Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
My mom has been insisting for weeks that I hire professional security, going so far as to use her credit cards to snag “the best money could buy,” in her words. I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having a bodyguard—who wants to feel like a criminal in their own pizza shop? But tonight’s incident changes everything. I can’t deny it anymore: I’m not safe, and neither is anyone around me.
I take a shaky breath and look at Stuart, who’s staring at me with worried eyes, and at Earl, who’s doing his best to calmly explain the situation to the police. My pizzeria, my safe haven—it’s all under threat. And as much as I hate to admit it, maybe my mom was right. Maybe I do need help…someone to protect me until we figure out who’s behind these threats.
Brushing away an errant tear, I steel myself. First, I need to clean up this mess and make sure Stuart and Earl are okay. Then I’ll call my mom and let her know she was right—about everything. If it means keeping Slice Slice Baby safe, I’ll swallow my pride and deal with a security detail. Because no matter what, I won’t let some faceless coward run me out of my own life.
A man with a deep, gravelly voice steps into the pizzeria, stopping short when he sees the shards of broken glass littering the floor. “What happened here?” he demands, scanning the room like he’s expecting a battle at any second.
Earl, my loyal customer, tucks his phone away. “Are you with the police?”
The newcomer shakes his head, flashing a badge that reads Maddox Security. “I’m Boone Porter.” His gaze swings between Earl and me, narrowing slightly before his voice rumbles, “I’m looking for an Aubree Ryan.”
“That’s me.” I hesitate for a split second, then take a step closer. My heart thuds in my chest as I lift my eyes to meet his. “Mr. Porter?”
He nods. “I’m with Maddox Security.” He’s not at all what I expected when my mother said she’d hired ‘top-notch’ security. He’s… well, gorgeous. He’s tall and broad in a way that makes him look built for protection—like the walls in this shop could cave in and he’d keep me safe from the rubble. His dark beard is thick and full, framing his jaw and making him appear a little dangerous. And his eyes—an intense, almost chocolate brown—feel like they’re boring straight into my soul.
I flush, remembering to breathe. The strangest thought flits across my mind: the sensation of that beard brushing against my skin, maybe somewhere far more intimate than I should be picturing in a moment like this. My face warms, and I give my hand a quick shake before I offer it to him.
When he takes my hand, his grip completely engulfs mine. It’s firm, controlled—just like the rest of him. I do my best to act normal, but my pulse is hammering like I’ve just run a marathon.
Stuart steps in, saving me from babbling. He recounts the entire story—how the brick came crashing through the window, how we found the note with that awful message. I stand off to the side, arms crossed over my chest, trying to keep from trembling. This is really happening. My safe, cozy pizza shop feels like ground zero for something horrible.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whisper under my breath. Earl moves beside me and slips an arm around my shoulders in comfort. That’s when Boone’s gaze snaps in our direction, his jaw clenching. I hear the low rumble of a growl slip from his lips, so quiet I almost wonder if I imagined it.
“Can I speak with you for a moment?” Boone asks, directing his question pointedly at me. His eyes flick to Earl, then back to me.
“Oh, okay,” I manage. My voice sounds smaller than I’d like. I gently disentangle myself from Earl’s side-hug and follow Boone a few steps away, the broken glass crunching under my sneakers.
When we’re far enough from the others, Boone folds his muscular arms across his chest. “Who is that man?” he asks, tilting his head toward Earl.
I bite back a laugh. “Earl? He’s harmless. Just a regular customer—he’s been coming in since we opened.”
Boone sizes Earl up one last time before turning his intense gaze back on me. “You’re closing your shop for a few days.”
My jaw drops. “Excuse me? No. I most certainly am not. This place is my livelihood.” I cross my arms, mirroring his posture without meaning to. “I can’t just shut it down.”
“You can, and you will.” His tone is final, almost like an order. “You’ll come with me to a safe house until Maddox Security can figure out what’s going on.”
A thousand protests surge to the tip of my tongue—how I need the income, how I can’t leave Stuart and my other employees without a job, how I hate the idea of abandoning my business. But that steely determination in his gaze tells me there’s no use arguing with him. Even if I do, I suspect he’ll just scoop me up and carry me out if he has to.