Page 78 of Titan

“Do you want me to throw you out?”

He put his hands up. Edric wasn’t exactly wrong. I wasn’t good with people, but Theia wasn’t like other people. I wanted to make the effort with her. Didn’t mean I always got it right, but I was trying for her.

“Okay, okay, I get it. You don’t want me leering at her, but fuck, Gil, she’s a knockout. You kept that very quiet.”

I walked over to the counter and started digging out what he’d brought with him so I wouldn’t give in to the urge to deck him. I wasn’t a jealous person, but I knew what Edric was like with women. He didn’t stick around for long after he got what he wanted. He had an almost allergic reaction to commitment of any kind. I didn’t know why anyone put up with his shit. Well, I suppose I did because everyone talked about how charming he was, but I knew the real Edric, not the happy-go-lucky façade he liked to put up.

“I didn’t keep anything quiet. It was none of your fucking business,” I muttered, looking over the array of food he’d bought along with coffee. I hoped Theia would be happy with this, but I had other things in the fridge if she didn’t like anything he’d brought.

Edric took a seat on one of the stools and dragged a coffee towards him, taking a sip.

“I swear you spoil my fun with all your seriousness. You not even going to tell me how you two met?”

Did I want to explain to Edric that Theia worked at Zayn’s club? Not particularly. He would get the wrong idea about her.

“None of your business.”

“I’ll ask her.”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

He wasn’t going to leave this alone. In fact, he’d probably ask her to spite me. The man was not known for his subtlety.

I picked up my own coffee and sat down next to him.

“I’m only going to say this once. If you dare say one smart thing about what I’m going to tell you, I will throw you out and never allow you within ten feet of her ever again.”

Edric merely looked amused by my threat.

“If you say so.”

“Edric.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything ‘smart.’ Jesus, never seen you so possessive over anyone. It’s so cute. I’m going to savour this moment forever.”

I ignored his comment. Nothing about me was “cute.” He was just being a dick.

“She works for Zayn at the club, and she’s going to be staying with me for the foreseeable future because she’s in danger. As I can’t be around all the time, I want you to arrange a protection detail so she can continue to go to work if she wants to.”

While I might not have asked Theia what she wanted, I wasn’t going to take any chances with her safety. I wanted her monitored twenty-four-seven until I could work out who the fuck these sex traffickers were. Then I would make sure I put them out of fucking business. In fact, I’d kill every single one of them. What they put people through was despicable.

“Okay, back right the fuck up. She works for your brother? As in she’s a—”

“If you’re thinking about calling her anything derogatory, I will hurt you.”

He shook his head.

“I wasn’t going to! Christ, Gil, you really have it bad for this girl.”

“What’s your point?”

Edric took his time as he sipped his coffee and dragged one of the breakfast sandwiches toward him.

“My point? Well, I’ll handle the protection thing for you, no problem, but does your brother know you’re dating his employee?”

My hand clenched into a fist on the counter.

“We’re not dating. She’smine.”

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