Protecting Elliot (The Protectors)

Prologue

Cruz

“Cruz, come on in,” Memphis said after shaking my hand. I nodded and followed my boss to the living room. I wasn’t surprised to see Ronan waiting there. Despite the man’s increasing focus on his family and medical career, he still had his fingers in every aspect of the vigilante group he’d founded.

I’d never personally met the third man in the room, but I knew who he was. Memphis had already given me the heads-up that he was a close friend of his and Ronan’s and that he was connected to the powerful Barretti family.

“Cruz, this is Declan Barretti,” Memphis said.

“Captain,” I said politely as I extended my hand to the man who’d risen from his position on the couch. He tilted his head at me, probably because I’d used his formal title rather than his name.

“Please, call me Declan,” he murmured as he shook my hand.

I already knew the man was in his late forties, since I’d done as much research on him as I could once Memphis had told me about the meeting.

I’d spent the better part of the evening weeding through the murky family tree that was the Barretti clan.

Declan had actually married into the family years earlier, though I wasn’t sure if marriage was the correct term, since he was in a relationship with two men at the same time.

I’d seen some news articles about Declan and his partners, Ren Barretti and Jagger Varos, having had some type of commitment ceremony, but I wasn’t about to ask about it.

It certainly wasn’t any of my business.

I was here to do a job, nothing more.

“Declan,” I said with a nod.

I stepped past Declan and shook Ronan’s hand, then took the chair that Ronan motioned to.

It was a good spot because it would allow me to read Declan’s expressions as he spoke.

Despite the fact that he was close to Ronan and Memphis, I still wanted the ability to judge for myself how forthcoming the man was.

Declan was a big guy and a good-looking one, but there was a certain weariness about him.

I wondered if it had anything to do with why I’d been called in.

The fact that he was a captain in the Seattle Police Department had piqued my interest from the get-go, since it wasn’t typical for a do-it-by-the-books cop to seek the help of guys like Ronan and Memphis.

After all, it wasn’t like what me and the other guys who worked for Ronan did was exactly aboveboard.

“Declan has asked us for assistance with a case,” Memphis began before deferring to Declan.

Declan swallowed hard and nodded. I had to wonder if whoever the subject was had some kind of personal connection to Declan because he seemed pained as he tried to figure out where to start.

“His name is Elliot Wittier,” Declan said. Memphis handed me a file folder and I quickly flipped it open. My eyes fell on the picture that was on top of the stack of papers. I quelled my reaction to the sight of the gorgeous man and promptly shut the folder again.

I’d have time to study the contents later. For now, I wanted to focus all my attention on the man asking for my help.

But the piercing blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and rangy body from the photograph rode the edge of my vision as Declan began speaking.

“We received a 911 call last night from the office of the foundation he runs. Elliot was returning to the office to pick up something on his way home from a dinner meeting. He walked in on someone vandalizing the place and got roughed up.”

My fists automatically tightened on the folder in my hands. “Is he okay?” I asked quickly, despite my intent to remain emotionally detached from the police captain’s story.

“Couple of scrapes and bruises. He declined medical treatment.”

I nodded and ignored the need to fire more questions at Declan.

I also ignored the innate desire to flip the folder open again so I could take in Elliot’s image once more. Even now, I was wondering about the severity of his injuries.

It wasn’t a good sign.

“When I heard about the attack, I went down there myself,” Declan said.

“You have a personal connection to him?” I asked.

Declan paused and shifted his eyes to the ground briefly. “I do,” he said softly. I was surprised when Ronan settled his hand on Declan’s shoulder.

“There’s no judgement here, Declan,” Ronan said gently.

Declan nodded. “Elliot is the son of the man I was partnered with shortly after I got out of the police academy. His name was Mac. I wasn’t out back then, but Mac was.

The department wasn’t exactly tolerant when it came to homosexuals on the force.

Mac, he didn’t care, but I did. I knew what it meant. ”

When Declan seemed too pained to continue, I said, “Your brothers in blue wouldn’t have your back.”

Declan nodded and then he was looking directly at me. “Ronan said you’d get it.”

I swallowed hard at that.

I got it all too well.

And that fact made it clear as to why I’d been chosen for this particular job.

I managed a nod in response, but nothing else.

“I asked to be assigned to a new partner. My request was granted,” Declan continued. “When I next saw Mac, he’d been notified of the transfer and he...”

Declan’s words fell off, but neither Ronan nor Memphis urged him to go on. It was a good thirty seconds before he did.

“He told me he understood and that he thought I was going to make a hell of a good cop. He was killed that night responding to a home invasion. His backup never showed up.”

Declan took in a shuddering breath before he said, “No one in the department was ever disciplined for it. The higher-ups bought the story that the units who should have responded misunderstood the address dispatch gave them. The fuckers were joking about it the next day – said the best kind of…”

Declan covered his mouth with his hand briefly, then forced the ugly words out.

“The best kind of fag was a dead one.” The older man paused, then explained, “I was one of two people who went to the funeral. The other was Mac’s boyfriend, Sam.

Turned out that Mac’s family had disowned him.

Sam didn’t know who I was at first, but afterward when he found out… ”

Declan’s voice dropped off and this time, he didn’t continue.

“Mac had a son?” I finally prodded.

He nodded. “I didn’t even know they were expecting. Elliot was born via surrogate a month later. Mac never even got to meet him.”

It took Declan several long beats before he seemed to collect himself.

“Sam was only a few years older than me when Mac died. He’d started a successful investment firm and just recently handed the reins over to Elliot.

But from everything I’ve seen and heard, Elliot’s true passion is the foundation. ”

It didn’t surprise me one bit that Declan had apparently been keeping tabs on Mac’s child. “What kind of foundation is it?” I asked.

“It focuses on the rights of LGBTQ individuals by providing legal support in discrimination and court cases. It also donates money to different causes and educates the community.”

I nodded in understanding. It was no surprise that the young man and his foundation would have been targeted. The support for same-sex relationships had grown in leaps and bounds over the years, but it was far from perfect.

“So, you think someone is targeting Elliot?” I asked, suddenly eager to get started on my assignment. Even the idea that danger could be stalking Elliot Wittier at this very moment was making me antsy.

“It’s not the first time the place has been vandalized, but I think it’s the first time he’s been directly attacked.

I don’t think he wanted me to know it, but he seemed really spooked by the whole thing.

But when I offered to beef up patrols in the neighborhood, he told me not to bother.

” Declan’s tone made it clear why Elliot had declined the offer – the young man clearly doubted the cops would take any better care of him than they had his father.

Declan’s eyes held mine as he said, “I just need to make sure it was a onetime thing. I owe it to Sam… and Mac.”

“Understood,” I said. “Why not just put some police protection on him? Or ask your brothers-in-law to have someone watch him?” I asked.

“Elliot shares his father’s hatred of all things police.

I doubt he would have even reported the incident last night if a passerby hadn’t seen what was happening and called 911.

When we arrived, he wasn’t exactly cooperative…

or welcoming. Not that I can really blame him.

” Declan paused before saying, “I can’t ask Dom to put one of his guys on Elliot because they have both a professional and personal relationship. ”

I knew Dom was Dominic Barretti, Declan’s brother-in-law and one of the co-founders of Barretti Security Group.

Dom had been married to Declan’s younger sister, Sylvie, for several years before losing her to leukemia.

He’d gone on to marry a man named Logan Bradshaw, while Declan had become involved with Dom’s younger brother, Ren, and one of Dom’s employees, Jagger.

“How so?” I asked.

“Sam began contracting with Dom’s security group years ago.

Barretti Security Group handles Sam and Elliot’s investment firm’s information technology security needs.

Sam didn’t know when he signed on with Dom’s group that Dom and I were related by marriage.

Once he found out, he chose not to dissolve the professional relationship because Barretti Security is just too good at what it does.

Dom wasn’t sure about keeping Sam’s business when he found out how much Sam and his son hated me, but I convinced him to put that aside and keep the relationship. ”

“And the personal relationship?” I asked.

“Dom’s husband, Logan, runs a center that helps LGBTQ kids. It gets them off the streets and provides them with resources like education, housing, counseling, and legal support. Elliot’s foundation is a big contributor and he and Logan have become friends.”

“That must be awkward,” I murmured.

Declan sighed softly. “Just shows what good men Sam and Elliot are. Despite their hatred of me, they’re not going to let the people who rely on them suffer. I imagine Elliot and Logan have come to some kind of agreement that the topic of me is off-limits.”

Declan shifted forward on the couch a bit and pressed his hands together. “So, you can see why I can’t ask Dom to get involved. I just… I need to know the threat to Elliot, if there is one, is taken care of. But he can’t know I’m involved—”

“He won’t,” I cut in. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Though I didn’t have any kind of personal connection with Declan or his huge family, I owed it to Ronan and Memphis to make sure this job didn’t go sideways.

“I’ll find a way to get close to him without him being the wiser,” I murmured before glancing at Memphis and Ronan.

Both men nodded and I knew that they were trusting me to figure out the best way to get into Elliot’s inner circle.

I stood and held my hand out to Declan. “I’ll keep him safe,” I said.

Declan rose, nodded, then took my hand. “For Mac,” he whispered.

“For Mac,” I agreed, though I knew in my gut that it wasn’t just the obligation to the fallen officer that would have me keeping Elliot out of harm’s way.

It was a reality I didn’t want to deal with, so I tucked the folder under my arm before saying my goodbyes to Ronan and Memphis.

Time to figure out who exactly Elliot Wittier was and how to keep him from meeting his father’s fate.