She’d pushed too hard. Jon rarely lost his temper with her. “I’m sorry.” She licked her lips. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Sweetheart, the reason I’m upset is because I love you.” He sat on the edge of the desk. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but they found the body of one of the missing girls from Duke this morning.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” Weslee felt sick inside. She knew the girl had been receiving notes from a stalker before she went missing a few weeks earlier. The detective didn’t think her stalker was the same person since all of his messages to Weslee were done electronically. “Did they catch the man who did it?”
“No.” He looked at her with earnest. “I know Detective O’Brien doesn’t think your case is related, but I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“I understand.”
“Please don’t argue with me further, Weslee.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m very close to cancelling your upcoming obligations.”
“Please don’t cancel my meeting with Mr. Williams,” she said, feeling panicked all over again. Company sales had been down slightly this past quarter. If she ever hoped to fill her father’s shoes as CEO, she needed to follow through with the marketing ideas she and her team had come up with. Ground Zero had a strong presence on the East Coast. She wanted to do the same out west. If she could get their products in the upscale Total Works Gym and Spa chain headquartered here in San Diego, then she knew she could turn sales around. Especially with all the new products they had coming down the line. “I’m fine having a bodyguard with me,” she said, relieved when her uncle nodded his head.
Although she appreciated Jon’s concern, sometimes she still felt like a little girl, unable to make big decisions. Part of her wondered if she was ready to hang up her bow and arrow and work behind a desk at Ground Zero. Winning archery tournaments and acting as a spokeswoman for the company had always been her role.
Her notoriety as an archery champion had grown over the past few years, and she’d become the face for Ground Zero and somewhat of a celebrity in the hunting and outdoor industry. Sponsored by her daddy’s supplement company, she’d made special appearances at archery tournaments, outdoor sportsman shows, and grand openings for sporting goods stores that carried Ground Zero products.
While she still had several appearances and tournaments scheduled for this year, Weslee knew this would be the last year. The marketing team was already searching for a new face for Ground Zero so she could take over the job as CEO the following year. She had to admit there was a part of her that was eager for the transition. Of course, she wanted to do it in honor of her daddy, but she also wanted to show Dax Hamilton she could be successful without him by her side.
Her former fiancé had left her when she’d needed him most. Right after her parents’ funeral. Dax hadn’t left her for another girlfriend, but for money. Outdoor Energy, a direct competitor with Ground Zero, had offered Dax an insane amount of money to take over their marketing department. But that wasn’t all the company had wanted from him. They wanted insider information. Dax had willingly shared future ideas with his new employer. Ideas that she and Dax had come up with together, including new flavors for the protein powder and the cardio enhancer and recovery drinks. Fortunately, Ground Zero was ahead of schedule and had released the birthday cake flavored protein two weeks before Outdoor Energy introduced a cake batter flavor.
Weslee knew it was only a matter of time before Outdoor Energy got wind of what she was trying to do by getting products into the prestigious gym and spa franchise. Dax would try to infiltrate the same market, using whatever methods he felt were necessary to outbid Ground Zero. She didn’t know how he did it, but once this whole stalker thing was taken care of she intended to find out.
Hours later, Weslee and Jon arrived at Sutton Smith’s estate. The San Diego cliff-side mansion was breathtaking. Landscaped with lush green lawns and ornate flower gardens, the property reminded her of the famed Biltmore Estate located in Asheville. She’d visited the North Carolina mansion a few times over the years and had come away impressed by the grandeur every time.
Weslee wished she had time to explore the grounds before going inside, but Jon was on a mission and hurried her along by taking her elbow to propel her forward. Even the walkway to the front entrance was impressive, making her wonder how a former officer in the British Armed Forces could afford this estate. She supposed it didn’t matter how the man had amassed his fortune. Jon had told her that Mr. Smith used his resources to help others. Weslee’s daddy, Marcus, had been the same way. That’s why coming to the charity ball had been so important. Weslee was ready to carry on her parents’ legacy.
Mr. Smith greeted them personally at the door. Weslee liked his crisp British accent as he invited them into his home. “Pleasure to meet you both,” he said, shaking Weslee’s hand first.
“Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Smith,” Jon said as they shook hands. “My colleague tells me you and your staff are the best in the security business.”
“Please call me Sutton.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “And I do believe I have the best security agents,” he said in a matter-of-fact way that didn’t sound like boasting. “My men and women are vetted thoroughly before I bring them on. Although, the United States Navy does a bang-up job of vetting them first. Most of those working for me have served in the military, and I have a specialized group made up of former SEALs.”
Weslee immediately thought about the mysterious naval officer she’d run into the week before. If her bodyguard looked anything like him then this might not be so bad after all.
Sutton led them into an opulent conference room that looked more like something you’d find in Windsor Castle. A man sat at the table, working on his computer. At first glance, Weslee thought the man was the guy from the beach. However, while he was just as handsome and had equally impressive muscles, he was not her Navy rescuer.
He got to his feet and gathered his laptop. “Sorry, sir,” he said to Sutton, “I needed a quiet place to do research.”
“No worries, mate,” Sutton said. “Perhaps you can help me locate Lieutenant Steele? He hasn’t responded to the message I sent him earlier.”
“Yeah, I’ll shoot him a text. I know he went climbing this morning, but he should be home by now.” He looked at Weslee and Jon. “Hello.”
“Excuse me for not introducing you,” Sutton said. “Jace Burns, this is Miss Weslee Campbell and her guardian, Jon Curtis.”
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said shaking her hand. “I’m a big fan of you and Ground Zero products.”
“Thank you,” Weslee said, wishing she could poll him about how he knew her and how he’d been introduced to their supplements. The marketing part of her wanted to know if the targeted ads running on social media were responsible or if someone else had introduced him to their products. “It’s nice to meet you too.” Weslee offered him a polite smile. While Jace appeared completely competent and would certainly look good in a tux come Saturday, she didn’t feel an immediate connection with him. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t here to make a connection. She was here to hire someone to protect her.
After Jace shook Jon’s hand, Sutton asked him to remain in the room while he tried to find Lieutenant Steele. Agatha, Mr. Smith’s housekeeper, served them coffee, and ice water for Weslee. Once she left the room, Jon explained why they were there. Thirty minutes into the meeting, the phone sitting in front of Jace buzzed to life. He glanced at the screen and then pushed his chair back. “Logan’s here, sir,” he said, getting to his feet.
“Very good,” Sutton said. “Take a few minutes to brief him on what we’ve discussed and then send him in, please.”
“Yes, sir,” Jace said. He paused and looked at Weslee and smiled. “Ma’am, I’d be honored to protect you, but you’ll be in very good hands with Logan. He’s had my back since we were kids and he’s the best.”
“Thank you,” she said, hop
ing Jace’s friend was as friendly as he was.
While Sutton and Jon talked logistics about the charity ball the following evening, Weslee kept her eye on the door to the conference room. Nerves tied her stomach into a thousand knots and she tapped her foot to help get rid of the pent-up energy. What did this Logan guy look like? What if he was the huge, sunglass-wearing kind of bodyguard? After hearing the detailed plan, she knew the man would literally be with her all the time, other than private moments in the bathroom and at night. Definitely overkill, but she didn’t want to upset Jon again.
A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Sutton said, turning toward the entrance.
Wesley twisted her hands together as the door opened and in walked exactly what she had feared: a man, sporting huge muscles and wearing sunglasses. This is never going to work. Why oh why did this have to happen to her? A pang of disappointment shot through her until he removed the aviators and a familiar pair of blue eyes collided with hers. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…
Chapter 2
Logan Steele arrived at Sutton’s estate, still not sure why his boss wanted him for this protection job. Some of the other men were available. Plus, he was still recovering from his previous assignment that had ended less than a week ago.
Babysitting a spoiled nineteen-year-old girl while protecting her from her crazy ex-boyfriend wasn’t exactly what Logan had envisioned when he’d joined Sutton’s security firm. Summer Bauer, the daughter of a prominent family in San Diego, had tested him sorely with her relentless flirting and salacious overtures. Heck, the girl made hell week during BUD/S seem like an average PT training session.
Just thinking about his service in the Navy sent his thoughts reeling. Not for the first time, he wondered if he’d made the right decision to retire from the teams. Civilian life wasn’t what he’d thought it would be. He felt like something was missing but didn’t know what it was. While he enjoyed the success of his cybersecurity company, he missed being a SEAL. That’s one of the main reasons he also worked for Sutton. He liked helping people; liked the rush of adrenaline that came with the job. But that empty feeling inside his chest always came back, making him crave his next adventure.
Before cutting the engine to his Jeep, Logan sent a text to Jace telling him he was here. Climbing out of his vehicle, he made his way to the front door of the mansion. The grandeur of the entire property still blew him away. Coming from such a humble home in Colorado left him feeling a little uncomfortable amidst all this money.
He didn’t like wealthy people. Actually, that wasn’t true. He just disliked rich people that thought they could do whatever they wanted because they have money. Greed, power, and money fueled the evil in this world. It’s what had killed Logan’s father when he’d died trying to take down a drug lord in South America. And it’s what made Logan want to be a SEAL.
Fortunately, Sutton and his wife, Elizabeth, were likable. They weren’t anything close to Summer or her parents.
Logan had almost made it to the veranda when Jace came out of the mansion to greet him. “What took you so long?” he asked, glancing at his watch. “I texted you thirty minutes ago.”
“Shut up,” Logan said, running a hand through his freshly cut hair. Jace knew exactly where he’d been. His team teased him about his standing barber appointment every three weeks. They thought it was due to vanity. He wasn’t vain. Just practical. His dark hair was thick and had more than one cowlick. Keeping it trimmed made it easier to deal with. “I had an appointment I couldn’t miss.”
Jace looked down at his phone and grimaced. “Speaking of appointments, I need to brief you so I’m not late for mine.”
“This better not be another teenage-girl babysitting assignment,” Logan said. “In fact, why can’t I get some dude who likes to watch sports?”
Jace’s mouth twitched at the corner. “It doesn’t involve a teenage girl.” He held up his hand. “And before you even ask, the client is an archery champion named Weslee Campbell.”
Wesley Campbell? The guy’s name didn’t sound familiar, but Logan wasn’t into archery either. “Never heard of him.”
“You’ve never heard of him?” Jace asked with a laugh.
“Have you?”
“Yeah, man.” A smirk settled around Jace’s mouth. “Not sure what rock you’ve been hiding under, but you must be the only guy who doesn’t know who Weslee Campbell is.”
“What’s so special about him?” Logan asked, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Maybe I should look him up.”
“No time. Sutton is waiting for you,” Jace said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to point to the house. “All you need to know is Weslee has a stalker and needs twenty-four-hour protection until the authorities find out who is sending the messages.”
“What is it with all these stalkers?” Logan immediately thought about the pretty girl on the beach. He had mixed emotions about how he’d handled the whole thing. He should’ve insisted they call the police right then. He’d been so concerned about her safety that he’d jogged by the house early the next morning and later in the evening, hoping to run into her again. Not literally—he’d already done that—but he regretted not getting her name or phone number.
He told himself he only wanted her contact info so he could make sure she was okay, not because he wanted to hear her soft southern drawl and offer to take her to dinner.
“We live in a crazy world,” Jace said, edging past him. “Wish I could stick around, but I’ve gotta go.”
“Hey,” Logan called out, “Are you up for climbing this weekend?”
“Don’t think you’ll have time,” Jace said without breaking his stride. “But let me know what you think of Weslee Campbell.”
Knowing he better not keep Sutton waiting any longer, Logan entered the house and hurried to the conference room. The door was closed, so he knocked once and then pushed the door open when Sutton called for him to come inside.
Logan’s lungs seized the second he entered the room. It was her. The same beautiful girl he’d been trying to forget ever since running into her a few nights earlier. His military training had taught him to keep his emotions neutral. Still, he kept his sunglasses on long enough to check his reaction before he took them off and met her startled gaze.
Was she the archery champion? His eyes flickered to the man sitting next to her. Or was he?
“Logan,” Sutton said, snapping him from his musings. “I’d like to introduce you to Weslee Campbell.”
Keeping his focus away from the pretty girl, he crossed the room and held out his hand to the man. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“Pardon me?” the man said with a lift of an eyebrow.
Heat pooled in his gut as Logan dropped his hand to his side and shifted his attention to the pretty blonde.
“Apparently, you’re not a fan, but I’m Weslee Campbell,” the woman said, amusement lighting her aquamarine colored eyes. “Don’t worry about it. It happens all the time. I was named after my daddy but my mother insisted on spelling it differently.”
He was going to kill Jace. The guy knew all along the client was a her not a him.
“Sorry, ma’am,” Logan said, holding out his hand. “Logan Steele.”
Her perfectly shaped lips curved up as she placed her palm against his. He wasn’t prepared for the powerful zing of heat that burned through him. He wanted to jerk back and put some distance between them, but he held perfectly still.
Her smile wavered as she glanced down at their hands. “I think we’ve met before,” she said, quickly withdrawing her hand. “Unless you don’t remember me?”
Logan held back a sarcastic laugh. He remembered her all too well. “Yes, ma’am, we’ve met before.” He kept how often he’d tried to forget her the past few days to himself. “Did you ever contact the police?”
“Weslee, when did you meet him?” her companion asked, clearly not pleased with her. “And why didn’t you tell me about him?”
The ir
ritation in his voice rubbed Logan the wrong way. Was the guy her father? Surely not her boyfriend. “We ran into each other on the beach the other night. She was upset because of a text message from a guy she didn’t know.”
“You knew about her stalker and didn’t do anything about it?” the man asked, his eyes flashing with anger. He turned to look at Sutton. “I don’t think this is going to work.”
“I disagree, Jon,” Sutton said. “Logan’s skills are exactly the kind needed to provide Miss Campbell with the best protection.”
“Uncle Jon,” Weslee said, her soft southern drawl cajoling the man’s anger away from Logan. “I’m the one who quite literally ran into Mr. Steele.” She moistened her lips and glanced quickly at Logan. “He did help me by searching the area thoroughly for an intruder. He also offered to call the police, but I refused and then hurried back to the house to help Inez.”
Logan appreciated her defense of him. He appreciated a lot of things about her. How could this beautiful woman, who looked more like a super-model, be an archery champion? His gaze traveled over her delicate features, noting her flawless, golden skin didn’t have one freckle that usually came from being in the sun. Her long hair was like spun gold, shimmering under the chandelier’s lights. Somehow, he knew her hair was soft and would smell just as good.
Jace was right about one thing…what rock had he been living under to not know about this girl?
Logan looked at Weslee’s uncle just in time to see a smile soften his mouth. “I apologize, young man. I’m Jon Curtis.”
“No apologies necessary, sir,” Logan said, grasping the man’s hand. “I’m assuming the police couldn’t find anything since you both are here?”
“That’s right.” Grave lines creased the man’s forehead. “While this man has never outright threatened Weslee, I’m concerned about the tone of his messages.”
Logan took a seat next to Sutton and asked for further details. The stalker usually messaged her on social media. They still weren’t clear how he’d gotten her cell phone number. Logan could figure that one out with the right equipment and some time.
The Rogue Warrior: Navy SEAL Romances 2.0 Page 2
