Page 3 of Protector

Wolverine’s nostrils flared. “That was Richard. Celia called him this morning, just before six. Asked him to take the girls to school; said she wasn’t feeling well.”

I exhaled. “Shit, old man, you damn near gave me a heart attack. So, she’s sick—”

“There’s blood, Jamie. A lot. He thinks she’s locked in the bathroom but can’t get her to respond. I told him to take the girls and get them the fuck away from there.”

Ma.

There it was—as if twenty-six years hadn’t passed. I dragged a hand through my hair before clenching it into a fist. My heart thrummed against my ribs, fighting to break free from its cage.

Same as me.

“You did what? We don’t know whether my Ol’ Lady is dead or alive and you told him to leave her there? Alone?” My voice rose until I was shouting, the vein in my neck pulsing with each word.

Slim tightened his grip on my shoulder, but I pulled away, moving toward Wolverine.

“Jamie, if you’d just give me a goddamn second. We’re not leavin’ her alone. Comedian is in town—”

“So, you’re gonna hand her over to the butcher? Jesus fuckin’ Christ!” I raised my fist, but Slim quickly brought it back down.

“Jamie, look at me,” he hissed. “Wolverine’s tryin’ to help. Comedian ain’t gonna do shit to her—”

I lifted my hand and pinched my lower lip between my thumb and forefinger; a nervous habit I’d never been able to kick. As I did it, I realized what I’d been missing. “Where’s Hawk? How the fuck did this happen? He was watchin’ her—the girls, are they okay? They’re not hurt, are they?”

Wolverine shook his head. “Girls are fine. They didn’t know anything was wrong. Look, would you feel better if Angel went over with Comedian?”

“Angel?” I repeated, no longer remembering the question. Hawk should’ve been there. It didn’t matter what the fuck was going on; it was his job to keep her safe and let me know if there was a problem.

He’d pay for that.

“Send Angel. Send Comedian—fuck, send everybody within a hundred-mile radius,” Bear spoke up from the bar. “Slim, you and I are gonna get him home. Wolverine, you’re gonna round up everyone here and have them ride in. We don’t know what we’re dealin’ with and until we hear otherwise, prepare for war.”

I turned to him in surprise. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“I’m the fuckin’ Pres, and I’m gettin’ you home to your Ol’ Lady.”

Chapter One

Celia

Seventeen years earlier

“What are we celebrating today, Yiayia?” I asked, trying not to trip over the long skirt on the satin drop-waist dress as I sat down in the dining room chair.

She’d let me borrow it just for the occasion but had yet to tell me what exactly that was. The lace cape tickled along my shoulders while the crepe slip crinkled loudly with every movement. My hair had been drawn into a loose chignon and wrapped in ribbons, making me feel like the Greek goddesses we loved so much.

Yiayia added blueberry scones to the three-tiered caddy on the dining room table with a sly grin. “Lady Celia, you must know how honored I am to have you for afternoon tea.”

Her own hair was piled on top of her head in a bun, and she wore a dress and cape similar to mine. I imagined the looks we’d get if we ventured out of the house together, and it brought a smile to my face.

“Is it Zeus and Hera’s anniversary?”

She paused to consider it. “Good heavens, could you imagine the fiasco that would be? No, today we’re celebrating… the summer solstice!”

I frowned. “By taking afternoon tea?”

“Well, why not?” She asked with a wink. “In ancient China, the summer solstice was yin, or feminine energy; while the winter was yang or masculine energy. So, my dear, today we are celebrating our sacred femininity by eating sweets and drinking tea.”

My mother once told me that Yiayia’s mother had filled her head with crazy ideas. Apparently, she’d been known for her lavish parties as much as she was for her wild political views. Yiayia often claimed that my mother took life too seriously; something her son, my father, had never done.

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