“Don’t insult us, Sparkplug.”I clasp her nape, capturing her gaze.“Accept our protection.”
“I don’t understand.You’re… What?Offering a security team pro bono?Without payment of any kind?”
“Exactly.”
She sits with that for a moment, absorbing the repercussions with a pinched expression.“Will they be discreet?”
“You’ll hardly notice them.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”I arch a brow.“No fight?”
“I would be an idiot to turn down your help.”
“Good girl.”I kiss her lips and release her.
When I glance at my father and brothers, their predatory eyes watch with curiosity.
I can’t control life.I may never control my demons.But keeping Dove safe?That’s one fate I’ll bend until it screams.
The salt-tinged morning air stabs through my hair as I lean against the weathered rail of Sitka Harbor.Fog lifts from the water like a ghost fleeing the sun, revealing sleek yachts and rugged fishing boats.
My eyes lock on a specific vessel as it slices through the waves and docks effortlessly, its polished exterior a gleaming insult against my shit life.
Dove emerges alone.
Sunlight spills over her blue hair as she steps onto the dock, confident and unafraid, heading straight toward me.
She doesn’t see me, the wheelhouse of a longliner blocking her view.But I see her, her defiant gait a challenge to my patience as she saunters past.
No sign of Wolfson Strakh.She probably slipped away before he realized he’d been ditched.
I push off from the rail, rest the thumb of my broken wrist in my pocket, and keep a careful distance.
The docks buzz with early morning life, fishermen hauling nets, tourists snapping photos, and children darting between legs.Perfect cover.
Dove moves swiftly, unaware of my gaze drilling into her back.
My heart pounds, my blood a silent squall beneath the surface.I don’t know what I’ll do when I get my hands on her.The idea of locking her away and caging her like a feral pet is appealing.Somewhere remote.Somewhere no one can find her.
Movement shifts at the edge of my vision.
Two men trail her, blending expertly, keeping a discreet yet constant distance.
I narrow my eyes.
Not ordinary men.Professionals.Disciplined, alert professionals.
My chest constricts.
Are they here for me?Impossible.No one knows I’m in Alaska.
Realization hits.They’re not stalking Dove.They’reprotectingher.Strakh family guards, no doubt.
A dark surge of rage twists through my gut.
Dove is mine.No one has the right to keep her from me.
