Josh's Fake Fiancee (Military Men Book 5)

by Shelley Munro

“A mate put it in yesterday after Ashley’s stalker broke into the house. Hopefully, that will put a stop to him breaking in again.”

  “Is it monitored?”

  “Yes,” Josh said. “The alarm company will contact the police should anything go awry.” He joined Ashley, and Nelson took the passenger seat.

  Ashley was hard at work, returning phone calls from her fellow members of parliament. Her voice was crisp and decisive and kind of hot. Josh grinned. She hadn’t realized that he’d need to share her room now that the DPS were underfoot.

  “Charles, this is none of your business,” she said.

  Josh started to pay attention to the conversation. He hadn’t liked what he’d seen of the man while they’d been in Wellington.

  “I have this situation under control. You know that none of those posts are true. I am not a criminal or any of the other things they accuse me of. I have been upfront with the party regarding my history. No, I do not intend to resign.” She listened, frowned, her brow puckering. “Stop. Enough. You go to the party manager and complain. Do what you have to do. You’ll just look like a dick. Oh, wait. You are a dick.” She hung up and groaned. “I shouldn’t have spoken that way. Charles was probably taping the call.”

  “Who was that, Ashley?” Nelson asked.

  “That was Charles Jamieson. He’s standing for the Auckland Central seat and thinks he can do a better job than me. We dated once. Once was enough. He tried to tell me women belong in the kitchen where they can cook meals for their man. He believes a woman like me, one who might have a family in the future, has no right to stand for a parliamentary seat. The man is an ass. He certainly brays like one.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I apologize. You did not just hear me slag off a fellow MP. I won’t do that again.”

  “I didn’t hear a thing,” Josh said.

  “We’re covered by confidentiality. As long as you don’t break the law, you’re good.” Nelson spoke in a deadpan voice, but his eyes flashed with humor before he turned back to Gerry.

  Gerry pulled into a parking space outside the electoral office. “How long will you be here?”

  “Half an hour.” Ashley opened the door to exit her vehicle, and Josh stayed her.

  “Let the guys check things out first. Let them do their job.”

  Josh watched in approval. The two men scanned for danger then Gerry opened the door for Ashley while Nelson waited to flank her as she walked to the office entrance. Josh followed at the rear and took a seat in the waiting room while the DPS officers did their thing.

  Charles Jamieson.

  He’d poke deeper into the man’s background and see what he discovered.

  Josh fired off an email to Summer. She’d promised to dig into Ashley’s accident further to see if anything raised alarm bells. When his sister didn’t reply, he figured she was busy with the baby or at work. Instead, he started his search for online material relating to Charles Jamieson. Social media pages. Full of inspirational sayings—one for each day. He also posted photos relating to his campaign. Nothing contentious here. The guy had a gift for social media and kept things real but never stepped over the boundaries.

  Next, Josh did a general search and checked each link as far back as ten pages of the search results. Nothing jumped out here either. Solid education. Trained as a lawyer, but he’d never practiced. Politics seemed to be his passion, and like Ashley, the man was a career politician. He lived and breathed politics. Hadn’t jumped into any scandals. Worked hard. If he played hard as well, he did it in private.

  “Josh, we’re on the move,” Gerry interrupted his research.

  “Thanks.” Josh put away his phone and notebook, waved goodbye to Sheryl and Carrie, and followed Ashley and the DPS officers from the electoral office.

  Ashley worked and fielded phone calls during the drive into the central city. Josh knew she hadn’t slept much the previous evening because her bedroom light had remained on into the small hours of the morning. When most women might’ve cried themselves to sleep, Ashley had straightened her shoulders and marched into battle. He couldn’t have been prouder.

  The hall where Ashley was to speak to students was standing room only. As Ashley entered with Gerry and Nelson, the chatter died before bursting into life again—a flurry of whispers. Since Josh was satisfied with Gerry’s and Nelson’s efficiency, he remained at the rear where he could scan the crowd and keep watch from the back.

  Ashley strode the aisle to the podium at the front with her head up, her shoulders straight and a smile on her face. She wore a forest-green suit that clung to her curves and made the most of her figure, yet it never strayed into tacky. Her blonde hair shone under the lights, and the loose strands bounced as she walked.

  Pride burst in Josh again. She was class, and although her stalker had rattled her, she hid her fear well.

  When she reached the front, two men and a young woman greeted her and shook hands. Then, the young woman bounded up to the podium and raised her hands for silence.

  “Thank you for coming today. The day before yesterday, we were excited to have a young and upcoming Member of Parliament coming to speak to us. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the leader of the opposition.” She paused to laugh. “I told my friends this woman was going places, but the dizzying rise of her star surprised me too. I knew she was ambitious and talented and popular with her constituents, but her fellow Labor party politicians value her too since yesterday, they chose her to lead them into this upcoming election. I am proud to welcome today, Ashley Townsend.”

  Applause broke out in pockets around the hall, but Josh could see Ashley needed to work hard. She’d intimated she had a plan, but she hadn’t given him details. It was obvious most of these students had seen the social media posts. Neither he nor Ashley had bothered to listen to the news or check the online newspapers for public reaction, but he imagined the press and the response of other members of parliament. Give them a taste of blood, and they became ravenous sharks. Ashley swam in dangerous waters.

  Ashley stood and approached the microphone. Once she reached the spot, she glanced around the hall and took in faces. She smiled—a genuine smile of happiness, and one Josh hadn’t seen since the posts had hit social media.

  “Good morning. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to young New Zealanders. I’m going to take a safe wager. I bet you and your friends, your parents and university tutors too, are wondering what’s up with the nasty posts that appeared online last night. They’re calling me a criminal and accusing me of gross misconduct and other crimes. To be truthful, I stopped looking at my social media apps after reading the first couple.

  “Firstly, none of what you might have read, or the press speculated about is true. I follow the law. The Labor party, and I presume the other political parties vying for seats, have a process in place to vet our candidates. No one gave me my position. I earned it because I am a decent human being who tries to do the right thing.

  “During the last few months, I’ve received threatening letters. None of them bore a signature. Someone sent me a bouquet of dead flowers, also with an alarming note. My car refused to work after a mystery person forced open the fuel tank and added water. My home was broken into…” She paused and pulled a face. “The person who entered my home without my permission removed my lingerie from the drawers I keep it stored in and stacked it on top of my bed. They helped themselves to items of laundry and used these to dress a shop dummy. Yes,” she said. “For several hours last week, anyone who drove past my house would’ve seen a dummy dressed in my favorite pair of red undies and a matching lacy camisole.

  “Then we come to the flurry of posts on every social media channel. The police have checked for the source of these posts, but unfortunately, most of the profiles where these posts originated are dummy accounts, opened for the purpose of harassing me.”

  Ashley paused again to scan the faces. Admiration grew in Josh. This was a ballsy step and one that might backfire. On the
plus side, these students were paying attention. They hadn’t expected her to come out with the truth. They’d expected spin.

  “Yes, the truth is an insidious one. I’ve attracted a bully. These days, kids are taught about bullying. Our parents tell us what to do if we’re bullied. Report it to an adult, right? But not all those bullied are young children. Adults are just as likely to suffer from bullying. It might be in the workplace or in our social lives. Perhaps a family member.

  “People of any age can attract bullies, and we must stamp it out and fight back if necessary.

  “So how do we do that? We speak out. We tell people in authority or instigate a complaint. In my case, I’ve informed the police, and as the bullying has escalated, I now have two muscular men following me around during my workday.” She indicated her DPS officers, both of whom remained stony-faced and watchful.

  “That is my bullying story. I’m not going to answer further questions regarding this situation but know this. I dislike bullies, and I refuse to let him or her run my life. Just know I won’t cower. I will fight back. I will not take this bullying or let it affect my reputation. Speaking out takes away the bully’s power. If you have any questions on how to deal with bullies, my team have collected several fantastic resources. If you or someone in your circle is facing the same problems as me, grab a handout on the way out of the hall.

  “Now, I know you’re busy, and I’ve been speaking for a while now, but before I open the floor to questions, I thought I’d give you a quick down and dirty bullet-point speech of how the Labor party intends to help students. Which of our policies apply to you?”

  The vibration of Josh’s phone distracted him, and he pulled it out of his pocket to glance at the screen. It was Frog. Josh briskly exited the hall before answering.

  “Frog,” he said, while automatically making a time calculation. It was past midnight in Afghanistan.

  “What’s going on over there, Josh?” Frog’s low voice held demand and frustration.

  “Didn’t you get my email?”

  “I did. Your verbal report?”

  Josh described what was happening and mentioned Ashley’s bullying speech.

  “Does Ash realize she’s rattling his cage?” Frog demanded.

  “She knows what she’s doing.” Pride and admiration filled Josh. Like a military boss, she’d employed a strategy. “She’s counting on her situation swinging the vote to the Labor party.”

  Frog barked out a laugh, but Josh could tell he was worried and irritated because he was so far away. “She has always had good instincts. I hope she’s right and this doesn’t push her stalker into taking radical action. Hell, I can’t even believe my baby sister is the Labor party leader.”

  “Frog, the accident Ashley was in where her friend died. Are you positive there was no blowback at the time? The social media posts accuse her of murder and wrecking homes. Your sister assures me she’s never had an affair, and my investigations make me believe her.”

  “Ash doesn’t lie,” Frog barked.

  “Put yourself in my shoes. If it was Summer, and you were looking after her, you’d check and recheck every angle.”

  A sigh echoed on the line. “Sorry. It’s driving me crazy I can’t be there for Ash.”

  “She has two DPS officers with her right now plus me. They’ll be with her every moment until the threat passes. The cops aren’t brushing her off any longer. They’re taking this seriously.”

  “Okay. Ash’s friend who died was the oldest in the family. She was a wild child, and my parents worried about her influence on Ashley. She had younger siblings, and Jess’s parents did split after her death. I don’t know if Jess’s death was the wedge that drove them apart or not.”

  “Anything else? I’ve tried to trace them, but not even Summer has located them.”

  “Bloody dog. I told Ashley to never swerve to miss an animal.”

  “Since we lived in a rural area, it was one of the first things my father told us when he taught us to drive. It’s instinct though, Frog. You can’t blame Ashley for that.”

  Frog sighed again. “I know. I know. I’ve been racking my brain. I can’t think of any reason for someone to stalk Ash. She’s dedicated and focused on reaching her goals and never dated much.” He barked out a laugh. “Most of her dates when she was younger were dumb Neanderthals, according to Ash. She felt her time was better spent socializing with her political friends and mentors. Honestly, Josh. Ashley is a straight arrow. She doesn’t lie. If she’d had an affair, she’d tell you, but she’s not the cheating type. I’ve never met anyone with more integrity than my sister.”

  “That’s my reading too,” Josh said. “Do you know Charles Jamieson?”

  “Yeah. I met him once. Man’s a dick.”

  Josh grinned. “Those were Ashley’s exact words.”

  “I doubt it’s him,” Frog said. “At school, he was the kid who dobbed in his mates and ran tattling to the teachers. I mean, check him out, but I doubt I’m wrong in thinking he’s innocent of the stalking.”

  Josh snorted. “The guy has already tattled to the campaign manager, but he and the senior party members are standing by Ashley. This situation is frustrating as hell. Ashley has offended her stalker, and he wants everyone to know. Her schedule is available to everyone. It’s easy for this guy to learn where she’ll be. Hell, if he’s smart, he’ll case each place she’s due to make an appearance beforehand. It’s too damn easy for him to pull out a weapon and attack. If he doesn’t care if he gets caught and merely wants to shoot Ashley, there might not be much I or the DPS officers can do.”

  “Ashley needs to be smart with her appearances.”

  “The campaign manager has organized them,” Josh said. “Everything was arranged before the flood of social media posts. I doubt they can change things now or that Ashley will want to lose any opportunity to bolster the Labor party’s chances to win over the voting public. You haven’t seen her since her promotion. She’s scared, but she has this determined glint in her eyes that wasn’t present before. She wants to win.”

  “I got that impression when Ash emailed me last night,” Frog agreed. “Keep me posted.”

  “Will do.”

  “Oh, and Josh. Don’t play with my sister’s emotions. She has wanted this since she was a kid, and she’s worked hard. If you put her off her stride in any way, I will break your pretty face.”

  “Hey, it’s not me distracting her. It’s her stalker. You focus on him. I’m the innocent party—the one who’s doing you a favor.” Josh’s stomach clenched at the white lie. He liked Ashley. A lot. Their kisses had become personal and more than a token show of an affectionate couple.

  Frog snorted, apparently unimpressed by Josh’s protestations. “Don’t forget. I’ve seen you in action. I’ve seen the way the women clamor for you. Don’t mess with my sister. Keep her safe and leave it at that.”

  “You’re lucky you’re not saying that to my face,” Josh snapped, guilt still prodding his conscience even as he denied the charges. His remorse turned his voice sharper than usual.

  “We’ll settle any problems the next time we meet.” Distinct relish shaded the promise from Frog.

  “You and what army?” Josh snorted. “You’d better keep up your fitness levels. Even then, you’ll be pushing it.” He checked his watch. “Gotta go. Ashley should be finished soon if she hasn’t already.”

  “Keep her safe.”

  “Will do,” Josh promised.

  As he returned to the hall, his phone vibrated again. Summer. He tapped out a quick message, promising to contact her soon. When he entered the room, Ashley was fielding questions.

  “When are you getting married, Ashley?” a young man with a long black beard and his black hair styled in dreads asked.

  “We haven’t set a date yet. Right now, I’m focusing on the campaign.”

  “Do you intend to have children?”

  “I love children,” Ashley said without hesitation. “Children are our f
uture, which is why Labor is keen to implement changes to the education, early childhood, and community sectors.”

  “If you’re prime minister, how do you expect to do your job while you’re pregnant or have children to look after?” the young man fired out.

  Josh watched the guy closely, but the grins from the men and women sitting nearby suggested they knew him. He was a student rather than a physical danger to Ashley.

  “I will do what any modern parent does—share parenting duties with my husband and hire help where necessary. You know, nobody asks these questions of our current prime minister because he’s a man. He has children, yet they never come into the conversation. The queen had children and continued with her duties. Why should I be called out as different? Know this. If or when I have children, I will give them the best care and as much love as I can. I will nurture and shape them into productive citizens, just as my parents did with me. I can, and I will carry on with my political duties. Whatever my job or my situation, I will give New Zealand and its people one hundred percent of my effort.” She removed her gaze from the young man and smiled, warmth and sincerity pouring from her in invisible waves. “That’s all the questions I have time for today. Thank you for listening to my vision for our wonderful country. Don’t forget to grab a handout as you exit. I trust you’ll exercise your right to vote on election day and hope it is one for the Labor party.”

  The students broke into chatter then. Most stood and filed outside, many stopping to collect one of Ashley’s handouts. Josh remained where he was, scanning faces as the attendees left.

  Once the room had cleared, Josh joined Ashley. Nelson and Gerry stood close, alert for danger or students who came too close.

  When Ashley was ready to depart for her next speaking engagement, Nelson led the way, Josh walked at Ashley’s side, and Gerry followed.

  “I’m surrounded by brick walls,” Ashley joked.

  “It’s our job to maintain your safety,” Josh murmured. He frowned, experiencing a faint prickling at his nape. He surveyed their surroundings, attempting to discover the source of his unease. Nothing jumped out at him, but he noticed Gerry’s scowl as he too scrutinized faces.