by Shayla Black
events. Then there was all the research she’d done on the murder of Joy Hayes.
She wasn’t so certain the president hadn’t had his own wife killed, and now it seemed her bodyguard was close to the man. And her father didn’t mind that one bit.
“Wait. Are you seriously pimping me out to get to the president?”
“Of course not. I would never do that.” He cleared his throat. “Although Connor is a very attractive man, Lara.”
Lara laughed, her whole body shaking with amusement. Her father sat on the edge of the bed, a smile on his face that faded after a moment. She let go of some of her worry. How close could Connor really be to Hayes? It was unlikely the president was best buds with a guy who seemed to be a drifter.
“I could have lost you.” He gripped her hand.
She squeezed his in return. “I’m okay.”
“Promise me you’ll let that man do his job. Baby, I couldn’t survive losing you. Your mother and I would . . .”
She leaned against the man who had been her rock for twenty-six years. He almost never understood her, but he’d always loved her just the same. “I promise.”
* * *
Now that the police had asked Lara “a few” questions and left, Connor could finally get her home. He looked up and down the hospital’s sterile hallway. So far he hadn’t seen a reporter, but it didn’t mean they wouldn’t show up at any moment. He’d half expected them to be waiting when they’d pulled into the ambulance bay.
He made a mental note to start files on Lara’s friends. If they knew her secret, then they were as close as Lara claimed. They had to be pretty good friends if they’d known about her blog for this long and the secret still hadn’t come out. Still, even well-meaning people could fuck up at any point.
In his pocket, Connor’s phone buzzed. He slipped it out and walked just out of the Armstrongs’ earshot.
The pain in his shoulder flared up as he swiped his thumb across the screen. He’d taken some blows when he’d covered Lara’s body with his own. He would feel it in the morning. Maybe he could groan and whine a little and get her to massage his poor sore muscles.
Of course that turned another muscle of his hard and wanting. Damn, he had to admit they had chemistry. It was a dangerous thing.
“Hello?”
“So I just got a call from Senator Armstrong.”
As Connor made his way out of the room and the door shut behind him, he couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t every day the president gave him a ring. “I should have warned you.”
“What? And made my day a little less surreal? Want to explain why I just gave you a sterling recommendation to an ally of mine?”
“I didn’t know you were close.”
“We’re not, but you gave me a convenient way to remedy that. He’s actually influential in a very quiet way. I invited him to dinner. So why are you protecting Lara Armstrong? I thought you were going to have Capitol Scandals shut down, not play bodyguard. Wait. He said she was in the hospital. Was she involved in the shooting on 2nd Street?”
He had to give his commander in chief credit. He wasn’t slow on the uptake. “The police suspect it was random, but they were trying to get Lara, Zack. He pointed that gun straight at her head. She needs me, and I need access to her daily life if I’m going to find whatever information she knows. Now I have access, and in order to keep her cover, we’ll play boyfriend and girlfriend. Don’t be surprised if you see pictures of us. No matter what I do, a senator’s daughter getting caught in the middle of gunfire is going to make the news.”
So he would play her mystery guy. He already had everything in place. His cover would hold. The reporters who looked him up would see exactly what he wanted them to see.
“You really think she’s going to lead you to Nata?” She’d been Zack’s childhood nanny. From what Connor knew about Zack’s upbringing, he was fairly certain Natalia had been more of a mother than Zack’s biological mom. There had been rumors for years that Mrs. Hayes had a drinking problem. Her accidental death had been blamed on slick roads, but the whispers had never ceased.
“I think she’s the only lead I have. We know the informant wanted Everly to reach out to Lara. He said Lara had another piece of the puzzle. I’m betting that piece is Natalia’s location.” In fact, he was betting a lot on that.
“I don’t know, Connor. I’ve been talking to Roman about this. Maybe we should leave it alone.” Zack’s voice turned low, a sure sign he was uncertain.
In this case, he couldn’t follow Zack’s lead. This was Connor’s area of expertise. “And potentially have this come back to bite you in the ass?”
“Me? Whatever happened was probably my dad’s doing, but his dementia is getting worse every day. Last week, when I reminded him that I was his son, he told me he didn’t have one.” Zack cleared his throat, and Connor had no doubt his old friend was struggling with his father’s degenerating illness. “So I don’t think my dad will care what the press says. And it couldn’t have been my fault. I was a baby. I don’t think even the press can come up with a way to pin this on me.”
Oh, but the press could be so creative. Besides, more than the media potentially threatened Zack. The Russian mob was somehow involved in all of this, and he wanted to make sure he put any connections between them and the White House to rest. “It doesn’t matter and you know it. If you get mired in this kind of a scandal, no one will talk about anything else. Every drop of energy you have will go to changing the dialogue, so every bit of power you have could go down the toilet. We need to find her and shut this down now.” And figure out who the hell the mysterious Sergei was. It was a name he’d come across more than once, and this mysterious Russian seemed to be at the center of everything. He didn’t talk about it with Zack, though. As president of the United States, he had enough to worry about. “I’ll take care of this.”
“I know you will, Connor. I just can’t stand the fact that Dax got shot and Gabe and Everly almost died over this. I could just come out with this info myself. Maybe if I directly address it, I can shut it down.” A long sigh sounded over the line. “Roman’s threatening to hang himself. Or he’s trying to tell me I’m committing political suicide. He’s not very good at charades.”
He should have known Roman would be there. He was Zack’s right hand. “He might suck at charades, but he plays the game of politics well. Let me handle this. I’ll be fine.”
“No, I’m not going to ask him . . . What is wrong with you?” Zack’s voice got muffled for a moment. “Oh, all right. I want to know, too. Roman has a very vital question for you concerning the current operation.”
“Shoot.”
“You gonna do her?”
Connor snorted because even the most powerful political figure on the planet could still sound like a teenaged boy when he got around his friends. “That’s none of Roman’s business.”
“She’s kind of cute in a hipster way,” Zack pointed out. “You have to admit, it’s been a long time since you had a serious girlfriend.”
“Yeah, I gave up on that when the last one nearly put a knife through my heart.” He didn’t like to think about Greta. The willowy blonde had been beautiful and exciting and about as different from Lara Armstrong as possible. She would have sold her unborn children for pocket change. She’d also been a double agent, and now she was god only knew where, being tortured for information. She could be dead for all he cared.
Maybe there was a reason his dick perked up around Lara. Unlike the last chick he’d fucked on a regular basis, the senator’s soft daughter wouldn’t attempt to carve him up.
“Lara Armstrong wouldn’t know what to do with a knife,” Zack offered. “She’s too busy saving puppies and complaining about my immigration policies. On the upside, she did run a story calling me the best hung of all the modern presidents. Shockingly accurate information.”
He laughed, but he didn’t actually like Lara wondering about the size of Zack’s package. Did she prefer sli
ck politicians? Or was she all about the soft-looking dudes who played vagina rock and saved penguins? Maybe, but her nipples didn’t lie. Connor knew they got hard whenever he came close.
“Yeah, I’m going to do her.”
“I was joking, Connor. You really shouldn’t do that.” Zack’s voice went low. “From what I understand, she’s actually a sweet kid.”
The door opened and the senator stepped out of the little room, followed by his daughter. He would do well to remember that sweet kid sometimes ran ruthless stories. Deep down, she wasn’t so different from Greta. She just hid it better and masked her ambition under the guise of saving the world. But Lara Armstrong would publish any story she needed in order to further her agenda.
“But she’s got another side,” Connor argued. “She really does run that site and makes no excuses for it.” She was smart enough to know that she didn’t want her name associated with the sensationalist crap she published. That alone should tell everyone something about her. “She’s ruined the lives of several people in this town.”
Any one of whom could be attempting to kill her.
“Don’t be so dramatic. Capitol Scandals is really only responsible for two resignations, and I think the bastards deserved to go. One of them was indicted for fraud. The trial is pending.”
“Are you trying to tell me to let her go, Zack?” His eyes were on her as she thanked her nurse and took all the paperwork. The senator had brought her a change of clothes. She looked even younger in jeans and a simple red T-shirt. Her face had been scrubbed down and she wore a fresh, doe-eyed expression.
He wouldn’t let her go. Not even if his president told him to.
“No. Do what you need to. Just be careful with her. I wouldn’t want you to do anything you’ll regret. Keep me up to date.”
The phone clicked and he slid it back into his pocket. Zack didn’t understand that, in his line of work, he didn’t bother with regret.
THREE
Lara’s eyes widened as she realized a crowd waited outside her tall, Beaux Arts–style building.
Connor sat in the backseat of her father’s staid Benz and sighed. “I told you they would show up.”
“Are those reporters?” Her dad peered through the windshield as dusk gathered while they waited at the stoplight about a block from her home. “Should I drive past them?”
It was odd to see her very take-charge father deferring to Connor, who still didn’t have a damn last name. She’d meant to ask him, but Nipplegate had happened. Then they’d argued over where she would sit. She’d wanted to ride in the front seat by her father. Connor had insisted she treat her dad like a driver and stay in back with him.
So naturally she found herself plastered against Connor, who had curled his arm behind her, cupped her shoulder, and slid her across the leather seat, dragging her close. “Senator, I think the best way to handle this is to blast through quickly. The press is a little like a kid with a shiny new toy. We’re only interesting until they’ve played with us a couple of times. Then something shinier will come along. I’ll take Lara upstairs. She’s tired and she’s been through a lot today. You’ll make a statement that today’s incident is simply proof that D.C. needs more funding for crime prevention.”
They were missing an important opportunity. “And mental health screenings. And less motorcycles on the streets because they’re dangerous and the people who drive them are crazy douche bags. Damn. He was wearing a helmet, wasn’t he? I could have taken a real stand against people who don’t follow helmet laws.”
Connor’s hand around her shoulder tightened as he chuckled. He was amused by her, and that honest smile did something to her insides. “Let’s get through the night. Then you can start your campaign against motorcycle douches tomorrow. After getting run over by the herd, I’ll join you in that one.”
She hadn’t even asked if he’d been hurt. What was wrong with her? He’d protected her, made sure she’d gotten to the hospital. Yes, he’d totally taken over her life and was trying to upend it from top to bottom, but she needed to know he was okay. “Do you need to see a doctor? Is anything broken?”
“I’m a little sore. I think I almost got murdered by some chick’s Choo, but it didn’t break the skin. Other than some bruising tomorrow, I’ll be fine.” He lowered his head to hers as her father lurched forward with the green light, toward her building. “It’s sweet of you to worry. Look at me, Lara.”
He’d maneuvered her so that even her thigh felt glued to his. His face hovered above her own as he pulled her even closer into the heat of his body. Somehow her right hand had found its way just above his knee. The softness of well-worn denim covered his muscular leg. Lara shivered.
She immediately pulled away, but he dragged her hand back.
“No, you were right the first time. This is why I wanted you back here with me. We’re supposed to be together. Boyfriend, remember?” He pointed at himself.
“Connor, do you really think that’s necessary?” her father asked. “She . . . well, she hasn’t dated much. I don’t know that she’s very . . . um . . . comfortable around men, if you know what I mean.” He stopped the car in front of the building, ready to make a left into the circular drive where the vultures waited.
What had her father just implied? “I’m comfortable with men.”
She settled in closer to Connor. There was that chuckle again, though this time she felt it go through his body.
“Your daughter likes men just fine, Senator. She’s a little out of practice, but yes, this ruse is necessary. If the press knows she’s hired a bodyguard, the story will seem so much more interesting, and we want to look as boring as possible. Senator’s daughter and her bodyguard equals a story to tell. Senator’s daughter has a loving boyfriend equals a big yawn.”
She looked up at Connor, and he was staring down at her intently, as if he wanted her, cared about her. That expression—which couldn’t be real—made her tingle in some very personal places. That just had to stop.
She turned back to her dad, their eyes meeting in the rearview mirror. “You thought I was a lesbian? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, you know. But I’m not.”
Her father turned a nice shade of pink. “Well, when you broke it off with Tom, I wondered a bit. And then you spent so much time with that Kiki girl.”
“You thought I was sleeping with Kiki?”
“Tom?” Connor’s whole body had tensed, his lazy affection evaporating. “As in your friend who knows everything, including your occupation? That Tom? You left him at the altar? Which altar was that, Lara? Please tell me it’s the one where you sacrificed his soul to some dark lord.”
“Tom knows?” Her father stopped the car in the middle of the damn intersection. “You told me no one knew. You promised.”
It had been just one little tiny baby lie to make her dad feel better. “It’s just Tom, and of course I didn’t sacrifice him to Satan. I just called off our wedding. Oh, and Kiki knows, too, but I’ve never slept with her. Although she did offer to share Connor here with me.”
Connor’s jaw dropped, and she wondered how often he was left speechless. Probably next to never. But his shock didn’t last for long. “Let me get this straight. You told your deepest, darkest secret to a man you betrayed?”
That was a little overly dramatic. “I didn’t betray him. I just didn’t go through with our wedding.”
“I knew that Kiki girl was a bad influence,” her father said, shaking his head. “Lara, I forbid you to get involved in weird three-way sex.”
How the hell had this conversation gone downhill so quickly? She was glad she and Connor weren’t in a relationship for real because she wasn’t sure she could survive her dad and Connor working together to badger her.
Connor’s jaw firmed into a tight line as he reached for the ball cap he’d pulled from his duffel before setting it in the front seat. “Senator, we need to move. I’ll settle this with your daughter when we get upstairs. Keep the press off
us and we’ll call you in a couple of days. And there will be no three-ways while I’m in charge of her. We’re going to talk about security, sweetheart. And decency.”
Her dad turned and she watched as one of the reporters apparently recognized the car. “I’m glad that you have a healthy sex life, Lara, but you don’t have to share men with your friends. There are more than enough to go around.”
“Kiki mentioned it, but I’m sure she was joking.” I think. “And I don’t have a healthy sex life.” She was doing that nervous word-vomit thing where she blurted out whatever came to mind. “The sexiest thing that’s happened to me lately was Connor covering me when that douche bag started shooting. It’s the first time I’ve had a man on top of me in years.”
Why had she said that? She was fairly certain her whole body had gone pink.
Connor caught her hand, threading their fingers together, and then brought it to his mouth for a brief kiss that flashed another wave of heat through her system. “It was good for me, too, sweetheart. We’re here. Follow my lead.”