by Leann Ryans
Letting out a sigh, Penny felt the tension leave her body as the lock clicked into place. She hadn’t realized how strained she had felt until it slid away. Dropping her purse on the table beside the door, she kicked off the one shoe she had put back on to cross the sidewalk outside. Digging the other out of her purse, she stooped to pick up its mate and lost her balance. Almost tipping over, Penny had to bend her knee and lean awkwardly to be able to reach the shoe, grumbling about the stupid boot as she hobbled towards her bedroom.
Tossing the heels onto a shelf full of others like them, she reached back and unzipped her skirt, letting it puddle on the floor around her feet as she pulled her blouse over her head and dropped it into the basket of dirty things. Grunting at the skirt, she left it where it was on the floor as she limped to her dresser and pulled out a large t-shirt to wear around the house. She wasn’t going to risk falling on her face just to pick it up, and it wasn’t like she had anyone who would see it laying there instead of in the proper place.
Slowly making her way to the fridge, Penny whined as she scanned the contents. In her quest to eat better she had stopped buying anything that was what she called grab-and-eat, so the only way she was going to have dinner was if she stood in the kitchen and cooked something.
Deciding it wasn’t worth it, she grabbed lunchmeat and cheese, tossing them on the counter as she went to the pantry for bread. A sandwich would work for tonight, she was too tired to stand long enough to make anything else.
Cramming a quarter of the sandwich into her mouth as she put the stuff back in the fridge, she spotted the bottle of wine on the back of the top shelf. Figuring being chased and choked by her ex had earned her the right to drink, she wrapped her hand around the cold neck and made her way to the living room.
While her apartment wasn’t a penthouse suite, it was still a nice place. She had plenty of space, with an extra room for when her sister, Kelly, wanted to visit, and a nice view over a little park. The walls were thick enough that she never heard her neighbors, and the building had security surveillance.
Settling onto her couch with her back to the arm, Penny propped her feet up on the cushion next to her and pulled the cork out of the wine bottle. She had opened it the week before and only inserted the cork part of the way back in after pouring a glass, so it came out easily. This time she skipped the glass and simply raised the bottle to her lips, taking a long drink before sitting it on the floor beside her and finishing her sandwich as she turned on a movie to distract herself.
Penny knew she should be dealing with what had happened that day, but she just wanted to forget about it for a little while and pretend that everything was fine. Drinking her wine, she lost herself in the silly comedy she had put on until the credits began to roll across the screen. Realizing how late it was, she levered herself up from the couch, keeping a hand on the back of it to steady herself as she hopped towards the kitchen to dispose of the bottle she had finished.
Tripping over her kitchen rug on the way back, Penny landed on her hands and knees with a yelp.
“Stupid, useless, damn boot,” she muttered.
Giving up on trying to walk with the world rocking around her, she began to crawl to her bedroom, almost missing the slip of paper on the floor in front of her door. Eyebrows drawing together, she frowned as she sat on the floor and began to read it.
Penelope,
We didn’t get to finish our conversation. I hope that boot isn’t too uncomfortable.
I’ll see you soon.
A
Gasping for air, it felt like her heart stuttered to a stop. Penny had moved when she broke up with Adrian and realized that he wasn’t taking it well. She hadn’t felt safe somewhere that he knew the passcode to, and she could have had it changed, but there were too many memories in the place. She had been in this apartment for four months now. He caught her today outside one of the shops he knew she frequented, but she hadn’t realized he had been following her and knew where she lived.
Trembling, she tried to get her legs under her, falling a couple of times before she managed to stand. The fear cleared her head, and she rushed as fast as she could to her closet. Grabbing the first pair of pants she saw, Penny tried to pull them on, cursing when they wouldn’t fit over the boot.
Throwing them across the small space, she spotted the skirt still on the floor and hopped into the center of it, leaning over to shimmy it up and zip it into place. Trying to rush to the front door, Penny slammed the boot into the corner of the hallway wall and screamed, more in frustration than in pain.
Smacking the wall with her hand, she whimpered as that, too, began to throb. Limping and shaking her hand, she finally made it to the front door, grabbing her purse as she looked out of the peephole, checking what she could see of the hallway beyond.
Cracking the door open with her boot wedged behind it, Penny checked the hall again before poking her head all the way out. Seeing nothing but the beige carpeting, she quickly hobbled to the elevator, pressing the down button repeatedly until the doors finally opened.
Twitching for the whole ride down to the main floor, Penny bolted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Stepping out into the night air, she realized she forgot to call an AutoCab first and was more exposed now than she had been in the building. Glancing around, no one was within view, so she walked out to the curb, knowing a cab was sure to pass within a few moments with how close she lived to downtown.
It was barely two minutes before she was proven correct, an AutoCab slowing to a stop in front of her as she raised a hand to flag it down. Slipping into the backseat, Penny told it to take her to the nearest Force center, letting out the breath she had held since leaving her apartment.
Glancing down at the slip of paper in her hand, she wondered how something so small could inspire so much fear.
4. Penelope
Resting her head on the cold metal desk in front of her, Penny wondered when it was going to end. She had been sitting in the Force office for six long hours already, talking to officer after officer with nothing to show for it.
The first one had taken the note from her, asking her questions about when she had returned home, what time she found the note, and what she had done in the time between. No one she had talked to yet seemed to think it was as big of a deal as she did.
Sighing, Penny sat up, looking around for the last person she had been speaking with. Tired and getting impatient, she waved the woman over and waited for her to approach.
“So, what is going to be done? He obviously knows where I live and violated the restraining order by leaving the note at my house.”
“Since he hasn’t been served yet, it’s not really a violation. We can’t arrest him for something he is unaware of. We will try to get someone to serve him tomorrow, well, today, but right now there’s not much we can do.”
“And what about my safety? How am I supposed to go home and sleep now?” Penny demanded.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said spreading her hands, “but besides giving you a permit for a bodyguard, there’s nothing else I can do.”
“Bodyguard?” Penny asked, perking up. She hadn’t considered a bodyguard, but the idea sounded better than sitting around waiting for Adrian to do something else to her.
“Yes. I can give you a permit to hire a guard to protect you if you feel the need for one. Even an Alpha if you want,” the woman said.
Nodding her head, Penny said, “Yes, definitely. An Alpha.”
Giving her a serious look, the officer told her, “Remember your dynamic. As an omega, it will seem natural to defer to the Alpha, but you are the one in charge. If you are close to going into heat...” she trailed off as Penny shook her head.
“I use suppressants. No chance of going into heat.”
Nodding, the woman continued. “Well, just in case, if you choose to bond with an Alpha make sure you file the proper paperwork first so there aren’t any issues. I’ll go grab the forms you need and a list of places
you can find trained Alphas.”
Feeling a spark of excitement, Penny waited for the woman to return. Adrian had always pretended to be an Alpha but went out of his way to avoid the few they had ever come across. She thought he was actually terrified of them, but he always denied it saying that he simply didn’t trust them. Hiring one to protect her would be the best way to keep him away.
Signing the forms and taking the list from the officer, Penny stood and stretched, feeling the exhaustion dragging at her after being awake almost twenty-four hours. Deciding that she still didn’t want to be at her apartment alone, she called for an AutoCab to take her to the gym she usually used so she could take a shower and get cleaned up. She always kept a spare set of clothes there for emergencies, so she figured a shower and a change of clothes would make her feel better before checking out the first place on the list.
Two hours later, Penny was slipping into the back of yet another cab to take her to The Haven. Listed as one of the places with trained Alpha guards, she was a bit surprised when she was dropped off at an office where omegas could hire studs.
Shrugging to herself, she limped to the front door, marveling at the beautiful gardens surrounding the building. The vivid flowers made her want to linger and enjoy the fresh air but she continued on to the front doors. Making her way across the blue tiles to the receptionist, she gave a friendly smile to the seemingly perfect woman behind the desk.
“Welcome to The Haven, how can I help you?”
“I’d like to speak with someone about hiring an Alpha,” Penny told the smiling woman.
“Do you have an appointment?”
Feeling a bit self-conscious and naive, Penny looked down at the chrome desk. “Umm, no. I’m sorry, do I need one?”
“No, that’s fine. What is your name please?”
Giving her information to the woman, she was told to take a seat until someone called her back. It wasn’t long before a woman in scrubs that matched the back wall opened the door.
“Penelope Praine?”
“Yes, that’s me,” she said, standing and beginning to limp towards the door.
“Oh, let me help you,” the woman said, turning and pulling a wheelchair from inside the door and pushing it over to her.
“Thank you so much! This thing makes me so slow!”
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m Margot, are you here to see our stud selection today?” the woman asked.
Confused, Penny said, “No, I need to hire a bodyguard.”
“I’m sorry,” came Margot’s voice from above her head. “Let me take you to Ms. Haranne then. We don’t get requests for bodyguards often, but she’ll be able to help you with that.”
Rolling down a stark white hallway, Penny was taken around a few corners before coming to a stop outside of a closed door.
Knocking on it, Margot called out, “Ms. Haranne?”
A muffled response from the inside had her turning the knob and peeking inside.
“I have an omega that would like to hire a bodyguard,” she said into the dark interior of the room.
With how bright the lights in the hall were, the inside of the office seemed like a cave from what Penny could see. Missing what was said, the door was opened wider as Margot pushed her into the dim room and left her in front of a large mahogany desk. Seated behind it was a petite, dark-haired woman only slightly older than Penny.
“So, you’re looking for a bodyguard?” the woman asked after they studied each other for a moment.
“Yes. I have an ex who is stalking me at home and work. The Force recommended hiring a bodyguard,” Penny responded.
“Have you thought about the consequences of hiring an Alpha?” Ms. Haranne asked.
“I am on suppressants and not at risk of going into heat, and my ex is terrified of Alphas. What other consequences are there?”
Ms. Haranne snorted, a smirk pulling up the corner of her lips.
“Well, you being on suppressants takes care of the most important issue. Did the Force give you a permit?”
“Yes,” Penny replied, pulling the form out of her purse and sliding it over the desk.
Looking it over, Ms. Haranne hummed.
“This will allow you to hire one, but you have to sign a contract stating that you are responsible for anything that happens. While I assure you, my Alphas are trained and as well behaved as possible, if he has to stop someone there may be property damage as well as physical injuries that you will be held responsible for. They all know what is allowed by law and will do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“That sounds perfect. I doubt anything will really happen, but I need someone for my peace of mind.”
Nodding, Ms. Haranne said, “I understand completely.”
Standing, she walked around her desk.
“Let me call in the head of my security team, he will know who would be best for this.”
5. Ethan
Being called to the boss’ office first thing in the morning wasn’t too unusual, but it was different enough to get his attention. Either she had a high-value client coming in, or there had been trouble with one of the studs overnight.
Sighing, he left the tiny box that masqueraded as his room and made his way to Ms. Haranne’s office. Being less valuable than a stud, his room was barely large enough for his bed and dresser, a plain cream color, and not somewhere he spent a lot of time.
Straightening his tie before running a hand through his hair, he paused outside the door of her office and took a deep breath before knocking. She may only be an omega and a third his size, but the woman literally controlled his life.
Ethan immediately noticed the second woman in the room when Ms. Haranne opened the door and ushered him in. Though the woman was sitting in a wheelchair, he could tell she was about average height, or slightly below. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail showing off her slim neck, and her light brown eyes were focused on him.
Peeling his gaze from the woman’s obvious curves, Ethan tried to concentrate on Ms. Haranne as she returned to her place behind her desk.
“Ms. Praine, this is the head of my security team, Ethan Cirlee. Ethan, this is Penelope Praine. She’s looking to hire a bodyguard.”
Nodding to his boss, he looked down at Penelope, moving closer to her as she lifted a hand to him. Taking it gently in his, he gave a light squeeze as he mumbled, “Nice to meet you.”
Drawing in a deep breath as she smiled up at him, he caught the sweet notes of jasmine wafting up from her with the undeniable scent of omega.
Releasing her hand, he cleared his throat and stepped away.
“I called you in to help decide who would be the best option for protecting her.”
Hesitating for a moment to get the growl that wanted to come from him under control at the thought of Penelope alone with another Alpha, Ethan cleared his throat again.
“What is the bodyguard for?” he finally managed to ask, looking back down at the omega that was already calling up his protective instincts.
“My ex. He’s been stalking me and yesterday he managed to corner me. Then last night I found a note in my apartment, so he obviously knows where I live now. I think he’s scared of Alphas, so just having someone with me will most likely scare him off.”
Trying to think of more questions for her, he asked, “What do you do? Will he be able to get to you during the day, or are you only worried about when you are at home?”
“I’m a personal shopper.”
She raised an eyebrow at his blank stare before explaining.
“In other words, I don’t sit in an office all day. People hire me to shop for them. I mostly pick out clothing, accessories, occasionally furniture, but it means that I visit multiple stores a day. I’m usually walking unless it’s one of the few clients I have that get large orders. That’s how he found me yesterday, walking between shops.”
“Does your apartment building have security?”
“The building does have security guards, but
last night proved they can’t stop him from getting in,” she said.
“I do admit that I hadn’t thought to warn them about him yet though,” she added, ducking her head as her cheeks flushed.
Nodding, Ethan tried to figure out a way to be sure he was the one that she hired. He didn’t know what it was, but something about her made him want to be sure that he was the one keeping her safe.
“So, you’re going to need someone with you constantly. The best thing would be if they stayed in your apartment with you.”
“That could work,” she said hesitantly. “I have an extra room.”
Glancing between Penelope and Ms. Haranne, Ethan knew that automatically suggesting himself may seem suspicious, so he had to be careful. It wouldn’t be good to show too much interest in her.
“I would have suggested Daniel since he’s the oldest of the guards and probably the steadiest, but he was injured last week. Charles might work…”
“He was actually chosen by a client, so he wouldn’t be available for this,” Ms. Haranne spoke up. “What about James?”
“He’s our newest. I’m not really sure he is ready for being out in public constantly like this will require,” Ethan said cautiously.
Pausing and pretending to think, Ethan finally announced his idea.
“Nathan has been my second for a while now, but he does have a tendency to be a bit hard to deal with. What if I went with Ms. Praine and he can have the chance to prove himself as the lead?”
Narrowing her eyes, Ms. Haranne studied him in silence. Forcing himself to remain completely still, Ethan waited, trying to come up with a response for any argument she could have.
“I suppose that could work. Ms. Praine, does that work for you? I assure you Ethan is our best.”
He could feel Penelope’s eyes on him as he kept his focus on Ms. Haranne, staring at the space just above his boss’ head. Feeling his heartrate speed up, he realized this little woman had made him nervous. Not sure what had gotten into him, he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head to try to get himself to focus.
