Promises (The Kings of Guardian #14) - Kris Michaels Page 0,33

some of the people who formed a wall-to-wall barrier between them and the store where they needed to be. “We can get you there.”

“Yeah, and what happens when someone recognizes him in the store?” Nic asked. “You saw what the people at the restaurant did to him.”

“They have private areas for big spenders. They have to. With all of us buying rings, they’ll move us into one of the areas they have set up. Then it will be a matter of getting you back. The cars will pick us up here,” Jason spoke as he moved so he was blocking Chad from another angle.

Jacob turned to face them. “Look, we have to do this, so from this point forward this is an op. Pure and simple. Chief, you take the point. Dixon, Drake, you flank us, Zane and Jason, you are on Chad like fucking glue, you are his last line of defense. Jared, you’re with Christian, and Justin, you’re with Nic—you are the roving blockers. If anyone seems too interested, you get in their way. Adam and I have our six. The store is one klick away north by northeast. We’ve covered rougher territory with more at stake, but I’ve seen this guy’s fans. They are feral. The LZ is hot, we have no weapons but our wit, and according to my wife, that won’t get us far, but we don’t have a choice. If we fail, Chad will become dog chow and our women will know we didn’t have a hand in this event. I, for one, liked the thank-you sex I got last night.” He glanced around. Dixon agreed. He’d obtained a nine-and-a-half last night. Even though his little assassin would never admit it, she dug the fact the rest of the women included her in the girly things.

There was a grumble of agreement as they took up their positions. Chief made sure everyone was ready and stepped off. The mass of humanity that filled the port area decried any personal space. They moved forward, splitting the crowd of people coming off the cruise ships. They pushed upstream against the flow of swimsuit-wearing, coconut-smelling, suntan lotion-slathered tourists. Everyone stared at them. Dixon huffed and elbowed past people who’d stopped in the middle of the street to take pictures. Of course, they would stare. Their sizes alone would make them a spectacle, but the fact they were parting the crowd and hiding a man at the center of their formation drew even more eyes. They turned the corner, and he drew a breath. He could see the damn sign. Thank God.

He saw a woman tap another’s arm and point to Chad. Damn it. They had less than a block to go. “Chief.” His one-word warning pushed them forward at a higher clip. Damn it. Joy wasn’t much for bling, but he wanted to get her a ring to celebrate their decision to start a family. Something she could pass down to their grandchildren someday.

“Move.” Jared pointed to the store, and they darted to the tan building with the dark brown awning. They walked into the interior store area as one person, bringing every store clerk’s eyes to them. Mike walked up to the first employee he saw. “We need to see the manager immediately.”

The woman blinked at him and swept her eyes past him to the men behind him. “One moment, please.” She put the ring she was showing back in the display case and locked it.

“But I wanted that ring,” a woman sputtered as the employee scooted behind the counter.

Mike glanced at the display and shook his head. He looked the woman up and down and smiled slowly. “You’d look better in rose gold.”

Fuck. Dixon fought his smile when he watched the woman melt under Mike’s attention. Chief had game; he really did. Who would have known? The woman’s hand went to her throat, and she smiled in a kind of shell shocked way. “Do you really think so?”

Mike nodded. “Absolutely.”

The manager made her way to them. “Sir, may I be of assistance?” Chief leaned down and whispered in the woman’s ear. Her eyes grew large, and she nodded. “But of course. Right this way.”

“See, I told you, that is Chad Nelson.” The woman Dixon had noticed earlier pointed to Chad.

“Oh, shit.” Chad crowded past Jason and followed Chief. Zane moved up to lead the way and Jason was glued to his back.

The rippling murmur that went through the crowd grew louder. Dixon was never so glad