Page 45

Chapter 44

I watch, stunned, as my girl jumps into the arms of a man I don’t recognize.

What in the actual fuck?

The man in the gray hoodie has short blonde hair and deep, dark eyes that exude warmth. His smile is genuine, effortlessly charming, and directed at my girl, who’s currently in his arms. Standing beside him is another man with olive skin, his gaze piercing and observant. He’s dressed in a green sweater and slacks, his posture is relaxed but cautious.

“Tess,” I growl, my voice like thunder.

A murderous rage fills me as I do everything I can to restrain myself from putting a bullet in this asshole’s head for touching what is mine.

“Eli,” she says, mocking me, before she lets go of Blondie. “Settle down, cowboy. This is Bryce.” She turns to the other man with a warm smile. “And this is his partner, Gabriel.”

I relax just enough to shove the Glock into the back pocket of my jeans. I’m still not happy with this situation, but there’s no immediate threat. Not from them, anyway. I’m still contemplating chopping off pretty boy’s hands and shoving them up his ass.

Tess is practically bubbling over with excitement. “What are you two doing here?”

“You didn’t really think I was going to let you do this alone, did you, love?” The inflection in Bryce’s tone tells me he’s got a mix of British and American in him. “I’m not about to let you storm the castle without backup.”

“But—” she starts, but he interrupts her.

“Shh, Gabe knows. I trust him more than anyone else in the world. You can too.”

Bryce steps around Tess and extends his hand to shake mine.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the man who tamed my dear Swallow.”

Swallow? What the fuck kind of nickname is that? I grind my teeth, returning the handshake with more force than necessary.

Tess smirks at him. “Can you not poke the bear, Bryce?” She playfully punches him in the arm before grabbing my hand. “I don’t think I can let this one get away.” She looks up at me, adoration in her eyes. I feel my body relax a little as I wrap my arm around her possessively.

“Sorry, sorry.” Bryce raises his hands in surrender. “That’s a story for another day.”

“We just wanted to let you know we were here,” he continues. “We booked a room at that cute little lakeside B&B.”

The name of the bed and breakfast is, ironically, Lakeside B&B.

“Absolutely not!” Tess exclaims. “You’re staying here. With us,” she says matter-of-factly. “Right, Eli?” She looks up at me, as if I have a say in the matter, and while I appreciate the sentiment, we both know I’ll ultimately do what she wants.

“Of course. Can I help you with your bags?” I offer begrudgingly. She squeals and claps her hands together in excitement. Just because she gets what she wants doesn’t mean she doesn’t owe me for this. She heads upstairs to prepare the bedding in the guest room while I step outside with the guys to grab their belongings. And once Tess is out of earshot, Bryce turns around to face me.

“She cares deeply for you. Do not hurt her.”

He's serious, and my initial misgivings about him fade. The guy’s got some balls to say that to me, especially when I tower over him by at least four inches and thirty pounds. He knows everything about me, and he knows I’m not someone to fuck with.

“Never. I’d rather die than hurt a hair on her head.”

Bryce nods, offering me a genuine smile. “We’re going to get along just fine.”

After their things are settled upstairs, we all head to the kitchen. Tess pulls a bottle of wine from the fridge and four glasses from the cabinet. I’ve never seen two men with so much luggage. And that shit was heavy, too.

Gabriel is the polar opposite of Bryce. Where Bryce is outgoing and cracking jokes, his partner has a quiet seriousness about him. Yin to yang. But I don’t miss the tender looks they exchange.

Tess and Gabe are deep in discussion about a book they’ve both read. My Tessa is a sight to see when she gets excited about something. And she loves books as much as she loves killing shitty human beings. Her blonde locks shine as she gestures animatedly, and with Gabe’s olive skin and shockingly blue eyes, they make quite the pair.

Bryce nods toward Gabe. “He’s mine,” he jokes, ripping a surprised chuckle from me.

“And she’s mine,” I reply, my gaze locking with Tess’s. A smile lights up her face. “Forever and always. Why the hell does my girl have the nickname Swallow ?” I growl, turning back to face Bryce. “Tread carefully, bro.”

Bryce laughs. “It isn’t anything like what you’re probably thinking. I met Tessa in my freshman year of college. I’m not sure I’d still be alive if not for her.” He pauses. “My childhood wasn’t exactly easy in a small town, not everyone understood or accepted my lifestyle choices. My parents were supportive, thank God, but kids can be assholes. Bullies tormented me throughout most of high school. When I left for college, it felt like a fresh start.”

He looks thoughtful as he pauses momentarily. “Seems some of those assholes leave small towns, too.” His eyes darken with a hint of sadness.

My brows furrow. “What happened?”

“Things were going well. I had a roommate who wasn’t afraid I’d ‘turn him gay’.” He snorts. “One day, I’m walking out of the library, and I see some guy berating a lesbian couple. He’s spewing hate, calling them all kinds of names. The girls were crying. And then—bam—this fiery blonde bombshell appears out of nowhere. Within seconds, she’s got him writhing on the ground, holding his groin.”

“That sounds like my girl,” I say with a wry grin .

He sighs dramatically. “Honestly, it’s the only time a female has ever turned me on.”

I shoot him a scathing look, and his eyes widen. “Hey, hey, I’m just being real with you. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out, but I’ve never seen her as more than a close friend.”

“Smart answer,” I mutter, giving him a quick nod before motioning him to continue.

“A few days later, I see her again at the gym. She’s beating the hell out of a punching bag,” he says proudly. “I could tell she was going through something, although it would take me months to get it out of her. After my treadmill session, I saw her entering a martial arts class, and I joined too. She was standoffish at first, but I charmed my way into her life with my devastatingly handsome looks and irresistible personality.” He grins. “After that, we were inseparable.”

“You still haven’t told me why you call her Swallow .” I can’t help but ask again.

“Swallow... like the bird. Swallows represent spring, new beginnings, and loyalty. Tess embodies everything that the symbol of a swallow stands for.” I absorb what he’s telling me. And I have to agree, Tess has been my new beginning, my fresh start, helping me navigate through the pain of my past and giving me hope for the future—our future, together. She can keep the nickname.

“That sounds like my Tess,” I murmur as she heads our way with a sly smile. “More wine?” she asks, her voice light and teasing.

We all gather, glasses in hand, and start preparing for the task ahead. All the light-hearted banter fades as we get serious. Bryce pulls out his computer and starts laying out details. It turns out Gabriel works for a private security company that’s handling security for Governor Hunt’s fundraising event.

My anticipation grows as I listen closely to the unfolding plan. She doesn’t know it yet, but I will be deeply involved in this hunt. Pun intended. This motherfucker is going down.