Page 59 of Jesse
“I won’t let anyone else guard him,” I continued. “You can throw every enforcer you’ve got at this, but I won’t step aside. He’s my responsibility. I won’t fail him. I can’t.”
The silence that followed stretched long. Cooper’s fingers tapped against the desk once, then stilled. Finally, he nodded.
“Fine. But you’d better mean it, Jesse. No more missed meetings. No more radio silence. I need you locked in and pulling your weight,” he said.
“I will,” I promised. “You have my word.”
He studied me for a moment, then leaned forward, folding his hands on the desk.
“You’ve got promise, Jesse. But being that doesn’t matter if you burn yourself out or get sloppy,” he said.
“I’m not burning out,” I said. “I’m just juggling too much. But I’ll do better.”
“You’d better,” Cooper said simply. “Because this thing, whatever it is and whoever it is, it’s circling closer. We’ve had a calm stretch, but that’s what worries me. Like it’s waiting.”
The weight of his words sank into my bones.
“I’ll keep my ears up,” I told him. “And if anything shifts, anything at all, I’ll bring it straight to you.”
“Good.” He reached for a folder on his desk. “You’re dismissed.”
I stood, hesitated for a second, then turned and left the office. My head was buzzing.
I knew I was pushing myself too hard, working the truck day in and day out, spending every waking hour with Beck, patrolling at night when I could. I was running on fumes.
But I wasn’t going to let anyone else carry the burden of keeping Beck safe. That was mine to bear.
As I stepped out into the compound courtyard again, the early morning air hit my skin like a slap. Crisp. Quiet. My truck would be warming up soon.
Beck would be there, probably juggling prep while the coffee brewed, humming under his breath like he always did when he didn’t know I was listening.
I pulled my phone out and texted him.
Jesse: Be there soon. Don’t start without me.
A few seconds later, his reply came through.
Beck: I’m just setting up. I saved you a blueberry muffin from that truck you like.
I smiled despite myself, tension loosening in my chest. Beck always knew how to pull me back down to earth, even through a screen.
My mate.
No matter what happened next and no matter how deep this threat ran, I’d make damn sure nothing touched him.
Chapter 15
Beck
The last customerof the day stepped up to the counter, a smile already in place. My muscles ached from hours of cooking, but I matched his energy with a grin.
"Hey, thanks again for the other day. You really rallied the crowd for us."
The man shrugged. "Not a problem. Would’ve been a crime if you didn’t make it to the finals."
I laughed, genuinely touched. "Well, we owe you one for that." I paused, the name on the tip of my tongue but slipping away. "Thanks again, uh..."
"Aiden," he offered, saving me from embarrassment.
