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Chapter Thirteen

I never thought I liked the mysterious type ‘til him. Guess once a guy saves you maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt. -Flora

I don’t know how I feel about the fact that this guy has been my literal shadow for so long. I sneak a glance back at him again. Now that I’m near him, I can’t believe I didn’t realize he was following me the whole time. My body’s attraction to him is obvious and electric, something that I’ve never felt before.

That much is obvious when like a dope, I trip over a crack in the sidewalk. He grabs my arm to steady me and a shock of electricity spreads throughout my body.

“Careful there,” he says in a husky voice.

I immediately pull my arm away. “So, this is what you do for a living then? Just follow people around, watching them in case there’s a threat? What if nothing ever happens?”

I grunt. “That’s usually not the case. The people we protect are being hunted by some pretty serious people.”

A shiver runs through me, and this time it’s not because of his nearness.

I shrug. “I’m supposed to take all this at face value? Just because you say you’re part of some kind of protection service?” I ask cynically. “What if you really are just a maniac wanting to kill me?”

He snorts. “I could have done that a thousand times during the last couple of months.” He sighs. “I guess you could call your uncle. He’ll be pissed I blew my cover, but I guess that’s what you’ll have to do.”

I recoil at the thought. Fuck, that does make sense. I only talk to my uncle when absolutely necessary. And it hasn’t been necessary in over a year since I inherited my mom’s trust at twenty-one.

“Fuckin’ hell, you’re really going to make me talk to the last person I want to.”

He sends me a confused look. “Is it that bad between the two of y’all?”

I roll my eyes. “You have no idea. It would take forever to go over our differences.” And I’m not doing that with a virtual stranger. Except this guy, Levi, doesn’t seem like a stranger. He feels like someone I know already. I can’t help but wonder what he’s seen over the time he’s watched me. My blood heats. Why does the thought that he’s been watching me excite me so much?

I stumble to a stop as he takes my shoulders in his hands and turns me to him. “Well, I can promise you this. I’ll protect you no matter what it takes. Even it means jumping in front of a bullet for you. Even if it means dying for you. You are my first priority.”

The seriousness in his eyes shakes me to my core. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by people ready to run from me at a moment’s notice. The fact that anyone would stay, that anyone would hell, take a bullet for me, gives me pause.

I chew on my lower lip and try to think of something to lighten the moment. “If you’re in a MC, where the heck is your motorcycle? And when do I get to ride on it?”

He throws back his head and laughs heartily. “Flora, you are so damn unpredictable.”