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4
ZAC
Iwoke up much earlier than I needed to for my first day of work, which meant it was still dark and Main Street was completely quiet outside my window. At my previous duty stations, I’d lived close to base. But since I chose to live in Bluffton this time, I’d have a forty-five-minute commute to get from here to Parris Island Recruit Depot where I’d join my new unit as a military police officer.
Maybe it was the fact that I had a long drive ahead of me that had me wide awake before my alarm went off, nervous that I’d sleep in and be late. Or maybe it was because it had been a full week since I’d first run into Layla, and I still couldn’t get her off my mind.
Either way, it was a good excuse to get in an extra workout. I’d been slacking while I was on leave and moving across the country, but as military police, I needed to make sure I was in top shape. I never knew when a call would come in that some amped-up Marine was causing trouble, and if I wasn’t in the best possible shape, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Halfway through my last set of sit-ups on the living room floor, I heard the front door unlock, sending a shot of adrenaline up my spine. My muscles tensed as it creaked open, fully ready to launch up from my position on the floor and tackle the intruder.
But then Jo’s face appeared, flushed and sweaty, a water bottle in hand and headphones in her ears. I rolled my eyes and reclined back onto the floor with a huff, trying to calm myself down. I’d been two heartbeats away from leveling her.
When she saw me, she jumped, yanking out her headphones. “Hey, you scared me.”
“I scaredyou? I was about to take you out. I thought you were breaking in.”
She jangled her keys with a quirked brow. “With a key?”
“Lock picking isn’t rocket science. You went for a run?”
“Yeah. I wanted to get it out of the way early since you have to leave for work soon. Speaking of, aren’t you going to be late?”
I checked the time on my smartwatch and shook my head, standing. “Nah. I was just finishing up. I’m gonna hit the shower now and head out.”
“Cool. I’ll probably start running every morning before you leave, so don’t be scared when I come in.”
“Noted.” I headed for my room, but then stopped in the doorway, trying to determine if it was worth starting a fight when I needed to go get ready. Deciding it was necessary, I turned to face her. “Are you sure you should be out running this early? The sun’s not even up yet.”
The scowl I’d already seen coming showed up, right on cue, and she crossed her arms. “Ugh, don’t start.”
“Jo, I’m serious.”
“Why are men so overprotective?”
“I’m not being overprotective.”
“Yes, you are. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to live forty-five minutes away from work. When else am I supposed to go?”
“I know, but it’s just … I don’t like the idea of you out there by yourself.”
“Zac, come on. This town is safe.”
I snorted. Military bases were supposed to be safe communities too, but that didn’t mean nothing bad ever happened there. And after the things I’d seen in my years as an MP, I knew that better than anyone. “Nowhere is completely safe.”
Jo made a face at me, and right when I thought she’d make another comment about me being overly protective, she lifted her chin and gave me a wide smile. “Well, I’ll have you know I won’t be running alone from now on.”
“Uh, I can’t come with you if that’s what you’re saying. We can’t leave Grayson home alone.”
“Iknow. But I actually met someone while I was running this morning, and we decided to become running buddies.”
I frowned, taking in the way her eyes sparkled in that telltale way when she had a crush. “Who is it?”
“His name is Trevor. And he’s a dead ringer for Jason Momoa, so don’t worry, he’ll protect me if anything shady happens.”
My whole body tensed, and I stood straighter, all thoughts of needing to get ready for work flying out the window. “I’m sorry,what?You met some random dude while you were out running and decided to become running buddies? Are you nuts?”
“No, I’m not nuts. He’s really nice. And he actually suggested it because he had the same concern about me running alone that early. Hence the question about why men are so overprotective. But from him, it was sweet. From my big brother, it’s annoying.”
