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He held her back with the arm she was holding and kept his body between them, his gaze locked with Eli’s as he said over his shoulder, “I make that call, not you.”
She huffed out a breath behind him, but relaxed her grip without further protest.
Instead of the expected resentment or even anger, a glint of humor lit Eli’s light brown eyes as he asked, “New bodyguard, Bells?”
“Yeah. Eli, meet Dev.”
After a thorough once over, the guy stuck out his hand with a grin. “I approve. Blake didn’t know how to do his damn job.”
“You’re not helping, Eli,” Shelby complained.
“No,” Dev corrected as he shook his hand. “You were right. Eli’s good.”
They shared a quick nod of mutual respect before he stepped aside and let the guy give her that hug. While they exchanged small talk, Dev took note of all visible entry points.
A few minutes later, they left Eli and headed for the back. As they passed an indoor agility course, Shelby called out a hello to Amy, a brunette in a wheelchair holding the leash of a chocolate lab, and Will, their apparent instructor wearing a sweatshirt, shorts, and a prosthetic leg. Both waved back, and Dev offered a quick nod as he followed her toward the doors that didn’t even come close to muting a din of barks, yips, and yelps.
When they pushed through into the kennel area, Loyal’s doppelganger looked up from where he knelt on the floor with a German Shepherd puppy. Nearby, a full grown black and tan Shepherd lay on a dog bed, head up, taking everything in with alert, intelligent eyes.
“Morning, Grayson,” Shelby greeted. “Hi, Remy.”
The dog on the bed thumped its tail twice but didn’t move from her post.
Remy of Remy’s Regiment, he presumed.
“You’re early,” Grayson replied brusquely. “In fact, after Loyal called a half-hour ago, I didn’t expect you at all.” His tone held a note of reprimand with that last bit.
“This trip is fully Dev approved,” she defended before turning to extend her arm toward him. “Grayson Cole, meet Devante Torrez, family friend and my new, apparently improved bodyguard.”
“Apparently?” Dev protested. Shelby grinned, and he shook his head while turning back to offer a hand to her stoic half-brother. “Nice to meet you. Saw you at the wedding but missed the introductions.”
He gave a firm handshake, his lips twisting in a grimace as they released. “I didn’t stay long.”
Dev had noticed. He didn’t know much about him other than mentions his parents had made over the past two years that the guy had not walked into his new-found family with open arms. But he also hadn’t asked for more gossip, seeing as it wasn’t his business. Now, he found himself more than a little curious about the lingering chilly attitude when Cole held first billing on a foundation complex his father had fronted with a hell of a lot of money.
When her brother rose to his feet, Shelby took his place on the floor so the puppy could crawl up onto her lap. “How’s little Luna doing today?”
“She’s full of piss and vinegar.”
“Of course she is, she’s a puppy.” She hugged the animal to her chest, then laughed when it lunged for the end of her ponytail. When she brushed her hair back over her shoulder, the pup threw its head back with a high-pitched yip, pawed her cheek, and nipped at her chin. “Okay, yeah, you are a handful, aren’t you?”
The puppy wiggled wildly, trying to get to her face again. She pulled away with another laugh, and the pure joy in the sound warmed Dev’s heart. Her anxiety had relaxed a fair amount since he’d started teaching her self-defense, but the underlying tension never quite bled away. This momentary relief of stress softened her features, letting her natural beauty shine the way it should.
Beside him, Grayson crossed his arms with a soft grunt, and Dev glanced over to find the guy watching him with a narrowed gaze. It was uncanny how much he looked like Loyal. Same Diamond dark hair and brown eyes, brooding brow, and angled jaw covered in a close-cropped beard.
“Doesn’t seem wise to have her out right now,” her brother stated in a low tone.
“With the schedule switched up, I figured better here than sitting at the house for possible target practice.” Movement drew his eye, and Dev followed the progress of a stocky, blond-haired man leading another German Shepherd down the hall toward the doors they’d come through. The guy grinned when he saw Shelby and called out a cheery hello. “And it would appear I have all the back-up I’d need if anyone tried to get to her here.”
Grayson gave a tight nod. “You would. Everyone loves Shelby.”
Including him, grudging though it appeared. And Dev himself knew all too well how impossible it was not to fall for her.
She shot them a glance as if she knew they were talking about her, and set the puppy down. “I have to get to work, little girl, but I’ll come back and play before we leave.”
Aware of her brother’s keen attention, Dev kept his gaze from lingering when she got up and brushed off the seat of her snug jeans.
“I’m going to try Gus again,” he advised. He’d tried to connect with him back at the house, but had to leave a message.
