Page 105 of Destined Lovers

“Yes, rules, Nora.” He narrows his eyes. Hurt oozes from him. I knew he wasn’t over it. “I think we’ve spent enough time apart, don’t you? I’m not chancing you get kidnapped by Conor or worse, murdered.”

Oh.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”

“I am not overreacting!” he bellows.

I stand there, shocked and taken aback by his reaction.

I-I don’t know what to say.

If he’s this scared that I could be taken, maybe I’ve been naïve, thinking Bennett could have protected me the way I needed if anything ever happened. Maybe Declan is right, after all. If they could kill my parents in broad daylight, who’s to say they won’t do it to me too?

My eyes flicker up to his. “Okay, Dec,” I whisper. “Tell me the rules.”

* * *

“Are you all American?” I ask the guys sitting in front of me, who will now be my shadow for the next six months. And when I say shadow, I mean shield.

There won’t be anyone getting to me with these four mammoth sized men by my side.

Max slaps Danny on the back. “Danny and Jameson are South African. Brody and I are America.”

I can already tell Max is the troublemaker of the group with his cheeky, mischievous smile. Before I entered the room earlier, I heard them all fecking about with Declan. I wanted to get a quick peek at how they normally acted. I knew the second I walked into the room, they would all switch on work mode, especially since I heard Declan threatening all their lives.

Apparently, Dec knows all these guys through his friend Ethan, whom I’ve never met, but remember from Declan’s Uni days. Ethan said he was sending his best guys never mentioning who.

I think it put Declan at ease knowing I was in the hands of these four.

I can’t read the other guys yet, but I can tell you Jameson scares the shite out of me. He’s big, broody, and has barely said one word. So, of course, I want to get to know him the most.

“I grew up not far from where you lived in Connecticut. I’m sorry about your parents.” Brody apologetically mutters.

I shoot him a small smile, not wanting to talk about that anymore. We’ve had to go over every tiny detail today. The guys needed to be briefed to do their job to the best of their ability. And then, of course, we went over the ‘rules’… I don’t do anything alone except shower and sleep.

The front door flies open, and I jump back, startled. Jameson, Max, Danny, Brody, and Declan shoot to their feet within a split second. Who the hell knew five guys that big could move that quick?

They relax immediately and sit down when yet another massive guy walks in holding a sleeping toddler.

“Hey,” he whispers and looks at Declan, “Where can I put Ruby?”

“Upstairs. First room on the right is Maeve’s. She can use her bed.” The guy nods and walks through the house like he owns it.

“Who is that?” I ask.

“Ethan Scott and my niece Ruby,” Max answers when Declan doesn’t answer.

When Ethan returns, he walks right to me and engulfs me in a hug. “It’s about time I met you in person. I’ve only heard about you a million times a day in Uni,” He cracks a small smile then plops down on the sofa, “Ruby is going to be so mad when she wakes up and realizes she missed seeing you right away, Declan. She’s been so excited all day.”

“What are you even doing here? And how did you get into my house?” I look between Declan’s confused face and Ethan’s smug one.

“Besides myself, there is only one other guy I would trust to guard Maeve, and the idiot broke his leg. So here I am.”

“Gabe broke his leg? What the hell,” Danny chimes in.

“He’s an idiot, that’s how,” Ethan spits.

“How the hell are you going to do the job when you live in Germany? This is a six-month gig, Ethan.”

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