Page 13 of The Protector’s Heart

“You didn’t make a promise, though.”

She could hear his aggravated, low growl, but for once it didn’t frighten her. “If you don’t want me here, Nila, I can have one of my people come and do the upgrade instead. I just want you to feel safe, and if you don’t feel that way with me here then I’m defeating my own purpose.”

She opened her mouth to tell him to send someone else, but she couldn’t make herself say the words. Unlocking the deadbolts and security bar and twisting the lock on the knob, she pulled the door open and stepped aside to let him in.

He had several bags that he carried in with him. As she shut and locked the door, Jack called out, “Carrot?”

Nila wasn’t sure, but she thought that Jack was calling Malachi ‘carrot.’ He hadn’t said his favorite word since he’d said it to Malachi the day before. Was it a coincidence?

“I was getting ready to feed him dinner.”

“Go on and do whatever you need to, I’ve got this.”

He seemed tense; his lips were drawn into a tight line, and he looked like he was clenching his teeth together. She stared at him for a moment longer, feeling the need to apologize. She’d made him mad. Unlike her ex, he wasn’t lashing out at her physically or verbally. In fact, he seemed to be doing everything in his power to remain non-threatening and calm.

She walked into the kitchen, uncertainty gnawing at her. As she prepared Jack’s dinner, she thought about all that Malachi had done for her since she’d met him. He’d done more for her in a few weeks than Damien had in all the years she’d known him. Damien had been kind on the surface, but he’d never gone out of his way to help her. Never shoveled her drive or brought her groceries, and even though Jack was Damien’s son, he never looked at him with any kind of affection. The sort of affection that Malachi gave freely to Jack—that he seemed willing to give to her if she’d let him.

Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, she pulled a package of pork chops from the refrigerator and put a pan on the stove to heat. She hadn’t bothered getting to know anything about Malachi. Considering how much attention he paid to her, how much he’d learned just by watching, she was starting to feel like a colossal bitch.

“Your mom’s an idiot,” she told Jack as he picked up SpaghettiOs with his fist and shoved them into his mouth.

“Carrot?” he asked, grinning widely with sauce-covered cheeks.

“Carrot.”

* * *

Malachi’s stomach growled when the scent of cooking pork wafted into the family room. Nila would think a predator had gotten into the house if he didn’t stop that grumbling sound. He forced himself to concentrate on finishing the installation of the new security system, which he’d completely revamped. She’d had a bare-bones system before, but it wasn’t enough protection. Along with closing out her account with the old security company, he’d added her to his 24/7 monitoring service, which would alert the police and his staff of a break-in.

His phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket. “Hey, Lucian.”

“Hey. I just got an update from our staff that you’re doing an installation in Wilde Creek. Anything I should know?”

“Checking up on me?” Mal joked.

“You know it. Protecting my investment.”

Malachi had told Lucian about Nila when he first met her. Lucian was Malachi’s best friend, aside from being business partners. Malachi wanted Lucian to know what was going on in case something happened to him, so that Nila would always be safe. He knew that if he was incapacitated, Lucian would come and protect Nila in a heartbeat, regardless of his other obligations.

Lucian sobered. “Is this just a general security system, or did something else happen?”

“No, nothing’s happened, but I’ll feel better knowing she’s more protected.”

“Window alarms?”

“Yep.”

“Motion detectors outside?”

“I haven’t installed them yet.”

Lucian hummed. “Sounds like you’ve got it settled. When’s the wedding?”

Malachi chuckled. “I’ll let you know.”

“You do that.”

“Are you coming back to Wilde Creek anytime soon? I’m tired of paying you a salary when I’m doing all the work.” Lucian went quiet and Malachi straightened. “Is everything okay?”

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