by Tara Wyatt
Alexa gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth, her other hand curling around the rose’s petals. Jeff Astor was the president of one of the largest film studios in Hollywood, and he’d gone missing over a week ago. The story had been all over the news. Before his disappearance he’d made a play to buy Innkeeper Films, the production company her father had a large stake in. She’d thought the deal had simply fallen through.
“You saw to it yourself?” Her father’s voice was tense, urgent.
“Bullet to the forehead, point-blank. Burned and ashes dumped, just like you asked.”
“Good. That motherfucker was a pain in my side.”
Alexa’s heart pounded in her ears as she tried to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. Because it sounded an awful lot as if her father had ordered Kramer to murder Jeff Astor. A tremor coursed through her, and she closed her eyes, trying to center herself against a wave of dizziness.
“Have you made a decision about Morales yet?” asked Kramer.
Her father hesitated, making a low humming noise she recognized as his “I’m thinking” sound. “Not yet. Morales knows a lot, maybe too much. But killing a cop is the last resort.”
“Understood.”
“And what about Crosby?” asked her father. Alexa racked her brain, trying to figure out if she knew who Crosby was. She licked her lips, her mouth dry as fear and panic worked themselves into a tight, cold knot right in the center of her chest.
This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real.
“Still on the list. It’s in the works.”
“Make it happen, and soon. He knows too much about us.”
“And what about me?” Kramer’s tone shifted slightly, and his voice took on an edge. There was a pause that stretched out for several seconds before her father spoke.
“If you kill Crosby, you can have Alexa.”
She crushed the rose until crumpled petals littered the floor around her feet. Sweat prickled along her hairline, and her stomach churned.
Oh God. Please, no. You can’t do this to me again.
“You promise she’ll cooperate?”
Her father snorted derisively. “Alexa will do what I tell her.”
Chapter 2
Zack De Luca walked into his boss’s house, late for the party that was already in full swing. A few dozen people mingled throughout the spacious Mediterranean-style mansion that Sean shared with his fiancée, Sierra, and classic rock thumped through the speakers. Sean had been cryptic about the occasion, saying only that Zack, along with all the other Virtus Security guys, should come, and that there’d be plenty of free food and beer.
And hey, free beer was free beer. Considering how much of Zack’s paycheck went toward training, he was all about the freebies.
He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the bench in the foyer with the others, running a hand over his hair, still damp from his quick shower. His training session at Take Down, the MMA gym downtown, had gone longer than he’d anticipated. He had a major fight coming up soon, and his trainers were pushing him hard. Big things could happen if he won that fight and the local championship title that went with it. Chances were high he’d be offered a contract from a major international fight promotion, like the UFC or Bellator. It was everything he’d been working toward for years now. And so his team of coaches drilled him, beat the hell out of him, yelled at him, whatever it took for Zack to push through each barrier and hit harder, move faster, and fight smarter than anyone else. He both hated and loved them for it.
Right now he mostly hated them as his tired muscles screamed at him, his empty stomach growling dangerously. He strode forward through the house, smiling and nodding at the people around him as he made his way to the kitchen. White and silver balloons and black streamers hung in swoops from the ceiling in the living room, and Zack wondered what the party was for. Sean and Sierra had already had an engagement party, and as far as he knew, it wasn’t anyone’s birthday. He stepped into the kitchen, his mouth practically watering at the sight of pizza, chicken wings, and coolers full of beer covering all the available counter space. He grabbed a paper plate and loaded himself up, knowing he’d have to make up for this cheat meal tomorrow.
Whatever. The extra time on the treadmill was future Zack’s problem. Because right now he was going to massacre the pizza and wings on his plate, and fuck, was he going to enjoy it.
He chuckled at himself, shaking his head slightly, as he moved into the living room and sank down onto one of the chairs set up around the perimeter of the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so excited about a damn slice of pizza, but that was what happened when he cut all the fun stuff out of his life—junk food, beer, sex, anything that could be a distraction, really—in order to chase his dream.
A dream that was finally within reach, and once it came true, all the sacrifice would be worth it.
“Hey, everyone!” called out Sierra, her hands cupped around her mouth. The music died, and conversations dropped away as everyone turned their attention toward the front of the living room, where she stood on an ottoman. Once all eyes were on her, she smiled. “Thanks for coming. I know it was really short notice, and you’re probably wondering what this little shindig’s all about. Well…” She glanced over her shoulder at her best friend, Taylor, who was also Zack’s ex-girlfriend. She stood nearby, holding hands with her boyfriend, Colt Priestley, who worked with Zack as a bodyguard at Virtus. “This party is for Colt and Taylor.”
“We got married!” Taylor shouted, a huge smile on her face as Colt pulled her into him, kissing her in front of everyone. Zack nearly choked on his beer, pulling the bottle hastily away from his lips as a wave of pure shock slammed into him.
Married?
Everyone erupted around Zack, clapping and cheering and laughing, and a weird sense of loneliness wrapped itself around him like a cold, wet blanket. Not because of Taylor; he wanted her to be happy. He’d cared about her but hadn’t been in love with her by any stretch, which was why they’d broken up in the first place. He didn’t really understand the reason for the sudden wave of loneliness, just knew that it was there. Or that something that felt a hell of a lot like loneliness was there, which was probably just fatigue, more than anything. He’d been putting in long hours at the gym as well as working his regular shifts as a bodyguard.
And even if he was lonely, it was just the way things had to be right now.
“When?” someone from the crowd called out.
Colt flashed a smile, taking his eyes away from Taylor for only a second. “We went to Vegas last weekend.”
“You guys are crazy!” Chloe Carmichael, another friend of Sierra and Taylor, called out, and everyone laughed.
Taylor and Colt looked at each other, wordless communication passing between them in a way that had that damn wet blanket pressing harder around Zack’s shoulders.
“When you know, you know,” said Taylor, and Colt slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for another kiss. Everyone cheered again, and the party resumed, guests moving toward Taylor and Colt to congratulate them. Zack grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and wiped his hands and mouth, waiting until the initial rush died off before making his way toward them.
Despite the hard knot sitting in the center of his chest at the sight of Taylor smiling wide and practically vibrating with happiness, he couldn’t help but return her smile. He’d hurt her when they’d broken up because he hadn’t been able to give her what she’d needed, what she’d deserved. Zack wasn’t at a place in his life where he could be that man for anyone, and he’d been stupid to get involved with Taylor in the first place. The guilt over how things had gone down between them still ate at him, but seeing her so happy, with a man who clearly adored her, helped take some of the bite out of it.
Zack shoved one hand into his pocket, holding his beer with the other. “You guys are nuts.” Something tugged in his chest when he noticed the matching ink—Roman numerals, probably their w
edding date—on Taylor’s and Colt’s inner left wrists.
Colt tipped his head and shrugged, smiling. “Pretty much.”
Zack clinked his beer bottle against the ex–Army Ranger’s. “Congrats, man. Seriously.” He stepped forward and pulled Taylor in for a brief hug. “I’m really happy for you, Taylor.”
She pulled back, and her eyes, so full of happiness, met his. She rested a hand on his cheek and smiled warmly at him. “I know you are.”
Tipping his head at the happy couple, Zack moved out of the way so other guests could talk to them, and he sank down onto the couch beside his boss. Sean sat with his long legs extended in front of him, a beer in one hand.
Zack glanced back at Taylor and Colt, not really wanting to untangle the knot of emotion their announcement had lodged in the center of his chest. He didn’t feel like pulling at its threads tonight. He was too damn tired. “I can’t believe they got married. They’ve known each other, what? A month?”
Sean nodded and took a sip of his beer. “Something like that.” He glanced at Zack, one eyebrow raised. “It bother you?”
“Nah. I’m happy for her, as long as she’s happy. Does it bother you?” Zack asked. There had been tension between Sean and Colt in the past, but it seemed to be resolved now. A couple of years ago, Colt had worked for Virtus, and he’d ended up getting himself fired, and it had been Sean who’d done the firing. Now Colt was back in Sean’s good graces and was once again working for Virtus. Given that Taylor and Sierra were best friends, and given Sean’s natural inclination to protect everyone around him, Zack had to wonder how Sean felt about Colt and Taylor together.
Not just together. Married.
Sean tilted his head, considering. “I’m surprised, but no. It doesn’t bother me.” He took a sip of his beer. “Besides, Priestley knows I’ll hurt him—badly—if he fucks this up.”
Zack didn’t doubt it, and as Sean’s eyes tracked Sierra as she moved through the party, Zack couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be so…much for someone. Protective, and possessive, and everything that went along with it. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about the safety of his clients, because he definitely did, but there was a clear line where the job ended and his personal life started. Yeah, he’d had some clients come on to him—some of the other guys on the team referred to it as the “Costner effect”—but he’d never been tempted.
The music got louder, and several guests, under Sierra’s direction, started moving furniture out of the way, making room for an impromptu dance floor. Zack nodded at Sean before making his way back to the kitchen for more pizza.
As he passed by the foyer again, the front door opened, and Alexa Fairfax, another friend of Sierra and Taylor, stepped in, shutting it quietly behind her. His steps slowed as he watched her.
God, Alexa. So fucking pretty. So damn sweet. Truth be told, she’d been the one he’d first noticed when he’d met Sierra’s group of friends over a year ago now. But he hadn’t made a move, because he’d known that Alexa wasn’t the type of woman you started something casual with. She deserved so much more than a casual, no-strings-attached hookup. And casual, no strings attached was all he’d been able to offer. Was still all he could offer.
So Alexa was completely not for him.
She leaned her back against the door and shut her eyes, her face ghostly white. Her hands shook as she adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder.
Frowning, Zack shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and headed toward her. She smiled weakly when she saw him, her lips twitching up for a second, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Her fingers curled around the strap of her purse, her knuckles going the same shade of white as her face. Something hot and protective tightened his chest, and for a crazy second, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, to promise her that, whatever it was, she’d be okay.
Instead he stopped a few feet in front of her, his hands still in his pockets. “Alexa? You okay?”
Her eyes met his, and she sucked in a shaky breath. “I…Oh God.” She pressed her hands to her face and let out a soft sob, her shoulders trembling.
Zack yanked his hands from his pockets and pulled Alexa into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She felt so tiny, so vulnerable. She barely reached his shoulder despite the fact that she had heels on.
“What happened? Did someone hurt you?” he whispered into her light-blond hair, so fine and soft under his fingers as he stroked the back of her head. So help him God, if someone had hurt her, he would make them bleed.
She pulled back, just enough to look up at him, and he noticed the mascara smudged under her eye. He left his arms around her. It would’ve felt wrong to take them away.
She shook her head slowly, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “I…don’t think…I can’t.”
“Do you want to go outside? Get some fresh air?” Maybe if she calmed down a little, she’d be able to tell him what the hell had her so…It was more than upset.
The poor girl was fucking spooked.
She hesitated a second before nodding. Without a word he tucked her under his arm, shielding her from the view of the other party guests. He led her down a hallway off the foyer and into the garage, where a side door led into the quiet, dark backyard. The noise from the party filtered out through the open windows, mingling with the soft gurgle of water from the pool. A cool spring breeze rustled the palm fronds and teased Alexa’s shoulder-length hair around her jaw. She brushed it aside as he led her to a stone bench off to the right, their backs to the house.
For several moments they just sat, Alexa sniffling and staring blankly at the still water of the pool. Zack stroked a hand up and down her back, hoping to comfort her in some way. He’d spent the past year as a bodyguard honing his protective instincts, and they now came to life, alarm bells ringing through his skull. Something was very, very wrong.
When she finally spoke, she surprised him with her question. “Who’s the party for? Sierra was cagey about it on the phone earlier.”
Zack glanced back at the house. “Oh. Uh, for Taylor and Colt. They got married in Vegas last weekend.”
Alexa’s head whipped around. “What? But didn’t they just get together?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re crazy.” She shook her head, but he could hear the smile in her voice.
“That’s what I said.”
Gently, she laid a hand on his arm, the tips of her fingers warm against his skin. “Are you okay?”
Fuck, she was so sweet. He was supposed to be comforting her and finding out why she’d suddenly burst into tears, and she was worried about him because his ex-girlfriend had eloped.
He laid a hand over hers, allowing himself the luxury of tracing his thumb over her delicate knuckles. “I’m fine. Just surprised, like everyone, I think. You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”
She sighed heavily. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Beginning’s usually a good place.”
She scoffed out a laugh. “That would take too long.”
He turned to face her. “Did someone hurt you? What happened, Alexa?”
A tremble coursed through her, and he wished he were wearing more than a T-shirt and jeans so that he had a jacket or a sweater to offer her. But he didn’t, so instead he pulled her close and tucked her against him. “Please tell me. I want to help.”
She swallowed thickly and looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “I…I think my dad’s a murderer and that I might be in a lot of trouble.”
Chapter 3
Alexa stared at Zack, wishing she could call back the words that had just fallen from her mouth. But he’d been so nice to her that she’d wanted to open up. His deep-brown eyes held hers, his brows drawn together. After a second he rubbed a hand over his thick dark-brown hair. The muscles in his arm bunched and flexed as he moved, and, despite the night she was having, butterflies floated through her stomach at the movement.
But then again, Za
ck had always had that effect on her, from the moment she’d first laid eyes on him and he’d flashed her that smile, with the perfect white teeth and the dimples and the stubble.
He was the sexiest man. Ever. Period. And that was not what she was supposed to be thinking. For so many reasons, the first being that he was her friend’s ex-boyfriend, and that was a line that probably shouldn’t be crossed. Heck, it was a line she probably shouldn’t even get close to.
The other reasons were more…personal. Painful. Stemming from a past she wanted to forget, and yet she knew she couldn’t. Not after what she’d overheard her father say earlier.
“Tell me everything.” His voice was low and intense, and it made her want to curl into him again, to seek out the shelter of his body.
She pulled back from him and wrapped her arms around herself. She decided to start with the simplest facts and work up to the more complicated ones.
“I had dinner at my parents’ house tonight. My dad had a party, and even though I don’t live there anymore, I was expected to put in an appearance.”
Zack nodded, studying her intently, his body angled toward her. “And what happened?” She sighed heavily, twisting her hands together in her lap, the words she needed not coming easily.
He laced her fingers with his and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. That small bit of gentleness almost undid her, because she’d been to his fights. She knew the violence those hands were capable of. The power and strength and destruction in them. And he was showing her gentle, and soft, and sweet.
His touch soothed her, and she swallowed around the lump in her throat. “My mom was getting on my nerves, as usual, and I needed a minute alone, so I excused myself and went upstairs. There’s a small room off the library I used to hide out in as a kid, and I went there.”
His face softened, the hard lines giving way to something gentler. “You used to go hide out as a kid?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. Sometimes. Believe it or not, that was not an easy house to grow up in.”
