"You are kidding me, right?" I shut the file that I was holding in my hands before it dropped on the desk with a heavy thud. "I am one of your top people, John, and you are giving me this guy- again- as my next assignment. Do I look like a glorified babysitter to you?"

I was a goddamn security and protection expert, for crying out loud — part of the best in the business. The list of dangerous criminals I had taken down and threats that I had crushed in the past four years left most in the field speechless, which was why John's competitors tried to poach me on frequently. Hell, even the MI5 sought to recruit me.

People were born with all kinds of talent, but my forte was fighting. Top-notch combat skills, sniper precision with guns, and a knack for strategy- that was me, in a nutshell. Handling danger and protecting others always felt my calling in life. And yet, my boss was trying to turn me into a guarding dog for a rich, spoiled guy who was probably receiving threats from his lovers and ex-wives again. 

Ugh. Hadn't Adam learnt his lesson the last time we protected him?

"I get you are pissed off, Riley, but he is considered an up-and-coming tech genius." John swung around with his chair, not even a muscle twitching on his face as he looked up. A sane person would never speak to their boss like that, but in our field, where we all put our lives on the line more often than not, hierarchy didn't really matter. Being honest and open with each other made all the difference between life and death. "He has money and influence, so I cannot turn him down and I cannot be seen as offering him anything else than our best. Come on — it will be an easy job. You just have to accompany him to this meet-and-greet this afternoon and make sure that no man lays a hand on him. Deal?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

I wanted to wipe that smug look off John's face. But he was right.

"Fine. But if he even as much as looks at my butt again, someone will need to protect him from me next time."

Lines pulled up at the corner of his mouth enough to reveal a quasi-smile. "That's my girl. Go say hi next door, Boswell—he is waiting there." 

Zen, Riley, zen.

As I walked into our meeting room, I saw Adam sitting there, stuffing his face with doughnuts while he waited for me. Seriously, how was this guy a genius? At the rate he was going, he was probably en route to developing diabetes before he even made it big in the tech world.

Adam was a typical nouveau riche—draped in designer accessories, owned a red Lamborghini with a licence plate PL4Y B8Y, and posted religiously on social media of his whereabouts in London as if everybody cared. 

That last part was an immense pain in the arse for me as someone who needed to keep him safe from supposed perpetrators. He was also so clever that he would regularly end up posting photos with his latest lover. Sometimes I wondered if this was his way of speeding up the divorces from his ever younger-looking new wives. Not that they complained — it was clear what they were after.

Genius, my arse.

His loud grunts filled up the room as he tried to squeeze out of his seat before he swaggered toward me with a wicked gleam in his eyes and a mouth covered with powdered sugar. "Riley, baby! I've missed you. Life is no fun without you by my side."

"Hi, Adam." I did my best to look as genuine as possible when stuck a polite smile on my face. Damn John and his favours. "I see that not much has changed since I saw you six months ago."

"No, baby, I need you in my life. Sure you don't want to become the next Mrs Adam Smith?" 

Ha, over my dead body... was what I wanted to say out loud. "Actually, Adam, I think I am suddenly more interested in women, so I will pass."

"Oh, baby, we could have so much fun together. Perhaps I was sent to help you come back to the better side?" Adam grinned, taking a step towards me.

Chauvinistic pig. It was really taking all of my inner strength not to punch him myself. But that didn't mean I couldn't remind him not to play with fire.

"Hey, Adam, ever heard of Krav Maga?" I smirked, getting closer to him. "You know, the world's most effective and dangerous martial art. No?" He clearly had no idea what I was talking about, but by the way he quickly dropped his cocky attitude, I knew my words has the intended effect. "Ask yourself this — do you really want to piss off someone who holds a black belt in it?" Beads of sweat emerged on his forehead, and he gulped loudly as I whispered that last part in his ear. "So, how about you stop pulling your sleazy moves on me and all other girls when I am around? Then you will never have to experience what exactly Krav Maga entails."

Adam straightened his t-shirt with long, nervous strokes and nodded in agreement, but, to be honest, it wouldn't be him if he didn't try to get the last word in. 

"Crikey, I am happy to have you on my side, then."

Two hours later, we arrived at the office of the start-up in Shoreditch, where the meet-and-greet was taking place. Adam had recently developed a new coding software and tech geeks seemed to be all over it. The room was mainly packed with young guys and girls, all hoping to be the next Steve Jobs. Or rather, the next Adam Smith. 

The formal speeches were long over and we were already half the way through the networking reception at the end of the event when a tall young woman headed in our direction, her face full of rage. I contemplated whether to stop her, but I was pretty sure I knew what was coming- it was not the first or last time Adam got himself in this situation.

"How could you, Adam?" she exploded, wagging her finger at him. "You fucked my sister while I was at the spa. I left my fiance for you, you prick!" Her eyes burned with fire, the kind that reminded you why a woman scorned was a dangerous woman.

Before Adam could even react or say a word, she grabbed the phone from his hand and lifted it above her head. 

"No, no, no... not my mobile," he pleaded, yet it was too late. 

The cracking of his smartphone was the only sound in the dead quiet room when she smacked it on the floor and stomped it with her foot. All eyes were on the star of the night, taking in every moment of the unfurling drama. 

It was the numerous clicking sounds of the journalists' cameras that snapped the young woman out of her rage. She swivelled around, satisfied with the scene that she had caused, and stalked out of the reception hall. To my surprise, Adam tried to stop her, but he only found himself tumbling backwards when she pulled her arm out of his grip and ran away.

"What the hell, Riley? You are supposed to keep me safe." His breath was reduced to an erratic rasp as he lay on the floor, unable to get back up without any help. 

"From actual threats to your life or well-being," I clarified.

"What the fuck do you call this, then?"

"Your own stupidity," I torqued my lips at him, "and I am not paid to protect you from that. Next time, don't post on Instagram where you are for all of your girlfriends to see."

"Some bodyguard you are."

"Hey," I shot him a narrow look, "I promised John that no one would lay a hand on you. No one did, so I think I am still good on my promise." I stretched my arm out and offered Adam my hand to help him stand up. 

As soon as I did that though, my whole body went into combat mode, sensing the incoming danger around before I heard the enemy.

"You bastard! You stole my idea and now you will pay for it."

I didn't even have the time to think about who said that and what exactly he wanted. All I knew was that I had to protect my client and that the threat was behind me. 

The click of the safety release of his gun sent my mind into autopilot. I quickly turned around when he got closer to me, stepping under his arm, before I ripped the gun out of his hand. In a matter of seconds, I torqued his wrist using my hips and my weight, and brought him down to the floor.

"Shit, that hurts. I surrender," he exclaimed as I scanned the room for other attackers. 

All I could see were the shocked attendees who clapped and whistled as if I had won a match at some boxing game. But a tall blonde guy stood out at the back of the room—he was different from the others. He stared blankly at me, unfazed by what had happened. And then he smiled. Full-on smile, as if I had made him proud. The only thing was that I had never seen the guy before, even if I couldn't shake the feeling that he seemed familiar.

Probably just another creep that I had come across before. 

Before I could think about it further, Adam groaned behind me as he got up. Yeah, I might have pushed him to the ground as I tried to save his life. Not that I felt bad about it.

"And I thought tech was a safe field." He let out a nervous laugh in a vain effort to play it cool, but he was shaking like a leaf. "Thank you for saving me, Riley." 

I nodded in response, and turned to find the blonde creep again, but he was gone.

With Adam's attacker safely handed over to the police once they arrived, I got my client checked by the paramedics and took him home, itching to finally hand him over to the gorillas guarding his house. Next time, he needed to get one of them to protect him—at least they were used to all the stupidities coming out of his mouth.

It was late by the time I headed home, but I had to clear my head after the long day. The evening was fresh and pleasant, the full moon glowing in the sky, so I got off two tube stops before my usual one and walked the rest of the way to my place. 

The moonlight illuminated the road that led to my house in Putney, making my stroll even more enjoyable. I loved the area ever since I moved here- it had plenty of greenery that made me feel freer, despite the confines of the big city. It also reminded me of my parents' home in Berkshire, which was a stone's throw away from various great parks.

Yet, my enjoyment was cut short when my body tensed up as I walked down the street. 

I knew by now what that meant—someone was following me. 

My gut feeling was indispensable in my line of work, and it was also what made me superb at my job. Somehow, I always sensed impending danger before others. What was weird this time was that I couldn't feel any threat, only the nagging sensation that I was being watched. It was as if whoever or whatever was following me did not intend any harm. 

I turned to check, but there was no one around. Still, that didn't stop me from using all the extra locks on my front door when I was finally inside my house. By the time I was out of the shower and in my pyjamas, I had almost forgotten about that weird feeling on the way home. 

Then I heard it — a howl that sounded like a wolf and yet so quiet, as if it was only meant for my ears. 

I must have been imagining it. After all, there were no wolves in the wild in the UK since the 1700s, when they were all hunted. That didn't mean I did not feel drawn to check from my window.

A loud gasp left my lips when I looked outside—standing on the other side of the street was the creepy blonde guy who stared at me once again. 

How the fuck did he know where I live?

I blinked, right before his form began to shift. Within seconds, his skin was no longer smooth—it was now covered with beautiful, dark fur. His face and body had morphed and stretched into a creature that was not human. He had transformed into a stunning black wolf. Impossible! 

I blinked again, and there was nothing.

What the hell. Was my mind playing tricks on me?