I’m about thirty seconds from a toe tag and my own freezer at the mortuary when he materializes from the shadows and fights like hell to keep me breathing.

I had no idea homeless disasters like me got guardian angels—or that guardian angels punch people and smoke—but suddenly, there he is: a hero dressed all in black who ghosts me so hard I consider calling a medium.

But that would be a waste of money I don’t have.

I thought I’d never see him again, but just as I’m about to eat a bullet, he appears, using his body to protect mine. I might have swooned—okay, fine, I do but only on the inside—if it weren’t for the fact he thinks bleeding is an adequate apology for implying I’m a prostitute and running off with my heart.

Spoiler alert: It’s not.

Now the man with a PhD in vanishing, a tattoo that totally offends me, and eyes with their own force of gravity is suddenly stuck to me like glue and being wildly inconvenient about it.

And he won’t stop calling me a pipgeek. What even is that?
He insists I trust him, but I can’t trust anyone, not even my own body. Unfortunately, when the resident drug lord calls in that favor I foolishly owe, things go from bad to catastrophic with alarming enthusiasm.

On the upside, having a hero with a villain complex for a stalker means staying alive will be easy.

But not getting hurt again is a whole other story.

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The Geek And The Ghost by Cambria Hebert is the second book in The Protectors, a series featuring cinnamon-rolls and their overprotective, badass, morally gray boyfriends.

The geek is Rett, homeless and found himself victim of bullies when a mysterious man in black known only as Ghost stepped in. Ghost saved him, fed him, cared for him through an illness, and disappeared after one unforgettable night together, leaving behnd a bag of money and memories. Two years later, their paths cross again when Ghost takes a bullet for him.

Told in dual first-person POVs, the story balances Rett’s angstier perspective with Ghost’s humorous, irreverent narration. It picks up the events of The Hazard And The Hitman, wheree Kieran and Ghost protected Haz from killers.

To Ghost’s surprise, Rett is now Haz’s neighbor and best friend, having used the money Ghost left behind to start a new life. Unfortunately, a mobster wants Rett to deal drugs for him and Ghost is having none of that.

Like Haz, Rett is trouble with a capital T, seemingly with a concerning lack of self-preservation. Unlike his annoying best friend, however, he’s genuinely endearing.

Life on the streets has given him strong survival instincts, and while he’s often a dude in distress, he has plenty of grit, determination, and fight. I rooted for him from the start, and watching him build a better life despite countless setbacks was inspiring.

Ghost, whose real name is Hiro, is a government operative like Kieran. He’s also much sillier and funnier than his perpetually grumpy best friend. Just as Kieran fell head over heels for his Hazard, Ghost completely adores his Pipgeek. I loved the contrast between how everyone else sees him as one scary motherfucker while to Rett, he’s a cuddle bear.

Ghost was already my favorite character in Book 1, and here he’s absolutely glorious! His unwavering care and fierce protectiveness of Rett made this book for me.

The grandest gesture has to be the library he builds for Rett, complete with space for their beloved plant babies. It went straight to my kokoro especially when in the first part Ghost found him with nothing to his name except some loose change and a library card.

Their chemistry is squee-tastic from the very beginning, and their relationship so ridiculously adorable, so wholesome and supportive that it cleanses my soul. Rett trusts Ghost completely, and Ghost would burn the world for him. In fact, he literally burns one bastard for hurting his Pip.

Another favorite moment is Ghost researching Rett’s chronic illness so he can take better care of him. The level of devotions is peak. Seriously, the bestest boyfriend a.k.a. husbando ever!

Kieran and Haz are much more enjoyable here, and their friendship with Ghost and Rett creates that magical found-family dynamic that always gets me. Haz’s Uncle Enzo adds intrigue, and I already can’t wait for his book with Wyatt.

Overall, The Geek And The Ghost is a heartwarming story of second chances for deadly hitmen caring for dudes in distress,. While the first installment was a mixed bag, this book is the total package. Overall, a purely sweet, swoony, and satisfying tale of a Ghost and his Pip.

Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect

Soundtrack: Hero
Artist: Alan Walker & Sasha Alex Sloan
Albun: Walkerworld

P.S.

The Protectors must be read in order. Witness a walking disaster charm a grumpy hitman with his mishaps and accidents in The Hazard And The Hitman.

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THE GEEK AND THE GHOST: Amazon UK | Audiobook

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