I know it’s a low blow, but I’m not in the mood to be reminded of how lonely I am and how I don’t have much of a plan for when I retire. After years of fighting it, I might be ready to admit that being in a relationship doesn’t sound… Terrible.Not that I would ever tell my mom or aunt any of my thoughts on that subject.
“Son,” my mother starts. “I loved your father with all my heart. And even though he passed away before he got to know you, I wouldn’t trade the love we all experienced for anything. I feel lucky to have even had that short time with him.”
“I know,” I say, my voice tinged with guilt. I rub my temples, feeling like an asshole. “I’m sorry–”
“AndIhave had many loves,” Aunt Carol interjects. Her outburst lightens the mood and even elicits a chuckle from me. “From Argentina to Egypt, Ireland to Japan, and just about everywhere in between, I’ve found different and unique partners whose hearts I will always carry in mine. But you,” my aunt continues, lowering her voice to a more serious tone, “you are different. You’re going to find your one and only, and that will be it for you. You’ll be a total goner. In fact, I get the strong sense it will be love at first sight.”
“Okay, Aunt Carol,” I say to placate her. “Whatever you say. I’ll let you know as soon as I find her.”
“Listen, Jackson–oh,shit!” my mother exclaims. “We’ll have to call you back. Carol forgot to set a timer for the banana bread, and now I’m afraid it’s beyond saving.”
“Youwere the one who was supposed to set the timer,” my aunt says defensively. “I did literally everything else.”
“Yeah, except for buying all the ingredients and washing the dishes afterwards.”
The two bicker back and forth, and then hang up the phone without saying goodbye. I smirk to myself and shake my head, knowing they’ll call back when the situation is under control. Some days, I don’t know how I survived growing up with these women, but I know I’d be lost without them.
As I turn down the corner of Sixth Avenue, a sound catches my attention. At first, I’m not sure what to make ofit. Continuing forward cautiously, I hear it again. This time it’s much clearer.
“Help!” The fear in the woman’s voice makes it hard to breathe. “Someone, please –” she yelps in pain before she can finish her sentence.
My heart freezes in my chest, and then pounds rapidly against my rib cage, skyrocketing my blood pressure. I take a deep, calming breath and let my training take over. I need to stay focused and in the moment while I assess the threat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a few jerky movements, and then a flash of reddish blonde hair wrapped around a fist. The scene is mostly hidden in a back alleyway, but I inch my way forward, trying to stay inconspicuous. When I hear a muffled scream and a loud thud, I can’t wait any longer.
I jump into action, taking note of two men towering over a young woman. I blink a few times as I take in her delicate features, porcelain skin, and trembling hands. But I can’t worry about her appearance or why I’m inexplicably drawn to her. Not while these two fuckers are trying to harm her.
I grab the collar of the man who is pulling on the young woman’s hair, yanking him backwards and punching him in the nose. He curses as he falls to the ground, his hands trying, unsuccessfully, to stem the flow of blood.
The young woman with light red hair chokes out a sob and covers her face with her hands. I instinctively step in front of her, getting in between her and her attackers.
The second man reaches into his coat, presumably for a gun, but I get to him quicker. I wrap my fingers around his throat and slam him against the brick wall before tugging him forward and smashing his head against the wall again. He, too, collapses on the ground with very little effort on my part. The gun slips from his hand, and I kick it out of reach. These two must be amateurs,but that doesn’t answer any questions about who they work for or what they want.
“I’m calling the police,” I inform the two degenerates as I pull out my phone. Before I even get a chance to dial, the cowards scramble away with surprising speed, considering their injuries, and jump into an unmarked black van at the other end of the alley.
I try searching for their license plate or any identifying markers, but it’s gone before I glean anything useful. They must have swiped the gun in their flurry of movements to escape me. Dammit. Now the cops can’t run the serial number or dust for prints.
Once the van is out of sight, I spin around and face the woman crouching on the ground. I kneel in front of her and hold out my hand. She flinches, which makes sense considering what she’s been through, but it still hurts all the same. I hold my hands up to show that I’m not a threat.
The beautiful woman has tears streaming down her face, cutting through the dirt and grime. Her shirt is ripped and hanging off one shoulder, and scrapes litter her otherwise creamy skin. And then I see her eyes. Green. Greener than green. They’re an intoxicating mix of emerald, pine, and fresh-cut grass in the spring. I’d say or do anything to get this woman to trust me.
“I’m not going to harm you. All I want is your safety,” I tell her truthfully.
Something close to recognition flashes across her mesmerizing green eyes. The woman tilts her head to the side, somehow looking adorable even through the dirt and tear stains on her cheeks.
“Are you my new bodyguard?”
I know I shouldn’t lie, but I’ll be damned if anyone else is going to protect what now belongs to me. Possessiveness sweepsthrough me, stealing the breath from my lungs. If this is what it takes to be close to her and to protect this precious woman, then I’ll face the consequences later. After I’ve convinced her to stay with me forever, of course.
Am I already considering forever with this woman I’ve yet to officially meet? Did my aunt cast a love spell on me after she hung up the phone?
A rush of unfamiliar and unrecognizable feelings floods through me, making it hard to breathe, let alone think clearly. Maybe that’s why I blurt out, “Yes, I’m your bodyguard.”
3
SAGE
Black dots swim across my vision as I struggle to catch my breath.What the hell just happened? Who are those guys? What has my dad gotten us into?
