Protecting The Billionaire

by Christina Tetreault

  When did Jake turn into a walking copy of Uncle Warren?

  “Something made you hire a bodyguard. I can’t help you, Allison, if you’re not honest with me.”

  She loved Jake like a brother, but she didn’t need or want his help. She had plenty of help already.

  “Since I moved down here, I’ve had this weird feeling like someone is watching me. And a few weeks ago, I received a gift here with no name on it. At first I thought it was from Derek, some kind of silly practical joke.”

  “He told me about the bear and candy. He said you contacted the police.”

  “I changed my mind after I talked to him. It seemed silly to call them for such a harmless thing.” Clearing her throat, she continued on before Jake could tell her what he thought of her decision, not that he needed to. His expression reflected his opinion beautifully. “Anyway, on Friday, I panicked when I thought a car followed me all the way from here to Dumfries.” And the bullet threw Rock’s window completely totally freaked me out. She kept the last thought to herself. Her cousin didn’t need to know every minute detail.

  “You’re leaving something out. I don’t know what, but there’s something you’re not saying.”

  Just call her cousin Jake the Observant. How he managed to know when people were leaving details out, she didn’t know, but he’d always been that way. “Remember my accident in February?”

  “Quit the stalling.”

  Dumb question, of course he remembered. He’d been the first person at the hospital that night and she’d stayed with him and Charlie for the first few days afterward. “I thought I was being followed that night too. If I hadn’t been paying so much attention to the car behind me, I might have avoided the accident all together.”

  “And you didn’t bother to tell the police any of this, right?” Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. “Never mind. It’s not important now. Okay, so you hired our friendly gun-toting buddy out there to watch your back. Have you called the police yet?”

  “No.” The single word had Jake opening his mouth. Before he could offer up a protest, she continued. “But if either Connor or Neil see anything suspicious, I’ll call them right away. We both know they can’t do anything without evidence.”

  “Until this gets figured out, come stay with us. If someone is stalking you, I’d rather you not be living alone.”

  Stalking. She’d avoided using the word and pushed it out of her thoughts now. Instead, she considered her cousin’s offer. No one who didn’t belong got into Jake’s gated community, and if Rock wasn’t playing her temporary roommate, she’d take her cousin up on his offer for a little while. “I’m not alone. Rock’s staying with me.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up and he leaned his arms on her desk. “Yeah, Derek mentioned how well you two have been getting to know each other.” Talking about the fact they were dating was one thing. Jake’s tone made it clear Derek had shared more than just that information with him.

  Heat started on the tops of her ears and spread to her face. Just because Derek freely discussed his sex life didn’t give him the right to talk about hers, even if they were twins. The next time they spoke, she’d give him hell for sharing such personal information with Jake. “Derek’s got a big mouth.”

  “Yep, he does, but your relationship’s not a secret either. I’ve seen the pics of you and Rock on the Internet.” Jake’s smirk disappeared. “Don’t worry, I didn’t share what Derek said with anyone else. And I promise I won’t.”

  If Jake gave her his word, he’d keep it. Now could she get him to promise not tell the rest of the family about her armed friend sitting outside? Doubtful. “Can you also keep this little situation a secret? You know how protective Dad can be.”

  “Protective? Is that what you call it?” Jake chuckled, not that she blamed him.

  Even before her mom passed away, her dad had been more protective of her than any of her brothers. After her mom’s death though, his desire to keep her safe hit a whole new level. Even now he occasionally acted as is she was a ten-year-old little girl who needed someone to take care of her. In fact, before her move, she’d sat through several heated discussions with him. He’d tried every argument he could to keep her from moving away from Rhode Island.

  A little begging never hurt. “Please, Jake. Lets keep this between us for now, and if Elite Force uncovers anything, I’ll call him right away.”

  Seconds ticked by. At least he didn’t say no immediately. It’s a start.

  “You’ve got a Marine living with you and a bodyguard. You sound safe enough.”

  And here comes “the but.” She heard it in Jake’s voice already.

  “Allison, you can’t keep this from Uncle Mark. What if he stops in and visits. You know he and Abby are headed to DC, right? They’re attending Congressman Paul Wickford’s birthday party this weekend,” Jake said, referring to a close friend of her dad’s.

  Damn it to hell, her brother Gray’s favorite curse, popped into her head. If her dad and stepmother were that close, they’d visit and not necessarily call first either. Rock’s presences she could easily explain. Thanks to the media, her father must know about their relationship. If her dad and Abby showed up, however, and either Connor or Neil answered the door instead, she’d have a lot of explaining to do.

  “Fine. I’ll tell him.” But only if I have no other choice. Later she’d call him and work on convincing him to let her and Rock visit him and Abby in the city rather than at her house. “But don’t tell anyone else.” If Jake shared the news with any of her brothers, she find them all at her door tomorrow.

  ***

  Rock rounded the corner and ignored the slight twinge in his left hamstring. Considering the amount of weight he’d deadlifted this afternoon, the slight discomfort came as no big shock. Tomorrow he expected even more, considering the fact today had been his first workout in days. The last time he’d exercised had been Thursday morning when he went for his morning run. He never took downtime like that. Even the flu the previous winter hadn’t kept him from exercising. Staying at Allison’s all weekend screwed up his routine, not that he’d do anything differently. She needed him and he didn’t intend on letting anyone hurt her.

  She disagreed with him of course. Again this morning, she’d insisted they’d overreacted on Friday night. She’d argued the car behind her had simply been a coincidence. His instincts said otherwise. They were never wrong.

  Someone, the same someone who’d sent her the teddy bear, wanted her. He had no doubts the bullet through his apartment window was somehow related. He just didn’t know if it had been meant for him or her. Stalkers did crazy things. The person may have decided that if he couldn’t have Allison, no one else would.

  Ice ran through his veins at the thought of a bullet tearing into Allison soft skin. It’s not happening. She had a bodyguard with her during the day and him at night. She’d remain safe. For about the fiftieth time since Friday, he wished he could stay with her all day instead of the men she’d hired. His own responsibilities made it impossible. Maybe if they were married, he could get some emergency leave, but under the current circumstances, he’d have to trust Neil and Connor to keep her safe when they were apart.

  “Hey, Rock,” a familiar southern drawl called out to him as he reached his truck and he saw Brayden Delray approaching. “Heading home?”

  Close enough. “Yeah. You?”

  “Not yet. My mother-in-law is here. She’s not leaving until tomorrow night.” Brayden grimaced. “Been trying to stay away from home as much as possible until she’s gone.”

  “Still afraid of your mother-in-law?” Brayden had complained about his wife’s mother even before they married.

  “You’ve never met the woman. When she dies, she’ll probably take over hell. Anyway, I’m headed to Shooters for a beer. Are you interested?”

  In the past, he’d join his buddy, grab a beer and burger, and then go back to his place for some television. Tonight, a much more appealing evening
awaited him. “Sorry, I’ve got things to do. Another night.”

  “Right, things to do.” Brayden wiggled his eyebrows and Rock’s hand itched to remove the knowing smile from his friend’s face. “Laurie showed me the pictures of you and the Sherbrooke chick together. Don’t blame you for wanting to rush home.”

  “Have fun visiting with your mother-in-law tonight, Delray.” He didn’t care to discuss his and Allison’s relationship with Brayden or anyone else.

  “Let’s plan for the four of us to go out together once the wicked witch leaves.”

  A couples’ night out. He done those before with a few of the women he’d dated. “I’ll let you know.” He had nothing against the idea. What about Allison? Would she be open to spending an evening with his friends? Up until now, they hadn’t added friends to their relationship. If this thing between them continued, it would have to happen at some point. And he wanted it to last. He’d come close to calling his sister crazy when she’d fallen in love with Trent so quickly. Now he was starting to understand because, somehow in a short period of time, Allison Sherbrooke had planted herself in his heart. Each day that passed, her hold on him grew. She hadn’t said anything, but he suspected strong feelings existed on her end too.

  “Do that. Enjoy your night. I’m sure you’ll have more fun than me tonight.” Brayden frowned and pulled open his car door.

  After all the stories Brayden had told him about his mother-in-law, he didn’t envy what was waiting for him when he got home. At the same time, anticipation at what was waiting for him forty minutes away had him wishing Alexandria were much closer.

  When Rock squeezed into a spot in front of Allison’s townhouse later on, he spotted her car parked in the driveway, but he didn’t see Connor’s car. The bodyguard wouldn’t have left her alone. He had his orders to stay with her until he returned. So where were they? Before he left the base, he sent off a text message letting Allison know he was on his way. When she responded back, she’d said she’d be leaving work soon too. That had been fifty minutes ago. It didn’t take anywhere near that long to get from her office to home.

  She’s got great protection with her. He’d insisted Allison ask to have Connor assigned as one of her guards, even though he knew his friend would hate the job. He had known the guy a long time and knew what he was capable of. Rock trusted Connor to stop at nothing to keep her safe. The only person he trusted more was himself. The reminder didn’t stop him from pulling up her contact info and calling her.

  “You beat me home,” Allison said after answering.

  Home. The four-letter word echoed around in his head, causing the roots Allison had planted to dig deeper into his soul.

  “I’ll be there in less than a minute. We’re turning onto Cameron Street now. I made Connor stop at Cooper’s Smokehouse, so I could get us barbecue for dinner. It took longer than usual tonight.”

  The dark-blue sedan Connor arrived in that morning passed him and parked across the bottom of Allison’s driveway. Rock wasted no time opening his truck door. A thousand ants started their march across the back of his neck the moment his boots hit the pavement, and he started for Connor’s car. A quick glance around revealed nothing out of the ordinary, not even a dark cloud in the sky. But someone had eyes on them. And they were doing a damn good job of keeping out of sight.

  Rock reached the car as Allison closed the door. Without hesitation, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you.” Despite Connor standing feet away, she kissed him.

  Going home to an empty apartment never bothered him, but he could get used to coming home to a greeting like this every night. He enjoyed her lips against his for half a second longer and then pulled away. The ants on his neck continued their march. He needed Allison inside behind locked doors. “Let’s continue this inside.” Rock took the takeout bag she held and put an arm over her shoulders. “Anything unusual today?” He directed his question at Connor.

  “Nice and quiet.”

  Let’s keep it that way. “Good. See you same time tomorrow.”

  Connor nodded and headed back around to the driver’s side.

  “Hope you’re hungry tonight.”

  He faced the street, his back pressed up against Allison’s as she unlocked the door. The position allowed him to keep both eyes on the street and protect her at the same time. “Starving.” Her keys jingled behind him, followed by a squeak as the door opened.

  Stepping up, he entered the house and took one final glance around before he turned and closed the door. “What did ya get?”

  Allison paused at the alarm panel and punched in her code. “Large orders of ribs, chicken, and coleslaw, plus cornbread. They’d just taken it out of the oven. I skipped lunch today. It’s always dangerous for me to order takeout when I’ve skipped a meal.” She turned and started up the stairs “Start without me. I need to change.”

  Considering that the snow-white blouse she wore probably cost as much as his monthly rent, he guessed changing was a good idea.

  Rock grabbed plates from the cupboard and set them on the table then pulled the to-go containers from the plastic bag. The scent of warm cornbread drifted toward him, tempting him to grab a chunk, but he held back. He didn’t dine at five-star restaurants, but he had enough manners to wait until Allison joined him. He hoped she changed fast tonight. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he was starving.

  While he waited, he grabbed a soda and popped it open. Beer complimented barbecue much better than any cola, but he didn’t want anything impeding his reaction time. Allison might still think they were overreacting, but he didn’t.

  “You didn’t have to wait for me.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek as she passed by him. She’d changed out of her business clothes and into denim capris and a lilac T-shirt. “I’m having a glass of wine. Do you want one?” She grabbed a bottle from the wine rack near the back door. “How did I forget to lock this?” Allison stopped and turned the top deadbolt. “I need to pay more attention in the morning. I left my bedroom light on too.”

  “The ones in here were on when I came in.”

  “I don’t usually forget those things. Having Connor around is messing me all up.” Allison frowned and shook her head while taking a wine glass from the cupboard. “Did you want some?” She held up the wine bottle.

  “Not tonight.”

  She filled her wine glass as she walked to the table. “Jake stopped in the office today. Cindy, his assistant, called and told him about Connor being at work with me.”

  He’d known it’d only be a matter of time before someone in her family found out.

  “I also called my dad.”

  Something’s up, Rock thought as he piled food onto his plate, because although she’d claimed to be hungry, she hadn’t reached for a single rib.

  “He and Abby will be in DC this weekend for a party. He asked if we could meet them for dinner before they leave.”

  Never in is life had he done the whole ‘sit down and get to know you’ thing with a girlfriend’s parents. It had never seemed necessary. This time it did. Not that he looked forward to it.

  He’d spoken a few times with Mark Sherbrooke at Addie’s wedding, and each time he’d come across as friendly enough. Back then though, he’d been only Trent’s brother-in-law, not the guy getting hot and heavy with Sherbrooke’s only daughter. That little fact right there made all the difference in the world. Or at least it would to him if he had a daughter.

  “I told him Friday night would probably be okay, but I needed to check with you first.” Allison’s forehead scrunched up and her eyebrows came together. “Do you mind?”

  “Depends. Will I need to wear a tie?”

  “You’re not funny.” She huffed, crossed her arms, and gave him an evil eye, which rivaled his Nonna’s.

  “Whoa, are sure you’re not part Italian? Your glare would scare even Nonna.”

  She tried to maintain her expression, but her lips twitched.

  “Friday night’s fine, A
lly.” Rock reached for another rib and put it on her plate. “You better eat before I finish everything.”

  “Thanks. I know going out with someone’s parent can be dull.”

  Considering he’d agreed to dinner with her father, she still sounded worried. When she cleared her throat, he knew she had more to tell him.

  “He doesn’t know about the bodyguards and stuff. I’m hoping they’ll be gone soon. Please don’t tell him.”

  He wished he shared her optimism. He didn’t see the guards from Elite Force Security gone anytime soon, not until Allison’s stalker made a mistake. No matter what she said, she had a stalker. And until the bastard was caught, he’d make sure she stayed unharmed.

  “Please.”

  If he was in Sherbrooke’s shoes, he’d want to know so he could keep his daughter safe, which was something he’d physically be able to do. He couldn’t say the same thing about her father. He looked healthy, but that didn’t mean he could stop the crazy SOB if he attacked. And honestly, was there anything more the man could do? She’d hired guards from one of the best firms in the country, a firm that did a hell of a lot more than just play babysitter, and he’d moved in with her. Unless Mr. Sherbrooke possessed some superhero powers, there wasn’t anything more he could add right now. Telling him at this point would only make him worry and stress Allison out.

  “Won’t say a thing Friday.” He’d reassess his decision if and when something changed, because the situation would change. Unfortunately, he couldn’t predict when or how.

  Chapter 13

  He watched them embrace down on the sidewalk before Raimono said something to the muscled moron who’d driven Allison home. She’d hired some private bodyguard. Damn Kane’s flunky. The shooting at the Marine’s apartment had freaked her out. If the punk had followed instructions, he wouldn’t have this added complication now. But it didn’t matter much anymore. His plans had changed.