by Liliana Hart
He leaned in close to whisper in Hallie’s ear, “You left without saying goodbye.”
She’d come and gone without saying a word. It had been the best sex of their relationship.
There hadn’t been a moment to talk with Hallie since. Their non-date two nights before had happened so quickly. She hadn’t allowed him to talk then. He thought the case would blow over and he could hang around the rest of this week. No such luck. Chandler decided to surrender himself in New York and the Bureau wanted him there for questioning.
“What time is Chandler turning himself in? I really wish I could be there for that.” Hallie didn’t seem upset that he was leaving.
Hell, why should she be. He’d done nothing to make her feel differently. One kiss wasn’t enough to change how she felt about him. He hadn’t saved her from her abductors, she’d saved herself. She didn’t know that he’d been bragging to everyone who would listen about her taking down a guy twice her weight.
Gage locked fingers with her and tugged her in front of her office. He wrapped his arms around her and started in on a kiss, but she tossed her head back.
“Whoa there, sailor. A girl likes a little sweet talk first.”
She was giving him an opportunity. Not the right place. She’d want romance, just like she’d asked for some sweet talk.
“You didn’t two nights ago and my driver will be here any minute.”
“So.” She brought her arms in tight, her fingers caressing the base of his throat.
“I paid the front desk fifty bucks to get those strawberries into my room in fifteen minutes. Does that count?” His mind went straight to when she’d play with his chest hair before they’d make love. He’d known her over a decade and only had her in his arms for a fraction of that time.
This time he bent his head without asking permission. He took her lips, remembering her injury at the last minute. Her arms extended around his neck and she kissed him back.
“What do you think about me moving to Texas?”
“You shouldn’t give up your career at the FBI.” She used a nail to outline his ear. If it had been any other woman, he wouldn’t think it was sexy as hell. “But I have to say I’d love you being around more.”
“What if it takes months to get a transfer? I’m not sure I want to wait that long to begin our life together,” he admitted.
“Babe, our life together started the moment we met. Nothing can change that. I have to learn how to control this gift–as Grammy calls it. And I have to get this agency off the ground while you catch bad guys in New York. This is something I have to do. Not just for me, but for my grandmother and all my cousins.” She leaned back and tilted her head in that fun way he hadn’t seen in a very long time. “That money of yours is finally going to come in handy.”
“How’s that?”
“You’ll be buying a lot of airfare to Dallas.”
“I guess I won’t be accumulating too many vacation days.”
“You’ve got that right.” Her eyes got as big as her smile. “And since I’m the boss…”
Gage pulled her into his arms, connecting more than just their lips. Bodies, souls and minds collided so hard he could feel it, understand it, almost grab whatever crazy thing it was that pulled them together.
I love you, he thought, while his tongue re-explored the softness of her mouth.
After a few cleared throats, Hallie slid her palms to Gage’s chest, and whispered. “I like hearing the words aloud, you know.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“You better.”
He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist as they faced the rest of her business partners. “Hey, did you use your woo woo ability when you were fighting your abductors?”
“Actually, I did get a feeling of which way he was about to jab. That part was easy. It was the dang handcuffs that gave me trouble. My key was in my sock and I couldn’t reach it. That chick watched me like a hawk.”
“Promise you’ll try to avoid those situations in the future?” Gage pulled her closer.
Life was good and would get better. “I guess we should decide on a name for this place.”
“Oh, Grammy’s already taken care of that,” Emma said. “You’re going to freak.”
Essie picked up a document with red-sticky tabs along the edge. “She’s already had cousin Lois draw up the papers.”
“Grammy?”
“Sweetie, I’ve had this in the works for weeks. I thought you read the lease.” She smiled. “The name came to me in a dream.”
“Of course it did,” the twins answered along with Hallie.
“I’ve been decorating for it. Have you noticed a theme yet?”
Hallie remembered the new picture in the break room next to the now framed newspaper articles: HIT & RUN HALLIE and the FBI’s TAX FRAUD BUST. The artwork was inspirational words in the shape of a shoe. There was a clear plant holder on the counter…in the shape of a shoe. Her grandmother wore an antique shoe brooch. More artwork just inside the door…
“Shoes? I don’t understand.” She’d noticed that her grandmother had a theme, but what did it have to do with an agency name.
“I told Grammy her idea is crazy. I can’t– Even if you two can– There’s no way–” Essie wasn’t finishing sentences, but she was shaking the legal papers through the air. “You can’t run with spikes on your feet.”
Gage took the document from Essie, scanning the pages while she and her cousins stared. Grammy reclined in her comfortable office chair and poured herself a cup of hot water from a new pot…also in the shape of a shoe.
“I think it’s different. People will remember it,” Emma said happily.
“Oh giant good grief,” escaped from her lips on a gasp. She grabbed the papers, flipping too fast for any of it to really register. “Can somebody just tell me the name?”
“Bodyguards in Heels.” Grammy looked extremely pleased.
Gage burst out laughing, unable to hold it back. “I love you.” He’d said it out loud, in between fits of laughter, in front of everyone. “What happens when you hire a man?”
“Don’t be silly, Gage. The name doesn’t mean we work in fancy heels all the time. That would be inefficient. And when we do hire a young man, it’s simple enough to put him in dress shoes.”
“I don’t understand.”
“So you can remain anonymous, I’m going to take pictures of our employees’ in nice shoes. Something to match each of your personalities.”
Gage laughed louder while Essie ranted about wearing her favorite pair of ankle boots. Emma simply pushed her glasses up her nose and shrugged.
“It’s actually a…” Hallie looked at her family, “…a very good idea. I can live with it. And like Emma mentioned, people will remember it.”
“I guess my opinion doesn’t matter?” Essie jerked her helmet from the end of the counter. “I’m going for a ride.”
The phone rang. “Bodyguards in Heels, Patty speaking.”
Emma took the document and slipped past Gage into the hallway. “I’ll take a look at these. Gage you better get moving. You’ll miss your plane.”
“Right.”
They were in each other’s arms again. It was the moment she’d dreaded since walking into that restaurant. It was time to say goodbye.
“Hey,” he said softly, rubbing her chin between his thumb and finger. “I love you.”
“Just hurry and get that transfer in the works before I lose my sanity. Will ya?”
“I applied before coming to Texas.”
“I love you.” Good grief. She did.
Her grandmother held up an official message with one hand, and removed her tea bag infuser with the other. “New client’s on hold, sweetie.”
“Looks like you’re officially open and I’m officially late for my flight. Gotta go, Hallie.”
“I’m going to miss you. We can do this, right?” She searched his eyes and knew the answer. He seemed to have them all.
H
e nodded his head and lowered his lips to hers.
“I’ve got paperwork, then a long weekend. No matter what comes up, we’re meeting on Friday,” he whispered. “No excuses, honey. I’m collecting my rain check.”
One last sumptuous kiss and then the little bell above the door tinkled as he walked away.
“Grammy you better–”
“Add that you’re booked next weekend to our office schedule? Already in the calendar. Everything’s right as rain.”
Hallie didn’t have to use her gift to know that was the truth. Everything felt complete. Gage, her cousins, and their new agency. She couldn’t wait to get started.
Bodyguards in Heels…it had a nice kick to it.
Dear Reader,
I have to thank family for help with Hallie’s story. Tim for my cover. Kourtney for, well, everything. And Robin–my very own cousin–who made Hallie possible and gave me the encouragement to make it happen.
Having grown up with over twenty cousins of my own, I know firsthand what a joy and chaos family can be. I hope you enjoyed the introduction to BODYGUARDS in HEELS.
The adventures of Hallie and her bodyguards will continue soon. You’ll meet Lois, Scotti and Kyle…the handyman who lives next door. Grammy’s house will be a full one. She’ll make sure that Emma and Essie get their own exciting stories. And one day, Hallie and Gage will be in the same city to continue their romance.
~Angi
Angi morgan writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi's work has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Carolyn Readers Choice, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier.
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The WEST TEXAS WATCHMEN
Coming from Harlequin Intrigue
The SHERIFF, The CATTLEMAN, & The RANGER
January, February & March 2015
Kindle
MORE BODYGUARDS IN HEELS NOVELLAS
Coming Soon
Electrifying Emma
Escaping Essie
Leveraging Lois
Self-Destructing Scotti
NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
Robin Perini
Copyright © 2014
For my mom.
Because she believed in me from the beginning.
Chapter One
Night made for good hunting. Whether you were the hunter or the prey.
At least that’s what Cade Pierson tried to convince himself.
Storm clouds had moved in and blocked the moon above the Belize jungle. He couldn’t see his own shadow, much less the trail.
With a curse, Cade stopped. His boots sank amid the twining vines. This was crazy. He should’ve stopped at sunset and made camp. Daylight gave him the advantage, but this particular monster had outwitted scores of hunters over the decades. Cade wasn’t about to let him escape. If he had to track at night, so be it. He’d take the risk.
For the past two years more than one member of the Order of the Jaguar had called him crazy. A few were convinced he had a death wish. They might be right. Hell, ever since his brother Jace’s murder, Cade fought to take any mission that came the Order’s way. Didn’t matter when or where. Didn’t matter the odds.
The tougher the kill the better Cade liked it. But until the last vampire took his last breath and the need for the Order disappeared, Cade wouldn’t be satisfied.
He squinted into the inky night. A step in any direction could take him off a cliff or straight into a jaguar’s lair. Or into his enemy’s trap.
Cade swiped the sweat from his forehead. Where are you? He crouched in the underbrush, listening. Damn, it was quiet. Too quiet. Just then, the moon escaped from behind the clouds. A sliver of light pierced through the canopy of cohune palms, hitting the ground in front of him.
There. A slight indentation in the ground cover.
He ran his fingers over the anomaly. Gotcha!
The full moon escaped its prison, glowing in the night’s sky. He rose. A white orchid caught his gaze. Not the orchid exactly, but its torn vine. He shifted direction. The plant spotlighted the trail. Evil might be strong and fast, but it wasn’t perfect.
The guy couldn’t be more than a half hour ahead of Cade, if that. Cade would have him. Soon. The heat, the humidity, the miles of tracking, the days without sleep, none of it mattered. He was so close to the kill he could feel it.
A scream shattered the night, a cry filled with terror.
Cade didn’t hesitate. He launched toward the sound in a full-out run. The moon lit the path. He shoved through leaves and vines. Branches whacked his body and stung his face; he leapt over fallen logs and sped through the night.
What he wouldn’t give for a vampire’s strength and speed right now. Damn them all.
The desperate shrieks escalated into a chorus.
What the hell? At least a dozen voices. In the jungle? At night? It didn’t make sense. Horrified shouts and yells. Screams of agony. Sounds he’d heard too many times before. Some went silent quickly; others howled in suffering.
What a FUBAR.
He grabbed the satellite phone from his belt buckle and tapped the emergency key.
“Yo, Cade,” Max Midnight’s voice crackled over the phone. “What the hell are you doing on this channel?”
He dodged another branch and sucked in a sharp breath. Max was a vicious bastard, almost as bad as the vampires they hunted. Thank, God. “Shut up, Max. We’ve got a massacre—”
“This was a one-on-one job. No civilians.”
“Since when do vamps follow the rules? I need backup, Max. Get your ass here fast.”
He snapped the phone shut and clipped it to his waist. Max would follow the homing device embedded under Cade’s skin. They’d be here soon…just not soon enough.
A quick dodge kept him from slamming into a large ironwood. He weaved past another. With each step Cade’s gut burned hot with desperation. The cries grew fewer and fainter.
A minute later, silence.
Cade lurched to a halt. Without the sound to guide him through the thick vegetation he could run past the victims and never find them. He strained for a sign of life. Horrific images flashed through his mind. He didn’t want to picture the scene in his mind, but he couldn’t help it. He’d seen it before. The death, the carnage. And his enemy’s pleasure. God he hated vamps. They lived for death. Hell, they enjoyed it.
Then again, so did Cade. Only when he killed he saved lives.
Unfortunately, far too often he was too damn late.
The shrill screech of the macaw pierced the dark. Between calls, Cade heard a weak plea.
He gripped the hilt of his machete. The cry wafted across the jungle’s darkness. A woman. Close by.
Following the sound, he shoved aside the palm leaves and entered a clearing. It was like walking directly into hell.
A tall, lean man loomed over the bloody figure of a woman. She cowered beneath him. Still alive. Around her, at least a dozen bodies weren’t so lucky.
The golden fires of hell blazed from the monster’s eyes. Cade recognized the vampire all too well. His prey. Al Branson. A 1920s stockbroker turned murderer. An unremarkable man who should have died of old age years ago. A man who had killed hundreds after his transformation.
Cade raised his machete and took two silent steps to his right. He needed just the right attack angle to keep her safe.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” the beast purred through his smile. He stroked her cheek. “You are special. You, I will enjoy.”
Not if I can help it.
Before Cade could strike, a shout of rage erupted from the jungle. The vampire whirled around. A woman leapt from the protection of the trees, her long, dark hair flying behind her. Before Cade could react, her feet slammed into the middle of the beast’s che
st. He flew backwards, hitting an ironwood at the edge of the clearing.
She landed lightly, swung her spear from around her narrow waist and thrust its sharp point at the vampire’s throat. He shook his head in disbelief, the shock on his face almost comical.
Cade could relate. He blinked, stunned. She didn’t seem real. The face of an angel, curves made for sin and eyes lit with a fierce, righteous fire.
Her blade flicked Branson’s neck, drawing a line of blood.
“No more killing,” she commanded. “This is my jungle. You have one chance. Go. And do not return. Ever.”
Branson cocked his head. He glanced down at the spear pressing against his Adam’s apple. “May I stand?”
She hesitated at first, but nodded and took a step back.
A mistake.
The vampire dusted off his cargo pants, and, with a smile, rose to his feet. Even from across the clearing, Cade recognized the wicked anticipation in the man’s eyes. “You don’t know who you are dealing with, infant. Leave me to my prize and I might let you live.”
Unbelievably, she didn’t retreat. She simply stood her ground.
Why didn’t she run? Couldn’t she see Branson was about to attack?
“This is my jungle,” the woman repeated. “You will not kill here.”
Branson laughed. That bizarre vampiric golden glow brightened his eyes. The sign of the kill. Cade had run out of time. He surged forward, his bare hand reaching for the vampire’s forearm. Clamping down, Cade spun Branson around.
The vamp’s eyes flared with fury. He ground out a vile curse.
“Same to you, Branson.” Cade refused to flinch. He gripped tighter, waiting for the addictive rush of power.
