Jared (The Protectors #2)(34)

“You’re a VC Warrior?” Otis glanced around at the crowd who had gathered.

Jared straightened back up still holding tightly to Tessa’s hand. “Leave Tessa and the boy alone.” Was Jared’s hard spoken answer before he turned to lead Tessa away.

The expression on the sheriff’s stone cold face clearly indicated that he wasn’t taking that threat seriously.

Walking away from the bastard was against Jared’s nature. He wanted to beat the hell out of the sheriff, but he could feel the anxiety from the faceoff in the shaking of Tessa’s hand and decided she was more important than his satisfaction at the moment.

“What’s your thing?” Jared looked down at her as they made their way through the crowd and past the game booths.

Tessa’s wide eyed confused expression made him smile. “My thing?”

“Yeah.” Jared laughed, trying to lighten the mood and take her mind off what had just happened. “If you could win anything what would you go for?”

Tessa looked around the game booths and smiled. “I love Angry Birds.”

“A girl after my own heart.” Jared winked down at her before finding a booth that had the funny looking birds. Placing his money down he waited patiently for the game attendant to hand him three balls to knock over the three pins on a small round table. Damon also placed money down.

The little man behind the booth took the money placing the balls in front of them with a confident smile that he had just taken money from two sappy suckers trying to win a prize for their women. Jared and Damon glanced at each other before looking back at the man with large grins showing their fangs.

“Ah shit.” The disappointment in the man’s voice was so clear both Jared and Damon laughed loudly.

After knocking the pins completely off the table Jared grabbed Tessa pulling her closer. “Which one do you want?”

Jared watched the excitement radiating from her beautiful eyes as she looked over the stuffed animals hanging all over the booth. Mate or not she was going to be his. To hell with what anyone thought, council included. He had never been a big believer in the mate crap anyway. He was happy for Damon and others who had found theirs, but he had been walking this world alone for thousands of years and he was done waiting. He had found who he’d been looking for and she stood before him looking more beautiful than anything he had ever seen clutching a red Angry Bird to her chest.

“Hey Jared!” Adam called out. “Try this one. Bet you can’t do it.”

Pulling his eyes off Tessa regretfully, he glanced over at Adam who held a football. He looked back down at her. “Guess I need to go make the kid look bad.”

Tessa smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anytime honey.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they headed toward the game Adam was getting ready to play.

“Move over punk.” Jared nudged him. “Let me show you how a real football player does it.”

Adam nudged him back. “Then you better watch me old man.”

“Uh-oh.” Nicole whispered next to Tessa’s ear. She also had an Angry Bird, hers the yellow one.

“What?” Tessa leaned her head back looking at Nicole’s knowing grin

“You got the vamp crush going on.” Nicole’s grin grew.

Tessa snorted shaking her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Yeah…yeah, that’s what we all say.” Nicole laughed, drawing the attention of everyone around. “As my good friend Pam would say, I call bullshit.”

Chapter 15

“Hey sis.” Adam walked past her. “Come on, we’re all going on the Ferris Wheel.”

Tessa’s feet rooted to the spot as she looked up at the rickety looking thing. “Think I’ll pass.”

“Don’t like heights?” Jared stopped next to her so close their arms were touching.

“Not since I fell off the roof.” Tessa snorted. She had loved the Ferris Wheel when she was little, but she was afraid she would embarrass herself with a total freak out if she did go up there now.

“What the hell were you doing on the roof?” Jared walked her over to a ticket booth.

“Fixing a leak so Gramps didn’t try to get up there by himself.” Tessa stood to the side out of the way of others getting in line for ride tickets still looking up at the old thing that had seen better days. “You guys go ahead.”

Jared took the tickets he purchased grabbing her hand. “Trust me.”

“I really don’t think I can do this.” Tessa shook her head glancing again at the large round death trap going around and around.

Getting in line behind Damon and Nicole, Jared turned around looking down at her. “I will not let you fall.” He smiled down at her, his eyes sincere. “You will be safe with me. I promise.”

Tessa stood forever staring into his gorgeous eyes. It seemed like she had waited her whole life to hear those words. She gave him a small nod afraid to open her mouth and start blubbering all over him. He had so far seen her cry more than anyone in her whole life.

“That’s my girl.” He wrapped his arm tight around her and it felt so right.

They were the next in line. “If something was to happen can you jump and land without hurting yourself?”

Jared chuckled. “Honey, I could do a back flip and land like a cat.”