Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“Who are all the guys sneaking around out there?” Mike asked, his shoulders tense as he glanced out around the yard.

Alec’s opinion of him went up. “Those would be my brothers.”

“How many of them are there?” Mike asked.

Alec shrugged. “Enough.”

“Enough?” Mia asked, finally finding her voice. She stared up at the large man glaring down at her. What did that mean? He didn’t want to tell them how many brothers he had? Why wouldn’t he want them to know? If she was going to live here, she assumed she’d meet them. And if they were anything like the one she’d already met then she was in trouble.

He turned his gaze to her, and she wished she hadn’t drawn his attention once more.

“There’s five.”

“You’ve got six,” Jardin said with a note of exasperation.

“I do?” He shrugged, seemingly indifferent. Didn’t he know how lucky he was to have just one brother let alone six? “Figured they would have murdered each other by now.”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. It had to be an act, surely. She’d already met one brother. Tanner had greeted them at the front gate, going over Mike’s car with a machine he said would search out any tracking devices or bugs. Mike hadn’t been too happy with that; he’d been even less impressed with the way Tanner had flirted with her the entire time. She hadn’t read anything into it. He struck her as the type of guy who flirted with all women, be they eight or eighty. It wasn’t like she was the type to attract someone as gorgeous as Tanner Malone.

Alec Malone was just as stunning. But he certainly didn’t have Tanner’s easy nature. As he glared down at her, she found herself wondering if she’d be better off facing the assassin, because Alec Malone certainly didn’t seem pleased to have her here. Not that she could blame him. She didn’t know why he’d agreed to any of this. She was putting his entire family in jeopardy with her presence.

Tall, with broad shoulders, his dark hair was kept neat and short. His jeans were a faded blue, his shirt stretched across his wide chest, tight around his arms. He wasn’t the biggest guy she’d ever seen. He didn’t look like a guy who worked out at the gym for hours each day. He looked like a man who knew how to work hard for what he wanted.

There were hints of gray in his dark hair, but they just added to his appeal. Those dark brown eyes pinned her, as though he’d sensed her studying him. She stood there, frozen as he held her with just his gaze. This man . . . he was dangerous, potent, and so gorgeous it took her breath away.

She needed . . . she needed to get her act together. He was the guy who was opening up his home to keep her safe. She didn’t like this plan any more than Mike did. But she liked his alternative idea even less. The one where he took a leave of absence to protect her.

Yeah, that one sucked. Because in that scenario she was pretty certain her only family was going to get himself killed.

“Look, Mike,” Jardin said. “You don’t know Alec and his brothers but they’re solid. They’ll protect Mia.”

“I called in a favor from you,” Mike stated. “I only trust you.”

“Even though he’s a soul-sucking lawyer, Jardin doesn’t have the resources I do. Besides, he’s here half the time and in New Orleans the rest. You hardly want her moving around, do you?” Alec ground out. “Or are you planning on taking her back to New York with you?”

She trembled. She never wanted to go to New York again.

While he said all this, his gaze was on her. Mike didn’t miss that. His glower was hot enough to scorch.

“Maybe that would work. Last thing that he would suspect is for her to be hiding right under his nose.”

“That will never work,” Alec spat out dismissively. “Stupid idea.”

She could sense Mike bristling. Alec Malone didn’t seem to have much of a social filter.

“Mike.” She placed her hand on his arm as she stepped forward so she stood beside him. “I don’t want to go to New York.”

“If it’s the best way to keep you safe—”

“It’s not,” Alec Malone interrupted.

She resisted the urge to scowl at him. Couldn’t he see she was trying to smooth things over? And he was just making it all worse. And she had to live with this guy for the foreseeable future?

“Mike, I can’t go back to New York. I can’t.” She stared up at him, willing him to understand. A hint of softness entered his gaze and he nodded. She breathed out a sigh. Sometimes, when he got an idea in his head he couldn’t let it go.

“All right, sweetheart. New York is out.”

“Good,” Jardin said to them both. “She’ll be safe here, I promise.”