by Ella Frank
“Right, we do. I’ve even gotten hate mail due to my personal life and choices.”
“Because you’re gay?”
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t miss much, do you, sparky?”
“I’m just making sure we’re talking about the same thing here so there’s no confusion.”
“Then yes, let me be crystal clear. I’ve had some pretty horrible comments based on the whole gay anchor thing, but this is the first time one added my address at the bottom and said, You’re meant2bmine and soon you will be.”
“Fucking hell. That’s some serious shit.”
Xander grimaced. “I know, that’s why my boss is demanding a bodyguard by tomorrow morning.”
“As he should. You don’t know what this lunatic is capable of. Do they want to kidnap you? Scare you? Keep you for themselves? Do they believe if they can’t have you then no one else should?”
“Gee, that’s so comforting, Sean. Thanks.”
He didn’t sound comforted. But hey, I wasn’t about to lie to him. “I’m just pointing out that your boss isn’t wrong. You need a bodyguard.”
“Which is exactly why I’m here. Do you know a reputable company? Maybe someone you’ve worked with?”
I knew plenty of people, but I wasn’t about to source him out. “Me. I’ll do it. I’ll come on as your bodyguard.”
Xander sputtered a little, or maybe he was just clearing his throat. “Are you kidding? No.”
If the topic hadn’t been quite so serious, I might’ve found his incredulity amusing. However, there was nothing remotely funny about what he was telling me. I’d known Alexander Thorne most of his life, and I’d never seen him so on edge. These threats had shaken his usually cool exterior, and right now he looked as though he were about to go off the deep end.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t actually want people to know I have a bodyguard. Yes, I want this asshole caught. But if he sees you trailing me in all black with a scowl on your face, he’ll go into hiding and we’ll never find him.”
Hmm, he had a point. But so did I. I’d wanted some time off from the force but knew a standard vacation was not for me. So what better way to occupy my time than taking on this as a side job?
“Okay then, what are you thinking? No matter who you hire, they’re going to trail you. That’s how bodyguards work.”
“I know that.” Xander clenched his jaw, clearly pissed off about the whole situation, and I couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want someone observing every move I made. But at the same time, I also enjoyed being alive. “What if they—”
“I.”
“You’re not doing this, Sean.”
“I am, but we can discuss that after. Keep going.”
Xander glared at me so hard that I was surprised lasers didn’t come out of his eyes and melt me to the ground. But too bad; I wasn’t about to let my brother’s best friend hire some schmuck off the street when I knew I could do a better job. Xander would just have to suck it up and deal with it.
“What about undercover?” he suggested. “What if they come on as my assistant?”
I didn’t miss his insistence that whoever he was going to hire wouldn’t be me. But we could duke that out later—for now, we needed to get the details ironed out, and one thing I knew for damn sure was that I was nobody’s errand boy.
“How about no? I’m not going to be your whipping boy for the next however many weeks, sorry. Next idea.”
“It’s not going to be you. So I don’t see the problem.”
“It is going to be me. So…next idea.”
Xander mumbled something I didn’t quite catch, then went to step around me as though he were leaving.
I grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving. What does it look like I’m doing?”
I tightened my fingers around the expensive material of his jacket and shook my head. “Uh-uh, are you crazy? I’m not about to let you walk out that door after what you just told me.”
“And what do you plan to do? Handcuff me to a chair?”
“If I have to.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
If he kept up this attitude, he just might get his wish. As Xander tugged his arm free, we stood there in a stalemate, and I noticed the slight flush to his cheeks.
Xander was usually put together—always ready for the camera, Bailey would say. But as he stood there now, his looks very much matched his mood—frazzled.
His sea-green eyes were wary, darting around at every little sound my house made. His gunmetal-colored hair was sticking out at all angles from the fingers he’d run through it, and the tic in his jaw was increasing in speed the longer we stood there with our horns locked.
He was clearly agitated and trying not to let it show with this bullshit bravado act, but it was time to let him know he’d done the right thing in coming here.
“Look, I know you weren’t expecting to hire me for this job, but I’m not about to let someone else take this on when I know full well that I would be better at it. I’ve had years of experience undercover, I would have the full support of the force behind me to look into backgrounds, locations, and anything that might arise—plus, I know you. Bailey would never forgive me if I sent you away and something happened to you.”
Xander’s eyes roved over my face—God only knew what he was looking for—but then he let out a breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, okay. You’re right. I’d feel more comfortable having you around than some stranger, so why not. But I still don’t want you to look like my bodyguard.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m not gonna be your assistant.” When Xander rolled his eyes I added, “Plus, how would you explain me driving you to and from work every day?”
“That’s what you’re going to do?”
“That is part of the job. A bodyguard is there to guard the body. I can’t do that if I’m not with you. So I’ll have to come and stay with you too.”
“What?” Xander’s eyes widened until they all but encompassed his face. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“I need to be with you at all times outside of work, and it needs to be plausible. So if I’m not your assistant, I could be, I don’t know, a relative visiting from out of town? That’s not too far off.”
When Xander screwed his nose up, I ran through several other scenarios in my head until I finally landed on one I knew would be perfect, but also the hardest to sell.
Oh well, it wasn’t like he could want to kill me anymore than he already did. Here goes nothing.
“Or if you don’t like that, I could always pretend to be your boyfriend.”
5
Xander
“MY BOYFRIEND? YOU?” I took a step back, and when my legs hit Sean’s recliner and I fell down into it, I decided that seemed like the best place for me.
Tonight had taken one strange turn after another, and honestly, this was the strangest of all. There was no way what he was suggesting could work. No way Sean could actually pull it off—me either, for that matter.
Sean and I barely tolerated each other under the best of circumstances. The idea of pretending to be a couple was just…just… “That is the most absurd idea I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?”
“Because it is. You can’t pretend to be my boyfriend. For one, you’re straight.”
Sean eyed me as he shoved a hand into his jeans pocket. “That’s why I’m going to pretend. It’s a job, Xander. Nothing more, nothing less.”
How in the world Sean was suddenly the clearheaded, rational person in this discussion was beyond me. But while I sat there trying to wrap my head around what he’d just proposed, Sean was off and running with it.
“If you think about it, it actually makes the most sense. And it’s not like we don’t know each other.”
Okay, forget that. He wasn’t rational. He’d lost his damn mind. “Sean, I know you’ve done this whole undercover thing
before, but this is different. I’m not sure you could pull this off. Hell, I’m not even sure I could.”
Sean scoffed. “How hard could it be? I stick close to you, I open a few doors here and there—”
“You’re going to have to do more than that to make people think we’re dating.” I rubbed my temple, where I could feel a headache forming. “They actually have to believe you are sleeping with a man. You understand that, right? That’s what you’re suggesting we pretend. That you like touching a man, kissing one.” I glanced at the hand by his side and brushed my fingers over his. When Sean immediately pulled it away, I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I can see you’ll be very convincing.”
A deep V formed between Sean’s brows. “You caught me off guard, that’s all. I didn’t realize we were starting this instant.”
“Bullshit.” Getting to my feet, I shook my head. “This isn’t going to work. A person can’t change their behavior overnight, and you flinching every time I touch you is not going to convince anyone that you’re sleeping with me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to convince them? I thought it was that we were dating.”
“And you don’t think we’d be having sex?”
Sean ran his eyes over me, and I couldn’t quite tell what was going on behind that stare. He looked deep in thought, almost contemplative. Then he stepped in close to me and reached for my hand.
As the warmth of his touch penetrated my skin, he grazed his thumb over the back of my knuckles and something alarming happened—my pulse began to race.
“What are you doing?”
A smile that I’d never seen before slowly curved Sean’s lips as he continued to massage the back of my hand. “What does it feel like I’m doing?”
It felt like he was touching me in a way he never had, which was disconcerting, to say the least. Not to mention that teasing smile. Where the hell had that come from?
Clearing my throat, I went to pull my hand away, but Sean tightened his grip.
“Okay, Sean. You can stop now.”
“Stop what?”
“This.” I tugged our hands up between us and looked at the way his large fingers enveloped mine. It was a sure hold, a firm one, and the most intimate contact I’d ever had with him. “You made your point. You can let go of my hand now.”
“Why? Is it making you uncomfortable?”
“No. Of course not.” Although it was, very much so.
“Good, because if we’re going to pull this off, you’re actually going to have to look like you enjoy touching me, kissing me. You know, a man?”
As Sean’s smile turned smug, I relocated my brain and shoved him in the arm, yanking my hand free. “Are you done?”
Sean laughed, and any odd reactions I’d been having a second ago were replaced with irritation.
“Yeah. Just proving a point. When I’m in character, I’m in character. I think I can pull off pretending to like you to save your life.”
“How reassuring.”
“All I’m saying is, it’s hardly a stretch. We’re already friends, so it’s not like we aren’t used to being around each other. I’m sure we can put on a good show.”
I’m glad he was so sure, because I still wasn’t convinced. This was Sean, Bailey’s annoying older brother. How in the hell did he expect me to stop thinking of him like that?
“I don’t know, Sean…”
“Do you trust me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you trust me to look after you? Do you trust me with your life? Because that’s the main question here.”
As I stared into his earnest eyes, I knew this was one area in which I had no doubts. I did trust Sean. He was one of the most dedicated detectives in the CPD. He was ruthless, brash, and rougher than sandpaper around the edges. But I knew he’d never let anything or anyone hurt me if I was under his protection.
“Yes, I trust you. More than I would anyone else.”
“Okay. Then whatever it is that’s making you hesitate, get the fuck over it.”
And there was the Sean I understood and could deal with.
“I don’t have a problem pretending to like dick, so you shouldn’t have a problem pretending to like—”
“A dick?” I interrupted, thinking of Henri’s nickname for Detective Dick here.
“Don’t think I don’t know what Boudreaux calls me behind my back.”
“You’ve got to admit, it kind of fits.”
“Hey, if I’m a dick it’s because it helps get the job done. I work with criminals most of the time, and asking nicely isn’t always the best approach.”
“Do you ever ask nicely for anything?”
Sean’s lips quirked at the side. “Sometimes.”
When he didn’t elaborate, I decided my best bet was to let it go and move on. Sean was in an odd mood, and it was making my brain hurt. “So let’s pretend I say yes to this asinine idea of yours. Then what?”
“Then I pack a bag and come home with you.”
“Right now?”
“Well, I’m not about to let you walk out the door by yourself after what you told me, and I’m going to have to move in anyway.”
As Sean’s words lingered in the air between us, I knew he was expecting some kind of response, but I had nothing. The idea of Sean living with me was alarming.
“You said your boss wants a name by the morning—now you’ve got one. Let me pack a bag and we’ll get going.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
“You don’t have to tell anyone you’re going? Or what you’re doing?”
Sean looked around his empty living room. “You see anyone here?”
No. No, I did not. In fact, there was next to nothing here—people or possessions.
“I’d already put in for some leave at work, so that’s covered. Just give me a few to pack and I’ll be right out.”
I knew I should tell him no. That this was a horrible idea. But Sean was already brushing by me and heading down the hall. It seemed my fate was sealed. I’d come in search of someone to guard my body, and ended up with the last person I’d ever expected.
6
Sean
AROUND TWENTY MINUTES later, my duffel bag was packed, my house secured, and a less-than-enthusiastic Xander was pulling his sleek cobalt-blue Maserati convertible into my garage.
Since I’d be driving him to and from his destinations until we caught the lowlife who was threatening him, I figured it might be smart to take away one of the things his stalker friend would be familiar with.
Instead, we’d be utilizing my SUV. It was a deflection that wouldn’t last long if this psycho was truly watching Xander’s movements, but at least it would trip him up a little. The windows were tinted, it was in no way connected to Xander, and, as far as I was concerned, it was bigger, bulkier, and more likely to flatten someone than his fancy Italian sports car.
Xander grumbled as he climbed out and shut the door, engaging the car alarm. “You’re sure that your garage is secure?”
I crossed my arms and leaned against my SUV as Xander walked down the drive toward me. “No one’s stolen my car yet.”
Xander glanced past my shoulder, raised a brow, and then brought his eyes back to mine. “No offense, but an SUV is an SUV. This,” he said, turning to gesture to the car he’d all but kissed goodbye. “This baby has a Ferrari-built 4.7-liter V8 engine. It goes from zero to sixty in four point five seconds.”
“You’re a car snob. Who knew.”
“I’m not a snob. I just want to make sure it will still be here after all of this.”
I pushed off the back of my SUV and walked over to him. “I’m more concerned with you still being here after all of this. But as for your precious car in there, I have security cameras on my property, and a couple placed at the entry points. One happens to be in the garage. You can check on your baby every night. Now let’s go.”
I hit the garage door remote, and as the door r
olled down and Xander took one final look at his pride and joy, I climbed inside my car.
Not a minute later, the passenger door opened and Xander pulled himself up into the seat. As the interior light faded, he said, “Do you really think this person wants to hurt me?”
I didn’t want to scare him, but I also didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know yet. But anytime someone gets this personal, when they become fixated on someone enough to send threats like this, you have to take it seriously.”
Xander nodded, but stayed uncharacteristically quiet as he stared out the windshield.
“Are you scared?”
Xander shifted in his seat so he was facing me. “I’m more angry, if that makes sense. I thought I was going to have a nice, quiet night, and instead I’ve had to turn my life—and yours—upside down because some lunatic has a thing for me. That pisses me off.”
“I get it. I’d be pissed too.”
I started the engine, and Xander reached for his seatbelt and clicked it in place. “I just don’t know how we’re going to pull this off.”
“Would you stop worrying about that? We’ll work it out.”
“And if we can’t? Then what?”
I pulled out of the drive. “If for some reason we can’t manage to fake it—”
“Which, you have to admit, seems likely to happen.”
So much faith. “If that happens, I’ll point you in someone else’s direction.”
Xander frowned. “I thought you said you were the best.”
“I am.”
“Then why would I want someone else?”
“My point exactly.” I smirked. “Just keep that mindset and we should be golden. If you can have me, why would you ever want anyone else?”
Xander shook his head.
“I’m heading downtown, I assume?”
“Yes. North Lake Shore Drive. How weird is it that we’ve never been to each other’s house until tonight?”
I shrugged and flicked on my indicator. “Never really had a reason before. We always have family dinners at Bailey’s, and other than that, you and I never really—”
