Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
It’s like she wants a fight, and damn if I’m not half-tempted to give her one. My frustration bubbles over, and I step closer, pressing her gently but firmly back against the wall. My hand braces beside her head, and I can feel the heat radiating off her body. “I don’t care if you think you can handle this solo. Your brother gave me a job, and that’s what I’m going to do. No matter how much you protest.”
She opens her mouth like she’s about to argue, and for a second, I catch a flicker of something else in her eyes—maybe surprise, maybe something hotter. My pulse kicks up a notch, and suddenly, every inch of me is aware of how close we are. Her breath hitches, and for one electric moment, the tension between us shifts from anger to something that has my blood racing.
I clear my throat, forcing myself to focus on the problem at hand. “It’s not safe for you,” I say, softer this time.
She presses her lips together, still fired up but maybe realizing I’m not going to back down. “I’ve got leads. I can help. This isn’t over,” she hisses.
“I know,” I whisper, stepping away from her with a controlled exhale. My heart is pounding, my nerves buzzing, and all I can think is: This is going to be a hell of a lot harder than I imagined.
Chapter 2
Isabel
Lincoln’s arm is a solid barrier beside my head, pinning me gently—yet unmistakably—to the wall. My heart thunders in my chest, and not just from the adrenaline of the moment. His fierce brown eyes sear into mine, and his presence is overwhelming in every possible way. Physically, mentally… even emotionally, though I’d rather die than admit that part out loud.
I can still feel the echo of his earlier words reverberating in the hallway: “I don’t care if you think you can look after yourself or not. I was given the job to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do. Understood?”
Understood? My jaw tightens. My pride flares, and I want to shove him away just to prove I can. But at the same time, some infuriating part of me is hyper-aware of his body so close to mine, the warmth radiating off him, the protective glint in his eyes. I hate that it makes me feel…safe.
I force a sarcastic smile. “Loud and clear, Sergeant,” I say. I don’t miss the faint twitch in his jaw at my nickname for him.
He lowers his arm with deliberate care, like he knows I’m a powder keg ready to explode. “Good. Then let’s go talk to Dean and figure out the plan.”
I press my lips together, refusing to let him see that he’s unnerved me in any way—though it’s obvious he has. Instead, I toss my hair over my shoulder and straighten my blouse, trying to regain some semblance of control. “Fine,” I say, and push off the wall, pretending my knees aren’t a little shaky from our confrontation.
The hallway outside the conference room is quiet now. A few of the other guys—Ranger, Boone, Orion—dispersed the second they saw me storm over to Lincoln. Cowards. They probably didn’t want any part of my brother’s “protect Isabel” plan, especially once they realized how much I’m fighting it.
I catch Lincoln’s sidelong glance. He’s still keyed up, too; I can sense the tension in every line of his body. The worst part is that I know Lincoln is truly concerned for me. That’s who he is—a protector. He was in the military, for crying out loud. But I can’t help resenting the fact that my brother’s solution to me being threatened is to stick me under lock and key. If I wanted to be coddled, I’d move back home and let Dean hire me a babysitter, not his best operative.
We step into the conference room, where Dean is sitting at the head of the table, flipping through files with the Maddox Security logo stamped on the front. He looks up the moment we enter. His gray eyes flick between us, and he clears his throat like he can practically taste the tension in the air.
“Everything settled?” he asks, sliding a hand over his neatly cropped hair.
I snort. “Hardly.”
Lincoln shoots me a warning look, but I ignore it. There’s a small, guilty twinge in my gut—I know Dean’s only trying to protect me because he cares. I also know that if some faceless creep is sending me threats, it could be serious. Still, the last thing I want is to be shipped off to some remote cabin or secret bunker while the rest of the team tries to catch whoever’s messing with me.
Dean rubs the bridge of his nose. “Isabel, I know you’re not thrilled about this, but—”
I cut him off, frustration evident in every syllable. “Don’t you get it, Dean? Someone is threatening me. Threatening me. I’m not just going to tuck my tail between my legs and run away. I want to help.”