Page 7 of Let Me Protect You

He sighs. “Harmony.”

My pulse jumps, and a pang hits inside my chest. Four years of “getting over her” down the drain with only the utterance of her name. “Harmony? I thought she was marrying a billionaire.” I have more venom in my voice than I intend, but I can’t help myself when it comes to her. I took a page out of Harry Potter and dubbed her “She Who Must Not Be Named.”

But now Sully’s concerned voice makes more sense. When he lived in Granite Falls, Harmony and I worked for him at his baby, the cafe, Cutesy’s. He always saw us as his children since he never had any, and neither of us has a father. After he moved to New York, he sold everything except for his bodyguard company.

“Listen, Son, she called me in a panic. She’s been receiving threatening messages and is scared. Don’t make this harder for her than it already is.”

Harmony has been receiving threatening messages? Fuck.

“And she’s okay if I’m who is sent in your stead?”

More silence falls on the line. My head pulses, and I rub my forehead in a circular motion. His quietness can’t be a good sign.

“Well, she doesn’t know yet. You’re more of a precaution in case she decides not to go through with the marriage. If she stays in the city, I’ll send a local guy, but I don’t have anyone who can go to Granite Falls.”

I wipe my suddenly sweaty palms on my work pants. No matter what happened between us in the past, I won’t let her get hurt. “Fuck, okay. I’ll do it. Just send me the details and the contract.”

***

I usher Serenity and Summer outside toward the idling car that one of Sully’s New York bodyguards dropped off. Yanking out my set of keys, I unlock the doors. I open the back door to the SUV and motion for Serenity to put Summer in the car seat I had prepared, and she complies. Sucking in a breath of freezing winter air, I almost choke as my lungs freeze, but there’s no time to stop now.

I turn back to Harmony. The sun glints off the tiny crystals in her hairpins, and I resist the urge to avert my gaze. If only she’d gone through with the wedding and stayed in the city, another guard would’ve been assigned to her. But no, that job fell to lucky ole me. A million different questions pop into my mind like pop-ups on a web browser.

Why did you leave early? Why didn’t you say goodbye? Did you never love me?

But I don’t voice those thoughts. We need to wait until later to chat—anything can happen out here in the open.

Her full lips pout as she listens intently to something her groom says.

They look like a perfect match in their wedding attire. Another shard of my heart cracks off as I drag my eyes down her over-the-top wedding gown. It’s almost like someone threw up glitter on it before bejeweling it.

But I can’t deny she’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.

Victor pulls her in for a hug, and I clench my jaw. He carefully avoids the poof of her dress, and his bright blue eyes meet mine. Something whirs within his gaze, and the hair on the back of my neck rises. I can’t quite place what it is, but I refuse to look away first.

So, this is Harmony’s type now? I didn’t expect—or want—to get back together once I saw her again, but seeing her with another man, at least in person, rather than on TV, it’s something I’ll never be able to unsee.

I turn to make sure the other two are ready. Serenity finishes the last clasp and climbs over her daughter to get in. Facing the couple again, Victor pulls away and flashes Harmony one more smile before he backs inside and closes the door. It clicks shut, and she stares at it for a few seconds before she turns around.

Our gazes meet again. Neither of us moves, even when Serenity says something I don’t comprehend. My chest rises and falls rapidly. I drag in an inhale, but my lungs never receive the oxygen. So, why does it feel like an anvil is sitting on my chest?

Days. I had days to prepare, and I still can’t speak. Even after our getaway, I’m speechless. “Get in. It’s not safe out here,” I finally ground out.

“Shhhh.” Harmony pulls me about ten feet away from the car. “I haven’t told Serenity about the danger yet.”

I draw my eyebrows together. “She doesn’t know? You need to tell her now, otherwise you’re putting both of them in danger.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Harmony growls back. She hitches a thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the closed door, and my heart swoops at her fire. “I was going to tell her, but with all this, I haven’t had the chance.”

“She needs to know by tonight. If she doesn’t, I’ll come over and explain the situation for you.”

I’m already giving her one allowance I wouldn’t give someone else. I should’ve turned Sully down. But if I had, then Harmony would’ve had zero protection in Granite Falls. Easy prey for the picking.

She crosses her arms and juts out her hip. “I can’t do this with you. I’m calling Sully. He has to have someone else that can be my bodyguard.”

“If you stay here, then yes. But if you’re going back to New Hampshire, I’m the only one. Do you think he would’ve sent me if he had someone else?” I let out a humorless laugh. “Listen, I’m trying to be nice, because I know this is hard for you, but you’re making me regret my decision. Now, I can be civil, and you can listen, or I’ll throw you in this cab against your will. You choose. Either way, I’m here for one thing, and that’s to do my job.”

She presses her lips together. I know she hates being bossed around and that I’m pushing her, but this isn’t a situation where we can stand out in the open and fight. If she wants to argue with me, she can do it later. Maybe she’ll also tell me the reason she ghosted me before she left for university.