Falling For The Billionaire I Was Hired To Protect

The Unexpected Visit

Jace sat on the couch, his chin resting on his hand, staring blankly at the muted TV. The quiet of the house felt louder than ever. River was gone. Sasha was busy. Leo was God knows where.

And Jace was bored. Not just bored, restless. His mind kept replaying that kiss from a week ago, and worse, River’s coldness afterward.

The sharp sound of the doorbell broke through his thoughts.

Finally, something to distract him.

Jace got up quickly, walking to the door. But the moment he swung it open, his body froze.

“Hello, Jace,” Cole said, leaning casually against the doorframe, his smile sharp, his eyes glinting with something that made Jace’s stomach turn.

Jace’s heart kicked hard in his chest. He slammed the door shut immediately.

But it didn’t stay shut for long.

The door opened again as Cole pushed his way in, stepping inside like he owned the place.

Jace took a step back, his voice sharp. “What the hell do you want, Cole?”

Cole shut the door behind him, his grin widening. “Now, now, is that any way to greet someone you love?”

Jace let out a bitter laugh, his hands curling into fists. “I don’t love you, Cole. Not now, not ever.”

Cole’s smirk only grew, like he found the answer amusing.

Before Jace could step away, Cole moved fast, closing the distance between them. In one swift motion, he pinned Jace against the wall, his hands gripping his wrists tightly.

“Cole, let me go!” Jace snapped, trying to push him off.

Cole leaned in closer, their faces inches apart, his breath hot against Jace’s cheek. “Don’t lie, Jace. You liked it,” he murmured, his tone low and filthy. “You liked when we were f*****g each other, when we were enjoying ourselves. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

Jace’s stomach twisted with disgust. His heart raced, but not from anything good, just pure, cold panic.

“Get off me,” Jace said through clenched teeth.

Cole’s grin turned darker, and before Jace could turn his head, Cole tilted forward, aiming for his lips.

But the kiss never landed.

A loud thud cracked through the air. Cole’s body flew sideways, crashing to the floor with a painful groan.

Jace blinked, startled, his breath catching when he saw who stood there.

River.

His knuckles were clenched tight, his jaw locked, his chest rising and falling heavily. His eyes burned with anger, darker than Jace had ever seen them.

River didn’t wait for Cole to recover.

He stepped forward, grabbed Cole by the collar, and punched him.

Once.

Twice.

Over and over.

The sound of fists hitting flesh filled the room, and Cole’s groans turned into choked cries. Blood splattered from his split lip, his nose already crooked from the impact.

“River! Stop!” Jace finally shouted, his voice cracking. He grabbed River’s arm, pulling desperately. “Please, stop! You’ll kill him!”

River’s breathing was heavy, ragged, his fist still poised to strike again. His chest rose and fell fast, his eyes still locked on Cole like he wanted to tear him apart.

But after a tense second, River finally froze. His grip loosened, and he shoved Cole back.

Cole groaned, staggering as he pushed himself up, his face bloodied, swollen, his hands trembling.

“This isn’t over,” Cole spat, his voice shaky but filled with venom. His eyes darted between River and Jace. “You’ll pay for this.”

River’s glare was enough to make Cole stumble back toward the door. Cole didn’t look back again as he left, slamming the door behind him.

The room fell silent except for the sound of Jace’s uneven breathing.

River wiped his bloody knuckles on his black joggers, his jaw still tense. His eyes met Jace’s for only a brief second before he shook his head and turned away.

“River…” Jace called softly.

But River didn’t reply. He just walked past him, his steps quick and heavy, heading toward the hallway.

“River, please,” Jace tried again, but his voice cracked halfway through.

Still nothing.

The front door shut behind River seconds later.

Jace stood frozen for a moment, then his legs gave out, and he sank slowly to the floor, his back against the wall. His hands trembled as he hugged his knees to his chest.

He hated this feeling, this weakness crawling under his skin, this tight ache in his chest.

This was exactly why he didn’t let people get close. Because when they did, they left. They always left.

And Jace, billionaire or not, hated feeling like that scared boy all over again.