Damaged Protector (Fierce Protectors #6)

Prologue

“Bomp, bomp, bomp. Another one bites the dust,” I sang quietly before tossing back a shot of tequila.

My eyes roamed around the wedding venue, finding each of my friends—my chosen brothers, really.

Beau “Shark” Atwood was seated in the corner, holding his sleeping two-year-old son against his shoulder while rubbing his pregnant wife’s bare feet in his lap. The big grump had surprised everyone by falling for and marrying the most adorable woman on the planet.

Let’s see… when was that? Musta been two and a half years now. Charli had definitely tamed and softened his grumpy ass.

Shark taking the plunge seemed to have set off some kind of chain reaction because six months later, our buddy Camden Fitz married the love of his life. Now that was a damn story that would send chills down your spine.

Cam and Shiloh now had a little girl named Bella, who was proving to be quite a challenge for the couple. At sixteen months old, she was already a handful. And that was putting it nicely. Bella Fitz had the biggest, bluest eyes—just like her dad—and the face of an angel. Which was probably why she got away with so much shit. I fucking adored that kid though. She was hysterical even when she was wreaking havoc.

Then Waylon “Tank” Hanford had married the brunette bombshell, Bristol, and knocked her up immediately. Their baby, Amelia, had just turned a year old. She was sweet and placid, much like Tank.

My eyes shifted to the dance floor to the next friend who’d taken the marital plunge. Mario “Woody” Diaz was slow-dancing with his new wife, Tazanna—Taz for short. That one had been a surprise as well, not because Woody was anti-marriage, but because we thought they despised each other. Guess they fooled us all.

Then today, our other friend, Bode, got married. He was truly the nicest guy I knew, and I couldn’t have been happier for his crazy ass.

His new bride, Landree, was perfect for him. She came with three kids and Bode had one of his own. They’d gone to the courthouse this morning and adopted each other’s children before marrying. The entire family was so sweet, I think I had developed diabetes.

Probably need a shot for that. Instead of insulin, I signaled the bartender for another tequila.

“Can I have one of dose?” a small voice asked from near my hip, and I looked down to see the freshly adopted Mia Bode looking up at me.

“Hey, little bit,” I said, picking her up. “Your mom lets you shoot tequila?”

“Uh-huh,” she assured me.

“Alrighty then. Bartender, set me up a shot for my pretty lady here, and make it pink.” I tossed him a wink, and he grinned.

“Coming right up. ”

Mia scrunched her little shoulders in excitement as the man squirted some Sprite into a shot glass and added a dab of cherry syrup. She was a darling kid, her Down Syndrome making her seem younger than her seven years.

“Cheers!” I said, tapping my tiny glass against hers once the bartender handed them over.

“Cheerios!” she yelled, and I grinned around my glass as we downed our drinks. “Okay, I gonna go dance with Mason now.”

“Okay, have fun,” I told her, taking her glass and setting her on her feet so she could go find her twin brother. Her pink dress flowed behind her as she ran.

“Letting my granddaughter do shots?” India Bode-Webster teased, strolling up beside me and signaling the bartender.

I pressed a kiss against her cheek. “I draw the line at corrupting children. It was a Shirley Temple shot. How’s the mother of the groom?”

“Excellent!” She picked up the glass of white wine and took a sip. “I’ve got a strong, beautiful daughter-in-law and three new grandchildren. Everything I could have wanted for my son.”

“I’m happy for them. And you. How’s married life going with Troy?” Bode’s mom had married Landree’s ex-father-in-law last year.

“Hot and heavy,” she informed me with a wiggle of her gray eyebrows. “I get hay burn on my ass at least once a week. Troy really likes the barn.”

“Didn’t need to know all that.” I made a mental note to avoid the barn at Landree’s safari. At all costs.

“Then you shouldn’t have asked. And when have you ever been shy about sex? ”

“Jesus, you’re like a mom to me, India. I don’t need to hear about your ass rash.”

She laughed, a loud raucous sound. “So noted.”

Both our eyes moved to the dance floor where her husband was dancing with the bride. Troy’s son was Landree’s asshole ex who had abandoned her and the kids, but Lan liked to joke that she got her father-in-law in the divorce. Troy was a good guy and had chosen to stay on Landree’s property and help with the drive-through safari and his grandkids after the divorce. The man was like a second father to her.

“I can’t believe Bode was the last one in our group to get married. He’s such a family guy,” I commented, lifting my drink to my mouth.

India’s gray-eyed gaze turned to me. “He’s not the last one. You are.”

I paused with the rim of the glass against my bottom lip and chuckled. “Yeah, I’m opting out.”

She was silent for a beat. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

My eyes rolled as I drank deeply. “I do.”

Her hand waved in circles in front of my face. “I’m sensing something. I’m very in tune with the universe.”

“Poor universe,” I muttered, unsure why her nonsense talk was bothering me.

“Next year.”

“Next year, what?” I asked, shifting my dark eyes toward her solemn face.

“You’re going to fall in love next year.”

“No. I’m not.”

“Yes. You are. ”

Trying to maintain some semblance of good manners, I said, “Look, I know you mean well, but it would be impossible for me to fall in love with anyone. I rarely see the same woman twice.” Still holding onto my glass, I lifted my index finger and swirled it toward the dance floor. “I’m not like those guys. I don’t date. I fuck.”

India patted my bicep and then left her hand there, a sly smile on her magenta lips. “Well, Hawk, next year you’re going to fuck the love of your life.” Her fingers bit into my muscle as her eyes closed for a brief moment. “I can literally feel it thrumming through your veins.”

“Probably gas,” I retorted, my anger rising at her unwelcome remarks. “Let me just make one thing clear. I’m not cut out for any kind of normal relationship, so I will never allow that to happen.”

She laughed—fucking laughed!—and I felt the tips of my ears heat with redness. “As if you could stop the universe once it makes up its mind about something. You can deny it all you want. I’m just telling you what I’m sensing.”

For some reason, this conversation was really getting under my skin, and I growled, “Don’t want to hear it.”

“Something I can help with?”

We both turned to find Troy and Landree standing beside us with concern on their faces.

Waving my hand toward India, I mumbled, “She’s talking nonsense.”

She smiled softly and patted my arm before retreating to dance with her husband.

“You haven’t danced with the bride yet,” Landree said, and my lips twitched before I led her to the dance floor .

Giving her a little twirl, I pulled her into me. She was tall but still a few inches shorter than me in her heels.

“Sorry about that. I love India, but she’s being a kook.”

She laughed, fully aware that her new mother-in-law marched to the beat of her own drum. “What did she say to upset you?”

“I’m not upset. She just said some weird shit.”

“Like what?” she pressed, tilting her head so her riot of red curls draped over one shoulder.

“She said she senses that love is on the horizon for me. In the new year.”

“Is that all? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I gave her a flat look. “I don’t believe in love.” When she lifted her eyebrows, I backtracked a little. “I mean, I know it exists. You and Bode are proof of that. It’s just not for people like me.”

Her hazel eyes blinked up at me. “You deserve love as much as anyone else, Hawk.”

My thick shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. I wasn’t one of those guys who thought they didn’t deserve love. I didn’t want love.

“I’m not built the same as guys like Bode. I’m not capable of loving someone.” That wasn’t entirely true either, but it was the best I could come up with to define my choices.

“Bullshit,” she claimed, and my eyebrows lifted to my hairline. “You’re a good guy. I watched you dancing with Mia a while ago. She adores you, and trust me, that kid can tell who’s a good person and who’s not.”

I sighed. “She’s an angel, and I do like kids. Just not women.”

“Gee thanks,” she deadpanned, and I grinned .

“There are a few exceptions. You and the rest of my friends’ wives. Blaire. My sister.”

“What about your mom?”

My face hardened at the mention of her. “She’s most definitely not one of the exceptions.”

“Oh, I’m sorry you had a bad home life, Hawk.” She stretched up on her toes and kissed my bearded cheek. “I’ve tried so hard to make sure my kids were happy and healthy despite being dealt a shitty hand where their father was concerned.”

“You’re amazing, Landree. You’re one of the good ones, and I’m so glad Bode found you. For both your sakes. He’s a good one too, and y’all deserve each other.” I meant every single word.

“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Hawk. Thank you.”

“I mean it. You’re strong, but make sure to lean on Bode when you need to. The jolly fucker lives for taking care of people.”

“I will. It’s hard, but I’m learning. He makes it easier.”

My eyes focused on a large pine tree outside the window. “And for the record, I didn’t necessarily have a bad home life. I had an excellent father, and it wasn’t until I was older that my mom started pulling her shit.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

My walls slammed down around me. I liked Landree, but this wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with her. Or anyone.

“No. Thanks, though.”

“Not all women are cut from the same cloth. You’ve already admitted that with your exceptions. Just try keeping your heart open. ”

My grin was positively wicked as I brought my eyes back to hers. “I’d rather keep my pants open.”

“Oh my god, you’re ridiculous!” she said, swatting me on the arm.

“My wife beating you up, dude?” Bode asked, dancing up with Sophia in his arms. “You gotta watch her. She can be brutal.”

“Wanna switch partners?” I asked, relieved to have been interrupted. I released Landree and reached for the baby. At least Sophia wouldn’t question my life choices. She wasn’t even two yet.

Spinning us in a circle, I grinned as the little one giggled like a maniac. “Is that fun, baby girl?”

She threw her head back, her tiny hands clutched in my beard as I whirled us around and around. Kids liked my big, furry face for some reason.

When I slowed the spinning—didn’t want to make the kid puke, after all—Sophia leaned forward and kissed my nose.

“I yuv you, Untle Hawt.”

I returned the nose smooch as my frayed nerves calmed.

“I yuv you too, Sophie-Pie.” She laid her dark curly head against my shoulder and yawned. “Your grandma doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You get me, right?”

She merely sighed, so I continued. “I don’t need a woman. They’re nothin’ but trouble.”

And an annoying little voice whispered inside my head:

Famous last words…