Page 18 of His Place in the World
“I might not be able to, but Cam is your alpha, and I’m sure he sees how stupid sending you there would be.”
They turned as one toward the alpha.Angus was glad he wasn’t in Cam’s place because he wasn’t sure what he would have done if he had been.
“If the other people present at the auction have bodyguards, it makes sense for Ryland to have them, too,” Cam said slowly.
“I’ll be one of those bodyguards,” Remi said with a grunt.
“As will I,” Del said.
“My answer to both those suggestions is no,” Ryland stepped in.He raised a hand, stopping both Remi and Del before they could argue.“Think about it.What if something happens to both of us, Remi?What about our company?You have to stay back, if anything, to organize all of this.You’re good behind the curtain, and I want to take advantage of that.As for you, Del, I believe that you might create trouble if you came with us.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Del muttered.
“I never said you were.But Angus is your mate, correct?”
Del hesitated, then nodded.“Yes.”
“What happens if you see someone touching him inappropriately?What if someone tries to grab him?”
“I’d step in and stop them, but if he’s your pet, no one should be touching either of you.”
Ryland grinned.“It’s nice that you’re trying to convince yourself and me of that, but we both know it’s bullshit.I wouldn’t be surprised if you broke a few jaws and growled at anyone who looks at Angus in a way they shouldn’t.”
“The two of you are out,” Cam said.“But I still think Ryland should have at least one human bodyguard.Would a man like him and like the other people buying shifters fully trust shifters to keep him safe?”
“I’ll go, then,” Matt declared.
“You’re not trained.”
“Then I can be Ryland’s personal assistant.Surely someone as rich as him and all that bullshit would have one.”
Del’s head looked like it was about to explode, and Angus didn’t blame him.He hadn’t expected Del’s father to volunteer for this.
“And I have the perfect shifter to go with you,” Cam said.“Mercer is strong, and he teaches our recruits for pack security.He can get Matt into some kind of shape by the weekend.”
“You can’t do this,” Del croaked, looking from Angus to his father.
Angus hated that he was hurting his mate, but this was non-negotiable.“I’ll be fine,” he promised, holding Del’s gaze.“Your father will be there to keep me safe.”
Del chuckled darkly.“Maybe, but who will keephimsafe?”
* * * *
Del couldn’t believe Cam was agreeing to this or that his father had volunteered for it.He was pissed that everyone in the room was going along, and he got to his feet, ready to be done with this meeting.
He shouldn’t have walked into it, to begin with.Maybe if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have had to worry about his mate and his father.
“Del,” Matt said as Del stomped past him.
Del shook his head.“Leave me alone.I can’t believe you did this.”
He rushed out in the hallway, needing to get out of the room and possibly the house.Toby walked out of the kitchen just as Del passed it and tried to talk to him, but Del shook his head and continued until he was outside.The front door slammed closed behind him, and he leaned against the porch railing, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.
He breathed in and out, pushing the anger away.Maybe this was one of the reasons everyone had agreed he shouldn’t go with Angus and Ryland.If he couldn’t control himself in a safe situation, how could he hope to do so when everyone would be in danger?
So maybe he understood why he shouldn’t be the one going with Angus and Ryland.Why should his father go, though?
Del’s father wasn’t a trained fighter.He was in good shape, and when he had time, he went to the gym and took martial arts lessons, but it didn’t feel like enough.Beyond his family, Angus was the most precious person in Del’s life.He needed his mate to be safe, and while he trusted his father to make sure nothing happened to Angus, he couldn’t help but wonder how he was supposed to deal with worrying about his father and his mate getting killed.
