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Primal instinct. Yep, he was full of primal instincts, and Hunter was about to let all of those instincts out to play. He climbed up the porch steps. “Thanks for the umbrella.” He secured the umbrella’s tie in place and tossed it back to Gabriel. “Now, gentlemen, I believe we need to chat because I think you bastards aren’t understanding some important life facts.”

“Excuse me?” Jonah immediately puffed out his chest. “What did you call me?”

“I called you both bastards. You’re two pricks who are pissing me the hell off.”

Jonah gaped at him. Gabriel glared.

Excellent. He had their attention. “If anything happens to Shelby while she is in this town, you will understand the meaning of living in hell. I will wreck both of your worlds. Painfully and completely. Before I am done with you, you will be begging me to stop.”

Jonah shook his head in disbelief. “You—you’re threatening a cop?”

“I’m not threatening anyone. Threats are useless. They’re bullshit.”

“He loves violence,” Gabriel murmured. “It’s in his blood.”

That guy was fucking weird. “Shelby is mine.” Possessive. Guttural. “I guard what is mine. I will guard her with every breath in my body. No one else will touch her. No one will hurt her. I will destroy anyone who tries.”

“She’s…she’s your client. Not your girlfriend.” Jonah’s hands went to his hips. “And you need to dial your attitude down about a hundred percent.”

Nah. He needed to dial things up if he wanted to get a reaction. So that up-dialing was about to commence. “Shelby is mine. Not just my client. She belongs to me. Completely. Get that in your heads.”

Gabriel just watched him. He held the umbrella with one hand. His other remained loose at his side.

“When it comes to Shelby, I am very primal.” Deliberate word choice for the prick professor. “She is mine, and I protect what belongs to me.” He pointed to Jonah. “You won’t fuck her body.” Something so damn obvious that the detective wanted. Hunter’s hand angled toward Gabriel. “And you will not fuck with her mind. Not on my watch.”

Jonah sputtered.

Gabriel…smiled. “But you will? Is that it? You get to fuck with her body and her mind?”

Don’t punch first. Any physical attacks would need to come from his targets. “That’s the plan. So let me repeat, Shelby is mine.” Those weren’t just BS words. He meant them. Soul deep. “I’ve waited on her for a very long time. I have her now, and I will not give her up for anyone or anything. She does not get hurt. Someone tries? Their mistake. A fatal one.” His brows climbed. “Are we clear, gentlemen?”

“You’re a bastard!” Jonah snarled. “You don’t tell me to⁠—”

“He was fucking Tiffany.” Hunter motioned to Gabriel. “And he didn’t invite us inside of his house.” Oh, but Hunter had seen right through the guy. Gabriel had deliberately kept them away from the house, and even when he’d finally—grudgingly—opened the door, Gabriel had stopped to try and play mind games with Shelby. To keep her out. Had to be a reason for that. “I figure that means he has something in there that can tie him to Tiffany. Definitely something he doesn’t want us seeing. Like I said before, could be the notes that Tiffany was exchanging with Nate Shiloh for her research project.”

”You got those notes, Dr. Parker?” Jonah bit off.

“You got a warrant?” Gabriel fired right back. “Because I don’t see one.”

He was a smug one. Hunter decided to push more. “Or,” Hunter drawled because he wanted a reaction from the professor, “maybe it’s not just prison correspondence that he’s trying to hide. Could be something that ties the professor to having an affair with Tiffany. Or, hey, could even be something that straight-up links him to her murder. Just so you know, detective, Gabriel has no alibi for last night.”

“I didn’t kill Tiffany,” Gabriel snapped.

Hunter exhaled on a long sigh. “I’m not hearing that same passionate denial about sleeping with her.”

Jonah studied the professor with a suspicious expression. “I’m not hearing that, either, Dr. Parker.” He maneuvered toward the closed door of the house. “How about we go inside and talk about it?”

“How about you come back with a warrant?” Gabriel tossed right back as he moved to better block the door with his body. “I know my rights. I do not have to let you into my house.” He drew up to his full height. “I didn’t kill Tiffany. I didn’t murder my own student, and if you have more questions, they can run through my lawyer. Now, I’d like for you both to get the hell off my property.”

“Innocent people don’t kick the cops off their front porches,” Hunter noted.

“They do,” Gabriel blasted, “if they don’t trust the cops. Or one particular cop.” His head swiveled toward the parked SUV. “If Shelby wants to schedule an appointment to talk with me at my office on campus—to talk alone—she can do that. I’ll happily talk to her, but you other jerks? Hell, no.”

He wasn’t serious.

Wait, he was. “You’re not getting her alone.”

“Because she has to take her bodyguard with her everywhere she goes?”