The Ex Assignment (Rogue Protectors Book 1)

by Victoria Paige

  Nadia walked under the arched structure that marked the beginning of the row of chairs, timing her steps to the strains of the quartet. Two flower girls—Theo’s child star buddies from the Hodgetown series—scattered flower petals on the wine-red carpet.

  Declan saw a flash of white fabric before the door swung shut again and his throat closed in anticipation.

  Among the wedding guests were some big-name actors, as well as politicians—mostly invited by Revenant Films. Gabby had her LAPD crew. From Declan’s side, he had Kade and Yara, Levi, and Bristow as well as several Ranger buddies and men he’d worked with at ESS, and as a private military contractor.

  The chatter of the crowd faded when the beginning keys of the familiar Wedding March played on a grand piano.

  The door swung open.

  His bride glided down the aisle in a way he’d never seen her before. Declan was enthralled. All around them everyone “ooh-ed” and “ah-ed.” Gabrielle Woodward was a vision in white, reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour and beauty.

  His Gabby.

  Simply luminous.

  “Breathe, Dad,” Theo whispered in his ear.

  “She’s so fucking beautiful,” he said softly, his eyes unwavering on the woman he’d loved for so long … the woman he never stopped loving.

  She was fucking his, and this time, he was never letting her go.

  When his bride and Kelso reached them, Declan immediately stepped up to take Gabby.

  “Take care of her, man,” Kelso said.

  “Count on it,” Declan replied and then to Gabby, he grinned. “Ready, Angel?”

  She gave his arm an extra squeeze. “Always.”

  As the rock band they hired started playing “In These Arms” by Bon Jovi, the newlyweds were escaping their reception through the mansion’s kitchen.

  “I can’t believe we’re leaving when they’re playing my favorite song—our song!” Gabby groused as Declan led her through the kitchen that was teeming with catering staff. Minutes before their wedding caper, her husband maneuvered her out of the ballroom through a side door and pushed her straight into a gigantic cellar. At first, Gabby thought Declan wanted a quickie, but then she was immediately ordered to strip and put on jeans, boots, a shirt, and a leather jacket that were packed in a duffle. He changed into similar clothes.

  “Please, can we just dance. Remember, this is your song for me,” she pleaded, digging in her heels and refusing to run.

  Declan stopped and cast her an offended look over his shoulder. “No. That was your song that you declared was my song for you.” He resumed walking, dragging Gabby through the kitchen, ignoring the curious looks of the staff, until they reached the rear door. He opened it a crack to peer outside.

  “Well, it was the song you sang that made me fall in love with you.”

  He gave a derisive yet humorous chuckle. “You need reminding that it was your dare that coerced me to audition for the lead role in that rock musical movie?” Declan gave an exaggerated shudder. “I couldn’t even sing.”

  “But you tried.” She smiled at the memory. “And I fell in love with you.”

  The chorus of Bon Jovi’s rock ballad reached their ears and Gabby danced a jig, clutching her heart, and belted out how the flowers wanted the rain, and how poets thrived on pain.

  “Wrong lyrics, babe,” Declan laughed, squeezed her to his side and kissed the top of her head. Pulling away, he pushed at the door again and this time a silhouette approached.

  It was Kade. His friend tossed him what looked like keys which Declan caught with his right hand. “All yours. Garrison gives his congratulations.”

  “He’s here?” Gabby asked.

  “He was never here.” Her husband and Kade declared in unison.

  She rolled her eyes. “Tell him to quit being so mysterious. I’m on to him. He’s a big softie.”

  Both men laughed.

  “Angel, you could be right,” Declan said, and then to Kade. “Thanks again, man.”

  His friend said his goodbyes to her, exchanged a man hug with Declan, and wished them well before disappearing back inside.

  “What are you up to, Roarke?” she whispered as he tugged her toward the motor court behind the mansion that led to the service gate.

  “Whisking you away. Who knows? I might sing you that love song.” Even if she couldn’t see his face, she could feel the exhilaration emanating from him because she was bursting with the same feeling.

  “I’ll hold you to that and—” Her words cut off as they stopped in front of a black sporty motorcycle.

  “Damn. Garrison came through,” Declan said as he handed Gabby a helmet.

  “Are you serious?” Gabby exclaimed, taking a step back and refusing the head gear. “Do you know how long the hairstylist spent on my hair?”

  Declan, at least, had the grace to look contrite.

  “Fuck, I didn’t think about that,” he muttered, lowering the helmet to his side. “Sorry, Angel. I thought this was a great way to bypass the press and paparazzi what with the face shield and all, and not expecting us to leave from the service entrance.”

  Gabby couldn’t help laughing and, after her initial horror at having her beautiful waves turned into helmet hair, she grabbed the controversial object from her husband and put it on. “It’s a brilliant idea cooked up by a CIA guy. I don’t know if you’ve recruited more people than Kade into this plan, who I believe is special ops, but none of you thought about what this would do to a woman’s hair? Tsk. Tsk.”

  The man stood dumbstruck, just staring at her.

  She shouldn’t torture him. Obviously, he wanted this day to be perfect for her. Cupping his jaw between her palms she stood on tiptoes and brushed his mouth with hers. “I love you, you adorable man.”

  He held her close and prolonged the kiss, and before they started a full make-out session out in the open, Declan pulled away. “Come on, hop on before I forget about the lurking paparazzi and take you right here.”

  His tone turned gruff and it made her squeeze her thighs together.

  He swung a muscled leg over the bike, and she climbed behind him. He gunned the engine, but it had the lowest hum Gabby had ever heard from a vehicle of its kind.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.” And in LA, she saw every kind of motorbike.

  “You wouldn’t.” Declan strapped on his own helmet. “The agency has a special contract with Ducati. High performance stealth motorcycles.”

  “And he simply gifted one to you?”

  He grabbed her hands and positioned them over his torso. “Let’s say”—he disengaged the kickstand and the bike started to roll forward—“It’s a sign-on bonus.”

  And off they went, motoring through the gates, inconspicuous as they left the Beverly Hills mansion that was a part of their past. They were riding toward their future. They made the turn on Sunset Boulevard and sped between swaying palm trees so incongruent with the billboards and concrete jungle, but this was LA, a city full of contradictions.

  She expected Declan to take her to Griffith Park, but he surprised her by taking the left on Blue Heights drive which was a steep road that went up and up. The Ducati didn’t even sputter. So smooth was their ride that Gabby was tempted to remove her helmet and feel the wind in her hair. She felt free. Free to love without fear, her heart open to forever with this man.

  Finally, as they reached a crest on the hill, they encountered a cul-de-sac and Declan pulled beside a gate that was divided into three panels. He flipped the lid up on a control box, exposing a keypad and entered a code. The smaller of the three panels swung open and he guided the motorcycle through.

  She tapped his shoulder. “Who owns this?”

  “Hush, don’t spoil it.”

  “Declan, is it yours?”

  His answer was to turn off the engine and engage the kickstand. Removing his helmet, he shifted in his seat. The look on his face was part exasperation and part amusement. “Trust me.”

>   Getting annoyed at her husband on their wedding night was not ideal, so Gabby called on every ounce of her patience as she got off the bike and followed him down a flight of steps to the entrance—not unusual for hilltop houses.

  At the bottom of the stairs was a slate patio bordered by railings on two sides. The house itself had a rust-red entrance door beside a brief expanse of solid wall that transitioned to floor-to-ceiling windows. Gabby walked to the edge of the patio to see how far the wall of windows went. Part of the house was cantilevered off a cliff, but there appeared to be another level.

  She glanced back at Declan. “Basement?”

  He was holding the door open. “View is better in here.”

  The foyer provided an excellent perspective of the open floor plan. The first thing Gabby checked on during their house-hunting field trips was the kitchen, but her gaze was drawn to the glass panels that surrounded the living area.

  “Three bedrooms and yes, a basement which I’ve converted to an armory and a bunker.”

  She barely heard him. And she knew she should ask him if the arms he kept there were illegal, but that was a conversation for another day. Gabby moved to the windows, a hand pressing against the cold glass. A majestic view of Los Angeles and the ribbon of light that was the strip were on full display below.

  “It’s breathtaking.”

  “To love you is to understand your love for this city.” Declan’s words were close to her ear and sent a shiver up her spine, a heat low in her belly. “Your need to protect it. I hope you understand my need to protect you.”

  Gentle hands eased her around to face him. “I’m your husband,” he said. “It’s my instinct to shield you from harm. You’re my cop. You belong to me, too, and I protect what’s mine. I love you,” he rasped. “So damned much, Gabby.”

  Was it possible to see need, frustration, and adoration on a person’s face at the same time?

  Yes. Those emotions were written all over Declan’s face. How could she explain to him that she felt exactly the same way about his clandestine association with Garrison?

  “I hope you know what you mean to me too, outlaw,” she whispered. “Every time you step in to protect me, you infuriate and make me love you even more. How is that possible?”

  He grinned. “Because we’re perfectly matched?” His hands started roving up and down her body, stealing inside her shirt, and caressed bare skin. Gabby leaned into his warmth, ready to climb the sexy beast that was her husband.

  She hummed against his mouth. “The outlaw and the detective.”

  “That’s right.” His mouth closed on hers and they began a slow dance of feverish kisses.

  They nearly tripped over something and Gabby wrenched her mouth away from him, looked down at what nearly caused them to break their necks and saw a stack of boxes. “What are these?”

  “Boxes from my condo in Virginia. I had Kade ship them over.”

  “But you were in LA the whole time. How could you let other people pack your stuff?”

  “After my time overseas, I never unpacked.”

  “We’ll need to remedy that.”

  “Later,” Declan murmured as he drew her back into his arms. “Much later.”

  *** The End ***

  Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a review. They help authors.

  Migs and Ariana’s book is next in PROTECTOR of CONVENIENCE. Preorder now! It releases on October 12, 2020.

  Acknowledgments

  The Ex Assignment had been in the works since late last year. I wrote the bulk of the first draft in December 2019. January 2020 brought about a rebranding of almost all my covers because I had to create paperbacks for a book signing in March. But then suddenly, the world tipped on its axis. It had been a long road to finding my reading and writing mojo again. Cooking and baking became my therapy much to the despair of my jeans. I bet most of you have made banana bread at least once, right?

  Little by little, I put my writer brain back together, and with renewed determination, polished up Declan and Gabby’s story. I also finished Migs and Ariana’s book—Protector of Convenience, which is slated for an October release. So you all can say, I got my writing mojo back and then some.

  None of these would have been possible without my favorite people in the Book World.

  A big thanks to my developmental editor, Geri, with whom I’ve spent countless hours of brainstorming fun. We both like the same tropes. Although we don’t necessarily agree on our preference for alpha males or recipients of unrequited love, we agree on the elements that make a story great. You also ground me when my plots tend to veer into the wild side. Maybe I need to write that urban fantasy series after all. I remember one of your first comments to me was: “Vee! You have enough plot here for four books!” :D

  I’m so lucky to have an amazing editor in Kristan Roetker. You and I have worked together for years and I love how our relationship has evolved over several books. You continue to polish my manuscript and make it shine without changing my voice. Working with you has been effortless and I look forward to working with you for more years to come.

  My special thanks to Sue—one of my very first readers. You’ve provided me valuable insight over the years and this book was no different if not requiring a bit more discussion. The complicated relationship between this couple was the subject of many email exchanges. Your feedback on getting clarity on the timeline regarding Gabby and Declan’s past contributed to the overall cohesiveness of the story. And your eagle-eye is always appreciated!

  Thank you to Victoria Colotta of VMC Art and Design for beta reading my unedited work. Your feedback has been immensely helpful!

  Thank you to Dana Curlett-Dunphy of A Book Nerd Edits. Not only did you provide final eyes on the manuscript, but I also enjoyed our zoom buddy reads.

  To Debra Presley of Buoni Amici Press. Thank you for being a badass on all things author-related that enable me to concentrate on writing!

  To readers, bloggers, and especially my group, Very Important Paige readers, thank you for your continued support!

  And lastly, to the hubby and Loki. Both of you are always understanding of the times when I lock myself in my writing cave. You both make sure I have what I need to thrive in my author life whether it’s sustenance, hugs, or doggy kisses. Love you both to the moon and back.

  Connect with the Author

  Find me at:

  Facebook: Victoria Paige Books

  Website: victoriapaigebooks.com

  Email: victoriapaigebooks@gmail.com

  FB Reader Group: Very Important Paige readers

  * Sign up for my newsletter and receive Beneath the Fire for free.

  Also by Victoria Paige

  Rogue Protectors

  The Ex Assignment

  Protector of Convenience (October 2020)

  Guardians

  Fire and Ice

  Beneath the Fire (novella)

  Silver Fire

  Smoke and Shadows

  Susan Stoker Special Forces World

  Reclaiming Izabel (novella)

  Guarding Cindy (novella)

  Protecting Stella (novella)

  Always

  It's Always Been You

  Always Been Mine

  A Love For Always

  Misty Grove

  Fighting Chance

  Saving Grace

  Unexpected Vows

  Standalone

  Deadly Obsession

  Captive Lies

  The Princess and the Mercenary

  * All series books can be read as standalone

 

 

 
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