Protecting The Billionaire

by Christina Tetreault

  Allison did a perfect imitation of a deer in headlights and licked her bottom lip. “Jake invited me to stay with him.”

  “Oh, then we can drop you off there on the way to the hotel.” Despite his obvious disappointment, he didn’t argue. “I know you want a minute alone. I’ll wait outside with everyone.” He kissed her cheek and left to join his wife and Rock’s parents.

  “I like him,” Rock said.

  “Told you so.” Taking his hand, she kissed his bruised knuckles. “I hate to leave, but you need rest and I’m beat. And I’m going to need all the energy I can get. Dad’s going to want the entire story. Do you need anything before I go?”

  More pain meds and some sleep in that order. “All good.”

  “Be back soon. I love you.” She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss.

  “Love ya too.” He hated watching her leave, but at least she was safe. He’d protected her from harm. She could walk around and not worry someone followed her. Assuming she’d have him, he planned to spend the rest of his life protecting her.

  ***

  I’m looking forward to a hospital visit. There’s something wrong with that. Over the past two days, it seemed the hospital was the only place she got any privacy. If it wasn’t one of her relatives visiting her at Jake’s house, one of them was calling to check on her. She appreciated their concern, but she needed them all to back off. Her family wasn’t the worst of it though. When the media got wind of what happened, they descended on her. They called her phone. They camped outside the entrance to Jake’s gated community. A few even tried to get into Rock’s hospital room for an interview. Thankfully, the security guard her dad had stationed outside the door sent them packing.

  Even though the media hadn’t spoken to her or Rock directly, it hadn’t stopped them from running various stories. A few had gotten most of the facts correct, but a handful had been pure fiction. One even claimed she and Hunter had been in a relationship and he lost it when he discovered her and Rock together. Then there had been the stories about Hunter. They’d painted him as a college student with a bright and promising future who’d snapped. While she didn’t mourn Hunter, she felt sympathy toward his family. Charles and his brother had been close, and losing a child, no matter their age, must be difficult. Charles had even called her, but she didn’t answer. What could she say to him? His brother had tried to kill her and Rock. He’d come close to succeeding. Maybe in the distant future, she could carry on a conversation, but not now.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Sherbrooke,” the guard outside Rock’s room said when she approached.

  “Hello, Kent. Any more reporters today?”

  “Nice and quiet so far today.”

  She hoped it stayed quiet.

  The scent of fried food hit her when she walked inside. A tray of untouched mashed potatoes with some congealed gravy over them and what vaguely resembled meatloaf rested on a chair. In bed, Rock worked his way through a large burger. The takeout box in front of him was overflowing with onion rings and a large soft drink completed the meal. “I was going to go out and get whatever you wanted. Looks like you’re all set.”

  His dark eyes swung in her direction. “Connor brought this with him. He left about fifteen minutes ago. Help yourself.” He indicated toward the box. “This is my second burger. I wish he’d brought a beer too.”

  Eating food from outside the hospital was one thing. Drinking alcohol while confined to a bed and getting pain medication was another. “I’m glad he didn’t. Anyone else visit?” He’d had numerous visitors from the base. So many at times she’d left the small room due to the amount of male testosterone floating around.

  “Eric Coleman came with him. He wanted an answer about the job with the firm.”

  “Seriously? What a creep. He wanted an answer while you’re sitting in hospital bed with gunshot wounds.”

  “Coleman has his reasons. But it doesn’t matter. I told him no.”

  “Then when I start looking for a new house, I’ll look for one closer to you and the base.”

  He didn’t look surprised by her announcement. In fact, he looked like he expected her to say she planned to move out of her current townhouse. “Don’t bother. Come live with me. It’s small, but when my lease is up, we can look for something you like better.”

  She’d hoped he’d suggest they get a place together. “I’d love too. Do you think Baxter will mind?” The dog had been moping, if a dog could mope anyway, around Jake’s house since he got there. She’d considered trying to sneak him in the hospital for a visit.

  “Nah, he likes ya. Give him a few extra treats everyday and he’ll be your best friend.”

  Rock cleared his throat and seriousness oozed from his body. Whatever he intended to say, she wasn’t going to like.

  “Doc says the leg will take a while to heal. I won’t be leaving in June as planned. Doesn’t mean I won’t deploy again.”

  “I know.” She’d asked the doctor about Rock’s injuries and what his recovery would look like.

  “In a year or two, I planned on applying to one of the government agencies and seeing what happened. Maybe FBI or DEA. It’d give me more freedom. Less time away from family. Can ya handle my life the way it is until then?”

  She’d grown up having everything she wanted and the freedom to go wherever she wished. She’d never considered having it any other way. If being with Rock meant she needed to make a few sacrifices, she would. “Looks like we’ll be getting a lot of visits from my family.” If she and Rock couldn’t visit Providence as often as her dad liked, he’d be making a lot of trips south.

  “You’re sure?”

  Men. “Positive.” Then, just in case he still didn’t believe her, she used her mouth to convince him.

  Chapter 22

  Five weeks later

  He’d love to start a fire and toss his crutches in it. Rock eased himself down and leaned the offending objects against a table. He was damn sick of the things. When he did get rid of them, he had a wonderful cane to look forward to. People told him how lucky he’d been. He couldn’t deny it and he reminded himself often. He was also thankful he’d ended up hurt and not Allison. Events that night could have turned out so much differently.

  He’d come to terms with his actions that night quickly. He’d done what he had to. Protecting Allison had been all that mattered. She struggled with what happened. The first week or so after the attack, she had nightmares every night. Allison assured him them they had stopped and he believed her. She no longer called out in her sleep or woke up drenched in sweat. She still visited a therapist, and he guessed those sessions were doing the trick. Looking at her across the room laughing with her brother Gray and his fiancée, no one would ever suspect what she’d gone through.

  “Do you want to hold him?” Addie sat down next to him, Kendrick in her arms.

  Tonight had been the first time he’d seen his nephew. As much as he’d wanted to fly up sooner, he’d been in too much pain. Even the trip up for Sara’s wedding, which was tomorrow, had been unpleasant, but he’d known how important it was to Allison.

  “He’s fed and changed, so he’s good for a little bit.”

  Kendrick had spent the night so far either being held by one of the many Sherbrookes in the room or sleeping. “What do I need to do?” He’d never held an infant, and the little guy was so tiny.

  Addie passed his nephew to him. “It’s not complicated. Just be sure to support his neck.”

  Dark blue eyes gazed back up at him, instantly grabbing a hold of his heart. “How are you doing?” he asked. Over the past several weeks, he’d spoken only a handful of times with his sister.

  “I should be asking you.”

  “Gettin’ better. Should be ready for a cane soon.”

  “And how’s Allison?” Addie lowered her voice when she asked the question.

  Mesmerized by the bundle in his arms, he kept his gaze on his nephew. “Okay.”

  “She looks happy.”

&
nbsp; Rock looked up and in Allison’s direction. She’d finished up her convo with Gray and was headed toward him. The sight brought an automatic smile to his face.

  “You’re in love,” Addie teased.

  Damn right. “Yep.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  He didn’t need his sister to tell him Allison loved him. She both told him and showed him everyday.

  “I know.”

  Allison took the spot on the other side of him. “Know what? That’s it my turn to hold my nephew?”

  “I love you, but you’re not getting him.”

  “Should I go find an egg timer and set it so you can take turns?” Addie asked.

  “Hilarious.”

  “But not a bad idea,” Allison added, giving him an overly bright smile.

  “Considering Derek’s headed this way, we might need it.” Addie nodded across the room. “He’s been in an odd mood since last month. Hope he left it at home tonight.”

  “I noticed the same thing when he’s called.” Even though Rock still held the baby, Allison reached out and touched his little hand. “I thought maybe it was my imagination.”

  “Nope. Ever since your aunt convinced him to take part in the bachelor auction, he’s been in not so much a bad mood but not himself either.”

  “What auction?”

  His sister smiled, surprised she knew something Allison didn’t. “The foundation is holding a bachelor auction next weekend. Your Aunt Marilyn strong-armed Derek and your cousin Scott into taking part.”

  “You’re kidding. A bachelor auction?”

  Rock had a similar thought himself. Followed by, better Derek than him.

  “Who came up with the idea of an auction? Not my aunt.”

  “Rose, your replacement. At first, Marilyn was against it, but Rose won her over. So far, it’s been a success. Almost all the tickets have been sold.”

  “I might come back just for that.” Allison nudged him on his good side and smiled at him. “My turn. Hand over my nephew.”

  Damn, when she smiled at him like that, he couldn’t deny her anything. “Only because I love you,” he whispered in her ear before handing the baby off to her.

  “Love you too, and I’ll reward you later. Promise.”

  The End

  Read Derek’s story in Bidding On The Billionaire book 8 in The Sherbrookes of Newport Series available this summer. Please read on for an excerpt from The Playboy Next Door, book 3 in Christina’s other series Love On The North Shore.

  Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did and have a moment, a review would be greatly appreciated.

  Other Books By Christina Tetreault

  The Sherbrookes of Newport Series

  Loving The Billionaire, a novella

  The Teacher’s Billionaire, book 1

  The Billionaire Playboy, book 2

  The Billionaire Princess, book 3

  The Billionaire’s Best Friend, book 4

  Redeeming The Billionaire, book 5

  More Than A Billionaire, book 6

  Protecting The Billionaire, book 7

  Love On The North Shore Series

  The Courage To Love, book1

  Hometown Love, book 2

  The Playboy Next Door, book 3

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my grandfather, John Raimondo. Born and raised in the Federal Hill section of Providence Rhode Island to Italian immigrants, he was the second of five children. He served in the Navy during World War II and in 1951 he married my grandmother, Viola Gaucher. They moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island where he lived until his death in 1995. Many of Rock’s expressions and personality traits I pulled from my grandfather, a man I have wonderful memories of and still miss.

  About Christina Tetreault

  I started writing at the age of 10 on my grandmother's manual typewriter and never stopped. Born and raised in Lincoln, Rhode Island, I have lived in four of the six New England states since getting married in 2001. Today, I live in New Hampshire with my husband, three daughters and our dogs. When I am not driving my daughters around to their various activities or chasing around our three dogs, I am working on a story or reading a romance novel. Currently, I have two series out, The Sherbrookes of Newport and Love on The North Shore. You can visit my website www.christinatetreault.com or follow me on Facebook to learn more about my characters and to track my progress on my current writing projects.

  Excerpt

  From The Playboy Next Door

  Prologue

  No more blind dates. Catrina sent the text message and then slipped her phone back into her purse. She’d said the exact same thing last month after the disastrous date with Kelsey’s coworker, but this time, she meant it. Vincent had a good excuse, but she still found herself seated at the bar alone drinking a hard cider on a Saturday night while her car sat in the garage waiting to be fixed. She’d much rather be with one of her friends or sitting on her own comfortable couch.

  Yep, no more arranged dates no matter how much her friends pestered her. The next time she saw Kelsey or Ella, she’d let them know that.

  “Do you need anything else?” the bartender asked after setting a sandwich in front of another customer.

  Cat’s stomach picked that moment to rumble. She was already out; maybe she should eat. “Can I see a menu?”

  The bartender slid a menu across the bar. “Let me know when you’re ready,” she said before walking away.

  Cat eyed the choices and ignored the customers around her. From the corner of her eye, she saw someone take the seat next to her, but didn’t glance up. If she were sitting at the bar inside Masterson’s, she’d look over, fully expecting to see someone she knew. You couldn’t sit inside the popular restaurant in North Salem and not see someone you knew. O’Leary’s, the busy downtown pub she sat in now, was a different story. Located at the heart of the city, she never bumped into anyone she knew from her hometown.

  “Hey, Cat. I thought that was you,” a male voice said.

  Cat looked away from her menu and to her new neighbor, surprised to see Tony Bates seated next to her. “Hi, Tony. How’s it going?”

  A few years older than her, she’d known Tony all her life, although she hadn’t seen him all that often since she’d moved out of North Salem.

  “Good. You?” Tony gave her his trademark smile. The one she suspected had melted more than one woman’s heart.

  Cat had to admit she wasn’t 100 percent immune to his smile. Tony Bates was one handsome devil, and he knew it.

  “Hangin’ in there. Are you meeting someone?”

  “No, I stop in here occasionally on my way home,” Tony answered.

  “Long time no see, Tony,” the bartender said, stopping near them. “What can I get you?”

  “Hi, Cora. How about a beer? Whatever you have on tap tonight.”

  Cora gave him a smile and walked away.

  “What about you? I’ve never seen you in here.”

  Tony turned his full attention toward her again, his intense gaze exciting her.

  “I was supposed to meet a date at the Scarlet Letter. He canceled at the last minute, so I stopped in here.”

  “Jerk. It’s his loss. What did he give for a reason?”

  “Surgery.”

  Tony gave her a look of disbelief. “That’s an original one.”

  “Ella’s cousin is a doctor, so it’s possible.”

  “Still his loss.”

  Cora returned with Tony’s beer and looked in Cat’s direction. “Have you decided on anything?”

  “No, sorry, not yet,” Cat answered.

  “What about you, Tony? Can I get you anything else?” Cora leaned forward with a calculating smile, and Cat wondered just how well the two knew each other.

  “All set for now, Cora. Thanks.”

  The pretty bartender pulled back, her smile gone. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

  Cat glanced at the menu again as her stomach
rumbled.

  “Since we’re both alone, what do you say we finish these drinks and find a better place for dinner? Other than the buffalo wings, there’s not much decent on the menu here.”

  “Saturday night and Tony Bates doesn’t have a date? Is the world coming to an end?”

  Over the years, Tony had become known as North Salem’s resident playboy.

  “Even I need a break from time to time. What do you say?”

  Tony reached for his beer mug, the movement drawing her eyes to his long, tanned fingers and the scar that ran across the top of his right hand. She’d seen Tony more times than she could count and had never noticed it.

  “Sure, why not.” Cat put down the menu, and right away, Cora came back over.

  “Did you decide?” Cora asked in a less friendly tone than the one she’d used when Cat sat alone.

  “I’m going to pass tonight, thanks.”

  Cora shrugged and turned her gaze back to Tony. “What about you, Tony? Change your mind about eating?” The bartender’s curt tone softened as she spoke to him.

  “Not tonight, Cora.” Tony handed the bartender the money for his beer.

  Cat and Tony made idle chitchat as they finished their drinks, and Cat couldn’t help but notice the looks the bartender kept sending in Tony’s direction. She figured the two had either gone out a time or two, or Cora hoped he would ask her out. She wouldn’t be surprised if the first was true. Cora looked like Tony’s type. She was pretty and had a knock-out body, something Cat couldn’t help but notice thanks to the sprayed on jeans and tight black O’Leary’s Pub T-shirt Cora wore.

  Actually, Cora seemed like her brother’s type too. Striker didn’t go for conservative women either. He’d never admit it, but in many ways, Striker and Tony were a lot alike. Both were carefree bachelors who based their dating decisions on the way a woman looked rather than her personality.

  “All set?” Tony asked as he put his empty beer mug down.