Page 38 of Baby Daddy Protector

We ordered our drinks and a couple appetizers, then started catching up.

“So, how’s it feel to be a married man now?” Deacon asked after thanking the server for his pale ale. “And a baby on the way, too. The times they are a’changing.”

I took a long drink of my dark brew. “It all still seems unreal sometimes. But then, none of it isactuallyreal. Or at least, it’s not intended to last.” I winced slightly at the words and sat back, making sure that no one was close enough to hear our conversation. “I told you about the offer she made me months ago. I’m just fulfilling my end of the deal.”

“Uh-huh.” Deacon sat back narrowing his dark gaze on me. “Sure. I remember that conversation, all right. But I also see the man sitting across from me now and I have to say that I’m seeing a different guy. You look happier, man, more comfortable in your own skin.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “Maybe. I don’t know. Things have been pretty nuts around here lately.”

“Job-wise?”

“Yeah. I work hard to keep security tight around Es, especially with the kid on the way. But lately, the threats have reached a new level. I don’t want to be that guy who cries wolf all the time, but I also can’t watch Es every second of the day either, you know? It’s tough.”

“I bet.” Deacon sat back as the waitress brought two trays of appetizers. Both of us loaded up our plates and ordered seconds on our drinks, then dug in. “I heard on the news they had some big parliament thing earlier this week?”

“Yep. That went off without a hitch, thank goodness,” I said around a bite of chicken. “But I still can’t help feeling like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. At first, I thought something would happen at her father’s funeral, but nothing did. Then I thought maybe at the parliament session to officially recognize our child, but nope.” I finished off my chicken wing then tossed the bone aside. “Now, I’m looking ahead to the coronation.”

“They do that in utero?”

I chuckled. “Nah, man. For Esme. She’ll be ruling in our son’s stead until he’s old enough to take the throne himself. So, parliament will hold a coronation ceremony for her now and then another one later, for our son.”

“‘Our son,’ eh?” Deacon wiped sour cream off his mouth then grinned. “Sounds mighty cozy to me. You sure this is just business, bro?”

Sighing, I shoved half some food in my mouth to cover the awkward silence. That was exactly the problem. It wasn’t just business anymore, not for me. But I had no right projecting that onto Es. She had more than enough to deal with right now without my unrequited love on top of it.

“You care about her, don’t you?” Deacon asked, always far too perceptive for his own good.

“Of course I care about her,” I said, swallowing hard. “We made a baby together. But it’s not like that, at least not for her. I don’t think she feels the same way about me.”

“Hmm.” Deacon polished off some more food and half his beer before answering. “What’s your gut telling you?”

“My gut?”

“Yeah. Your instincts saved our butts more than once out on the battlefield. Do they really tell you that you’re in this alone? Because I don’t think that’s true. If you’re feeling this strongly for her, I can’t imagine she’s not at least reciprocating those feelings a little bit. Not to get all mushy or anything on you, but you two need to talk. Before the baby comes.”

“Yeah. I know.” I toyed with an uneaten bite of potato skin on my plate. “I just… there’s so much going on right now. So much stress and worry on both our parts. Most days we barely see each other, and when we do, I’m always on edge because of some new threat or other. It’s gotten to the point I hate to even let her out of my sight. Coming here tonight was like torture, man. No offense.” I gave Deacon a sheepish look. “Your company is great as always, but I can’t stop thinking about Es. There’s this weird tension gurgling inside me, like trouble’s on the way, like something’s going to happen and I’m not going to be there to stop it.” I sat back and scrubbed a hand over my face. “I think the royal tailor is going to kill me.”

Deacon laughed. “Is that a credible threat? I never even knew there was such a thing as a royal tailor.”

“Oh yeah. There’s pretty much a royal everything around here, dude.” I laughed, too. “It’s crazy. But the poor guy’s been by three times already to fit me for my tux for Es’s coronation ceremony and he still hasn’t been able to finish because I’ve been called away every time on one crisis or another. Thank God my team’s able to pick up the slack because otherwise I’d never leave work. Right now, the only way I could be here with you is because my team is with Es while she goes to her florist appointment. Apparently, fresh flowers in the winter are a big deal at this coronation thing too. Symbolizes life eternal or reborn or some crap.” I was nervous about letting her go without me, but she’d insisted that I meet up with my friend.

“Huh, sounds hectic as hell,” Deacon said.

“You have no idea, man.”

I was just reaching for more food when a commotion sounded near the front doors of the pub. I turned to see one of the security guards from my team hurrying toward our booth. My stomach fell to my toes as Deacon and I exchanged a look.

“Looks like trouble has arrived, my friend,” Deacon said.

I shifted my attention to the panting security guard at our table. The guy was out of breath and sweating like he’d run all the way there. “What’s going on? What’s happening? Is it the princess?”

“They took her, sir,” the guy managed to get out between wheezes. “We were watching her the whole time, but they were too fast.”

“Took her?” I was out of the booth and on my feet in seconds, pulling my sidearm from the holster at my waist and checking the magazine before slapping it back into place and jamming it back into my holster. “Where? Tell me exactly what happened.”

As I spoke, I was clamping down on the icy fear inside me. I had to rescue my princess, but to do that, I had to keep my head and use my skills. I shoved away the guilt for having let her leave the palace without me. I’d deal with that later. For now, I needed intel.

I was headed out with the guard when Deacon came up on my other side “Let me help you, bro. You know I always got your back.”

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