“Oh?” Bronwyn’s eyebrows rose. “Is she in danger?”
“Yes.”
I stifled a groan and buried my face in my hands.
“This is a dangerous country,” Donovan went on. “There are guns everywhere. Children routinely get shot in schools here, do they not?”
I lifted my head up to meet Bronwyn’s eyes. Sorry, I mouthed. European.
“Aha. You are in love with her, and you’re worried for her safety.” She scribbled something down on a notepad. “I understand. But I think your behavior could come across as a little too overprotective. You know, Donovan, most people don’t get shot when they go about their business.”
“They do. There have been three mass shootings in this city in the past two weeks.”
She stared at him for a second. “I’ll concede that point, I suppose. But this is a big city. Crime happens in every big city, including yours, I would bet.”
His eyes glowed. “Your local law enforcement are provided with a mere few weeks of training before they are issued with destructive weapons and told to go out to ‘protect and serve’. Our military is trained for decades before they are approved for active duty, and they stamp out nefarious behavior instantly.” His deep, growling voice vibrated right through me. “And we have no need for mundane projectile weapons.”
“Okay.” Bronwyn made another note. “Let’s move on. You think Susan isn’t adequately protected here in San Francisco, but she’s managed to safely live her life here so far.”
“Apart from a series of violent episodes which led her to be incarcerated for a long period of time.”
Bronwyn cocked her head. “So, you want to protect her from herself?”
“No. I trust her. She has proved herself more than capable of handling her own power.”
My belly glowed with pleasure. I stamped the warm feeling down immediately. He’s just playing a role.
“So, what do you need to protect her from?”
Donovan leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense. “There are monsters out there that you cannot fathom. The creatures that creep through your nightmares could not possibly prepare you for the horrors you might find lurking in the darkness.”
“I spent three years as a trauma therapist at a women’s hospital in Tennessee,” Bronwyn said dryly. “Forgive me, but as a man, I don’t think you can fathom the horrors that lurk in the darkness.”
Donovan paused for a second, then, he nodded. “I concede your point.”
She scribbled something down on her notepad. “Let’s get back to the reason you’re here. This is a safe space, my office has more than adequate security, and Susan has been here many times before. She would have communicated to you that she would be perfectly safe, yet you insisted on coming with her. Do you think that might come across to some people as unnecessarily overprotective?”
“Of course.”
She nodded.
“But it is of no consequence to me what other people might think. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure her safety.”
“Okay. Let’s dive into why that might be. Have you always felt this drive to protect the ones you love?”
He was silent for a moment. “Yes.”
“Can you give me an example?”
“It has always been my duty,” he said. “I am the heir. I must protect my entire kingdom.”
Bronwyn's lips pursed for a second; I could almost hear her thoughts. Oh Lord have mercy, another so-called alpha male, goddamn misogynists calling themselves kings, thinking they’re entitled to rule their families...
But she was a professional. “Okay, so it was your parents who insisted you take up this role as protector?”
“It is my duty,” he said again. “I am the firstborn. It is my responsibility to ensure the safety and prosperity of my realm.”
Bronwyn’s eyes flicked towards me. European, I mouthed again.
She took a breath. “That’s a big responsibility to take on, Donovan. You must know that you can’t control everyone.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Yes, I can.”
She leaned forward, fixing him with a hard stare. “There was someone you couldn’t control, wasn’t there? Something happened in your childhood. Was there someone you couldn’t protect? Your mother, maybe?”
His response was quick. “Not my mother.”
She waited.
“I have a twin brother.” Donovan hesitated for a moment, then shifted in his seat, making himself more comfortable. “He is younger and free of the burden of heirdom. As children, he was far more reckless than me. It was always my duty to make sure he behaved himself.” Donovan paused and frowned. “He never did.”
Bronwyn nodded thoughtfully. “So, your parents pushed you into these roles. You were the eldest, the dutiful heir, and he was the young troublemaker.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it was unfair of your parents to do that to you? To force you into these roles?”
“No. It is my duty as heir.”
