The Protector

SIXTY-ONE

We navigated the tiny airport with our luggage, not blending in well at all. I wondered how many of the travelers in this West Texas airport had ever seen a black flamboyantly gay British man. Avery smiled at every cowboy, soaking up the attention.

"We'll go ahead and survey the area," one of the older Protectors said to Kyler as we walked outside.

"Thanks, Sullivan. Our escort should be out front and we'll be in the designated area in approximately twenty minutes." Kyler gave him a firm handshake, all business.

Without as many trees and so much flat land, the wind blew much harder and cooler in Lubbock, so I folded my arms across my chest to help keep myself warm. My sunglasses seemed to shield my eyes, but the rest of my face was already growing cold. I glanced around desperately for the black SUV with the dark windows, but I didn't see one.

"There he is," Kyler said, pointing at a black truck lifted so high I didn't know how we were going to get inside.

"That's our ride?!" I asked, not hiding the judgment in my question.

"I thought you liked black trucks," Kyler said knowingly, strutting past me without so much as a glance. I felt my cheeks flush even more, but this time it wasn't from the howling West Texas wind.

"Isaacs!!!" a man yelled as he hopped down easily from the driver's side of the truck. He and Kyler slapped hands and embraced for a moment like old friends. I continued walking, pulling my old navy blue volleyball duffle bag higher on my shoulder as a female Protector climbed out of the truck from the passenger seat. She was beautiful with long light brown hair, pale skin, and stunning gray eyes.

"Woah! You guys look exactly alike," Avery giggled next to me.

"We do not," I responded defensively. She was a couple inches shorter and had a permanent scowl on her face. She completely ignored us as she stomped around the truck towards Kyler.

"Holy crap Isaacs. You look even douchier than the last time I saw you,"she growled as she hugged him tightly. "How's Alana," she asked as she stepped out of the hug.

"She's good," he responded with a smile, but his eyes turned to look at me, a fact not lost on the other two.

"So sorry, I don't know what happened to my manners," the man said with a strong southern drawl. He walked closer to me and I felt like I was having deja vu - the blond hair, the black shirt, the brown cowboy boots. He was Kyler Isaacs in a slightly shorter, slightly less attractive body. Not that his body wasn't attractive, because it definitely was, but almost no other body compared to Kyler's.

"I'm Paul," he said, shaking my hand for a moment too long, his hazel eyes twinkling. "And this is Rylee." He motioned to the girl who waved limply, but made no effort to walk any closer to us. "Welcome to Lubbock. It's so good to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, and thank you for picking us up. I'm Perry, and this is Avery," I said, squeezing Avery's strong bicep playfully.

"We're glad you made it here safely. We've been expecting you and your boyfriend," Paul said motioning between me and Avery, and I couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Oh no, darling," Avery purred in his perfect English accent. "You are much more my type. And Queen Perry here is very single," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

"What?" Kyler's incredulous voice snapped my attention back to the side of the truck.

"Yeah," I said softly. "It's pretty recent." I tried to sound strong, but my voice broke a bit towards the end. Paul placed a strong arm around my shoulders as he opened the truck door.

"No worries, beautiful, I know plenty of eligible bachelors out here, myself included." He winked and I leaned in to him, knowing what I was doing and enjoying it immensely. I could feel the heat emanating from Kyler's stare as Paul boosted me up and into the truck. I sat in the center seat as Avery climbed into my right and Kyler to my left. I leaned against Avery to avoid touching Kyler, but the truck was bumpy and the country music was headache inducing. I glanced over to find Avery already prowling on Protect Me to find his next Protection specific conquest. Kyler's pinkie finger intentionally grazed mine and I turned to him. Without saying a word, he pulled the sunglasses from my face and studied my eyes.

"You look like you've been crying," he said, almost in a whisper, so only I could hear him above the fiddle in the music.

"I haven't been crying. I'm just tired," I lied, trying to look away from him, but he grabbed my chin with his large fingers.

"You don't have to lie to me. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I will be." I closed my eyes and he slowly moved his thumb below my eyes, to smooth the puffy skin there. I reopened my eyes in time to see him reach out and place the sunglasses back on my face, as if nothing ever happened.

"So Kyler, remind me, you and Alana agreed on a June wedding?" Rylee asked over the music from the front seat, and I pushed myself further against Avery again.

"Yes, that's right." Kyler smiled thinly next to me, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

"How much longer before we arrive at the apartment?" I asked.

"We're here," Paul said as he turned into a parking lot. He pulled into an empty space, threw the truck into park, and turned around to look at me, a big smile on his face. At the same time, Kyler's hand made its way onto my knee.