by Mandy Morgan
I touched the place where Brock had placed the ring and grinned. He’d been so sweet! I’d come home to a candlelit dinner and then he’d kneeled down in front of me and held out the sparkling diamond.
“Lily Miller, you’ve made me happier than a man like me has any right to be, but I’m hoping that won’t stop you from being my wife. Will you marry me?”
I’d squealed and launched myself at Brock and we’d wound up tangled in each other’s arms on the floor. All of the yelling and laughing had brought Nitro running to see what the fuss was about. Even Kiwi had come slinking into the room with a curious meow.
I wanted so badly to be able to share that story with my best friend. Maybe if she moved back to the day shift and we started working together again? That might help Blair to climb out of her funk.
I was thinking about following her out to the loading dock to try and convince her to come back to working days. I had to do something to help her.
But just then, Blair came rushing up and grabbed me by the arms. She had a look of pure panic in her eyes. “Lily, I think I messed up. I mean, I think I really messed up!”
Blair was breathing hard as I pulled her into an empty exam room. I didn’t want her alarming the patients or other nurses. I closed the door behind us and hugged my best friend.
“What the hell is going on, Blair? What’s got you so freaked out?”
She pulled out of my arms and looked me straight in the eyes. “I just saw something I definitely should not have seen out on the loading dock.”
My mind raced as I tried to figure out what my best friend could have seen behind the hospital that would scare her so badly. But then she spoke, and what she said sent chills down my spine.
“Worse than that, I was caught in the act. I think they might be coming for me…”
Chapter One
Blair
It was only eight in the morning, but my ER nursing shift was already over when I saw Lily walk through the front door of All Saints Hospital to start her own workday.
My best friend and former roommate tried to come up and chat with me, but I blew her off. I knew Lily meant well. I just couldn’t stand to be around her right then.
The sad fact was her happiness hurt me. I’d always been jealous of Lily’s amazing relationship with her parents. It was something I’d never experienced.
And now that she’d also found the love of her life? I had to distance myself even more. Watching her and Brock together cut me the deepest of all.
Lily had fallen ass-backwards into a committed relationship with her perfect man. I mean, it seemed like one minute she’d hired Brock Bourne to keep her safe, and the next she’d moved in with him.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t get past more than three dates with the sexy but slutty Mason Hanson, Brock’s best friend and partner at Bourne Protective Services.
Not without him ditching me to flirt with other women. God, that pissed me off! So, I’d withdrawn from everyone to lick my wounds.
I’d made the switch to the overnight shift at work in an effort to keep from having to see Lily and Brock together. Or worse yet, run into Mason, with his infuriatingly handsome face and rock-hard body.
So, I’d pretty much ignored my bestie in favor of going out onto the loading dock for some fresh air, which was why I was leaning up against a brick wall, instead of at home in bed when a big, black Mercedes raced up to the hospital’s rear entrance.
I watched in stunned silence as a couple of scary-looking guys with guns on their hips dumped a man out onto the concrete. He was unconscious and I tried to make myself invisible but a little squeak of fear escaped. Both men looked up and saw me watching them.
The last thing I wanted was trouble, so I held my hands up in front of me and shook my head. I even went so far as to bring a shaking finger to my lips and zip it across them.
But the driver looked at me over his dark sunglasses, shot me the most evil smile I’d ever seen, and gave me his own hand signal. He brought his finger to his throat and slashed it from ear to ear.
I watched as the Mercedes peeled away. I was shaking and could only stare at the man who’d been dumped off here in the middle of an overdose. It took him groaning to get me moving.
I hurried into the ER and grabbed an orderly to bring the man in and get him the help he needed. Once that was done, I allowed myself to have a bit of a meltdown in the hallway. Then I spotted Lily again.
I might have been avoiding her lately, but right then, I was so glad to see my best friend that I could have cried. She’d comforted me in the past over things way less crazy than the crap I’d just fallen head-first into.
I rushed up to Lily and told her I’d messed up. She pulled me into an empty exam room, wrapped me up into one of the bear hugs I’d missed so much, and did her best to soothe me.
In a gush of words, I told her what I’d seen out on the loading dock. How I’d witnessed some bad-looking dudes dumping a guy that was actively overdosing.
How I was pretty sure they were drug dealers. How the one driving had given me that chilling but silent message before speeding off.
“I think you might need to take a break, Blair. Maybe talk to one of the hospital’s counselors.”
“You think I’m off my rocker? Is that it?”
“No, I think you need some help. I think you’ve been having a rough time of it lately.”
I gave a bitter snort of laughter. “It’s nice to know you still think of me. I figured all you had room for in your life was Brock.”
“I thought you’d be happy for me, Blair! It wasn’t so long ago you were pushing me to get out more and have fun.”
Lily had me on that one. I’d once been the carefree, fun-loving friend who’d tried to help her come out of her shell. Now, I was miserable. But I couldn’t let Lily in enough to tell her that. I just couldn’t.
Instead, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Lily. I’m not the one who ran off and left their best friend.”
She took a deep breath before responding. “I think you should go and talk to Brock about what you saw.”
My mouth dropped open. “One minute, you think I’m crazy and need counseling. The next, you think I should hire a bodyguard?”
“I still think you should talk to someone about what’s on your mind. But I also think you could be in danger.”
I let her words sink in and then sighed. I’d rather talk to her boyfriend than a counselor. At least I wouldn’t have to listen to psycho-babble nonsense.
“Fine, I’ll go see Brock. But that asshole friend of his better not be there…”
Chapter Two
Mason
Paperwork is probably my least favorite thing in the world to do. To be honest, I’d prefer a root canal over filling it out and filing it away.
But with two members of the BPS team out on assignments, it was just me and Brock in the office, and that meant I had to pitch in with all of the work. Like it or not.
Brock might be my best friend, but he’d never played favorites when it came to business. Not when we were Army Rangers together years ago and not today with the goings-on of Bourne Protective Services.
BPS was Brock’s baby, and we’d all worked hard to make it as successful as possible, up to and including our most recent job, which had brought Lily Miller into our lives.
That had ended up working out well, but Lily had also brought her best friend, Blair Thomas along with her when she’d contracted BPS for her security needs.
I’d been drawn in by Blair’s juicy curves and long curls from the start. But I’d ended up blowing it with her and ticking off the boss.
Brock had been worried I would screw things up for him with Lily and he had warned me to stay away from Blair. Turns out, he’d been right to worry.
I’d ended up making an enemy out of Blair in a flash. All I’d done was talk to another woman when I was out at the Cloud Nine Tavern with her one night.
But you would have thought I’d murdered a box full o
f kittens in front of her, the way she’d reacted. So, I’d written Blair off as a lost cause.
Who needed that kind of drama? I was better off keeping things casual with the ladies, the way I always had. As far as I was concerned, Blair could shove her dislike of me where the sun didn’t shine.
It was much safer to put all of my focus on my work with BPS. I only had to please one person in this office, and that was Brock, who seemed to like me just fine.
He’d just walked in with his German Shepherd, Nitro hot on his heels, and I didn’t even wait for him to get settled at his desk before I hit him with the latest BPS news. I wanted him to know I was hard at work.
“Morning, boss. Got another client on the line. You good with meeting with him this afternoon?”
“Sounds great. Anything interesting?”
“Definitely has potential. This guy claims he’s having trouble with some drug dealers. He doesn’t want to go to the cops, for obvious reasons.”
Brock frowned and hesitated for a moment. “As long as he knows we don’t get involved with anything illegal.”
“I think he just wants someone to watch his back, not take out his competitors in the narcotics market.”
Brock grinned. “Well, that’s alright then, isn’t it?”
He sank into his desk chair with a sigh and then paused. “Hey, Mason? Do you think moving Lily in and getting engaged so fast was the right thing to do?”
“I think if you find someone who makes you a better person, you should do whatever it takes to hold onto them.”
“You’ve got a damn good point there, man. A damn good point.”
“Thanks, boss. I’m glad for you, by the way. I might not be ready for the same kind of thing, and probably never will be, but I’m happy for you and Lily.”
Brock looked impressed with my words. I mentally patted myself on the back and was just about to get some more coffee when the office door flew open.
Nitro was on his feet at once, and Brock and I both reached for our weapons. But it wasn’t an intruder who came stalking into BPS. In a way, I kind of wished it had been.
I’d have gotten some excitement in my life and wouldn’t be looking at dealing with someone I’d grown to hate over the past few months. Even though that most definitely hadn’t always been the case.
Blair Thomas sashayed inside, filling the office with the scent of her vanilla body spray, and ignoring me completely before she sat down in the chair across from the leader of Bourne Protective Services.
“I’m here because your girlfriend seems to think I need a bodyguard.”
Brock looked both amused and interested. “Well, in that case, you better tell us what’s going on.”
Blair flipped her chestnut curls over one shoulder before glaring at me with burning hazel eyes. “How about some privacy?”
Brock sighed. “Mason works here, Blair, you know that. He’s my second-in-command. Anything you say to me, you can say to him.”
I swelled with pride at Brock’s words. But then Blair opened her pretty pink lips to showcase that sharp tongue of hers and deflated me a bit.
“All of that might be true, but I don’t trust him, and I don’t want him anywhere near me.”
Chapter Three
Blair
I could tell by the way Mason scowled at me that he wanted to give me a piece of his mind. But Brock’s phone rang before he had the chance.
The owner of BPS looked irritated by what the caller had to say. It was obviously bad news. I just didn’t know how bad it was going to be for me, and what it would mean for my future.
Brock ended the call and looked at Mason. “That was the client you mentioned earlier. He’s insisting I’m the only one to take care of his protection needs.”
Mason’s face fell a bit and I couldn’t help but enjoy it. He might have one of the most handsome faces I’d ever seen, but I could no longer stand to look at it, so I took some small pleasure in watching him suffer.
Turnabout is fair play, after all…
There was silence in the office for so long, I almost fell asleep. It might be the start of the day for the BPS team, but it was past my bedtime, dammit. I coughed to remind them they weren’t alone and Mason jumped and nodded slowly at Brock.
“I guess I can understand that. You’re the head honcho and all. Just kind of surprised after our advertising efforts with me as the face of BPS.”
I jolted upright and looked at Brock. “You made him the face of your business? That was a bonehead move! He can’t even be trusted to stick to one woman.”
Both men stared at me. Mason looked as if he’d love nothing more than to kick my ass out. My level of petty satisfaction went up a couple of notches. It was fun pushing so many buttons all at once.
What can I say? I wasn’t normally like this, but I’d been pushed to my limits lately. Not to mention the whole being threatened by a drug dealer situation.
They could look at me however they wanted to, as far as I was concerned. Bitchy behavior or not, I still believed I was right on this one.
Brock sighed. “I made him the face of the business because he’s handsome and likable. He’s also damn good at what he does, Blair.”
I snorted but didn’t engage him any further. I’d made my point, and I did need his help. Brock turned his attention back to Mason.
“Man, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to respect client requests. You understand, right?”
Mason’s muscles rippled annoyingly as he leaned back with a sigh. I hated how hot he was and what he did to my body.
It was the polar opposite of what being around him did to my mind, and the differing effects were frustrating, to say the least.
“Yeah, boss, I understand. You’ve got to give the people what they want.”
You’re used to giving the ladies what they want, aren’t you?
I would have loved to lob that verbal grenade at Mason, but I kept it to myself, figuring I was already wearing out my welcome. And we hadn’t even gotten around to my little problem.
Brock nodded and turned his piercing gray eyes on me. It was a bit like being pinned by the principal’s gaze back in high school. But there was no way I was going to let either of these tough guys see me squirm.
“Tell me everything, Blair. If Lily sent you here, it’s for a good reason, so take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”
My irritation at having to be around Mason dropped away as I filled Brock in on what had happened behind the loading dock.
The more I told him, the more his eyebrows drew together with concern, and the less silly I felt for being there in the first place.
The leader of Bourne Protective Services turned to his right-hand man, and I saw a loaded look flash between them.
“Yet another drug-related problem. I think you should be on the case, Mason. You have experience with narcotics from your time in the service.”
Mason looked at me. “That may be true, but I don’t think I’m the right guy for this job, Brock.”
“I honestly don’t give a shit what you think about this. Hunter and Wyatt are busy. And I’m certainly not going to leave Blair to fend for herself.”
It was like they’d forgotten I was there again. I felt my hackles go up. If they couldn’t make the time to help me, I’d do it myself, which is what I’d wanted to do in the first damn place.
“You know what, guys? Forget it. I’m just going to go home and lay low.”
I stood up from my chair so abruptly, it shot backwards, and Nitro gave a woof of complaint at having his nap disturbed. I was really batting a thousand with the men of BPS, wasn’t I?
“Blair, don’t be so—”
I rounded on Mason. “Be so what?”
He must have read the hatred in my eyes. The hulking hunk that majored in personal protection and minored in womanizing rocked back as if I’d slapped him across his smug, handsome face.
Mason held up his hands in a defensive way that let me know he had nothing else t
o say. And I took that as my cue to leave BPS the same way I’d come in—alone, exhausted, and unsatisfied.
Chapter Four
Mason
Watching Blair storm out of the office was both annoying and satisfying. I knew I was about to hear it from Brock about what I’d said.
But I couldn’t deny how nice it was to see her curves working under her navy blue scrubs as she stalked away from me.
“Well, that was quite the performance, huh?”
I figured making light of it all would help Brock realize Blair was just being a spoiled brat. She’d always come off that way, and even now, when her life could be in danger, she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
Brock just stared at me without saying a word and I shifted uncomfortably in my desk chair. So much for making a joke out of the whole thing.
“Boss, I really don’t think I’m the right guy for the job. She hates my guts, surely you can see that?”
“Did you stop to ask any of the people you helped while in the service if they liked you?”
That threw me for a loop. Brock was right. As much as I didn’t like to admit it, he usually was. I guess that’s why he was the boss. And why he’d been our leader in the Rangers.
He had a great head on his shoulders. While I tended to think with what I had below the belt, more often than not, Brock was able to prioritize and compartmentalize everything with ease.
In fact, the only time I’d ever seen him take a job personally in any way was with Lily, but his feelings for her had just made him better at his job.
It killed me to see the disappointment in Brock’s eyes. We’d had each other’s backs for so long, I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. I’d walk through fire for him, so why couldn’t I give him this?
The rest of the day dragged on as I battled over my need to prove myself to Brock and my desire to stay the hell away from Blair and her sharp tongue.
