Threatening those I care about? It's the last thing you'll ever do.

I came to the Italian Alps to leave my past behind. I didn't plan on becoming a protector to a woman on the run, her adorable kid, and a snarky, talkative dragon named Percy.

Nicky is trying to outrun a dangerous past, and Percy is being hunted for power. They shouldn't have trusted me?a man who struggles with his own ghosts and prefers the company of silence. But now that they're under my roof, they're under my protection.

I might be retired, but I haven't lost my edge. The people hunting them are about to learn that if you threaten the ones I protect, you aren't just facing an ex-soldier?you're facing a man with nothing left to lose.

* * *


Lucky me, I've found not one but two humans to serve me. Although the big male will take some taming before he shows me the proper respect. But I think he'll be worth the effort. After all, when I need him most, he risks his life without hesitation. As he should. Because after all, there is no one more important than me.