Page 59 of Protection (Mobsters + Billionaires 2)
I bite the inside of my lip to prevent myself from smiling. Ryder frustrates and confuses me, but I like her style. Digitally speaking, that is.
She continues, “I mean, I can keep chasing my tail if you’d like. It costs you the same either way.”
“No. Never mind. I believe you. It just…” I let my answer fade out, too frustrated by everything.
“Makes it easier and harder at the same time,” she supplies.
I nod.
“It might help you to know that you’ve likely been misgendering the stalker. And there’s probably a couple of lookouts alerting them when Mads is in the area.”
“A: how do you know the stalker’s gender? And B: you didn’t think that was important for me to know right away?”
She pats my arm condescendingly. “We’ve already established you really don’t want to know the how—it’ll only give you angina. As for the second, you were in Vienna. I thought you were finally going to make your move, but the texts between you two since seem curt. Also, Mads stomped out of here today, reeking of sexual frustration. I’m guessing you fucked it up.”
“Wait. He what?”
“Hey, Anthony.”
“Dammit, Hopper,” I grit through my teeth, nearly coming out of my skin. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Sorry, brother.” Ignoring my question, he tilts his head toward my fanged, clawed, metaled, split-tongued nemesis. “Also, Ryder’s got a point. If you and Mads aren’t together after a trip like Vienna, then you really fucked yourself.”
“Big time,” Ryder agrees, fist-bumping him.
Yeah, I will not be taking love advice from the chaos twins.
I take a deep breath and will my heart to slow down. “Hopper. I told you about the sneaking up on people. What are you doing here?”
“Luca said he wanted to help, so he sent me over with Holden.”
“Who’s Holden?” I ask, not really wanting the answer.
He points, and I turn and startle again. There’s a rail-thin man with a pout and several tattoos at my other shoulder.
Fuck. I recognize him.
In the biblical sense.
“We can’t use him, Hop. He’s on the night crew,” I quietly growl, hoping he gets the reference. “I don’t think he’ll be helpful here.”
Ryder interrupts, examining Holden in a slightly worrying way. “He’s got Mads’ build.”
Hopper nods. “Yep.”
She tilts her head to the side and looks at him with one eye open. “Could work.”
Hopper leans in and stage-whispers to Ryder, “By the way, is Mads still looking equally forlorn and unsexed?”
She sucks her teeth derisively. “Yep. Told you—this one fucked it up. Anyway, Holden here provides a tidy solution to at least one of Mads’ problems.”
“True story,” he says, patting her back a little too hard.
The look she gives him would burn the hide off an alligator, and he steps back, eyes wide.
Well, shit. Don’t think I’ve ever seen Hopper afraid.
He holds up his hands. “Apologies. Won’t happen again.”
