Falling For The Billionaire I Was Hired to Protect

“Don’t move.”Jace Maddox froze when he heard the voice behind him. His hand hovered over the espresso machine. It was just past four in the morning, his usual hour for coffee. But the night had been ruined, and so had his routine.He turned slowly, eyes meeting the masked man standing in his kitchen. The intruder was tall, dressed in black, holding a knife like he knew how to use it. Jace stayed calm. He always did.“I don’t keep money here,” he said. “And I don’t panic. So whatever you want, say it now.”The man didn’t answer. He stepped forward, blade raised.But before the knife could reach Jace, someone slammed into the attacker from the side. The man was pinned down with brutal force. The knife clattered to the marble floor. Grunts filled the room as the two men struggled, but it ended quickly.The masked man didn’t get back up.Jace stood frozen for a second before the other man rose to his feet, breathing heavily.He was taller than Jace. Strong. Sharp hazel-green eyes locked

Jace didn’t look away.River’s words settled in the space between them like an unspoken history, sharp and heavy. The restaurant noise faded around them. Jace had never been good at reading people, but even he could tell River hadn’t just said that to sound dramatic. He meant it.“Then why are you still here?” Jace asked softly.River sat back, the candlelight catching the faint scar on his jaw. “Because someone’s trying to hurt you. And I want to know why.”Jace studied him. There was no false charm, no empty flattery. River was too real, too blunt and maybe that was why the world already believed the lie. It was easier to think Jace Maddox had fallen for a man like River Hale than to believe he could ever be truly alone.Their plates sat untouched.Outside, the photo ops had already been taken, Jace walking in with River’s hand on his lower back, a brief glance exchanged as they entered the private dining room. Sasha had probably already approved the captions.Jace reached for his g

Jace had never seen River freeze like that. He’d watched him disarm a stranger with terrifying speed. He’d seen him move through rooms like a shadow, calculating, alert, composed. But this was different.River’s shoulders were tense. His jaw was locked. And his eyes... there was something in them Jace hadn’t seen before.Fear.“What did the voice say?” Jace asked, quieter this time.River didn’t speak for a long moment. Then he slid his phone across the table. “They mentioned my unit. No one should know about them. No one.”Jace picked up the phone but found no trace of the number. “Blocked.”River nodded once. “They said I’m protecting the wrong man. That if I don’t walk away… I’ll end up like the others.”Jace blinked. “The others?”River leaned against the wall, dragging a hand through his hair. “There were five of us. My squad. Overseas. We were sent into a mission that wasn’t cleared. We were told it was surveillance, but it wasn’t. Two of them died that night, one lost a leg. Th