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“Your sister and your brother hired us for one month to protect you.”
“A month?” He was saying that he was going to be here a month, looming over me every step of the way. Absolutely not.
“Ellie has lost her mind,” I said. “I’m calling her now. Get the hell out of my apartment.”
“No,” he said as he pushed in, following me further in. Maybe it was stupid to turn my back to him, but I didn’t think he was going to hurt me.
I had my phone in hand in seconds, dialing Ellie’s number. She answered before it even rang once. “What the hell, Ellie?” I bit out instead of giving her a hello.
“Listen, you are not safe. You are terrified, Tori. You’re freaking out about sounds outside. This has to be done. You need someone there to protect you. You’re not as good at hiding things as you think you are. Do you think we don’t notice how jumpy you are, how your eyes are wide with fear, how you have dark circles under your eyes all the time? I’m just worried about you.”
“Then talk to me. You don’t hire some mountain men to come to my house. There’s a full-on lumberjack who won’t leave.”
He let out a humorless laugh as he glared at me. “Look, Princess, I’m getting paid either way. We can either do this easy or we can do it hard. We just need to check your apartment, and then we’ll be out of your hair. We’ll be right next door. There’s no getting rid of us.”
Ellie’s hand muffled the phone before she was yelling for Ezra. “You told me they were nice. This guy sounds like a psycho.”
I could hear her hand being taken away, and Ezra’s voice filled the receiver. “Let me talk to Easton.”
I took the phone away from my face and looked at the three men standing before me. “Which one of you is Easton?”
The redhead snatched the phone from my hand, his touch practically burning as his fingers brushed mine in a not-so-gentle way. My anxiety was so bad right now, panic clawing at my chest, and I had to swallow it down every step of the way.
If Ezra sent him, they couldn’t be that bad, right? But honestly, it couldn’t be any worse. He was my scent match, and from the easy camaraderie the guys had and the ease they were at around his fire, they were likely matches, too.
I couldn’t do this. “Get out of my house,” I growled again.
He ignored me and grunted into the phone. Easton was quiet as Ezra talked, but nothing changed on his face. He just looked permanently pissed off, and nothing else could pass through.
“She’s being difficult,” he argued. His blue eyes narrowed on me again, and I could hear Ezra’s voice through the phone, barking right back at him. “How am I supposed to keep her safe if she doesn’t even let me look around this apartment?”
He let out one more grunt before handing the phone back, even the gesture hostile. I snatched my phone from his hand and put it back to my ear.
“Ezra, what the actual hell is happening?”
“Look, he’s a friend of an old friend. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s been through some shit. They just got out of the military, but they’re safe, I promise you. Just let them look around your apartment, make sure it’s safe, and then they’ll get out. They’re going to make sure that someone is nearby if you get broken into again. They’re going to be there if something happens.”
“I don’t like this.” My voice was barely audible, but he let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry, but we have to keep you safe, and you won’t come stay with any of us. This was the only alternative. They’re only here for thirty days. You can stick it out for us, right? For Ellie? She’s freaking out over here all the time. We all know there’s stuff you’re not telling us, and unless you’re willing to come over and have a good old talk, this is your solution.”
My eyes ran over the three men as I soaked in his words. The Beta had long, dark braids, warm brown skin, and a nosepiercing. His clothes were covered in something that looked like charcoal. Everything about him seemed a contrast of soft and hard, but the expression in his eyes was haunted.
The other Alpha had long, dark hair pulled back in a bun. He was wearing black jeans and a dark shirt, not as wide as Easton, but his muscles were still on display.
Ezra was right. I didn’t want to tell him anything, and I was terrified of being home alone.
“Fine, they get to check my apartment, and then they need to leave.”
“Works for me, Princess,” Easton said, his voice devoid of emotion.
“Call me if they get out of line, and I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Ezra promised. “We’re just trying to do what we can.”
“I know,” I whispered before ending the call. I couldn’t find it in me to say thank you, not when they’d given me no warning and sent two Alphas and a Beta who all looked like they could kill me with a thought into my home.
The guys didn’t say anything else as they walked past. I was hit twice, once with a pear and bourbon scent that smelled like crème brulee and poached pears—sweet, a little spicy, and decadent.
The second scent was a strange mix of smoke, cedar, and parchment. He smelled like a roaring fireplace in a library—comforting and nostalgic.
