Devil Within (Bodyguard Incorporated Book 1)

by Kali Argent

  “Awesome. I’ll hold you to it.”

  “So,” Lindsey said, clearly uninterested in talking about the ranch house. “How’s your book coming, Elena? Tell me you’re ahead of schedule, too.”

  “Er…” Elena grabbed her fork and shoveled several bites of her pasta into her mouth.

  Lindsey sighed. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Lindsey, tell me more about this conference. Who all is going to be there?”

  As their agent rambled on about the book conference, Elena peeked up through her lashes and mouthed her thanks. Phoebe just smiled. She’d been on the receiving end of Lindsey’s disapproval once or twice, and she wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

  As they ate, the conversation meander, but always came back to writing, books, and the upcoming conference. The last topic carried them through the end of their lunch and out the doors to the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

  “I like her,” Elena said, watching Lindsey get into a cab, “but she’s kind of nuts. Two weeks to get ready for a conference. Really?”

  Phoebe agreed, but she had other things on her mind just then. “Thank you for not saying anything about those emails.”

  “I figured if you wanted her to know, you would have brought it up during lunch.” Staring at a point over Phoebe’s shoulder, Elena’s eyes narrowed and her nostril’s flared. “Fuck.”

  “What?” Phoebe looked over her shoulder, suddenly nervous. “Fuck,” she echoed.

  Tucker Cromwell—dressed in a shiny blue shirt and skin-tight jeans—strutted down the sidewalk toward them. Though his eyes were hidden behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses, she could feel the weight of his stare, and it made her skin crawl.

  And she’d been having such a good day, too.

  “Phoebe! I was hoping I’d run into you again.” Without invitation, he invaded her space, leaning in to brush a kiss against her cheek.

  Disgusted, she shoved him away with both hands and stepped back, creating distance between them. “Leave me alone, Tucker.”

  “So, I was thinking,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “we should do something for your birthday next week. You still like Italian, right?” Taking his sunglasses off, he looked from her face to her hips. “Like I even have to ask.”

  “I already have plans, and even I didn’t, I have no desire to go anywhere with you.” Her heart beat too fast, her hands shook, and old insecurities came creeping back.

  “Plans?” Tucker scoffed. “With who?” His eyes darted to Elena. “With her?”

  “With my boyfriend.” Phoebe knew better than to engage him, but the words were past her lips before she could stop them.

  “That guy from the party?” His laughter reverberated down the sidewalk. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to keep pretending he’s your boyfriend just to make me jealous. We both know he’s way out of your league. Besides, I’ve already forgiven you for walking out on me.”

  God, he was as delusional as he was narcissistic. “You forgive me? Are you fucking kidding?”

  “Phoebe,” Elena implored, “don’t. Come on, let’s go.”

  “You’ll come around,” Tucker added confidently. “You know where to find me when you do.”

  “Tucker, do us all a favor and crawl back under whatever rock you oozed out from.” Placing a hand on Phoebe’s shoulder, Elena gave her a gentle nudge to get her walking. “Stay away from her.”

  “You’ll be back,” he called as they hurried away. “Don’t take too long, Phoebe. I won’t wait forever.”

  “That fucking jackass,” Phoebe growled. “I hate him, Elena. I fucking hate him.”

  “I know, and with good reason.” Once they’d rounded the corner, Elena pulled her to a stop and took her hands. “Tell me what to do. We can go shopping, or we can just get in my car and drive back to your place.” When Phoebe didn’t answer, one side of her mouth curled into a half smile. “Let’s go.”

  “Where are we going?” Honestly, Phoebe didn’t know what she wanted. She felt drained, both physically and mentally, and making any kind of decision seemed virtually impossible.

  “Watchdog Security Solutions is just around the corner.”

  “Oh, no.” The thought of seeing Rayce made her feel better, but she didn’t want to bother him at work. “I’ll see him later.”

  “Stop being so stubborn. It’s technically his day off, right? So, you won’t really be interrupting anything.”

  “Well…”

  “See? You already have some color back in your cheeks.”

  Since she couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see Rayce, she let Elena lead her across the street and down a couple more blocks until they reached a three-story building that seemed to be made of nothing but steel and tinted glass.

  “Are you sure?” Guilt swarmed her, making her feel incredibly selfish. “We were supposed to have a girls’ day.”

  “We will, just not today.” She gave Phoebe a tight hug. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

  Phoebe watched her friend walk away for several seconds before entering the building. Twisting her fingers together, she approached the curved reception counter, smiling when a tall, slender woman wearing a smart pantsuit stood to greet her.

  “Welcome to Watchdog Security Solutions. How can I help you?”

  “I, uh, I’m looking for Rayce Hawkins.” Belatedly, she wondered if he’d actually come into the office or if he’d decided to lounge on the couch and watch movies instead. “Is he here?”

  The receptionist—Jordan, according to her nametag—lifted a phone to her ear. “Your name?”

  “Phoebe Keller.”

  A few silent moments passed before she spoke again. “Mr. Hawkins, I have a Phoebe Keller here to see you.” She nodded curtly and returned the phone to its cradle. “He’s on his way. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”

  “I’m okay, but thank you.”

  Wandering over to a row of empty chairs, she chose the one closest to the window and sat, shifting her purse to her lap. She didn’t have to wait long. No more than a minute had passed when Rayce jogged into the lobby, still dressed in his basketball shorts and T-shirt.

  “Phoebe?” He rushed over to her, practically jerking her up from her seat, his gaze raking over every inch of her. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “Rayce, I’m fine. I was just around the corner, so I thought I’d drop in and surprise you.” She didn’t sound convincing, not even to herself, and clearly, Rayce wasn’t buying it, either.

  “Oh, sugar.” With a quiet sigh, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I ran into Tucker on the way out of the restaurant. It was stupid.” Her ex made her feel weak, and she hated it. “I know I shouldn’t let him get to me, but…”

  “Did he hurt you?” There was an edge to Rayce’s tone, but his hands remained gentle. “Did he touch you?”

  “No, nothing like that. Just the same garbage about wanting to get back together. He said he forgave me.” She snorted, because now, wrapped in Rayce’s arms, it was so absurd. “He thinks you’re pretending to be with me to make him jealous, because you’re clearly miles out of my league.”

  “I think he got that a little backwards. You’re definitely too good for me, but I’m just selfish enough not to care.” With his arms still around her, he rocked from side to side. “I’m sorry he upset you. You want me to kick his ass?”

  Phoebe laughed. Elena had been right. She definitely needed this.

  “Is it wrong of me if I say yes?”

  “Not at all.”

  She laughed again and shook her head. “He’s not worth it, but thank you.” The muscles in her neck and shoulders unknotted, and she eased back to look up at him. “I’m sorry I bothered you at work.”

  Uncaring who saw them, Rayce bent to give his girl a deep, lingering kiss. Every part of him wanted to hunt down Tucker Cromwell and
beat him bloody, but he couldn’t, not yet anyway. Right then, Phoebe needed him, and he needed to stay calm for her.

  “You can bother me anytime you want. I’m always happy to see you.” While true, he did wish it had been better circumstances that had brought her to his office. “How was your lunch?”

  “It was fine.” Her nose wrinkled, belying her words. “My agent wants me to go to a conference in a few weeks.”

  “I take it you don’t want to go. Where is it?”

  “Here in Dallas, and it’s not that I don’t want to go. This is one of the bigger conventions, and there are going to be a ton of people there.”

  And crowds made her anxious. “Is there any way you can get out of it?”

  “Afraid not. Lindsey, my agent, even signed me and Elena up to host a dinner the first night.”

  “Rough break.” Since they still didn’t know who had been harassing her, Rayce had mixed feelings about her attending the event. “Would it help if I came with you?”

  Her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened. “You’d do that?”

  She really didn’t get it. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. “Famous authors bring security to these things, right?”

  “I’m sure they do, but I hear it’s expensive.”

  “Mm,” he hummed, bending to kiss her again. “Perks of dating your very own bodyguard.”

  They both tensed when Phoebe’s phone chimed from her purse. “It’s probably just Elena, checking to make sure I’m okay.”

  She pulled her phone from a side pocket on her purse, and her face paled the minute she looked at the screen. “It’s another email.”

  Fuck, this guy was really starting to piss him off. “Read it.”

  “It says, ‘You look lovely in green.’ Nothing else.” Her bottom lip trembled, and her gaze went to the wall of windows. “He’s watching me. That’s what that means, doesn’t it? He’s following me.”

  “Or it’s Tucker.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t think so. He’s too egotistical. He’d want me to know it was him.”

  Rayce wasn’t convinced, but for the time being, there also wasn’t much he could do about it. Besides, if he looked too closely at Tucker and ended up being wrong, he might not see the real threat coming.

  “I think there’s been enough excitement for today. Let’s get you home.”

  “Is this ever going to stop?”

  It would. He’d make sure of it. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  After a brief hesitation, she nodded, then linked her fingers with his. “I believe you.” She took a step back, pulling him with her. “Let’s go home.”

  Until that moment, he hadn’t realized that he’d come to think of her house as his home, but it felt right. In fact, it felt damn good. “Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Two years ago, Dominic had redesigned the unused and unfinished basement at WSS, turning the dark and gloomy space into a brightly lit, state-of-the-art fitness center that included weights, cardio machines, heavy bags, speed bags, a boxing ring, and a sparring pit. It was open twenty-four-seven to anyone with an access card, and best of all, it was free to employees and their families.

  Maybe that was why Rayce had never paid much attention to the popular CrossFit gym on the way to his favorite deli. Standing on the sidewalk in front of The Box, he squinted behind the lenses of his Ray-Bans, holding his hand up to shield the glare from the mid-morning sun. He’d never understood why most gyms had such big windows. If people wanted to exercise outdoors, they wouldn’t be in the gym in the first place.

  Taking off his sunglasses, he rested them on the brim of his Texas Rangers baseball cap and pushed open the thick glass door. The moment he entered the gym, he knew he was in the right place. Instead of sweat and musk, the air held a subtle floral scent—freesia maybe—but to Rayce, it mostly smelled like self-righteousness.

  Behind the welcome desk, a pretty woman with big teeth and artificially plump lips greeted him with a smile. “Welcome to The Box. Are you interested in a membership?”

  “Actually, I’m looking for the owner. Is he here?”

  “Tucker?” Her smile shined just a little brighter. “Yeah, he’s warming up for the next WOD.” She pointed to the back corner with a purple, manicured nail. “Workout of the Day,” she explained when she saw Rayce’s expression. “Anyway, he’s just back there.”

  Rayce dipped his head. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  It was time to put an end to Tucker’s involvement in Phoebe’s life once and for all. He couldn’t stand to see his girl upset, and her run-in with her ex the previous week had definitely upset her. If Tucker wanted to keep breathing, he’d make sure it never happened again.

  Other than a couple of rowing machines, The Box didn’t offer any sort of cardio equipment. Squat racks, pull-up bars, wooden crates, medicine balls, kettlebells, and a plethora of free weights dominated the space, but not a single person was present.

  “Kind of dead in here,” he said as he approached, smirking when he noticed the amount of weight the guy was currently bench pressing.

  Tucker looked at him from the corner of his eye as he lowered the bar to his chest, then pressed it skyward again. “Next WOD doesn’t start for twenty minutes.”

  Shirtless and covered in sweat, Tucker’s muscles rippled as he lowered the weights again until the silver bar brushed against his collarbones. The guy was clearly in excellent physical condition, but his form sucked. It fit with everything Rayce knew about him, though, and he got the impression that Tucker liked the attention and power that came from coaching more than he actually wanted to help people.

  Racking the bar, he sat up, straddling the black, padded bench, and wiped the sweat from his face with a hand towel. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Yeah, but don’t let me interrupt your workout.” With a casual gait, Rayce approached the bench and pointed to the weights. “Here, I’ll spot you while we talk.”

  Tucker eyed him for a minute, probably wondering where he’d seen him before, but eventually nodded and repositioned himself under the bar again. “Okay, friend, what is it that you want to talk about?”

  “Actually, it’s a ‘who,’ someone we both know.” Rayce planted his feet shoulder width apart and crossed his arms while he watched Tucker rip out another three reps. “Phoebe Keller.”

  The bar wobbled a little on its way up, but before Tucker could rack it again, Rayce coiled his fingers around it and pressed down heavily. Tucker’s eyes widened, blood rushed to his face, and his muscles flexed as he struggled to keep the bar from crushing his windpipe.

  “Now that I have your attention, let’s get a few things straight.” He added just a little more pressure to the bar. “Phoebe is mine, and I don’t take kindly to people treating her with anything less than the respect she deserves. Are you following?”

  The vein that snaked up the side of Tucker’s neck bulged, and his eyes had begun to water.

  “I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

  “Yes,” Tucker bit out through clenched teeth.

  “If you try to call her, email her, or contact her in anyway, I’ll know. If you approach her on the street, I’ll know. If you so much as even think about her again, I’ll know.” Because he could, he pressed a little more insistently on the bar, enjoying the way the asshole grunted and whimpered. “You are an insignificant, pathetic waste of space, and I’d love nothing more than to crush you like the cockroach you are. Unfortunately, that would upset Phoebe, but trust me, you do not want me as an enemy. Nod if you understand.”

  Tucker jerked his head frantically in what was likely supposed to be agreement.

  Rayce chuckled darkly. “Good.”

  He shoved the bar away from him and to the side, forcing Tucker to twist to keep from being crushed. The weights toppled to the floor with a loud clang, and Tucker fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

>   Standing over him, Rayce took his sunglasses from his cap, inspected them, then used the hem of his shirt to clean the lenses. “It would be best if I didn’t have to repeat myself.”

  “You’re fucking crazy,” Tucker rasped.

  Rayce put his sunglasses on and straightened his baseball cap. “Probably.” Having made his point, he turned and strolled toward the exit, but stopped near the rowing machines and looked over his shoulder. “Stay away from Phoebe.”

  Exiting the gym into the blinding sunlight, he turned left and headed for the crosswalk at the end of the street. Ahead of him, a group of men in power-suits congregated outside the deli, likely on their lunch break from a nearby office. A young woman walked toward him going the opposite direction, her eyes tired and her skin pale as she pushed a baby stroller down the sidewalk.

  “It gets easier,” he told her as they passed. Of course, he had no experience with babies, but that was what he’d heard. Either way, she looked as if she could use a kind word and a smile. “Hang in there. You’re doing great.”

  Her steps faltered, and she looked up at him as if he’d just told her the secrets of the universe. “Thank you.” She held one hand on the handle of the stroller while she pushed her ebony, windswept hair back from her face. “I really needed to hear that today.”

  The lack of a ring on her finger didn’t necessarily mean she was a single mother, but considering how harried she looked, Rayce guessed she was raising her child all on her own. Either that, or the child’s father needed a serious wake-up call.

  “Rayce Hawkins,” he said, extending his right hand.

  She hesitated for just a moment before accepting it with a light squeeze. “Emery Ballard.”

  “What do you do, Emery Ballard?”

  “I’m a nurse.” Her honey-brown eyes clouded, and she looked down at the sleeping baby in the stroller. “Well, I was. When Ava got sick, I had to miss a lot of work, and well, it’s kind of hard to keep a job when you don’t show up for it.” Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I just told you that.”