by KL Donn
Cowboy Bodyguard
Brotherhood Protectors World
KL Donn
Contents
Brotherhood Protectors
Prologue
1. Shaw
2. Shaw
3. Monroe
4. Shaw
5. Monroe
6. Monroe
7. Shaw
8. Monroe
9. Shaw
10. Monroe
11. Monroe
Epilogue
Brotherhood Protectors
About Elle James
Copyright © 2020, KL Donn
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
© 2020 Twisted Page Press, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.
Brotherhood Protectors
Original Series by Elle James
Brotherhood Protectors Series
Montana SEAL (#1)
Bride Protector SEAL (#2)
Montana D-Force (#3)
Cowboy D-Force (#4)
Montana Ranger (#5)
Montana Dog Soldier (#6)
Montana SEAL Daddy (#7)
Montana Ranger’s Wedding Vow (#8)
Montana SEAL Undercover Daddy (#9)
Cape Cod SEAL Rescue (#10)
Montana SEAL Friendly Fire (#11)
Montana SEAL’s Mail-Order Bride (#12)
SEAL Justice (#13)
Ranger Creed (#14)
Delta Force Rescue (#15)
Montana Rescue (Sleeper SEAL)
Hot SEAL Salty Dog (SEALs in Paradise)
Hot SEAL Hawaiian Nights (SEALs in Paradise)
Hot SEAL Bachelor Party (SEALs in Paradise)
Cowboy Bodyguard
A Brotherhood Protectors Novel
By
USA Today Bestselling Author
KL Donn
Synopsis
Marilyn Monroe Kingsley was coveted on the pageant circuit. Winning Miss California set her up to compete in the Miss America competition this year. Anyone who knew anything about pageant life knew she was going to win it, too. She had the looks, the skills, and the brains.
But was it what Monroe wanted?
She had private dreams of normalcy, family, and living a life she’d only seen on T.V. Dreams she knew she’d never see come to fruition.
At least until a stalker sent her to the Crazy Mountains of Montana and straight into the arms of retired Delta operative Shaw Remington.
Shaw craved a simple life. He was drawn to the quietness of Eagle Rock, Montana, and a life of serving a community long forgotten. He had grand plans to open a ranch for the disabled, but guarding some pampered pageant queen was just a favor for his old Delta buddy, Duke Morrison, to break up the humdrum aspects of his life as he planned his future.
Monroe turned out to be anything but pampered or humdrum and was unlike anyone he had ever met. She was searching for a life as far removed from the one she'd known. But mystery surrounded her, and when Shaw solved the case, he knew that as soon as she was safe, he was going to make her his.
But would their dreams of a future together come true?
Join KL Donn on her first journey in the Brotherhood Protectors World as she gives you one pageant queen, a scarred soldier, and a cow who thinks she's a human.
Buckle up, buttercups, it’s about to get Crazy!
Prologue
Monroe
Los Angeles, California — Four Years Ago.
“I’m tired of doing this, Mom,” I whisper to my mother, Helen, as she covers my overly made-up hair with more hair spray then should be legal.
“Tough. You almost won the last pageant. It’s time you start taking these titles home consistently instead of every other show. A lot is riding on these winnings, Marilyn.” I try to hide my sigh but fail. “Enough of that.” She tugs a loose curl, and I cringe as my head smarts. “What else are you going to do with your life? Huh? You’re not good at anything of value. At least, this will help you marry rich.”
My heart cramps at her hurtful words, but like always, I push the feelings to the back of my mind and stop speaking. It’s my sixteenth birthday. The last thing I want, today of all days, is to be so harshly criticized.
I should be giggling with my girlfriends.
Telling stories of my first love.
Opening presents and scarfing down cake.
Staring around the room, I look at each of the other girls here and see nothing but competition and jealousy. I wouldn’t trust these girls with my makeup brushes, let alone my secrets. But it’s Mom's dream for me to become Miss America, Miss Universe, Miss…everything.
I’ve been painting my face with makeup and ratting my hair for longer than I can remember. It’s all I’ve ever known. We travel the country, jumping from pageant to pageant, winning big prizes to get us to the next show and smaller accolades where I’m criticized with all my failings until it’s time to smile again.
I’m a real-life Barbie, and sometimes, I wish I was brave enough to run away.
“Alright, Marilyn Monroe Kingsley, you smile and express happiness in those eyes because if you lose tonight, so help me, I’ll work you until you drop.”
Ballet is my talent.
Prancing and spinning until my head spins.
Clean lines and soft drops are what gain me first place.
Sometimes, I screw up on purpose, other times, I’m too tired to be perfect.
From the look in Mom's eyes, perfection is the word of the evening.
I have to win.
I want to quit.
Shaw
Crazy Mountains, Montana — Present Day
Breathing in the crisp morning air in the middle of May, I can detect just a hint of the winter remnants as I watch the sun rise while sipping my first cup of coffee before getting ready for the day. Spring is officially here, and that means a lot of work around the ranch.
My operation isn’t anything too large or fancy, and for the most part, I can handle the day to day operation by myself. I have a couple of part-time ranch hands and one full-time, plus my housekeeper, Rita. She does more than just clean up after me. She also cooks and helps with the books when I’m too busy to keep up.
“Mooooo.”
I can hear Marilyn off in the distance as she calls for the calf she lost. Mari is a unique heifer. When I retired to Eagle Rock, Montana, a little over a year ago, she was my second purchase at a slaughtering auction. I understand her pain. The emptiness that consumes her controlled me for a time after my last mission that left me too injured to remain as an active duty Delta Force operative. My hip was shattered in a bombing two years ago, and I had to have a complete replacement.
Even now, as the sun is still rising and I sip my coffee, I can feel the residual pain.
Coming to the Crazy Mountains of Montana and buying this ranch has been the only impulsive thing I’ve done in my life. My friend Duke Morrison had convinced me this was the place I need
ed to recover and move on with my life. I came for a visit and never left.
At the sounds of Rita in the kitchen getting breakfast ready for me and my full-timer, Kane, I head inside to see if she wants help that I already know she’ll refuse. The great thing about Rita is that she’s more like a mother, and the only family I have around. My parents are retired and cruising the world one ship at a time. Well-deserved, too. My father was an Army man, like me, until he retired at forty and figured out that he was good at the stock market. After spending twenty-five years buying and selling things I’ll never understand, he finally called it quits for good, and I’ve never seen them happier.
“Morning, Rita.” I kiss her cheek as she whisks up some eggs.
“Morning, Shaw. You have a message on the machine in your office.” She never ceases to amaze me. First thing she does is check messages because I like to enjoy the sunrise each morning before work picks up; she, however, keeps me organized.
“I’ll go check them now. Holler if you need me.” After refilling my coffee, I head to my office, shutting the door and hitting play on the machine.
“Hey, Remington, it’s Duke. Look, I’ve got a big favor to ask. I’ll be there in the morning to discuss the details. Have the coffee on.” As soon as the message ends, I hear his truck in the driveway.
The only favors Duke asks me for is when the company he works for, Brotherhood Protection Services, needs an extra hand. Guess I’m playing bodyguard this week.
Going back the way I came, I grab an extra cup and pour the black liquid in and head out to meet him at the front door. “Morning, Duke.” Handing him the cup, we take a seat in the chairs on the front porch. “What’s this favor?”
“Always straight to business with you, huh?” I shrug, I don’t like messing around. “You remember how I told you about how Angel and I came to meet?” I nod. Angel was the body double for some whacked out celebrity with a stalker.
“Well, Lena has a cousin in some trouble, and she recommended us to the woman’s mother. I don’t have all the information yet, we’re still running background checks on both women, but it sounds like she’s picked herself up a stalker too.”
“You need me to go out there?” I assume "there" is Hollywood, and while I’d rather not, for Duke, I would.
“No, but if she could stay here for a couple weeks? We’re fully booked and spread a little thin right now. The pay is more than generous.” I shoot him a look. Money is never the reason I help him, and by the way he’s raising his hands, he knows that too.
“When is she arriving?”
“Seriously?” He’s always shocked when I say yes so quickly, so I simply nod. “She’s on a plane now with her mother and manager. They’ll be landing in a couple of hours.”
“Mother and manager?” I raise a brow in question.
“She’s some sort of pageant girl or something. They aren’t staying. I wouldn’t do that to you.” He chuckles, no doubt recalling how he and Angel came to be. “I told them that over the phone, but they said she can’t travel alone or some B.S. I don’t think they believed me when I said they couldn’t stay. I’ll be insistent that they leave.”
“How old is she?” The way he’s talking, she sounds underage. Which means the mother, at least, might have to stay.
“Her license says twenty. She can stay by herself. It’ll make protecting her that much easier too. I’ll be back with them in a couple hours. I have some papers for them to fill out at the office, and I’ll have the surface background checks completed for you as well.”
“Sounds good.” I shake his hand as we stand before taking his empty cup. “See you in a bit.” Watching Duke leave, a ball of lead settles in my gut. I already know this is going to be a pain in the ass assignment. If the girl is anything like her cousin, I may come to regret my quick acceptance.
Monroe
I hate flying. It’s the second-worst part of my life. Being dragged out to the wilderness of Montana had sounded like a relaxing change. Especially when I overheard the man tell Mom and Claire that they couldn’t stay. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the two of them being told no, and it was amusing with the way they both went red in the face with rage, looking like matching tomatoes.
“Sit up straight, Marilyn.” Mom snaps the words under her breath, so the big man upfront doesn’t hear the censure in her tone.
I’m slightly disappointed that he hasn’t forced Mom and Claire to leave like he told them on the phone. But if I know anything about these two women, it’s that they’re master manipulators. The only reason I’m even here is that my cousin Lena insisted that this agency was the best.
When Mom was told that the Brotherhood Protective Services had no one available to come to L.A., she suggested we come out here. I don’t mind really. After five minutes in this pure air, I could breathe easier. I wasn’t feeling as suffocated. My head was no longer spinning the way it has been in recent weeks.
Ever since my sixteenth birthday when I lost Miss California—on purpose—I haven’t had a free moment to myself. Even when I shower, I can’t lock the door. I have no peace and quiet, and frankly, I’m not sure how much longer I can live like this.
I’m an adult. I should be able to do what I want, except I can’t. My mother has spent my entire life beating away my self-esteem and sense of worth. I don’t know who I am without the pageants anymore. I haven’t lost a single one since then.
I practice my ballet every day. Like my life depends on it. And I’m not all that certain it doesn’t anymore. If I lose, I’m never sure how she’s going to react. When I lost Miss California, I wasn’t seen for two weeks. Just long enough for the pageant world to believe I was a diva and throwing a fit.
In reality, I was worked until I was sick. Until I bled. Until I learned there were far worse pastimes than smiling for the cameras, and what a monster my mother truly is.
“Alright, ladies, here we are.” The man up front smiles back at me and frowns when I don’t reciprocate the gesture. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that smiling about anything is hard when I’ve been forced to do it for so long. If it doesn’t have meaning behind it, I don’t. I can’t.
Slipping out of the vehicle, I breathe in the refreshing mountain air and close my eyes. My lungs open up, and I no longer feel as though I’m suffocating. Green fields flow from the sizeable rustic house and back to the valley leading into the snowcapped mountains.
My mother’s indignant huff ruins the moment. Claire is glued to her phone as a door slams shut nearby. My gaze follows the noise, and I notice a gruff, dark-haired man standing on the porch. He doesn’t look pleased that we’re here. With the way my mother is eyeing his ranch up, I can’t say I blame him. I wouldn’t want me here, either.
Remaining where I stand beside the car, my eyes admire the beauty of the land. The sounds of nature. The clean air. This is something I could get used to. If only I could escape my mother’s clutches.
The forlorn sound of a cow mooing in the distance grabs my attention, and I’m curious about why he or she sounds so desolate, so I make a move to find out. Quietly heading towards the back of the house as the strange man glares at Mom, Claire, and Duke, I make a run for it. Careful that I don’t trip over any holes, snakes, or other obstacles in the way.
Stopping in my tracks as I clear the patio off the back of the house, I see a large white cow by a water barrel and listen as she cries into the sky. As I walk closer, she must hear me because she turns her head and looks directly at me, staring into my eyes. I recognize her pain. I feel it in my very soul.
“Who hurt you, pretty girl?” I whisper as I walk up to the steel gates. Not knowing anything about cows or ranch life, I keep my distance. I don’t want to encroach on this man’s land and break some rule I don’t know is in place. I do that enough in L.A.
Her heavy steps wander closer to me, and when she lays her chin in one of the metal rings of the gate, I reach out a hand. Touching her head, I’m surprised at how soft s
he is. Her eyes close, and I wish I knew what she was thinking.
Taking a small step forward, I continue to scratch her head and explore the area with my eyes. I’ve never been so near to a cow before, and the moment is a bit surreal. It’s a cow, and yet, I feel closer to the large animal than I have with anyone else in my life.
It’s odd, but, strangely, makes complete sense. She’s in pain, and so am I. On some elemental level, we understand each other.
“Dear god, Marilyn, take your hands off that filthy beast,” my mother’s shrill voice calls behind me, ruining the special moment. I ignore her, but the cow can’t and opens her eyes at the newcomer.
I don’t know if cows can glare, but I feel certain she just did, and I can’t help the giggle that bursts free.
“Marilyn!” she barks, and when I turn around, I’m stopped in my tracks as the ranch owner's eyes snare me in their depths. His gaze is narrowed as he watches me from beside the house.
“Sorry, Mother,” I whisper as I take one last look at the tormented cow and stroll back towards the woman I’ve come to loathe.
“We aren’t staying. We’ll find someone else for protection,” she says, gripping my arm so hard I wince. My skin is continually bruised because of the way she is always grabbing me, and the latest one hasn’t healed.
