Cocky Protector: A Hero Club Novel

by Kat Mizera

“Honey, when we met ten years ago, I was getting ready for a mission in the Middle East.”

  “I know. You told me.”

  “Not for a deployment.”

  I blinked. “I’m confused. You mean…” I stopped walking and cocked my head. “What are you saying? Are you…”

  “Intelligence.”

  “CIA.”

  “Yes.”

  I closed my eyes. So many things made sense now. Things I hadn’t even articulated in my head but had confused me nonetheless. The fact that he didn’t have a social media presence. Not coming to my father’s funeral. The way he’d all but dropped off the face of the earth after our evening together. When he’d said he might not be coming back from the Middle East I’d assumed he was being deployed by the military. Good grief, was I naïve or what?

  “By the look on your face, I see this surprises you,” he said as we got to his hotel and walked inside.

  “A little,” I admitted. “I guess I thought you’d just moved on with your life and didn’t care enough about my dad, or me, to be at his funeral.”

  He shook his head. “You have no idea how much I hated missing it. But I was in the middle of something I couldn’t just walk away from.”

  “It makes a lot more sense now.” I followed him into the elevator.

  We didn’t talk as we rode up to the fourth floor. We stepped out and he unlocked the door to his room. It was small but efficient, with a double bed, a desk and chair, an armchair and a small closet. The bathroom was off to the side and I excused myself for a minute. I didn’t have to go, but I needed a minute to collect myself. Everything I’d thought I’d known had flown out the window with that video. And now I was sharing a hotel room with Ace, the man I’d been thinking about for a decade, who happened to work for the CIA. I splashed some water on my face, though it probably made a mess of my makeup, and finally washed my hands.

  He was at his laptop when I came out and he smiled. “Feeling better?”

  “I don’t know.” I sank into the armchair and rested my chin on my hand. “I’m a little overwhelmed.”

  “I’m sure.” He was typing something.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting ready to send the video from your nanny cam to someone I work with. Can you unlock your phone and let me play with the app?”

  “Sure.” I typed in my password and handed him the phone.

  He worked quickly and efficiently, tapping on the keys. Now that we were alone, and I felt relatively safe, I had my first opportunity to really look at him. He was still the same Ace. Tall and lean, with cropped red hair and bright blue eyes, he was even more handsome than he’d been a decade ago. There were some lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there then, and his hair was shorter, but he was still the man of my dreams.

  I wondered what he’d seen and done as a spy and how it had changed him. Not that I knew who he’d been before, though the glimpse I’d gotten was probably more telling than it should have been. He’d been a perfect gentleman, but also flirty and sexy. The kiss we’d shared had been stolen, mostly innocent, and the kind of memory that most people probably forgot not long after it ended. I’d hung on to it because nothing else had ever come close to the romance and majesty of that moment. He’d been every young woman’s fantasy come true, and every man after him had paled in comparison.

  And now he was back in the form of a knight in shining armor, throwing me into an emotional tailspin I couldn’t deal with. On one hand, I wanted to get as far away from him as humanly possible. On the other, I never wanted him to leave. In spite of the fact that we didn’t know who or what was going on with my stalker, I felt safe with Ace. I should have asked my mother more questions, but when she’d admitted she’d called him, I hadn’t given her a chance. I’d been furious about the diary and a dozen other random things, so I’d told her I would call her later. My plan had been to get drunk at that pub. Instead, I’d found proof of the stalker and called Ace. So everything had come full circle even though I didn’t know much more than I’d known a few hours ago.

  “You okay?” Ace glanced up and I managed a little shrug.

  “I’m getting there.”

  “I’d like you to power off your phone until I’ve had a chance to make sure it doesn’t have some kind of tracking device on it.”

  “Don’t they all have that?”

  “Well, yes, but a regular person wouldn’t be able to get access to the internal GPS on your phone. I’m talking about something extra added as a way of following you, beyond the phone’s generic tracking options.”

  “Okay.” I did as he asked and then turned to stare out at the night sky. His hotel was on a quiet side street, so it was relatively dark out. The buildings across the street were mostly abandoned at this time of night and the only light came from the moon and a few streetlights. The darkness actually made me feel better, as if it was somehow hiding me. That was ridiculous, but I was okay with ridiculous right now.

  “Let’s talk.” He closed his computer and turned to me.

  “You first.”

  He seemed surprised but nodded. “Well, I was recruited by the CIA when the military sent me to college. I fell into it by accident during a military intelligence training exercise in conjunction with the CIA. I had an affinity for languages and a high IQ, both things they looked for. I went to college while I fulfilled my commitment to the military, and your dad was part of the transition.”

  “Have you ever been married?”

  He shook his head, though a tiny smile played on his lips. “No, why?”

  “Curious, I guess.”

  “Honey, if I’d thought there was room for a woman in my life, there isn’t a chance in hell I would’ve left your virginity intact the night we met.”

  I blushed but smiled anyway.

  “What else do you want to know?”

  “How much of my diary did you read?”

  Chapter Nine

  Ace

  I wanted to lie, but maybe that wasn’t a good idea. I could toy with her, though, see just how much I could embarrass her. Embarrassment was a lot better than fear or nervousness, and I sensed a little of both in her right now. She had to be scared, and since I didn’t have any answers for her, distracting her would be good for her. And a whole lot of fun for me.

  “Enough.” I gave her my most charming grin.

  “That wasn’t nice, you know.”

  “I thought maybe you were dating a guy you hadn’t told your mom about or frequented BDSM clubs or something.”

  She laughed, a soft, delightful sound that made me chuckle too. “I wish I was even a little bit adventurous like that in the bedroom.”

  “Believe me, it’s not my cup of tea either. Some friends of mine own a sex club in Vegas and the only time I visit is when I stop in to say hi.”

  “I don’t get the impression you’re shy in the bedroom,” she murmured.

  “There’s a big difference between not being shy and BDSM. And no, I’m definitely not shy.” Our gazes met and the chemistry that sparked must have been too intense for her, because she looked away first.

  “So really, how much did you read? Tell me the truth.”

  “Enough to know there are no secret boyfriends or sex clubs.”

  “Ace.” She dipped her head. “Did you read what I wrote about you?”

  Oh, shit.

  “I… No.” I’d skimmed through the earlier dates and paid more attention to the recent entries, looking for someone or something in her life now that might be problematic. Mostly.

  “Okay.” She seemed to let out a breath.

  “You wrote about me in your diary?” I couldn’t help myself.

  She was bright red and I hated it for her, because this wasn’t fun banter or light teasing. She was truly embarrassed, because of me, and I never would have done that on purpose.

  “I was really angry when you didn’t come to Dad’s funeral,” she said after a moment. “It was the one thing that got me thro
ugh the hours after he passed, knowing you would be there, knowing I’d be able to see you just one more time. And then you didn’t come. It was irrational, especially in light of what I know now, but what I wrote in the days that followed was filled with grief and pain and confusion. Especially since I was in the middle of a divorce as well.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. And I meant it. It had never occurred to me she still thought about me, possibly as much as I thought about her. “I would have been there if I could have been. I tried, I really did, but something was going on…and I couldn’t.”

  “It’s okay.” She swallowed. “I just, when I thought you’d read the whole thing I… Well, that’s not the only time I wrote about you.”

  “Did you write about our kiss?” I asked curiously.

  “I’m a silly romantic,” she said, not looking at me. “I was a sheltered, naïve virgin when I met you and the only part of that that’s changed is that I’m not a virgin anymore. I’m still fairly sheltered and, after the disaster of my marriage, undoubtedly far too naïve for my own good. I’d like to think I’ve matured and changed, but I don’t know that anyone truly changes. We are who we are.” She finally looked at me and the pain in her eyes was unmistakable.

  “I don’t know what that bastard did to you,” I said quietly, “but I already hate him.”

  “Maybe someday I’ll tell you,” she said softly.

  “Okay.” I looked down as my phone rang. It was Chains. “Excuse me, I have to get this.”

  “Of course.”

  “Hey, man, what’s up?”

  “Between the low-resolution video and the stalker being mostly covered up, there’s no way to get enough of a picture to even run through facial recognition. I’ve got nothing.”

  “What about the other thing I asked you to check?”

  “Her mother? Clean so far. No boyfriends, no strange or new spending habits, no clandestine trips, nothing that stands out at all.”

  “Okay.”

  “Is Shannon with you? Everything okay?”

  “Yup. Under control for now, but I don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I. Let me know if anything pops up on your radar. And you need to up your nanny cam game to something with better resolution.”

  “First thing tomorrow.”

  I disconnected and told Shannon about needing a better camera for the apartment. “I want one in the bedroom as well,” I told her.

  “We can go tomorrow—”

  “I’ll take care of it while you’re at work. I want you to take a taxi from here and text me as soon as you get there. Don’t leave the building at all. If possible, make sure you’re never by yourself. Then text me before you leave. You’ll walk home as usual but I’ll be watching you. Does your building have a back door?”

  She nodded. “Yes. There’s a small garden but you can get out through a gate in the fence.”

  “Okay. I’ll scope it all out tomorrow.”

  “You think I should go to work?” She looked miserable and conflicted.

  “Yes. If this person is watching you, we don’t want to tip them off that we’re on to them. You need to try to be as normal as possible, but under no circumstances do you tell anyone about me or the nanny cam.” I paused. “Does anyone know about the nanny cam?”

  She shook her head. “I was kind of embarrassed and afraid I was losing it, so I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t even tell my mom until I called to ask if you were here on her behalf.”

  “Good.”

  We talked logistics until she started to droop and I told her to get some sleep. I gave her the bed, despite her protests, and sat at the desk to get some work done. Around three o’clock, I settled into the chair by the window and tried to get a little sleep. It was going to be a busy day.

  I woke up when I heard the shower running and realized Shannon was getting ready for work. The idea that she was naked on the other side of the door to the bathroom made parts of me wake up in a hurry and I had to untuck my T-shirt from my jeans to cover my erection before she came out. I’d grab a quick cold shower before she had to leave and that would help, but I hadn’t woken up with this bad of a case of morning wood in a long time.

  Shannon was dressed when she came out, though her hair was wet and her face devoid of makeup. And she was fucking stunning. Jesus. How did a woman look so good without any enhancements? Maybe I was biased because I’d been dreaming about her for so many years, but now that she was here, I wasn’t even a little bit disappointed. I still thought she was beautiful, and so far, I liked her as a person too. We weren’t romantically or sexually involved, she was in the middle of a genuine crisis, and in the back of my mind I was worried about my status with Director Dickhead, but being here with her felt oddly natural. As if we’d done this before.

  “Are you going to shower?” she asked me as she towel-dried her hair.

  “I need five minutes to get ready,” I told her, heading for the bathroom.

  “No worries. I’ll do my makeup in here and I’ll braid my hair so I don’t have to blow-dry it.”

  “Okay.”

  I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth and pulled on clean clothes. I had a lot to do today, including shopping for and installing a better video system in her apartment. Not to mention trying to figure out who was stalking her and why. I also had to check in with Erik and possibly my boss, neither of which were foremost in my mind right now.

  Shannon was ready to go when I came out, light makeup on her face and her hair braided down her back.

  “Do you always braid your hair?” I asked her.

  “On days like today, when I want to just get going, it’s a lot less work.”

  “It’s cute.” I gently tugged it and she smiled.

  “My mother hates it but has learned not to bug me about it.”

  We walked downstairs together and I motioned to a taxi. “Your phone doesn’t appear to have any kind of tracker on it, so make sure you keep it on your person at all times. Call me on your break.”

  “Will do,” she said as she got into the cab. “Thank you.”

  I closed the door after her and watched the cab pull down the street. Now I’d find something to eat and get to work. By the time she finished teaching for the day, I planned to have a new surveillance system set up in her apartment and maybe a plan for catching this guy. Or woman. Didn’t matter to me, as long as we figured this out.

  Chapter Ten

  Shannon

  I was distracted at work, again, and I did my best to act normal. Whatever that meant. Sandra found me in the teacher’s lounge and leaned against the counter as I got a fresh cup of coffee. I hadn’t slept for shit last night. Between the stalker situation and having Ace five feet away from me all night, I’d tossed and turned until almost dawn. I’d woken up before my alarm went off and now I was exhausted.

  “You look tired,” Sandra said. “This stalker thing has you worried, huh?”

  “Kinda.” I tried to be nonchalant.

  “Maybe you should see someone, you know? Like a therapist. Maybe it’s all in your head.”

  I sighed. “Maybe.” I hated lying to my friend, but Ace had made me promise not to tell anyone anything, and it made sense since we didn’t know who we were looking for.

  “What are you going to do over Christmas? Going home?”

  “I don’t know,” I evaded. “I was going to, but with this stalker thing going on, maybe I’ll stay and have my mom come here. My place is small, but we can share a bed. It’s not a huge deal and having someone with me might help.”

  Sandra made a face. “Really? You’d stay here? Dude, I’ll be on the first plane to the U.S. the minute finals are over next week. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  “Why do you live here if you hate it so much?” I asked her, frowning. “I love Germany, and Cologne is filled with so much history and wonderful food and people and—”

  “It’s just another old, ugly European city,” she said, a bitterness in he
r voice I’d never heard before. “When my contract is over at the end of this year, I’m out of here.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what to say to that. “I’m sorry you’re unhappy here. Maybe one night next week we can get dinner or go to the Christmas markets or something.”

  “Sure.” She flashed a smile, her previous surliness gone. “Sounds fun. See you later.” She left the room and I watched her go curiously. It was a bummer she would be leaving after her contract was up because she was my best friend here at work. I was used to it, though; it seemed like everyone I cared about left me.

  Ace was waiting for me in front of the hotel when I arrived after work, and after I’d put down my things, he suggested we go out for the evening instead of sitting at the hotel worrying about what we might see on the new surveillance video feed. He said his buddy Chains was on top of it, and I couldn’t think of a reason to say no, so we took a taxi to the area by the Cologne Cathedral, which was adjacent to one of the Christmas markets, and joined the crowds.

  “Have you been to the cathedral?” I asked Ace as we walked up the street.

  “Not inside, no.” He shook his head. “Usually when I’m in Europe, I’m on a mission, so unless whomever I’m following is pretending to be a tourist, I don’t have time for a lot of that stuff.”

  “That’s sad,” I told him. “There are so many fabulous things to see all over the world.”

  “There’s a lot on my list of things to do once I retire,” he said with a smile.

  “How old are you?” I asked. I knew he was older than I was, but I wasn’t sure by how much.

  “Thirty-seven,” he replied. “Thirty-eight next summer.”

  “I’ll be thirty-two in May.”

  “I know.”

  Our eyes met and we laughed.

  “So do spies work until they’re sixty-five?” I asked him.

  He shook his head. “Not usually, though some do. To be honest, I think my days are numbered. I don’t love the job the way I used to.”

  “How come?”