re in danger.”

“And we’ll be there,” Kragen added. “All of us.”

I managed a smile. Maybe I wasn’t so helpless after all. Surrounded by Superhuman Security, hulking wyrfangs, and a mate bond that literally let him track me, I might be the safest I’d ever been—even if it felt stifling.

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