Page 21 of Protecting his Heart

The man was right, and Evan would talk to Owen about it at some point. He didn’t want to unbalance their relationship straight away, but it was something he would need to discuss with him, and soon.

“Anyone you have your sights on lately?” he said instead.

Matteo’s cheeks flushed a little. “Yes, but he’s straight, so it’s just a crush.”

“Who?”

Matteo ducked his head, uncharacteristically shy. “Dr Wallis.”

Evan raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? Even after our last conversation?”

Picking at his food, Matteo shrugged. “He’s a genuinely nice guy, which doesn’t happen as often as the movies and books imply. I know he’s straight because he has an ex-wife and a daughter, and I’ve heard the gossip from the mill, but I can’t helpit. I’m attracted to nice people.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m still wanting my fairy tale ending.”

“You’ll get it. I know you will because you’re tenacious. You won’t stop until you do. Besides, who wouldn’t want what you have to offer?”

Matteo’s cheeks flushed again, and Evan smiled, making a note to give his friend more compliments. He deserved them because he was one of those nice guys he’d mentioned. Their conversation moved to general things as if they needed to break from the heaviness of their topics, and he couldn’t believe it when he checked the clock, and it was almost dinnertime.

“Do you want to stay and see Owen?” he asked. “He should be home in half an hour or so.”

Matteo shook his head. “Another time. You, my friend, need to talk to him. I know you. I know you want to put it off, but time is of the essence here.”

Evan sighed. “I don’t want to ruin things when we’ve only just started.”

“But isn’t it better to get things sorted from the beginning? Before you get deeper in and get hurt a lot more.” Matteo stood, gathering his things.

Evan’s stomach churned. He’d see what mood Owen was in when he returned and go from there, though he didn’t tell Matteo that. Matteo hugged him and left, leaving the house a lot quieter, and Evan stared around the room. He would go stir-crazy looking at these walls for a week. He’d have to find something to do while he was off work. Maybe he could bother Sally for a few hours.

He settled back on the sofa, staring at the TV though not seeing it, and thought about what he wanted to do. Could he let Owen go if he realised he couldn’t deal with doubting him? He hoped he could work through it, but he wasn’t sure how. Maybe it was just something that would rectify itself with time.

He knew one thing for certain; he didn’t want to lose Owen. Not now they’d found their way back to each other again.

****

Chapter 7

Owen

“Edinburgh and Delta are two minutes out,” Owen said into his earpiece, alerting the other guards at the event that Prince Freddie and Prince Damon were about to pull up in the car. Owen was in the car in front of the princes, while Locke was in the car with them. They usually changed who stayed with them so anyone trying to find a pattern couldn’t. To be honest, though, it didn’t matter. If someone wanted to try for the princes, they would, regardless of who guarded them.

“Pulling up now,” he said, climbing out of the car before it had even stopped. His gaze scanned the area, studying the weak areas they’d identified during their planning session. Nothing stood out to him, and he headed for the passenger door of the princes’ car, Locke joining him.

“All clear,” he heard through his earpiece, so he opened the door, putting his body between them as much as was humanly possible—which wasn’t much.

“Heading inside,” Locke said.

When they entered the building, Locke and Owen dropped back a little, still scanning the space for potential threats, even as Freddie and Damon greeted the hosts. They were visiting a charity that helped LGBT+ people to find homes when they’d been thrown out. They also helped them to find jobs, clothing and anything else they needed to ensure they landed on their feet. Owen had looked into the charity and was highly supportiveof their cause, not only because of what had happened to Evan, though that was a big part. If Owen’s mother hadn’t agreed to let Evan stay with them for the last six months of his school time, he wasn’t sure what would’ve happened to him.

He tuned out the conversation, instead keeping his concentration on where they were. From the corner of his eye, he saw something. “Back wall, by the stairs,” he murmured to Locke. “I’m going to take a look.”

Making it look natural, he changed course, moving closer to where he’d seen a movement that shouldn’t have been there. His hand was ready to grab his gun, but he wasn’t reaching for it yet. When he got within three steps, the head poked around the corner again, gasping at Owen.

Owen relaxed marginally when he saw the teenager, but children, unfortunately, could still be used to hurt or kill people. He moved closer, the kid unable to go anywhere except up the stairs, and he stopped beside him.

“Hello,” he said.

“Um, hey,” the boy said. He pressed back against the wall, making himself as small as he could.

“Are you supposed to be down here?” Owen asked, aware of the open channel between him and Locke. The boy shook his head. “Are you here to hurt them?” he murmured.

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