Read Online Protector: The Elect, Book 1 by Loribelle Hunt - Free Book Online

smart for her own good, and rarely supervised. Falling into the wrong crowd was inevitable, and the adrenalin rush was addictive. It was only when her younger brother started to follow in her footsteps that she’d changed her path and forced him to do the same. They definitely weren’t her proudest years, but she kind of missed the excitement.  
    She slid the slim tools back in their case and opened the door. Brax smoothly cut in front of her and entered first. She figured arguing the move would be pushing her luck. Besides, she knew as soon as she opened her senses and peered inside there was nothing to protect her from. Nothing alive, at least.  
    Brax headed to the front door, but she veered off down the hall, checking out the rooms. She found him in his office, leaning back in a chair with a bullet hole between his eyes. An autopsy would give them time of death, but she trusted her senses more. Franklin had been dead about ten hours. She looked around the room, noting the wine glasses on the desk and the general disarray.  
    “What do you think?” Carter asked softly behind her.  
    “He knew his killer. And I’d bet he took anything we might find useful.”  
    “Yeah,” he agreed, coming farther into the room while Brax and Mason stood just inside the door. “No computer.”
    She shook her head and moved behind the desk to check the drawers. Brax came inside and checked the opposite side. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and flipped through them.  
    “Bills. Nothing unusual.”  
    “We need to check his office. He probably wouldn’t keep medical files here, and if he did, his killer took them,” Esme said.  
    She arched an eyebrow, questioning as Brax pulled some of the bills free, folded them, and stuck them in his shirt pocket. “Phone records.”  
    Right. Franklin likely had been in contact with the people who’d tracked her, either by phone or email.  
    “I want to go to my condo first. I need fresh clothes.”  
    “I’ll take you. Mason and Carter can go on to the office.”  
    She bit her lip, trying to guess from his expression if Brax was going to insist. She wasn’t ashamed to admit she was afraid to be alone with him. The draw between them was too intense, the attraction too sharp. She needed time to process it all before she decided if she would stay or not. That she was even considering that after agreeing to Carter’s plan to leave confirmed her fears.  
    Damn. How should she deal with him? She couldn’t let him think he could order and she’d obey his every command. And he had the look of a man used to command. If she refused, he’d insist. It was clear on his face, in what he allowed her to see of his mind. Then Carter would get involved. It could get ugly, so instead of telling him to take a flying leap as she was tempted to, she nodded.  
    “You’re sure?” Carter stared at her.  
    “ Esme? I don’t think you should be alone with him, sweetheart ” .  
    “ I’ll be fine ”  
    “ He’ll seduce you. He’ll keep you and make you believe it was your idea. ”  
    “ We have a plan, Carter. I won’t forget it ” .  
    “I’ll be fine, Carter.”  
    “Sure about that?”
    At her side, Brax growled and his hand tightened around her waist. “I would never hurt her and I think you know it.”  
    Carter gave him his fierce warrior look, and Esme barely managed to not roll her eyes. “We’ll meet you at the office.”  
    She turned and left by the back door without saying another word to her brother or Brax. Let them beat their chests and threaten each other. No skin off her back. But they all followed her, Mason bringing up the rear and relocking the door. Carter tossed her the car keys, and they went their separate ways.  
    Her condo was only a few minutes away, but it was a tense, quiet ride, and she regretted splitting apart from her brother. She’d been right about being alone with Brax. He was huge in the interior of her brother’s car, a common