My jaw tightens. “There won’t be. She’s my wife. I’d kill them all before I let them touch her.”
“Spoken like a true McGuiness,” he mutters. “I swear to Christ, these women make us daft.” Then he hangs up.
I fall back onto my sofa. My hands are shaking. Adrenaline. I fire off a text to Ryan and lean my head back against the couch. I give myself one moment to breathe. Then I’m up and moving, grabbing my coat, keys, and a protein bar I’ll forget to eat. I could stay home and wait. I could call Taryn and ask where she is. But neither of those options sits right with me. I want to see her.
I end up parking on the edge of campus, near the old science building. Finding her isn’t luck. I may have glanced at her calendar once or twice. Or ten times. I know what class she has next, and I know that she likes this courtyard, especially when the sun’s out and the weather is warm enough. She’ll sit on the stone bench she claims warms her ass like a seat heater.
Sure enough, there she is.
She’s sitting with one leg pulled up, balancing her tablet on her knee, ear buds in, pencil tapping lightly against the corner of her mouth. She’s not dressed for anyone but herself—ripped jeans, a sweatshirt I’m pretty sure came out of my drawer. I didn’t even see her grab it this morning. Her hair is pulled up, messy but perfect. Every now and then, she mutters something and jots a note.
Jesus, she’s beautiful. Not in the lipstick-and-lace way that most girls at St. A’s try to be. Taryn’s beauty isn’t curated in the way these girls aim for. No, she’s chaos wrapped in confidence. Even reading, she looks like my destruction. And I’ve never wanted anything more. I barely notice that her friend sits at her side, lost in her own textbook. My wife is the only thing I see.
It’s wild how fast everything’s changed. Just weeks ago, my biggest decisions involved whiskey or beer and whether to make the first move or wait until a girl came to me. And now? Now I’m married to the most stubborn woman on this campus, leading a takedown of the Greek mob, and about to introduce my autistic little brother to my terrifying father as our best strategic weapon.
And the crazy part? I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing.
Because Taryn’s not just walking beside me. Yeah, I’ll admit it—she’s dragging me forward. She’s like an electric current under my skin that keeps me from getting too comfortable. She challenges me. She checks me. She makes me want to be the kind of man who could deserve her. Who could challenge her. And, yeah, occasionally, she makes me a little unhinged.
I take a step closer, not ready to interrupt her—just wanting to be near her when a voice behind me breaks the moment.
“You keep watching her like that, people are going to think you’re her stalker instead of her husband.”
I turn slowly, already recognizing the low voice before I see the face. Theo Nicopolis is leaning against a lamppost like it’s a fashion shoot, hands tucked into his coat pockets, an easy smile on his lips. Too easy.
“You following me now?” I ask flatly.
“Nope,” he says, pushing off the post. “Just happened to be walking by. Serendipity, huh?”
I don’t buy it. He’s too slick, too composed. Theo doesn’t bump into people. He positions himself.
“What do you want?”
He tilts his head, watching Taryn for a moment. “She’s turned out to be quite the wife.”
My jaw tightens. “What’s your point?”
“Just that pretty girls make tempting targets. Especially when they’re bold. Especially when they’re too smart. That kind of brightness draws attention.”
“You trying to tell me something?”
Theo’s gaze flicks back to mine. Any trace of charm is gone. “No. I wouldn’t do that.Couldn’tdo that. Why would I tell you to keep your eyes on her, Liam? We don’t alert each other to threats.”
He pats my shoulder once—friendly, almost—and then strolls off down the cobblestone path like we just shared a weather update.
I look back to Taryn. She hasn’t noticed me. Hasn’t noticed him. She’s still focused, still scribbling, still making the world bend to her will in small, quiet ways.
But my stomach roils. Because Theo didn’t offer a threat. He offered a warning. And I don’t think it was for show.
TARYN
I check my phone and curse the time. I’ve got to head to poli-sci in about fifteen minutes, and I really wanted to finish outlining this chapter first. I sigh and look over at Gráinne, who gives me a soft smile before turning a page in her biology book.
She’s been with me all day, which, while nice, is odd.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
She glances up. “With what?”
