Page 9 of Gargoyle Defender

Tanner ducked his head and quickened his pace, aiming for the entrance. Just another random person, he told himself. No reason to get all paranoid. A tremor of fear coursed through him as he passed through the front door. Pictures of foreign government agents following him—abducting and torturing him for info—flashed through his mind. His stomach roiled as he took his place in line, the uneasy truth of his situation becoming clear.

Money. Greed had driven him to hastily accept the position without properly thinking it through. Some sort of false sense of security had made him push many considerations aside. He’d be working for the government, they’d protect him. He was part of the dream team. Nothing to fear.

But there were so very many things to fear.

Tanner licked his lips as he peeked over his shoulder. The coffee shop was dimly lit for the nighttime crowd, but still bright enough that it would be easy to miss that man in the shadows outside. Still, he couldn’t see him anymore, so maybe he was overreacting.

He jiggled his leg, chewing on the tip of his thumbnail. Either that, or the dude was hiding in the bushes, ready to jump him on the way to the bus stop. And if that guy grabbed him? Yeah, Sir Hunkalot would easily overpower him in an instant.

“Hey, are you going to order or what?”

“Huh?” Tanner whipped his head around to meet the annoyed expression of the cashier. “Sorry.” After clearing his throat, he continued, “Um, I’ll have a large mocha latte.” He needed to stay on high alert.

After paying and getting his drink, he paused before leaving the coffee shop. He considered his options. Despite how on edge he was, he couldn’t be late for work. What he could do, though, was hover by the front door. That way, he’d be able to see the bus approaching and could run to the stop at the last minute.

Almost immediately, the bus appeared at the intersection a couple of blocks up. Tanner waited for the light to turn green, then pushed his way outside, picking up a light jog so he’d be at the curb right as the bus arrived.

He’d almost reached the street when the breath was knocked from him as someone gave him a hearty push from behind. His coffee went flying, and so did he. To his horror, he landed face down on the pavement, the screeching tires of the bus like an alarm heralding his imminent doom.

Right as he screwed his eyes shut so he wouldn’t see death coming, large strong arms wrapped around his frame, and he was yanked off the ground with inhuman speed. The world blurred as he was pulled against a solid chest, his feet no longer touching the ground as he was lifted high into the air. At least it seemed that way.

“I've got you,” a deep voice rumbled against his ear.

Tanner couldn’t speak, couldn’t process what just happened. One second, he was about to become roadkill, and the next, he was safely on the sidewalk, held in the arms of the man he’d spotted outside the coffee shop.

The bus slowed, the driver calling out through the door, “Hey! Are you okay? Scared the shit outta me.”

All Tanner could do was nod, his body shaking so hard he couldn’t form words. After checking again to make sure he didn’t need help, the driver continued on his route. Strangely enough, his rescuer hadn’t said a word, his grip tightening somewhat the moment the driver started speaking to him. Also weird was how he was simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the guy.

“I-I need to sit down,” Tanner croaked out.

“Would you like to go back inside?”

Tanner looked up and met the eyes of his rescuer. “Yeah.” Job. “Wait, no. I have to get to work.” His headache came rushing back hardcore. Tanner rubbed his forehead. “Thanks so much for that, though.” He chuckled. “You have some serious skills. But I really do need to get to work.” Tanner sighed. “However, that was my bus.”

“Let me call you an Uber,” the man offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Tanner chuckled again. “I think saving my life was enough for one day.” Something about this guy was making him crazy. The inner battle between blowing off his responsibilities and hanging with him instead was at war with the other part that was giving stranger-danger vibes. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

The corner of the man’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. Damn. Now those are the kind of lips I’d love to have roaming over my naked body. A sharp stabbing pain hit him right between the eyes, and he winced.

“Ronen.” He clasped Tanner’s shoulder. Sadly, Ronen yanked his hand away. “What’s wrong? Did you hit your head when you fell?”

“I didn’t fall. Someone pushed me.”

Ronen gasped. “I wondered…”

Tanner snapped up his head. “Did you see what they looked like? Maybe I should call the police.”

He really didn’t have time for this. While he was pretty reliable overall, something about being late for this particular job terrified him.

Ronen eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. “I was on the other side of the road. All I saw was you flying through the air, the bus bearing down and…” Ronen shuddered. “I wish I could be of more help.”

“You know what? I’m good.” Tanner shrugged. “A few scrapes and having the crap scared out of me later, and I’m fine. I seriously have to get to work.”

Ronen gave a quick nod. “Understood. If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can wait here until the Uber arrives.”

Tanner swallowed hard. Just because his attacker had left didn’t mean they wouldn’t come back when they spotted him standing around, all alone by the curb.