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Except when they’d crossed the street and several people had gotten between them.
He broke through a knot of people and ignored the annoyed shouts at his rough treatment.
There.
In the shadowy alcove of a shop’s doorway, Remi was crouched down, talking to a crying boy around the twins’ age. “Remington!”
Remi’s head whipped around, finding Jeremiah on the opposite side of the street and heading toward them. He waved a hand like he wanted Jeremiah to stop, but he ignored it, growling in anger when a huge family stepped between them, and he lost sight of Remi once more.
In the seconds it took him to finally get through them, Remi had stood and picked up the boy, wrapping his arms around him and heading in Jeremiah’s direction. They were only a dozen feet away from each other when his instincts prickled, his Hellhound snarling and clawing for release.
He rushed forward as he looked up and down the street, trying to find what was setting him off, and his blood ran cold when he pinpointed the man in a hoodie behind Remi. He couldn’t make out his shadowed face but saw the gun in his hand just fine.
“Get down!”
Even as fast as he was, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get between Remi and the shooter before it was too late, but he still tried, pouring every ounce of speed into his legs as he sprinted the final distance. Remi—for once in his damn life—dropped to the ground, curling his body around the small boy, who screamed in confusion and terror.
Jeremiah heard the first pop when he was still a couple of feet away, and the crowd lost its collective mind, shrieking and starting to run in every possible direction. His beast burst from his skin as he leapt, shredding his clothes and roaring in fury. He landed on the other side of Remi, planting his body between him and the threat.
He howled in protest as the man turned and fled, but he couldn’t leave Remi, not when he still didn’t know if he was hurt or not. Royal guards were starting to swarm around them, encircling them and demanding to know what the fuck was going on.
It wasn’t until Jeremiah shifted back to order some of the guards to go after the man that he felt the twinge in his thigh. Confused, he glanced down his naked body and saw the oozing bullet hole.
“Jeremiah!” Remi screamed.
He whipped around, claws and fangs at the ready and his beast half a second from taking over again, but Remi wasn’t in danger anymore. He was being held in place by several guards, staring at Jeremiah’s leg in horror. All of the blood had drained from his face, making him look like he was the one who’d been shot and was bleeding all over the street. A surge of something that felt eerily like affection pumped through his veins at the sight of Remi’s shaking hand holding the back of the small boy’s head, forcing him to keep his face tucked in Remi’s neck. One of the guards kept trying to take the kid, but Remi finally just bared his teeth and told him to back off.
“Remi.” His voice was soft, but somehow, he heard him over the cacophony of the street, eyes locking on him with an intenseness that stirred Jeremiah’s Hellhound. “Let him go.”
A split second later, Remi was squishing the poor boy between them, trying to hug Jeremiah and fuss over his wound at the same time. “Oh my gods. Are you okay? Of course you’re not okay. Holy shit. I can’t believe someone shot you. We need to get you to a doctor—”
“Remi.” He cupped the prince’s face, forcing his wild eyes to focus on his once more. The little boy peeked up at him, tears clumping his lashes and streaking down his face, but Jeremiah ignored him for the moment. “Take a breath, brat. I’m fine.”
“But you were—”
“It’s already healing.” And it was. He could feel the wound closing, the blood barely more than a trickle. He’d have to get checked over later to see if the bullet needed to come out, but he wasn’t close to death’s door or anything. “We need to get back to the palace, okay? Do you know this kid?”
“Hm?” Remi glanced down at the boy, frows furrowed, then shook his head. “This is Trey. He lost his mom and dad in the crowd and couldn’t find them, so I told him I’d help.”
Warmth flushed through him, but Jeremiah ignored it, the need to get Remi to safety overruling everything else. A commotion nearby drew his attention, and he narrowed his eyes, already moving to put himself between the boys and whatever it was before he realized the young couple was crying and reaching toward them with a desperation only a terrified parent could have.
He moved aside and took the kid from Remi’s arms. “I think we found them. Stay here.”
He waited until Remi nodded and another guard came over to stand next to him before he strode over and handed the little boy to his father, the man looking like his knees were about to give out for a moment as he wrapped his arms around his son and sobbed.
“Thank you,” his mom said wetly, placing a trembling hand on the boy’s head like Remi had. “The crowd got so big… I don’t know how I lost him.”
“He’s alright. The prince kept him safe.”
She glanced at him with wide eyes, then looked past him at where Remi was still watching, face tense with worry and hands wringing in front of him. “He did?”
Jeremiah nodded before turning and heading back toward Remi, ready to get him in an SUV and on the way to the palace. A pair of sweats appeared in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. He followed the hand holding them up the arm to the unreadable face of Greg. Jeremiah hadn’t wanted him to come on the walkabout, but Thorne had overruled him, saying they needed the Demon’s experience.
Without saying a word, Jeremiah accepted the pants and pulled them on, then continued on his way, collecting Remi from the other guard and hustling him toward the car waiting for them around the corner. He knew the queen was already probably back to the palace and knew he’d get ripped into as soon as they got back, like he hadn’t been the one to say it was too dangerous.
But that didn’t matter, and he knew that. Clients didn’t always listen; they had lives to live and didn’t always want to accept the restrictions Jeremiah and his team suggested be put in place. It was his job to keep them safe, even when they went against his counsel.
And he’d nearly fucking lost Remi.
