The One I Shouldn’t Want

Damien inhaled from his cigarette and let the smoke drift out through his nostrils. He rolled the butt between his fingers, then flicked it once with his thumb before letting it fall into the ashtray resting on the bonnet of his car. An iPad was in his other hand as he waited for the call to connect.

As soon as it did, his friend’s worried face filled the screen.

“Why are you calling so early, Wolfe? Is there a problem? Do you think she can’t stay with you?” Lucien asked, his voice matching the concern in his expression.

Damien scoffed and tilted his head back, eyes on the sky before returning his gaze to the only person he could call his brother and best friend.

“Listen to me, Lucien,” he began, his tone firm but not as cold as usual. “Tell me the truth about that woman. Sorry, I mean the girl you brought here for me to look after.”

He licked his lower lip and went on. “Are you telling me the same girl you took in seventeen or eighteen years ago—”

“Twenty,” Lucien cut in.

Damien’s eyes widened instantly. “Fuck me, Luc. You’ve got to be kidding me right now, huh?”

“She just turned twenty last month,” Lucien added.

Damien raked a hand through his hair and rubbed his jaw in disbelief.

“That girl is massive, dude. She’s got everything in the right places, and she has—”

“Damien,” Lucien cautioned.

Damien instantly clamped his mouth shut, looking everywhere but the screen.

“She’s someone old enough to be your daughter, remember?” Lucien added, his tone sharp.

Damien scoffed. “Come on, bro. I’m just thirty-something, or…”

“Screw you, man. You don’t even keep track of your age anymore?” Lucien cut in, clearly annoyed.

Damien blinked, eyebrows lifting. “Hold on, Luc. I’m turning forty this year?”

“Yes, buddy. You’re turning forty next month. That means you’re old enough to be her father. So please, keep your ‘dude’ to yourself and always remember she’s your friend’s niece.”

Damien huffed, clearly not thrilled.

“Calm down, man. I never said I wanted to fuck her. You know she’s too innocent for me. I’d destroy her,” he said in a matter of fact tone.

Lucien’s shoulders relaxed, the tension in his face easing. “Yes. She’s too innocent. And please, you have to keep some of your stuff away from her. She can’t know the kind of person I am or what I do, Damien.”

“No, man. That I can’t promise you,” Damien said, shaking his head. “But wait a second. She doesn’t know what you do?”

Lucien exhaled. “She thinks I run a logistics company.”

Damien laughed under his breath. “You run a logistics company, alright. Guns, pills, and powder.”

“Don’t start,” Lucien warned.

Damien turned and leaned back against the bonnet, eyes locking onto four of his men approaching. They moved in sync, silent and sharp, dressed in nothing but sleeveless black blazers and tailored pants.

Their thick, muscled arms were on full display, skin catching the early light, each one built like a soldier but moving like a shadow.

“Keep her away from the fire, Luc. Because if she finds out what this is and she gets burned… it won’t be on me.”

“Talk to you later and take care of yourself,” Damien put in, then cut the call and lowered the iPad without another word.

“Good morning, boss!” came their chorus, deep and sharp.

“Listen to me,” Damien began, crossing one leg over the other. “I have a guest and they’ll be staying here for at least two months.”

“Oh, that’s fine, boss. Do you want me or Rex to train him to your satisfaction?” one of the men asked quickly.

“No, boss. Graves and Rex never train anyone to your satisfaction,” another cut in. “Let me handle the person.”

Damien lowered his head and rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

“It’s a female,” he said calmly, still rubbing his forehead. “A very young lady, someone who needs to be protected, not trained.”

The four men exchanged glances and immediately fell silent.

“I want you all to watch over her like your lives depend on it,” Damien said, his cold gaze sweeping across them.

“And yeah, Graves and Thorne will be personally assigned to her as bodyguards.”

The words had barely left his mouth when both men spoke up at once.

“Boss!”

“B-Boss, how can you pair Graves and me together? You know we never get along, boss,” Thorne said, almost pouting. He was tall, with a deep knife scar slashing across his face, but right now he looked more like a sulking child pleading with his father.

“Yes, boss. Rex and I will do a much better job, I swear,” Graves cut in quickly, his tone eager. He stood as tall as Thorne, but his face was smooth and clean-cut, the complete opposite of his arms, which were covered in ink.

“Graves should follow her around, especially when she wants to go out. Thorne, you stay with her at home,” Damien continued like he hadn’t been interrupted just now.

Graves and Thorne seethed, their hands curling into fists. To them, this was the most challenging task their boss had ever handed down.

Then Damien held out the iPad to Thorne, who took it quickly even though he clearly wasn’t happy about it.

“There’s a list of her favorite dishes in the notes. And make sure you entertain her properly, Thorne. If she cries or complains about you, you’re as good as dead,” Damien said flatly. There was no emotion in his voice, but the weight of his words hit like a threat all the same.

Thorne sighed and dragged a hand over his face, cursing his life under his breath.

His boss knew how much he loved using guns and knives, and still assigned him to babysit. What a joke.

“Is that clear?” Damien asked in his cold, authoritative voice.

The men all nodded and chorused at once. “Yes, boss!”

Then Damien turned his gaze fully to Rex.

“Fill me in, Rex. How on earth is Gary still alive?”

Rex shut his eyes and mentally made the sign of the cross before breathing out and beginning. “Boss, Gary is way smarter than we expected. It’s like he knew we were coming. His security was heavier than—”

“So the security stopped you from gunning him down and seizing the powder?” Damien cut in calmly, his eyes closed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose again and again.

Rex’s throat tightened. He glanced at the others before nodding once. “Yes, boss.”

“Get me the car key, Blade. We’re bringing Gary down today,” Damien said, straightening to his full height.

Something close to fear flickered in Rex’s dark eyes. “Boss, it’s dangerous. How about we wait until he’s about to fly out of the—”

“No, Rex. Today or never,” Damien grunted just as Blade returned with the car key. He opened the backseat door of the red sports car for Damien, then got behind the wheel.