Safe and Sound

eight - travis

He wouldn't make a move with Taylor here. It was too risky to be seen by anyone outside our world. I'd already checked the license plate and knew who I was dealing with. This guy wasn't an amateur, and he weren't stupid enough to start trouble in broad daylight. I wasn't worried. Not for myself, anyway. The woman next to me was another story.

Taylor, eventually listening to me, got out of the car and stuffed her hands in her pockets, clearly in a mood.

"Can't you just tell your little friend to move so I can leave? I have places to be, Travis." She huffed, with a slight roll of her eyes.

I didn't want Taylor getting involved because the second she did, it would be over for her. There was no turning back once you knew even the slightest bit about this world.

"Go inside. Close all the blinds and don't leave until I come in and get you. You understand?" I said, and Taylor blinked at me, then raised her eyebrows.

"Excuse me? What kind of illegal shit are you about to do?" She almost laughed, and I could tell she was joking. It wasn't far from the truth, though.

"Taylor, just trust me," I said. "Go inside. Now."

She hesitated, then let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, but you owe me for this," she muttered before heading toward the house. I watched her go, as she climbed the few steps to my front door, then went inside. I waited until she started closing some of the blinds like I'd asked, then turned my attention back to the SUV.

The window rolled down, and a familiar face leaned out. Solis, a man I had dealt with before, leaned forward. I hated the guy. He wasn't the most powerful person, and he knew full well I could break him in half without even flinching. But he also knew how to get under my skin, and he was a pain in the ass to deal with.

"Kelce," he greeted with a lazy smirk. "We need to have a little chat." He said, his Spanish accent thick.

I stepped toward the vehicle, my jaw clenched. "Make it quick," I snapped.

Solis' dark eyes flicked toward the house, lingering just a little too long for my liking. "You've got an interesting guest," he said casually, and I pressed my lips together.

"What are you talking about?"

His smirk widened. "Come on, don't play dumb. That's Taylor Swift in there, isn't it? Or should I say... Scott's Kingsley's daughter?"

My blood ran cold. Of course, he knew. It was only a matter of time before someone figured it out. Hell, him and his puny friends probably knew about her existence before I did. But how the fuck had they found out she was here?

"You stay the hell away from her," I growled, stepping closer to the car. My fists clenched at my sides.

The man chuckled, completely unfazed as he brought his hand to his jaw, scratching his lazy excuse of a beard. "Easy there, Kelce. We're not here to hurt her... not unless we have to. But you know how things go in our world. If someone's useful, you keep them close. And her? She's leverage—whether you want to admit it or not."

I could feel the anger boiling under my skin, but I forced myself to stay calm. "She knows nothing about her dad. You don't touch her. You don't even breathe in her direction. Got it?"

The smirk faded from his face, replaced with something colder. "That's not up to you, Kelce. See, her daddy's got a lot of enemies, and he's pissed off a lot of powerful people in this country. You think those people are going to leave her alone? You think you can protect her from that?"

I took a step closer, glaring at him. "I'll protect her from anyone who tries. Including you."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, "Sure, sure. You're the big hero. But heroes don't last long in our world. Eventually, they fall. And when you do... you won't be able to protect your little girlfriend anymore." He smiled.