The Rogue Warrior: Navy SEAL Romances 2.0

by Anderson, Cindy Roland

  “I’ve printed out all of the previous messages,” Jon said, sliding a folder over to Logan. “You can read for yourself that he’s focused on Weslee’s appearance.”

  Logan opened the folder, noting the spelling of her name as he read over some of the messages. He didn’t like the tone either. Clearly, the guy was a little unhinged. He was obsessed with Weslee, particularly her hair. Logan chastised himself for his earlier desire to feel how soft her hair was. Her stalker mentioned her hair in each message, fantasizing about touching it or running his fingers through it.

  He directed most of his questions to Jon, whom he’d discovered wasn’t really related to Weslee. He was her father’s closest friend and the attorney for Ground Zero.

  Ground Zero, the nutritional supplement company her father had created, he had heard of. The company focused on the outdoor sports community rather than just the traditional athlete. Some of the guys at the gym he frequented used the company’s products religiously. Now that he thought about it, he had seen Weslee’s picture before. Only instead of wearing the silky dress slacks and pale pink blouse she had on today, she’d dressed in full camouflage, a Ground Zero ball cap, and held her bow.

  Every time he or Sutton asked Weslee a direct question, Logan told himself that her southern accent wasn’t anything special. He’d heard it hundreds of times over the years. He also ignored the pull of attraction he felt each time she spoke or their eyes met. He was a professional and wouldn’t let his feelings get in the way of protecting her.

  Besides, she couldn’t be more than twenty—totally off limits. He sure hoped this wealthy barely-not-a-teenage-girl wasn’t anything like Summer. Unlike his last security detail where they knew the identity of the stalker, Weslee’s stalker was an unknown. Logan’s job protecting her could go on for months. If Weslee tried any of the seduction tactics Summer had used on him, he wasn’t entirely sure he could resist her.

  The thought made him feel weak. Logan wasn’t weak. He was a former SEAL, trained to withstand brutal circumstances. He had survived three months in a Syrian prison the previous year after his SEAL team had been captured, and then escaped with his team by piloting a rickety helicopter without any previous experience. That act could’ve been labeled as stupid, but he wasn’t weak.

  Drawing on skills he’d honed as a SEAL, he viewed Weslee as only the mission. He needed to keep her safe, find the threat and then eliminate it.

  Jon handed both Logan and Sutton a list of her scheduled appearances over the next month. “Are all of these necessary for you to attend?” Logan asked Weslee, reading over the events. Most of them were held in sporting goods stores or gyms, which would be easier to secure. The outdoor archery tournament scheduled for the first week in April made him uneasy. He’d need backup, preferably from his former SEAL team. Since the event wasn’t for another three weeks, he’d have to find out if they were involved with other assignments. Otherwise, he’d utilize off-duty police officers.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “No,” Jon said at the same time. Her guardian sighed with frustration. “Weslee, please be reasonable. Do you really have to attend every single event?”

  “I thought that was the whole reason for a bodyguard.” She looked directly at Logan. “Are you saying you can’t protect me?”

  “No, ma’am.” He narrowed his eyes, not liking the insinuation that he wasn’t competent. She didn’t back down under his glare, which equally irritated him and impressed him. “I’m simply asking a question.”

  “Oh.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “I suppose I can forfeit some of the appearances, but I don’t want to miss the tournament. It’s a charitable event to raise money for leukemia research.”

  “Okay.” Logan glanced down at the paper and back up again. “It’s in North Carolina?”

  “Yes, and it’s important to me to be there. One of my best friends died from leukemia our senior year in high school. Her mother had raised her and her little brother on her own and wanted to do something to remember her and help at the same time. My parents organized Melanie’s Find the Cure tournament a few years back, and Janice, Melanie’s mother, has run it ever since.” Weslee’s eyes shimmered with moisture. “I couldn’t attend last year due to scheduling conflicts, but Janice called me a few months ago and asked if I could be there.”

  “All right.” Logan glanced at Sutton. “The tournament isn’t for another three weeks so we’ve got some time to work out all the logistics.”

  “Excellent,” Sutton said with a nod of his head. “What are your thoughts about the event tomorrow evening?”

  “What event?” Logan asked.

  Weslee answered, explaining about the charity event held annually at the Hotel del Coronado that benefitted children and needy families.

  “In conjunction with the fundraiser,” Weslee continued, “Ground Zero donates all the proceeds for the entire month of March to help feed kids who are starving right in our own backyards.” She lifted her chin a notch. “Mama and Daddy haven’t missed it once since they started attending ten years ago, and I won’t miss it either.”

  While Logan appreciated her desire to help children, the timeframe to prep for the event was limited. He’d only been to the historic hotel once so he wasn’t familiar enough with the structure to ensure her safety. Before Logan could shoot it down, Sutton gave his approval.

  “Given the location and the high-priced ticket cost for each guest, I don’t see why you can’t attend, Miss Campbell.” Sutton turned to Logan. “Are you okay with that?”

  “I suppose I don’t have a choice,” Logan said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Am I right?” he asked Weslee.

  “I’m not trying to be difficult, Mr. Steele.” Frustration flashed in her light blue eyes. “It’s one of the main reasons I’m here, but I’m sure we can make other arrangements if you don’t wish to attend.”

  She was going to be difficult in every way. Difficult to control and difficult not to like. “Since I am going with you I think you can call me Logan, ma’am.”

  A small smile edged up one side of her mouth. “All right, Logan.” Her lips parted to reveal perfect, white teeth. “But will you stop addressing me as ma’am? It makes me feel older than twenty-five.”

  She was twenty-five? That meant she was only four years younger than him. He narrowed his eyes, feeling annoyed that she wasn’t as off-limits as he’d thought. “We’ll stay for the auction, ma’am…I mean, Weslee.”

  The sweet smile slipped. “But what about the dance?”

  “What about it?” He was not going to spend the entire evening watching her dance with other men. That was a security nightmare. If he dug deep enough he knew he’d find another reason why watching her dance with other men wasn’t acceptable.

  He wasn’t digging.

  “I understand if you aren’t comfortable dancing.” She offered him another smile. “I certainly don’t expect you to dance with me.”

  Logan wasn’t uncomfortable dancing. His mother had made him take a dance class right before he joined the ROTC in high school, telling him that every naval officer needed to know how to dance for the Navy Ball. So, yeah, he could dance. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to dance with her.

  “Logan is an excellent dancer,” Sutton said, clapping Logan on the shoulder. “I’ll make sure my tailor fits him for a tux this evening.”

  A tux? Why did rich people like to dress in the most uncomfortable clothes known to man? Wearing a tux meant wearing a tie. He hated wearing ties.

  “How wonderful,” Weslee said, sounding anything but happy. Clearly, she didn’t want Logan as her date any more than he wanted to be there. She reached for her glass of water and took a sip, keeping her gaze averted from him. When she set the glass down, she accidentally knocked it over. “Oh my goodness,” she said, jumping up from her chair. “I’m so sorry.”

  “No worries, dear girl,” Sutton said, handing her a napkin. “It’s just water.”

  Sh
e pulled at the fabric of her pink blouse, which had become slightly transparent. It didn’t reveal anything but she asked to be excused to the restroom. Sutton told her the location of the bathroom, offering to have Agatha bring her dry clothing.

  “No, thank you,” she said. “I’ll only be a moment.”

  Once she was gone, Jon leaned forward, looking directly at Logan. “The ball is important to Weslee, but I’m worried about her safety.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Just this morning, the North Carolina police found the body of one of the missing college students from Duke. They don’t have a suspect in custody but believe it’s a man who’s been stalking her for the past few months.”

  “The same stalker?” Logan asked, wondering why they were even talking about allowing Weslee to attend any public events with a murderer out there.

  “No. At least the police tell me it’s not related.” He explained how her stalker’s MO was not the same. The girl from Duke had received only handwritten notes whereas Weslee’s stalker has used digital means like social media, email or her cell phone. Although they’d recently changed Weslee’s phone number, the guy had managed to find it again. “Aside from the different methods used, the stalkers for both girls started in the same time frame, about six weeks ago. The detective said it was unlikely a stalker would pursue two women at the same time.”

  “Does Miss Campbell know about the other girl?” Sutton asked.

  “I told her this morning.” His forehead creased with worry lines. “It’s the only way I could convince her to agree to have a bodyguard.”

  Logan drummed his fingers on the table, considering everything he’d just been told. The auction was risky, but not as risky as the dance afterward. Men would be asking Weslee to the dance floor. Men she most likely didn’t know. How could he guarantee her stalker wasn’t among the elite patrons? Or he could pose as a staff member to get inside the doors. Both Jon and Sutton agreed with him when he voiced his concerns.

  “You could pose as her date,” Jon suggested.

  “Yes,” Logan said, “but I’ve been to a few formal dances with a date and it didn’t stop other men from asking her to dance.”

  “That won’t be a problem if her date is a possessive boyfriend,” Sutton said with a small smirk. “You have years of covert operation experience, Lieutenant Steele. However, I doubt any of those ops were as pleasant as this one.”

  Logan shifted on his seat, keeping his expression as neutral as possible. He wasn’t worried about roleplaying Weslee Campbell’s possessive boyfriend. What worried him more was how much he liked the idea of being her boyfriend. There was something about her that got to him. She’d been on his mind ever since running into her on the beach. If he didn’t watch himself, he’d be as whooped as Blaine Hammerton. His former SEAL teammate was now a married man.

  Weslee Campbell was the mission. Logan needed to remember that.

  “I’m trusting you to take care of her,” Jon said, his voice wobbly with emotion. “She’s like a daughter to me, and I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

  “Yes, sir,” Logan said, reaffirming in his mind that she was the mission. “I will guard her with my life.”

  They discussed the merits of staying in the main house in North Carolina or the family’s beach house once they left San Diego. Both homes had sophisticated security systems already in place. Her home outside of Raleigh was larger and had more unfavorable variables, such as the heavily wooded area in the back, so they all agreed the beach house on Emerald Isle was the best place to keep her safe. The private beach had security guards at both entrances, limiting the access to the house.

  Jon asked that they not say anything about staying at the beach house until after the charity ball. Weslee hadn’t been back there since her parents had died, and Mr. Curtis didn’t want to upset her. “She’s already not going to like having you assigned as her boyfriend.”

  Logan was okay with that. Things would be a lot more complicated if she wanted him for a boyfriend. He wasn’t good boyfriend material anyway. It wasn’t that he couldn’t commit or be faithful. He wasn’t a player, and he didn’t mess around with women for pleasure. The problem was a sense that he wasn’t good enough for someone like Weslee. She was so innocent and untainted with a giving heart. He was cynical, had witnessed a lot of crap and done things he still had nightmares about.

  Weslee came back into the room, the front of her shirt nearly dry. Taking her seat, Jon gave her an update, and he was right…she did not like the idea of Logan posing as her boyfriend.

  “Honestly, Jon, I don’t understand why this is necessary.” She spared Logan a quick glance before continuing on with her impassioned speech. “Mr. Steele will be right there watching me dance. And it’s not likely any of the men asking to dance with me will be my stalker. Even if he is there, he isn’t going to do anything to me with Mr. Steele present and in a room full of people.”

  Mr. Steele? What happened to using first names? And why was she making such a big deal out of it and talking like he wasn’t in the room? His male ego didn’t like her vehement response. It was one thing for him to admit he wasn’t good boyfriend material…quite another for someone who didn’t know jack about him to make that call.

  “Weslee, please don’t be difficult.” Jon rubbed his head. “I feel a migraine coming on and I don’t want to argue about this further.”

  Logan kept his mouth shut. Frankly, it was probably a good idea if Sutton assigned another protection agent to watch over her. The fact that he even remotely cared about her response was a red flag.

  “All right, I won’t argue,” she said, looking at her uncle. “And I’m sorry your head hurts.”

  “This is for your good, sweetheart.”

  “I know.” She looked at Sutton. “I apologize for my rude behavior. It’s just been a stressful day.”

  “No need to apologize,” Sutton said, his chipper British accent as pleasant as ever. “I understand how high emotions ride with this type of situation.”

  Logan waited for her to address him. Apparently, he didn’t warrant an apology. Without meeting his eyes, she pushed back from the table and stood up. “Thank you for taking the job, Mr. Steele. I appreciate your willingness to watch out for me until the police find out who is sending me the messages.”

  “Just doing my job, ma’am,” he said, getting to his feet. If she noticed he didn’t use her first name, she didn’t show it. In fact, she never made eye contact with him again, not even when she said goodbye.

  At Jon’s request, Sutton sent an escort from his regular staff of security agents, giving Logan a chance to go home and pack. They would leave for North Carolina on a private jet right after the ball, which eliminated him worrying about keeping her safe at the airport.

  He texted Jace once he was in his Jeep. Thanks for the heads-up, pal. I made a fool out of myself when I addressed her guardian as Mr. Campbell.

  Jace called him back instead of texting him. He was laughing too hard to speak so Logan hung up on him. He headed for home, ignoring Jace’s attempts to call him back. His friend was waiting for him at his condo when he pulled in ten minutes later.

  “Shut up,” Logan said when Jace cracked up again. He unlocked the front door and pushed it open.

  “Sorry.” Jace followed him inside before he could lock him out. “I’m done laughing.”

  “Right.” Logan headed for the kitchen to get a drink of water. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” he asked. “I thought you had an appointment?”

  “I did. With In-N-Out.” He sat down on one of the barstools. “Wish I had your assignment, but Sutton made it pretty clear he only wanted you for the job.”

  “Of course he wanted me.” Logan opened his fridge, frowning at how empty it was. “I’m the best op he has.” He grabbed a bottle of water and closed the fridge.

  “You think that’s why he picked you?” Jace asked with a snort. “Dude, take a look at Sutton’s other men. He handpicked them for each assig
nment and they all ended up engaged or married.”

  “Sutton isn’t into matchmaking. He just needs my computer skills.” He unscrewed the cap and took a drink of water. “Even if that were true, I’m not getting married to Weslee Campbell. She’s the mission. End of story.”

  “So you don’t think she’s hot?” Jace asked.

  “She’s pretty, but I’m not interested,” he said, taking a long drink, nearly emptying the bottle.

  “Dude, you need to get that mystery girl out of your system. You’ll never see her again.”

  Logan choked on the water, spewing the contents in his mouth across the countertop and onto the front of Jace’s shirt. In a moment of weakness, he’d told Jace all about his encounter with the pretty blonde he’d run into. Jace was the one who had encouraged him to go back to the same stretch of beach to look for her, suggesting he just knock on the door. Not wanting to come off as another stalker, Logan had never approached the house. Besides, the house had appeared unoccupied. He figured the pretty girl had gone back home to wherever she was from.

  “Was it something I said?” Jace asked, standing up and pulling the wet fabric away from his body.

  Logan ignored his friend’s question. There was no way he’d ever tell him that Weslee was the mystery woman. Grabbing a wad of paper towels, he threw it at Jace and then tore off another section to wipe down the counter.

  “Wait a minute,” Jace said, eyeing him with suspicion. “You saw that girl again, didn’t you?”

  “I saw her.” Logan had learned a long time ago it was better to stick closer to the truth when withholding information. “It was no big deal. Besides, she was with another guy.”

  “That bites.”

  “Yeah, but she wasn’t as pretty as I remembered.” Logan shrugged and tossed his water bottle in the recycling bin. He wasn’t lying. Weslee was much prettier than he’d remembered.

  Before Jace asked more questions, Logan briefed him on the plans to keep Weslee safe.