Her Grumpy Protector

Banks Hawthorne doesn’t lose.

Not in boardrooms. Not in backroom deals. And definitely not in Halo City—where money talks, secrets kill, and the underbelly has teeth.

But his brothers’ hunt for their missing father drags Banks straight into a blood-slick maze of power players, dirty cops, and men who smile like friends while they sharpen knives behind their backs.

Then she becomes the target.

She’s the one loose end no one saw coming—too brave, too stubborn, and suddenly standing between Banks and the truth. Protecting her should be simple: lock it down, move her somewhere safe, burn anyone who gets close.

Except she doesn’t want saving… and Banks doesn’t know how to want anyone this much.

Halo City wants her silenced. Banks wants her in his arms.

And the moment he claims her, this stops being business.

Because in a city like this, love is leverage— and Banks Hawthorne is about to turn ruthless.

Tropes: billionaire protector • forced proximity • touch-her-and-die • “who did this to you” • gritty city danger • found family brothers • high-stakes romance • mafia-esque vibes • HEA