by Chant, Zoe
“A bit. I’m closer to my team, in some ways. They’re like me—” He stopped suddenly, making her wonder what he’d been about to say. Probably something involving classified jobs assisting the military.
She teasingly filled in his awkward pause. “Really great at oral sex?”
To her amusement and delight, the adorable pink flush again tinged Hal’s cheeks. “God, don’t put pictures like that in my mind. They’re like my brothers and sisters. I was going to say, they’re a bunch of adrenaline junkies.”
“You know, I’ve never taken a boyfriend to meet my family. But I’d like to take you. My parents... Well, I told you how that is. But my brother’s great. You should meet him. I think you’d really get along.”
“I’d love to meet him when he comes home.” Hal kissed her. “Come on. Let’s go meet the family.”
He took her down to the parking lot, as alert for trouble as he’d been when he’d brought her to his apartment, and drove her to a big office building. Then he escorted her through another series of touchpad-operated elevators and doors— she was definitely getting the sense that he knew what he was doing when it came to security— and into the headquarters of Protection, Inc.
It was a bit like she’d expected Hal’s apartment to be: sleek and modern, full of high-tech gadgets and security cameras and furniture made of black leather and chrome. But it wasn’t sterile or lifeless. There were human touches, like bowls of old-fashioned movie candy like junior mints and Jordan almonds, and pots of gorgeous purple orchids.
But what struck Ellie the most were the huge framed photos on the walls of wild animals in their natural habitats. She walked around the office, examining each one in turn. Each photo showcased a different animal: a huge grizzly bear slapping a salmon out of a river, a pride of magnificent lions lazing on the savannah, a tiger stalking a deer through a lush green jungle, a pack of gray wolves in a forest, a black panther lying on a tree branch with an unsettlingly predatory gaze in its yellow eyes, and a snow leopard caught in mid-leap from one snowy crag to the next.
Then she got to the last one. It showed the sun setting over a European castle, with some winged creature— a hawk? A bat?— flying in the sky overhead. Ellie peered at it, then stopped and stared, and finally laughed. The flying creature was a dragon!
“I love watching people react to that one,” an accented male voice remarked.
Ellie spun around, startled. A group of people were walking into the room.
One of the men offered his hand. “Hello. I’m Lucas. And the dragon is mine.”
She glanced at him curiously as she shook his hand. Lucas was tall and slim, wearing an expensive-looking suit. She wasn’t an expert on clothing, but she’d swear it had been tailored for him. He had gold and diamond rings on his fingers, and a gold chain around his throat. His features were sharp and chiseled, and his eyes were a brown so light that they appeared as glittering gold as his jewelry. Lucas didn’t look like a man who’d do private security; he looked like a billionaire or a prince.
“Ellie McNeil,” she said. “Pleased to meet you. Um... What do you mean, the dragon is yours?”
Hal explained, “When I hire a new team member, I ask them what animal... uh... represents them. You know, which one they’re most like. Then I get them a photo of it, for inspiration. Lucas just had to make my life difficult.”
Ellie laughed. “What a great idea! Which animals go with which people?”
“Guess,” said another man. He offered her his hand. “I’m Rafael, but everyone calls me Rafa. I’m one of Hal’s old buddies from his Navy SEAL days.”
Rafa matched what Ellie had expected the entire team to look like: tall and muscular, though not quite as big as Hal. He had black hair as tousled as if he’d just rolled out of bed, smooth brown skin, and a charming smile. While Hal often seemed wary and guarded, constantly alert for any threat, Rafa seemed completely relaxed. Ellie could see at a glance that he was a ladies’ man.
“Well? Which do you think is mine?” Rafa’s tone was playful, but challenging, too.
This really is “Meet the Family,” Ellie realized. Rafa’s playing “Are you smart enough for my best friend?”
“Not a fair game, Rafa,” Hal said, his voice dropping to a warning growl. “She only just met you. Maybe later...”
Ellie liked how Hal always tried to protect her, even from something as minor as being wrong in public. But she wasn’t one to turn down a challenge. Especially when it involved making a good impression on people who were important to Hal.
She met Rafa’s black eyes squarely. “No, I’ll guess now.”
Hal’s lips curved into the hint of a smile. She could see that he liked that she’d taken up the challenge and stood up to his buddy, whether or not she succeeded. “Watch out, Rafa. Ellie’s coming for you.”
She looked from Rafa to the photos. She already knew that Lucas was the dragon. Though she barely knew him, it felt right: the strangeness, the elegant power, the hoard of gold and diamonds. So what animal felt like Rafa?
The lazy sensuality, the physical power easily worn...
“You like going to bars and having women draped all over you, don’t you? There you are.” Ellie pointed to the photo of the lion, stretched out in the sun with his pride of lionesses.
Rafa winked at her. “Very good! Yes, I’m the king of beasts.”
Two team members, a black woman as curvy as Ellie and a tatted-up guy who looked like a gangster, immediately pounced on Rafa, shoving him and making scornful noises.
“King of one-night stands,” the curvy woman teased him.
The tatted guy gave him a hard but playful punch in the arm. “King of Vegas marriages!”
“No, come on,” Rafa protested. “That was just that one time.”
More scornful noises erupted, and Rafa and the tatted guy got into a scuffle. Ellie glanced at Hal, but he didn’t blink an eye. Obviously, some roughhousing was normal in this crowd.
The black woman stepped aside, leaving the guys to it. She wore a cherry red tank top that showed off her cleavage and white shorts that showed off her ass, and looked like she’d just come from the gym. Like Ellie, she was curvy but strong, with muscle beneath the softness. Ellie liked her immediately, reminded of herself and Catalina, women making their way in the tough job they loved.
“I’m Destiny. And you don’t have to play those macho games with me. I’m the tiger: fierce and gorgeous.” Without even looking, Destiny shot out her fist and gave Rafa another smack on the arm. “Give her a break, Rafa! She’s already squared off with the Godfather. She doesn’t have to prove a thing.”
The other woman, who had been standing back, added, “She’s not auditioning for team psychologist. Hal vouches for her. That’s enough for me.” She stepped forward and offered Ellie her hand. “I’m Fiona. Pleased to meet you.”
The two women on the team were a study in contrasts. Destiny was short and curvy, but Fiona was tall and slender. Destiny’s skin was darker than Rafa’s, her eyes a deep brown, and her hair tumbled to her shoulders in a mass of silky curls. Fiona’s platinum blonde hair was braided, then pinned tightly into a bun. Destiny was cheerful and exuberant, Fiona cool and reserved. And unlike Destiny’s ultra-casual attire, Fiona wore a business suit with flats that she could run in, and a loose jacket that Ellie guessed concealed an armored vest and a gun. Possible several guns.
“Thanks,” Ellie said to both women. “I appreciate it. That being said... Fiona has got to be the snow leopard. Right?”
Fiona looked mildly impressed. “I am.”
“Two for two,” remarked the tatted guy, breaking off his scuffle with Rafa. He stuck out his hand. “Nick.”
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. Nick gave her hand a hard squeeze, gripping to the point of pain. Ellie suppressed a wince and squeezed back, pretending she was juicing a lemon. She looked right into Nick’s eyes as she did so, thinking, If the Godfather couldn’t scare me off, you sure can’t.
Ellie wasn’t any
where near as strong as Nick, but he quickly let go. “Hey, no problem. Just checking.”
“What the hell did you just do?” Hal demanded. Then he caught Ellie shaking out her fingers. “Want me to crush his hand for you?” Staring straight at Nick, he added, “I could do it.”
She hastily stopped wringing her hand. Nick reminded her of Ethan when he’d been younger, all bad boy attitude and rebellion, backed up with real courage and grit. “No, we’re cool. Right, Nick?”
Nick gave her a real smile this time. “We’re cool.”
Hal let out a long-suffering sigh, then snapped his fingers. “Shane. Don’t be shy.”
“Hello.” The voice was a man’s, quiet but attention-catching.
Ellie nearly jumped a foot in the air. She hadn’t seen him before, nor could she figure out how he’d managed to get all the way across the room to lean against the wall beside her without her noticing.
Shane was almost as tall as Hal, but less burly. His muscle was lean, like a long-distance runner. His hair was cut short as a Marine’s, covering his head like a plush black pelt, and his eyes were blue as the sea in winter. Like Hal, he seemed habitually watchful; unlike Hal, he didn’t seem relaxed even in his own headquarters, surrounded by his teammates.
“Pleased to meet you.” Shane held out his hand.
He didn’t challenge her, glare at her, or try to crush her hand. His expression showed nothing but politeness. His hand was warm, his grip firm but no more than that.
There was absolutely nothing about him that should have scared her. And yet he did. A chill went down Ellie’s spine. She found herself taking a step back as soon as he let go of her hand. Then, again without meaning to, she edged toward Hal, instinctively seeking his protection.
“Goddammit!” Hal’s yell made her jump. He slammed his hands into the wall on either side of Shane. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Shane didn’t flinch or reply.
Confused, Ellie began, “He didn’t do anything...”
“Yes, he did!” Hal growled. “Shane, you fucking apologize to my girl.”
Her bewilderment was replaced with an irresistible wash of happiness. My girl. She’d already guessed it, with the whole “Meet the family” thing, but Hal had actually said it now. Impossible as it seemed, fast as it had happened, the bond between her and Hal was real. It wasn’t just her who felt possessive of him, who wanted him to be hers and hers alone. He felt the same way about her.
There was a long pause while Hal and Shane had a stare-down contest.
“Put your hands down,” Shane said at last. When Hal dropped his hands and stepped aside, Shane turned to Ellie. “I apologize.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything. I just...” She didn’t want to admit that she’d gotten scared by absolutely nothing. It made her feel like a crazy person.
Then the penny dropped. Obviously, Shane had been hazing her, just like Nick and Rafa had. Only instead of verbally or physically challenging her, he’d deliberately frightened by her by sheer... power of will, or something. Her confusion was replaced by anger, then curiosity.
“How do you do that?” Ellie asked.
“Natural talent,” Shane replied.
The team was all smiling at her or shooting irritated looks at Shane. It seemed like she’d passed their tests, even if Shane had managed to scare her. Maybe it was a “best falls out of three” thing.
As if Shane had read her mind, he said, “You passed my test too. Most people would have run.”
Ellie turned back to the last three animal photos. She knew she didn’t need to prove anything any more, but she wanted a more decisive win than “backed away instead of outright fleeing in terror.” And also, she wanted to know if she was right.
“Nick’s the wolf. He fights for dominance, but he respects a show of courage. Shane’s the panther, lying in wait.” Ellie felt her face crack into a smile as she concluded, “Hal’s the grizzly bear. Strong. Protective. And really fucking big.”
Shane nodded. “You got it.”
Nick, Fiona, and Lucas applauded.
Destiny burst out laughing. “Big in more ways than one, right?”
“Look at him blush!” Rafa said. “Like a sweet, virginal maiden.”
“You’re all fired,” said Hal, who was indeed blushing. But he was laughing too. He put his arm around her. “Sorry about this crazy crew of mine. If your brother decides to have his entire platoon of Marines run me through a gauntlet, I’ll deserve it.”
Ellie looked out at them. Not one of them seemed surprised that Hal was embracing his client. He’d obviously told them all in advance— hence the welcoming committee.
Just like me calling Catalina, she thought. He was so happy, he’d just had to share the news.
The ice broken, the team came up to casually chat with Ellie and Hal. Soon she was laughing and talking with them, completely at ease. It was like hanging out with a bunch of paramedics, or with Ethan’s Marine buddies. They all had the camaraderie that comes of working closely together in a dangerous, exciting job, when you have to depend on your teammates to help you save a life... or to save yours.
They ordered in a lavish lunch, and ate it in a big conference room with picture windows overlooking the city. Huge storm clouds hung overhead, black and ominous, but no rain fell. Ellie was glad to be indoors, with Hal and his team, rather than at work.
After lunch, she stepped aside, took out her new disposable phone, and texted Catalina, Hal took me to meet his family! (His team, actually. But same deal.)
Catalina texted back, No way! This soon?
Ellie wrote, Sometimes you just know.
Any of them hot and single?
Hot: YES. Single: Don’t know but there’s 4 guys, no wedding rings. So probably at least one.
4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are they like?
Ellie made sure no one was peeking over her shoulder as she wrote, 1 tatted bad boy (reminds me of Ethan.) 1 hot stud (and he knows it.) 1 foreign royalty (yes, seriously.) 1 quiet and scary (but in a hot way.)
Instantly, Catalina replied, Can I meet them? All of them.
I’ll ask.
Pls ask TACTFULLY. Don’t make me sound desperate!!!!!!
Smiling, Ellie wrote, Will do. Talk to you later.
When she returned to the table, the team said their good-byes and took off, leaving Hal and Ellie alone.
“I like your family,” she said.
Hal gave her a wry smile. “I’m not sure they all deserve it, but I’m glad. I’m sorry about the hazing. I had no idea they were going to do that.”
“I think being over-protective comes with the job.”
“I protect them,” Hal said, frowning. “They don’t need to protect me.”
“Well, they obviously care a lot about you.”
Hal, apparently uncomfortable with the entire subject, said, “Let’s go back to my place. If you make a list of whatever else you want to get from your apartment, I can have my team collect it and bring it over, and then we can set it up. I don’t want you to feel like you’re living in a hotel.”
“Sounds good.”
They left Protection, Inc., and got into Hal’s car. He took a completely different route back to his apartment than he’d taken to get there, frequently checking in his rear view mirror.
“Anybody following us?” Ellie asked, anxiety tingling up her nerves.
“No. I’ll let you know if anyone does.” He patted her hand. “Just so you know, this is an armored car, like the vans banks use to transport money. The windows are bullet-proof glass. And no one but my team knows where I live.”
“Oh. Good.” She relaxed. Hal would protect her. She was probably safer now, in his capable hands, than she’d been without a hit on her, just living a normal life alone in the city.
They arrived at his parking garage, and he pulled in. Hal scanned the garage before he got out of the car
The elevator door slid open, revealing three men holding guns.
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“Get down!” Hal shouted.
He threw himself in front of Ellie.
BANG!
Chapter Five
Hal
The impact took Hal full in the chest, knocking him backward. He yanked his gun from its holster and fired, even as a second bullet whistled past his ear. One of the hit men dropped where he stood.
Even with his armor, the impact hurt like hell. But Hal barely noticed through the red haze of adrenaline and rage.
Protect your mate! Hal’s bear roared.
Keeping his body between Ellie and the hit men, Hal fired rapidly. The second hit man’s shot went wild as he fell; Hal heard it strike concrete. An instant later, a searing pain tore through Hal’s side.
Ricochet, Hal thought. The bullet must have bounced up and gone under his vest.
But he had no time to worry about himself. So long as he protected his mate, nothing else mattered.
Hal and the last hit man fired simultaneously. Another brutal impact slammed into Hal’s chest. And the last hit man dropped, his gun falling from his hand.
Hal didn’t need to check to make sure the enemies were dead; while they’d taken the easier center-of-mass shots, he’d aimed at their unprotected heads.
In the blink of an eye it took him to spin around and look for Ellie, Hal died a thousand deaths. If he’d been too slow— If he’d failed— if his mate was dead—
Ellie was alive and breathing, frightened but unhurt.
“Hal!” Ellie gasped. “Were you hit?”
He didn’t have time for that. “Hold on.”
Hal scanned the parking lot again. Nothing. It was clear.
“Get back in the car!” Hal grabbed her arm and ran with her, keeping his body between her and the gate.
He pushed her into the passenger seat, slammed the door, and dove into the driver’s seat. Then he hit the code to open the gate, and floored it out of there.
Hal gritted his teeth, one hand clenched tight on the steering wheel and one pressed to his side. The gunshot wound burned like he’d been stabbed with a red-hot poker. Hot blood was soaking through his shirt and pants and even his heavy overcoat. Luckily the wound was in his left side. From the passenger seat, Ellie might notice that he was holding his hand to his side, but she wouldn’t be able to see the wet spot.
