To Love and Protect

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  He shot her another glance, then hung his head with a rough sigh. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I’ve stayed away because it’s not always easy to put on a positive front.”

  “You don’t have to put up a front with us,” his mom argued.

  “I didn’t want you guys to worry.”

  “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “Yeah, so I’ve been told.”

  His mom looked at Shelby, who gave her a quick smile.

  When she turned her hopeful expression back up to him, he nodded confirmation before shifting his gaze between her and his dad. “I really am working on things, I promise. You know my physical therapy is going well, and I also talk to a therapist once a week. I started just before Christmas, and things are going good.”

  Better than good after this past week. And he’d be great once the danger to Shelby was put behind bars.

  His mom dropped the knife and reached up to palm his cheeks with both hands. “Thank you, mijo. Please know, you can talk to us anytime. You and Rey. We’re here for you always and in anything. That’s what family is for.”

  The tears shimmering in her blue eyes tore at his heart. He reached up to grasp her hands and lowered them between them. “I know you are, but I also need you to understand, there are some things that…you just can’t tell the people you love.”

  “You’ll get no judgment from us, Dev,” his dad said gruffly. “I would hope you know that.”

  “I do, Dad, but that’s not it.” Or maybe it was a little, but not entirely. More so it was to protect them, not himself. “It’s…hard to explain. All I can really do is ask you to trust me when I tell you I’m getting the help I need.”

  His dad nodded.

  “And Reyes?” Mom squeezed his hands tight. “Does he talk to someone?”

  Dev met his dad’s gaze, then shifted back to her with a grimace. “I don’t think so. He knows I do, but when I bring it up, he changes the subject, or tells me he’s fine.”

  “Does he talk to you at all?”

  “Some.”

  “Mark tells me he’s up all hours of the night whenever they’re home,” Dad said quietly.

  Not quite. Rey could only sleep when he kept the lights on, but like many things, that was his story to tell. Plus, Dev only knew some of the details.

  He gave his mom a gentle smile. “I know it’s hard, but we gotta give him time. And I promise, I’ll keep working on him.”

  More tears flooded her eyes as she nodded, and Dev pulled her in for a hug while meeting his dad’s gaze over her head. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you guys sooner. I’ll do better.”

  His dad reached out to give his shoulder a firm squeeze. The glimmer of moisture brightening his eyes made Dev’s burn. He quickly blinked the burn away. “So…now that we got through all that, how about we get back to dinner? I heard Shelby’s stomach growling on the way over here.”

  “Oh!” His mom shoved free of his arms and swiped at her cheeks as she gave Shelby a sheepish smile. “Hon, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m fine, Elena, really.”

  Shelby glared at Dev, but having been on the receiving end of more than one of her authentic stare-downs, he didn’t buy the fake anger one bit. He grabbed his water glass and made his way over to where she stood while his parents turned their attention back to the food preparation.

  “Satisfied?” he asked in reference to the little family therapy session she’d instigated.

  She lifted her sangria for a sip while watching the cooks. “The real question is, are you?”

  He glanced down when she turned her face up to his. The pride and approval in her soft, brown eyes hit him right in the chest, and his throat constricted as he nodded. “Yeah, I am. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Her soft smile drew his gaze down to a pair of lips lightly stained from the plum-colored sangria. As he stared, her breath hitched, and her tongue darted out to lick at any stray drops of the fruit-infused wine.

  Holy fuck—he wanted his own taste.

  When he lifted his gaze to hers, heat sizzled in the air between them, threatening to evaporate every last shred of his common sense.

  The creak and thump of the oven door jolted him back to reality. He glanced over to see his mom had pulled out a full pan of empanadas to set on the stovetop, while his dad tossed the Caesar salad.

  While taking a breath to try to slow his racing pulse, a light bump of his shoulder against Shelby’s sloshed the liquid in her glass. “Come on, help me set the table so we can feed that bear growling in your stomach.”

  Chapter 22

  Shelby lifted her arms up over her head as she rolled over, eyes still closed against the inevitable morning after Dev had trained her on more self-defense moves for over an hour after they got back from dinner with his parents.

  The soreness in her muscles triggered a low groan with her yawn as she extended her hands outward.

  “Hey, whoa, save it for the gym, Slugger.”

  She gasped at the sound of Dev’s gravelly voice from the other side of the bed and jerked her arms back down while whipping her head toward him. “You’re still here.”

  He lifted one arm up behind his head, and left his other resting over his flat stomach as he rolled his head toward her. “Where else would I be?”

  “In the kitchen.” Seeing him in bed beside her in the light of day had awareness tingling through every cell in her body. “You’re always up by now.”

  “You said I should sleep in.”

  That’s right. Because she was going by Grayson today instead of tomorrow.

  “Yeah, I just…” She lost her train of thought when her gaze met his. His eyes were more blue than green in the morning light, and the shadow of stubble darkening his jaw made her want to reach out and feel the rasp of it against her palm. Or her lips.

  Realizing she needed to finish her sentence, she quickly said, “I forgot.”

  “So you weren’t trying to smack me on purpose to have the bed to yourself?”

  “No,” she exclaimed. “Of course not.”

  His slow smile clued her in he was teasing, and this time she did reach over and smack his arm on purpose—his very firm arm.

  He cringed and hunched his shoulder. “Ow.”

  “Oh please.” She rolled her eyes with a grin tugging at her own mouth. “That didn’t hurt one bit.”

  His gaze shifted down to her lips, and his smile faded. From one second to the next, her heart surged up in her throat, making it hard to get enough air into her lungs. It had been two days since that kiss in the makeshift gym, and while she respected his reasons for ending it when he had, she sure as hell wouldn’t stop him from kissing her again.

  Especially since the past two days had solidified the return of their childhood friendship—just with a heaping dose of sexual tension oozing all over the place.

  She shifted under the covers and started to roll onto her side to face him. The loud buzz of his cell vibrating on the nightstand made her jump. Dev blinked, and then whipped his head to the other side of the pillow while grabbing for the phone like it was a lifeline. His quick glance at the screen produced a frown that had Shelby paying attention—especially when he swept the covers aside to sit on the edge of the bed with his back to her.

  “Asher. Hey man, what’s up?”

  What? What the heck was her brother calling Dev for? She pushed into a sitting position and adjusted the hem of her tank top as the covers pooled around her waist.

  His voice droned from the phone, but she couldn’t make out his words. Dev gave a short, “Yep,” and then suddenly sat up straighter, his shoulders rigid. After a moment, he relaxed some, only to tense all over again a minute later. His tone was terse as he nodded and said, “Will do.”

  Impatience had her tapping him on the shoulder. He shifted toward her on the bed, and his solemn expression made her pulse pick up as she arched her brows in silent expectation.

  “Asher—hold up.
Shelby’s here, so I’m switching you to speaker.” After pressing the button, he rested his forearm on his knee to hold the phone out between them. “Go ahead.”

  “Morning, Bells.”

  “Hi.” She watched Dev’s face, but his shuttered expression gave nothing away as she asked, “What’s going on?”

  “There was a break-in at Mom and Dad’s early this morning.”

  Shelby’s stomach lurched. “In D.C.?” The death threat she’d read yesterday against her dad flashed in her head, sending a cold flood of fear down her spine. “Are they okay?”

  “They’re fine,” he assured her. “It wasn’t there, it was at the house here in Colorado.”

  “Thank God there was no one as home.” Then it dawned on her he’d said morning, and she sought Dev’s gaze. “Elena wasn’t there, was she? Is she okay?”

  “It happened shortly before she got to work,” Asher said. “About six-forty-five. The security company had the police notified and at the house in five minutes.”

  Good Lord, what time was it? She angled her head to see the time in the upper left hand corner of the screen. 7:45a.m. Wow, they really had slept in.

  “Did they catch the person?” she asked.

  “No. They’re—”

  His voice cut out as Dev’s phone beeped for an incoming call. The screen flashed Reyes’ name and number.

  “You guys still there?”

  “We’re here,” Dev said. “Rey is calling, probably to fill me in. I’ll call him back.”

  “All right.” The sound of a blinker came from the microphone as Asher added, “I’m just turning in by Mom and Dad’s. I’ll let him know if I see him up at the house.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Let me know if you find out anything else,” Shelby requested. “I can’t believe people have the nerve to break-in when it’s already light out.”

  “Bells, I called Dev because I talked to Dad already.”

  “Okay…” His ominous tone had her searching out Dev’s gaze again. Her stomach tightened at the solemn intensity in his expression as her brother continued.

  “Based on what they found, the cops said it doesn’t appear to be a burglary. I’ll look around some, but Mom and Dad will have to give the final word on that when they get back either tonight or tomorrow.”

  “What exactly did the cops find?” she asked.

  Asher hesitated, then gave a heavy sigh. “There was a rose and a bullet left on the end of the bed in both your room and Celia’s.”

  Another chill skittered down her spine. “A rose and a bullet? What the heck does that mean?”

  “There was also a note in your room that said, ‘Make the right choice.’”

  She frowned as the word choice struck a memory she couldn’t quite grasp.

  “With both Shelby and Celia’s rooms targeted, it’s looking more and more like this is political and aimed at your Dad,” Dev said. “Mark told me a major gun bill was coming up for a vote this week. He’s been getting a lot of pressure from activists to change his stance.”

  “Yep,” her brother agreed. “Dad’s thinking the same thing, and the vote is today. That’s why he’s not on the way home already.”

  Shelby shook her head, jaw set. “Dad won’t change his vote—at least he better not.”

  “I think we both know Dad better than that. He’s already got someone on the way to Celia’s office for protection until this person is caught.”

  “Good.” All of a sudden, the memory teasing the edge of her conscious materialized. Her eyes widened as she made the connection. “Dev—the note on my car at the hospital. It said one choice made the opposite way can be the difference between life and death. It’s gotta be the same person.”

  He tilted his head slightly, as if considering the possibility.

  “Listen guys,” Asher interrupted. “I’m sitting here in the driveway, so I’m going to let you go and get inside.”

  Dev dropped his gaze to the screen. “Keep us updated.”

  “Will do. You keep her safe.”

  “You know I will.”

  “Love you, Bells.”

  “Love you, too,” she said before Dev disconnected the call while rising and heading over to his dresser.

  Shelby swept the covers off her lap to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. “Do you think it could be the same person?”

  “Probably,” he agreed as he grabbed clean clothes for the day. Shooting her a grimace over his shoulder, he asked, “Any chance I can convince you to lay low for the day?”

  Only if you lay with me.

  As soon as the thought entered her head, she got up and spun around to make the bed so he wouldn’t see the heat warming her cheeks. “I’m not going to let this person imprison me more than I already am.”

  “Figured you’d say that.”

  Something in his tone had her looking up as she moved around to straighten his side of the bed. “You think I should just hide for the day?”

  His somber gaze met hers across the room. “Do you trust me to keep you safe?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then we’re going to do whatever you want to do today.”

  A smile of thanks faded as she thumped his pillow into place. “Except, it suddenly dawns on me that trusting you to keep me safe also means trusting you to know what’s best. So you tell me what I’m doing today.”

  He turned all the way around, clothes in hand as he leaned against his dresser. “Wow. I’m impressed.”

  She lifted a shoulder, taking the opportunity to drink him in as he stood there in his T-shirt and briefs, his hair all mussed from sleep.

  “You said you normally do the vet checks for Grayson on Fridays, right?”

  “Always. I only switched to a Thursday because he’s got some meeting out of town tomorrow, and seeing him is half the reason I go.”

  “Then since it’s a schedule switch someone wouldn’t be expecting, I’m okay with sticking with it.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I am.” He headed for the hall. “I’ll do a quick security check, then we can both get ready and get going. While you’re doing your thing with the dogs, I’ll give Gus a call.”

  Shelby gathered clean clothes to change in the bathroom. The sappy, lovelorn teenager in her wished Dev had insisted they stay home. But that was quickly eclipsed by independence, and the refusal to let fear limit her life. Especially when she had Dev at her side.

  Chapter 23

  Dev ended up waiting patiently while Shelby took the time to call her sister and make sure she was okay. Then she called her dad to tell him she wanted him to vote based on the principles he’d campaigned on and been elected for, and nothing else.

  Her support for her father despite the possible danger to herself raised his respect to a whole new level. Not only was she still sweet and kind and generous, but she was proving to be a determined fighter who wouldn’t be swayed from a fierce belief of right and wrong.

  It was nearly an hour later when he pulled into the parking lot of the Cole-Diamond Foundation. Shelby directed him around to the back of the large complex, toward a building with fenced in dog runs off the side. He made a mental note of the layout while sweeping his gaze over the main building that had been built the previous year, surrounded by extensive grounds and some outdoor physical training equipment.

  The Diamond fortune being put to good use.

  The building he parked in front of featured a prominent sign with the silhouette of a German Shepherd, and the name Remy’s Regiment.

  Shelby grabbed her vet bag from the back seat and waited for him to lead the way inside.

  A tall, built black guy looked up from the front desk. He straightened to what had to be at least six-foot-six while offering Dev a polite smile. The moment he spotted Shelby, his eyes lit up and a wide grin spread across his face.

  “Hey, girl. What the heck are you doing here today?”

  “Change of plans, Eli. How are you this morning?”r />
  “You know me. Always good, but even better now.”

  He came around the counter, and when it became evident the guy was going in for a hug, Dev stepped between them with a scowl.

  Shelby caught his arm. “Dev—Eli’s good. He served with Grayson.”

  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.