“Nick’s the wolf. He fights for dominance, but he respects a show of courage. Shane’s the panther, lying in wait.” Ellie felt her face crack into a smile as she concluded, “Hal’s the grizzly bear. Strong. Protective. And really fucking big.”
Shane nodded. “You got it.”
Nick, Fiona, and Lucas applauded.
Destiny burst out laughing. “Big in more ways than one, right?”
“Look at him blush!” Rafa said. “Like a sweet, virginal maiden.”
“You’re all fired,” said Hal, who was indeed blushing. But he was laughing too. He put his arm around her. “Sorry about this crazy crew of mine. If your brother decides to have his entire platoon of Marines run me through a gauntlet, I’ll deserve it.”
Ellie looked out at them. Not one of them seemed surprised that Hal was embracing his client. He’d obviously told them all in advance— hence the welcoming committee.
Just like me calling Catalina, she thought. He was so happy, he’d just had to share the news.
The ice broken, the team came up to casually chat with Ellie and Hal. Soon she was laughing and talking with them, completely at ease. It was like hanging out with a bunch of paramedics, or with Ethan’s Marine buddies. They all had the camaraderie that comes of working closely together in a dangerous, exciting job, when you have to depend on your teammates to help you save a life... or to save yours.
They ordered in a lavish lunch, and ate it in a big conference room with picture windows overlooking the city. Huge storm clouds hung overhead, black and ominous, but no rain fell. Ellie was glad to be indoors, with Hal and his team, rather than at work.
After lunch, she stepped aside, took out her new disposable phone, and texted Catalina, Hal took me to meet his family! (His team, actually. But same deal.)
Catalina texted back, No way! This soon?
Ellie wrote, Sometimes you just know.
Any of them hot and single?
Hot: YES. Single: Don’t know but there’s 4 guys, no wedding rings. So probably at least one.
4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are they like?
Ellie made sure no one was peeking over her shoulder as she wrote, 1 tatted bad boy (reminds me of Ethan.) 1 hot stud (and he knows it.) 1 foreign royalty (yes, seriously.) 1 quiet and scary (but in a hot way.)
Instantly, Catalina replied, Can I meet them? All of them.
I’ll ask.
Pls ask TACTFULLY. Don’t make me sound desperate!!!!!!
Smiling, Ellie wrote, Will do. Talk to you later.
When she returned to the table, the team said their good-byes and took off, leaving Hal and Ellie alone.
“I like your family,” she said.
Hal gave her a wry smile. “I’m not sure they all deserve it, but I’m glad. I’m sorry about the hazing. I had no idea they were going to do that.”
“I think being over-protective comes with the job.”
“I protect them,” Hal said, frowning. “They don’t need to protect me.”
“Well, they obviously care a lot about you.”
Hal, apparently uncomfortable with the entire subject, said, “Let’s go back to my place. If you make a list of whatever else you want to get from your apartment, I can have my team collect it and bring it over, and then we can set it up. I don’t want you to feel like you’re living in a hotel.”
“Sounds good.”
They left Protection, Inc., and got into Hal’s car. He took a completely different route back to his apartment than he’d taken to get there, frequently checking in his rear view mirror.