Page 30 of Guarded from Treachery

Not just my dark hero, but my gentle protector.

He’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met. He's kind, funny and self-deprecating. Brilliant. Incredibly handsome. Intriguing. And I love the way his ears turn pink when he’s embarrassed, though he usually has no reason to be.

Even though I haven’t known Matt long—although it feels more and more like I have—I’ve noticed the vulnerability he tries to hide. When he lets something personal slip out and his default is to try to brush it off as nothing, like when he told me about playingMinecraftor how he always checks the video game stores in every city he visits.

For some reason, he seems to think I’m going to judge him harshly for it. But I think it’s cute. And I like hearing him talk about his interests, seeing his eyes light up, his enthusiasm a contagious thing.

I like everything about Matt, really.

And I like his teammates, too. Rhiannon—or Rhi, as everyone calls her—is wonderful. She’s kind and funny and I’m honestly a little in awe of her. As one of the first female Green Berets, I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must have been for her in a male-dominated job. And now she’s working for Blade and Arrow Security, which I’ve learned is one of the top private security companies in the country.

Then there’s Erik, who came across as this goofy guy who didn’t take things too seriously at first. But the second day he was here, when he saw me practicing yoga, he shyly asked if he could join me. And after that, he offered to show me some meditation and mindfulness techniques, explaining, “When I’m having a rough time dealing with things, this helps. I know things are hard, so… if you’re interested, I could show you.”

I said yes. Of course. And he’s right. The meditationdoesmake me feel a little better.

If not for the reason the three of them are here, I’d be happy about the company. Cramped as it is, the four of us in my little apartment, Erik and Matt sleeping on air mattresses while Rhiannon crashes on the couch, it’s actually pretty nice.

“Hey, Isla?” A light rapping on my bedroom doorjamb accompanies Matt’s question. He pokes his head past the half-open door—for security reasons, we don’t close doors unless we’re using the bathroom—and gives me a hesitant smile. “Are you busy?”

“No.” I toss my phone onto the mattress and slide off my bed. As I stand, a slight wave of dizziness hits me, and I grab onto the edge of the bed until it passes. “I was just texting Rory. And?—”

In a blink, Matt’s in front of me, his hand at my elbow. Concern creases his features. “Are you okay? Did you get dizzy again?” He starts to steer me back to the bed. “You should sit down.”

“I’m okay.” Tipping my head back, I meet his worried gaze. “Really. Standing up sometimes makes me a little lightheaded, but once I’m up, I’m fine.”

As I look up at him, I’m struck all over again by just how handsome he is. His chestnut hair is tousled as usual, which means he’s probably been impatiently running his hand through it while he frowns at his laptop. Thick lashes frame his expressive eyes, and his five o’clock shadow accents the strong lines of his jaw. The scar just below his hairline gives him a dangerous look, and not for the first time, I wonder how he got it.

ShouldI be thinking about his looks when he’s here with the express purpose of protecting me? Probably not.

Am I? Yes.

“I don’t know, Isla. If you’re not feeling well…”

“Matt.” I firm my voice. And I step away from him, instantly missing the feel of his warm hand on my elbow. “I’m really okay. And I’m not busy. What’s up?”

“Well.” He grimaces. “I wanted to ask you a few more questions. But maybe this isn’t a good time.”

My stomach plummets to my feet. More questions means talking about all the people who could potentially be involved in this. Which, although necessary, isnotsomething I enjoy.

Forcing a smile onto my face, I say brightly, “It’s fine. Anything to help.”

He eyeballs me skeptically. “Okay… But if it gets to be too much…”

Lifting my chin, I reply, “It won’t. I can handle it.”

Twenty minutes later, I’m not so sure.

It wasn’t that bad in the beginning. As Erik and Rhiannon looked on, Matt gently asked me about my former and current coworkers again, delving deeper into any possible motive for wanting to hurt me. He wanted to know if there were any employees who thought I was promoted unfairly or might be bitter because they asked me out and I rejected them.

The answer to both was no. At least not that I know of.

After that, we moved on to all the men I’ve dated over the last year, which was a bit more awkward. It wasn’t particularly fun dredging up memories of disappointing first dates and discussing my lack of sexual relations with any of them. Especially not when Matt was asking.

But I understand. Matt’s not making progress on my case as quickly as he’d been hoping, so it makes sense to go over all the information again. And even if that means feeling uncomfortable answering some of his questions, I’m more than willing to do it.

It’s when we get to the subject of my parents that things shift from uncomfortable to downright unpleasant. I don’t really like thinking about the strained relationship with my family at the best of times, and talking about it now, when I’m already feeling unsettled and scared, makes it ten times worse.

“I know this isn’t what you want to talk about,” Matt says as he glances up from his laptop to look at me. His eyes are a molten dark chocolate, regret and apology in his gaze. “But we really need to talk about your family a little more. Make sure there isn’t something I’m missing.”

---