Rules of Engagement

by Lynn Hagen

  

  Maple Grove 19

  Rules of Engagement

  [Siren Publishing: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Contemporary, Alternative, Paranormal, Shape-shifters, Werewolves, MM, HEA]

  Lenny is convinced that his cousin was kidnapped and brainwashed by some rich guy. When he shows up at the mansion to save Winnie, Lenny runs into the bodyguard, Chavez Fernando. No way was Lenny sticking around. He hightails it back to Maple Grove, but Chavez follows him, telling Lenny that he’s in grave danger. Lenny learns firsthand that Chavez is telling truth when someone shoots him through his own window.

  Chavez is stunned to learn Winnie’s cousin is his mate. When he gets a call from an old team member, Chavez is determined to keep Lenny out of harm’s way. They rent a safe house, but their troubles are just starting. A strange, oversized dog shows up, refusing to leave. One of Chavez’s team members is acting weird, and an assassin is sent to kill them all. Danger, mystery, and betrayal has Chavez on edge, but with a feisty mate at his side, Chavez is ready for whatever is thrown his way.

  Length: 30,000 words

  RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

  Maple Grove 19

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Rules of Engagement

  Copyright © 2020 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64637-096-2

  First Publication: March 2020

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2020 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at legal@sirenbookstrand.com

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

  Maple Grove 19

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2020

  Chapter One

  “You don’t call. You don’t write. You don’t send a postcard from the location of your cult to tell me you’re still drinking the brainwashing Kool-Aid.”

  Winnie rolled his eyes and waved a hand behind him. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen and grab something to eat while we talk about this?”

  “Oh no.” Lenny shook his hands in front of him. “You’re not getting me deeper into the liar so I can be brainwashed, too.” Although he had to admit, the mansion was one fancy place. “You called me weeks ago and told me you were kidnapped. I tried to rescue you, and Mr. Cult himself wasn’t even arrested. Now you’re blissfully happy?”

  Lenny glanced at Mr. Cult, who was behind Winnie, looking at something on his phone. The guy’s jaw was clenched, and every so often he looked at Lenny with narrowed eyes.

  “Does he always shadow you?” Lenny pressed his hand to the side of his mouth as he whispered, “Can’t he go away?”

  “You’re being unreasonable,” Winnie said. “My life is normal. I’m not brainwashed. I just jumped the gun when I called you.” He gave a nervous laugh. “I was afraid of falling in love.”

  Lenny didn’t buy a word of what his cousin was saying. Mr. Cult’s gray-green eyes were cold and flat as he glanced at Lenny.

  “Just come into the kitchen.” Winnie grabbed Lenny’s hand and dragged him through the gorgeous house. He kept waiting for someone to grab him and strap him down to a chair so they could mess with his mind.

  “Five minutes.” Lenny snatched his hand free. “And if anyone comes near me, I’m kicking them in the balls.”

  He wanted to believe that Winnie was happy. Lenny truly did. But there was something about Mr. Cult that set off Lenny’s warning bells.

  “Trust me,” Winnie said as he headed to the fridge. “Wallace got rid of the trash around here. He’s looking for a new butler but decided one bodyguard was all he needed.”

  Wallace. That was Mr. Cult’s name. Lenny didn’t care if Winnie’s new boyfriend was drop-dead gorgeous. He still didn’t like him. Lenny could tell that no amount of talking to Winnie would work. His cousin was fully enmeshed in this situation.

  He’d been hardcore trying to get Winnie out of this, had even gone to the cops and convinced them that his cousin had been kidnapped. What he hadn’t told Winnie was that he’d even put up missing fliers around Maple Grove in hopes someone spotted his cousin.

  And there he stood, pouring what looked like lemonade. Lenny shook his head when Winnie offered him a glass. He wasn’t eating or drinking anything in this house.

  “You’re welcome to come by anytime to check on me.” Winnie took a sip of his drink. “You know, to make sure I’m still alive and brainwashed.”

  His cousin was teasing him but had no clue just how worried Lenny had been. Still was. “That’s not funny.”

  “Lighten up,” Winnie said. “I promise you everything is fine.”

  His cousin could say that until the cows came home, but Lenny wouldn’t one hundred percent believe him.

  Lenny felt really annoyed when someone entered the room from behind him. Wallace needed to stop hovering. It wasn’t as if Lenny would grab Winnie and haul him out of there.

  Well, he would if Winnie had been willing.

  When Lenny looked over his shoulder, it wasn’t Wallace entering the kitchen. It was the hottest guy to walk the earth. Sexy was super tall, thick with muscles, and had the prettiest green eyes. Lenny was in instant lust.

  “Wallace wanted me to remind you that we’re heading out in twenty minutes,” Sexy said to Winnie.

  Lenny’s lips parted as he took a deep and shuddering breath. All his nerves seemed to fire at once as Sexy walked across the room and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge.

  He twisted around and locked gazes with Lenny. “This must be the cousin you keep talking about,” he said to Winnie, but Sexy’s eyes never left Lenny’s.

  The guy walked over and stuck out his hand. “I’m Chavez Fernando.”

  “Your name is Chavez?” Winnie frowned. “I guess you do have a first name, although I’ve never heard anyone use it.”

  Lenny’s body went up in flames as he extended his hand. Instead of Chavez shaking it, he kissed Lenny’s knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, novio.”

  Lenny sucked in a breath and grinned like a complete idiot. Until he remembered where
he was. He snatched his hand back and glared at Chavez. “I ain’t drinking the Kool-Aid, no matter how gorgeous you are.”

  Chavez looked at Winnie.

  His cousin rolled his eyes. “He thinks I was brainwashed when I got here and I’m staying because of Stockholm syndrome.”

  Chavez’s brows rose. “Ah, yes. Chapman hijacked you from work. I remember.”

  “He was fired,” Winnie said to Lenny. “Just so you know. He was supposed to ask me to come here, not kidnap me. Wallace got rid of him.”

  Winnie and Chavez exchanged a look, and Lenny was dying to know what it was about. But he didn’t ask. He needed to get out of there before he fell under Chavez’s spell and was never seen again.

  “Well, you guys have things to do, so I’m gonna head out.” Lenny slid off the stool he’d been seated on at the gorgeous marble island. Wallace’s house really was fancy and nice.

  “I’ll walk you out.” Chavez joined him as Lenny walked toward the front door.

  “So what was that word you used?” Lenny asked. “A secret code that means you’re gonna drag me to some dungeon so you can reprogram my brain?”

  Chavez’s hearty laugh was heart-stopping. Pretty white teeth. A shine in his green eyes. Laugh lines that made him look ten times more handsome. Lenny was mentally swooning.

  “Winnie did tell me about your notions. There has been no brainwashing. Just fate intervening.” He winked. “Novio means sweetheart.”

  Lenny laid his hand on the doorknob. “You’re flirting with me?”

  “And if I was?” Chavez’s voice had grown husky and deep, making Lenny’s cock twitch.

  They stepped outside to the bright, sunny day. There was a slight breeze that lifted some of Chavez’s dark, silky strands of hair and toyed with them. Lenny was so jealous of the wind.

  “Then I would say fat chance.” That was not what Lenny wanted to say. He was ready to jump Chavez’s bones but still didn’t trust what was going on inside the mansion.

  Even if Winnie had cleared things up about a rogue bodyguard.

  Chavez pressed his hand to his heart. “You’ve wounded me, novio.”

  God, the guy was charming. Lenny had to fight not to smile. He also had to fight not to reach out and touch Chavez. “Stop calling me your sweetheart. Everyone in your house is off-limits to me.”

  Chavez followed Lenny to his car and rested an arm on the roof. “Half the fun is in the chase.”

  “Well, I’m heading to Maple Grove. That’s a long chase. See you around, not my novio.” Only Lenny hadn’t said the word with the sultry accent Chavez had.

  He got in, and Chavez took a step back, watching Lenny as he drove around the circular driveway and made a right. He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to turn around and go back. Who wasn’t turned on by a sexy Latin guy?

  Lenny sighed, wondering if Winnie was right and he was making something out of nothing. It could’ve been the ex-bodyguard’s fault and Wallace had nothing to do with Winnie’s kidnapping. Maybe he should let it go.

  “You’re only saying that because you want to see Chavez again.” He wasn’t going to let his dick lead the way. Lenny had gotten into a lot of trouble allowing his little head to do all the thinking.

  But what a man. He sighed, smiled, and then chuckled. He just might have to check on Winnie again because he couldn’t get Chavez’s handsome face out of his mind.

  * * * *

  “You’re kidding,” Winnie said as he sat at the island and sipped on his lemonade. “Lenny is your mate? You’ve got an uphill battle on your hands. He really thinks some cult kidnapped me and fiddled with my mind. He also thinks I’m suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Good luck convincing him otherwise.”

  Wallace had joined them in the kitchen and didn’t look too happy. “Great, I’m about to lose the one person I trust besides Winnie. Now I have to hire a new butler and bodyguard?”

  “But you have three on retainer,” Chavez reminded his boss. He was loyal to Wallace Winter, especially after Wallace’s former butler, bodyguard, and brother had plotted to kill both Wallace and Winnie. Chavez was still reeling from that revelation.

  Winnie hadn’t been telling the entire truth to his cousin, either. Wallace hadn’t fired Chapman. Wallace’s brother had shot and killed him in an attempt to shut the guy up before Chapman told Winnie their plans.

  It had been a fucked-up mess that night, and all Chavez wanted to do was forget about it. But his wolf was howling to go after Lenny and claim the guy.

  He couldn’t even say that Lenny was human, either. His mate had had an odd scent that Chavez couldn’t quite put his finger on. Winnie was human. He had no doubt about that. “What is Lenny?”

  Winnie frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  Chavez tapped the side of his nose. “He didn’t smell human. Not fully, anyway.”

  The skin between Wallace’s eyes puckered. “Are you sure?”

  “You didn’t notice?” Chavez asked.

  “The one time I was around him we were surrounded by shifters. I just assumed he was human because Winnie is.”

  “Wait.” Winnie held up a hand. “What’re you saying, Fernando? You’re telling me my cousin isn’t human? I used to live with him, and I think I would’ve noticed if he could shift into an animal.”

  “You do realize there’re more than shifters in our mystical world, right?”

  Winnie stiffened. “There are?”

  Chavez looked at Wallace. “You never told him?”

  “The subject never came up.” Wallace glowered at Chavez. “I guess it has now.”

  “Give me Lenny’s address and phone number,” Chavez said. “You two can discuss vampires, demons, and everything else as soon as I’m outta here.”

  “Did you just say…” Winnie’s hand trembled as he set his glass down.

  “Stop scaring my mate,” Wallace snarled.

  “My lips are sealed just as soon as I get Lenny’s info.” Like his mate’s last name.

  “Your lips should’ve been sealed before you ran your mouth,” Wallace said.

  Winnie went into his phone and screenshot Lenny’s contact information and then sent it to Chavez. Lenard Daniels. Chavez now had his mate’s address, phone number, date of birth, and workplace. Winnie was a thorough guy when it came to his contacts.

  “Thanks.” He looked at his boss. “Can you drive yourself, or do you need me to call one of the fill-ins?”

  “I got this.” Wallace moved to Winnie’s side. “I think clothes shopping can wait now that you’ve opened up this can of worms.”

  With a nod, Chavez headed for his Hummer. He was pretty sure Winnie would be okay. The guy might look soft and fragile, but he’d already proven to be a badass under pressure.

  It might take him a moment to digest what Chavez had revealed, but Winnie would be fine.

  It was Lenny who was on Chavez’s mind. What would he say to his mate when he showed up at the guy’s door? “Hey, babe. I know it’s creepy that I tracked you down, but since I’m here, do you wanna have sex so our souls can bind together?”

  That sounded insane even to Chavez. He needed to come up with a plan so he didn’t look like some deranged unstable guy. He also needed to find out exactly what Lenny was. Winnie hadn’t a clue, which was of no help.

  As he drove, Chavez got a text. He pulled over to the soft shoulder and read it. The text was from an old team member when Chavez worked for a covert black ops company. Frank Reno.

  Got a lead on Jack Frost. Spotted close to Falls Bend. We’re on our way.

  Jack Frost was a code name for Benjamin Trails, a gunrunner and all-around bad guy who had gotten away when Chavez and his teammates had made the bust that should’ve sent Trails away for the rest of his life. He was a mean son of a bitch, and Chavez knew one day the guy would resurface. He just hadn’t expected Trails to show up in his neck of the woods.

  ETA? Chavez texted back.

  Twenty-four hours. We’ll find you
when we get there.

  This was not news Chavez wanted to get. Not when he’d just found his mate. That op had taken place ten years ago, and since then, he had left the company and started working for Wallace Winter. His current boss knew nothing of Chavez’s old life.

  A life Chavez never wanted to be a part of ever again. He should’ve never given Reno his contact information. Now the team was on their way and would pull Chavez back into that mess.

  He slammed his fist against the steering wheel and cursed. Now more than ever he had to protect Lenny, because if Jack Frost could find out where Chavez was, he could find out what Lenny was to him.

  Chavez sat on the side of the road and debated about what he should do. If Trails had eyes on him, then he would’ve seen Lenny leaving the mansion. If Chavez stayed away from his mate, then maybe Lenny had half a chance of being left out of this.

  But his wolf wouldn’t allow him to stay away, and he knew it wasn’t an option. Finding one’s mate was rare, and there was a deep-seated drive in Chavez’s gut to claim Lenny, a need that wouldn’t let up until he did.

  After tossing his phone onto the passenger seat, Chavez pulled back onto the road and headed toward Maple Grove.

  * * * *

  “This is so good.” Lenny licked his fingers after he set his piece of fried chicken down. This was why he went to the local diner instead of cooking at home.

  His cooking skills sucked.

  “Glad you like it.” Moose grinned. “Did you need anything else?”

  “Napkins, if you don’t mind.” He smiled up at the waiter then looked toward the window. Lenny’s heart accelerated when he spotted Chavez getting out of his Hummer. “Seriously?”

  “Something wrong?” Moose asked.

  Lenny’s first instinct was to duck under the table when Chavez stepped onto the sidewalk and looked around. There was no way this was a coincidence. They’d just met earlier and now the bodyguard was standing in front of The Diner Train.