Free Protected by Shadows by Aliyah Burke Page A

about the room. The only place untouched with equipment was the bed, which Beau currently lay sprawled upon. His massive size seemed so out of place on the small double bed. If it bothered the man, he didn’t let it show.
    “What did I have to come down here for?”
    Beau sat up. “Masters told us to tell you to come down and fill us in. Just like I said in the text. What’s with the attitude toward us?”
    Valentino leaned against the door and sighed. “She won’t go along unless the marriage is real.”
    Three sets of eyes watched him. Anabelle Lee was the first to crack. She burst into laughter and her brother soon joined in. Beau wasn’t far behind.
    “I fail to see how this is amusing,” he uttered.
    “Of course you do,” she retorted. “We find it immensely amusing. That woman’s got more grit than I gave her credit for. I think I actually may like her.”
    “You all know how I feel about marriage.”
    “You’re the one who claimed the two of you were married. You could have said you were just engaged. But no, you went with the whole kit n’ caboodle.” Ethan wiped the corner of his eyes.
    “He’s got you there, bro,” Beau chimed in from where he now reclined against the wall. “No one but you got yourself into this.” He flexed one massive arm. “Why exactly did you say the two of you were married?”
    “I don’t know. It just came out.” He shifted his weight. “Knowing Lexy, had I said that we were merely engaged, she would have found a way to break it off. Then I wouldn’t be able to protect her.” Valentino glanced at them all. “What’s with the looks of disbelief?”
    “You are so full of shit,” Anabelle Lee commented. “Admit it, Val . That woman means something to you. The sooner you admit it, the happier you’re going to be.”
    “Fuck all you.” He whirled around and stomped up the hall, laughter trailing him.
    “I’ll take you up on it, darlin’, but I don’t know how your wife will feel about it,” Anabelle hollered after him.
    He slammed the door behind him as he left their house. Their words wouldn’t leave him alone. Were they right? Why did he care? He’d do his job and get on with his life.
    * * * *
    “Why the brother?” Trevor demanded into the phone, which was on speaker.
    “Had to prove I…we…could get to her and those she cares about.”
    Trevor picked up the rag from the end of the table and wiped the blood off his face as he walked and stared at the man slumped nearly unconscious and bleeding in the chair.
    “Does she believe you now?”
    “I think so.” The answer came through the phone.
    He prayed for patience. John was proving to be a bit more difficult than Trevor preferred his members to be. “You think so?” He ensured he maintained a bland tone, showing emotion wasn’t in him. He was cold. Icy. Glacial.
    “Know. I know she does.”
    “So you’re confident then. Why are you calling and disturbing me?” He unrolled his favorite collection of devices with which to torture people.
    The man in the chair watched him fearfully with his one remaining eye. Blood streamed down his chin, courtesy of the earlier tongue removal. Seated at the corner of his work table, Trevor broke the eye contact and stared at the phone, willing an answer he would want to come through the speaker.
    “She’s married.”
    His eye twitched. “Did you not know this beforehand?” Everyone in The Watchers understood how he hated to be disappointed, and feared it. Realizing his question was a bit sharp, he took a deep breath. The metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils. “It doesn’t matter, threaten harm to the husband.”
    “Sir,” John said.
    “Surely there are other ways—”
    “Sir!”
    “What?” Trevor barked.
    Nothing moved in his building. Even the man in the chair was immobile, sitting there with blood running from his body parts, ears included, as Trevor had punctured his eardrums fifteen minutes ago.
    “Her husband is an investment