“Hm,” Ed said. “I agree. Juliet’s man.”
He could feel his blood pressure spike. There was a ringing in his ears. “Juliet’s man?”
“That’s what he claimed to be,” Ed said. “Well, no, that’s not quite right. He told the whole bar that she was taken when Loki proposed to her.”
“Loki proposed to her?” How long had he been gone for? What was even happening right now?
“He only wanted her to join Loki’s Warriors for the quiz,” Georgie explained, obviously taking pity on him.
Right. That explained that part. But who the fuck was this guy claiming his Juliet in the damn Wishing Well? He’d seen her a week ago. How could she have met someone? Juliet, who couldn’t speak to people she didn’t know and trust well. She still wouldn’t talk to Georgie, and she considered her a close friend.
“Who is it?” he asked in a strangled voice.
Ed gave him a puzzled look. “You don’t know?”
“Know. What.” Seriously, he was going to deck Ed if he didn’t tell him what the fuck he knew.
“He’s a bodyguard, someone Reuben hired to protect her,” Ed told him.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Why the hell hadn’t Reuben told him? Why hadn’t Juliet? He was going to spank her ass so hard she wouldn’t sit for a week.
Fuck. No, he wouldn’t. This was Juliet. Besides, it wasn’t like he had the right to do that.
“Reuben hired a bodyguard because he’s paranoid or . . .”
“He thinks there’s some sort of threat,” Ed added. “There are three bodyguards. I don’t think this is some paranoid delusion of Reuben’s.”
It was all starting to make sense. Reuben calling him because he was worried about Juliet. Her anxiety attack. Shit. Shit.
Okay, so there was some threat, something Reuben thought was credible enough to hire bodyguards for Juliet. But that didn’t explain why this bodyguard guy was claiming Juliet as his. Was it so Loki would back off?
“Maybe he was just trying to protect her from Loki.”
“Protect her by claiming that she was taken?” Ed mused. “I suppose it could be possible, if it wasn’t for what he said afterward to her. The way he held her hand or picked her up, or she squeezed his butt.”
His Juliet wouldn’t do things like that. This had to be some weird joke.
“Although she was a bit tipsy,” Georgie added. “I hope she’s okay this morning.”
“Wait. She was drinking?” She shouldn’t be drinking on her medication. What was she thinking?
She needed him. He’d fucked up. He’d failed at his job to take care of her.
“Where are you going?” Ed called out as he turned and walked out of the door.
“I’ve just remembered I have somewhere I have to be.”