Page 1 of Tice’s Kind of Trouble (Obsessive Protectors #2)

ONE

Tice

The instant I walk into my buddy’s kitchen, I know something’s wrong.

“What’s up, B?” Kane asks, freezing mid-step, his whole body locking up.

B for Bethany. His little sister.

I’m locked on. If something’s wrong with Bethany, it involves me.

Much to my horror, her voice carries from the phone in Kane’s hand—strained and trembling.

“Someone broke into my house.”

Kane grabs the center of the island like he might flip it, his voice exploding. “ brOKE into your house?”

He’s already red at the collar, veins bulging, no detachment. No calm.

I swipe the phone from his hand and tap speaker. “Hey, you don’t know me, but I’m a former SEAL like your brother. He’s a little occupied right now—looking like his blood vessels might pop—so why don’t you tell me if you’re safe and exactly what happened?”

There’s only a tiny pause before she answers. “I’m safe. I’m in a coffee shop right now,” she sniffs. “But I’m a mess. When I woke up this morning, someone had been in my house.”

My mouth opens on a growl I don’t mean to let loose.

Breathe. Do not break the phone. Get it together.

“You were asleep when they got in?”

“Yeah. And now… I’m not sure what they took. Or if I can even stay there alone.”

I’m already moving. Back through the door I just came in.

“Give me the address where you are, baby girl. I’m on my way. I’ll protect you.”

I know the place.

“Ten minutes,” I rasp, throwing the truck into gear. “Stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, voice breaking. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Jesus. I don’t want her alone.

“If I could grow wings, I would. But it won’t be long—I’ll be there…” I growl, “to take care of everything.”

“Is my brother coming too?”

Kane was all but forgotten—even though I’m on his phone with his sister.

“Yes. He and his girl are behind me in another vehicle.”

The sounds from the coffee shop—clinking cups, the hiss of the espresso machine, soft instrumental music—filter through the line as I listen to her breathe, shaky and shallow.

My heart creeps up into my throat, tight and choking. It takes effort to breathe.

Pushing the truck past the speed limit, I take curves like I’m welded to the road. Thank God for the upgraded suspension I installed like I knew this was coming.

Finally, her voice drifts through the speaker, soft enough to gut me. “What’s your name?”

I have a name?

Right now, I’m nothing but a beast that needs to be twelve miles down the road.

I clear my throat—it’s as dry as fired clay, scorched from breathing fire.

“Tice Wolfe. Your brother and I were on the Teams at the same time but didn’t work together until recently.”

“Oh,” she murmurs. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess. He might’ve told me, but I’m not really thinking straight after what happened. It’s really scary to have someone break into your house while you’re sleeping.”

The minute she said that, I was all in. Man on a mission. Get this woman safe.

“That’s understandable,” I say, trying to sound calm when I’m anything but. “Tell me what happened—if it’s not too upsetting to talk about right now.”

“I think I can talk about it.” She pauses, and I hear the rough sound of her swallowing. “The back door was open when I got up around seven. The lock was smashed. There were large footprints all over the house. Even…”

A ragged sound catches in her throat, and I can feel the tears.

Goddamn tears in her moss-green eyes.

The road blurs as my mind flashes to the photos I’ve seen of Bethany in Kane’s background file. She’s stunning—but more than that, she looks sweet .

Girl-next-door sweet. Hugging a puppy in my favorite photo.

Thinking about those eyes full of tears guts me.

Nix the emotional part. I need to get there first.

“Hey, let’s talk about this when I’m with you, okay?”

Holding her.

“That would be better. It’s making me shake to talk about it.”

Fucking hell. Way to go, Tice.

She’s hiding out in a coffee shop after a break-in, and here I am grilling her for information like some cold, heartless detective.

“Sweetheart, you’re going to be okay.”

A vow I intend to keep.

Before she can speak again, I ask the question burning holes in my chest. “Are you keeping an eye on your surroundings?”

The worry is eating me alive. Acid gnawing through every nerve.

There’s a beat of silence.

“Gosh. I didn’t even think of that.”

“I want you to move to a table where you can see everyone. You spot anything out of place, you start yelling. Make a fucking spectacle. Understand?”

A rustle. A chair scraping. I hold my breath, listening for confirmation.

“Okay. I’m at a table in the back. Against the wall. There’s no exit near me, so no one can come up behind me. Kane taught me this stuff before, but I forgot. I just… I left as soon as I got dressed.”

The image of Bethany scared, scrambling out of her house, makes me see red.

“You did the right thing. Stay put. I’m turning on Cliff Street now.”

She sounds surprised. “You’re close already.”

After running a few people off the road, yeah—I’m close. But not close enough. Not until I have her within arm’s reach.

“Right around the corner now, baby girl.”

She inhales sharply, then goes quiet.

“What’s wrong?” I bark—too loud. Damn it. “Sorry. I raised my voice.”

Death-gripping the steering wheel, I breathe. In. Out.

She sounds breathless. “It’s just that… you sound so protective.”

Damn right I sound protective. Even though I’ve never met her, she’s Kane’s sister. She’s a woman. That’s all it takes.

Protect. Defend. Honor.

She’s just some random woman. Right.

A devil taps my shoulder: You’ve been hooked since the photo, and you know it. You’re a creep.

Fine. I’ll own it. I’m not right when it comes to Bethany.

“That’s because I am protective.” My voice is gravel. “Born this way. It’s in my marrow.”

“I... I like that a lot, Tice. My brother’s like?—”

She cuts off. A new voice replaces the café background.

“I noticed you sitting by yourself. Can I buy you a tea or something?”

“ Fuck no! ” I bellow into the phone as I plow over a planter of something red, jump the curb, and slam my truck to a stop in front of the Mellow Mug.

Which is about to be the opposite of mellow once I walk through that door.