Escorted by the Ranger

by C. J. Miller

  Marissa couldn’t imagine Avery getting in over her head with drugs or gambling. She drank recreationally but Avery was in control. “I don’t think so. She didn’t want compromising pictures of her splashed across the media. That would have impacted her career.”

  Kit and Griffin exchanged glances from across the room. Marissa felt a twinge of envy at their silent communication. When they were together, Marissa could feel their connection, like they shared an unbreakable bond. Two divorces had showed Marissa she didn’t have what it took to be part of an indivisible team. Her relationships moved fast and she too easily got swept away in something that wasn’t real.

  “Tell me again. Close your eyes. Picture the scene,” Kit said.

  Marissa did as her sister asked. She shivered, thinking of a killer lurking, waiting to attack Avery. Marissa told the story again. She tried to focus only on Avery’s voice and who she might have been speaking with. Marissa came up empty. She had been worried about talking to Avery about their fight and she had avoided her friend. If she hadn’t, Marissa could have changed the course of events.

  When she opened her eyes, a man with dark hair and gray eyes was studying her with a concerned expression. He needed a shave. His face had a hardness that made him look dangerous. Good bone structure though and a great mouth. Symmetrical face and a strong nose and jawline; he would photograph well. His jeans were worn and his black T-shirt fit around his broad shoulders just right. His forearms were covered in tattoos.

  “Who are you?” Marissa asked. She shot a questioning look at Kit. Her stomach did a crazy flip when she again met his gaze. Every once in a while, a truly beautiful man, like the one standing in front of her, knocked her off her feet.

  The man didn’t smile or extend his hand in greeting. “Jack Larson. I work with Kit and Griffin.”

  “At the car company?” Marissa asked. She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her tone. Marissa didn’t have the full picture of what Kit did, but it was coming more clearly into focus. Kit had been good with computers and Marissa had the impression Kit worked for an investigation firm, maybe hush-hush because of their clientele.

  “Yes,” he said. Nothing in his face gave away a lie.

  Jack Larson was a good liar. Marissa knew the car company line was garbage and she was adept at catching men spewing crap at her. She’d dealt with it for years. Most men thought she was beautiful and therefore stupid. “What is it that you’re here to do? Sell me a car?”

  Jack cocked his head as if trying to figure her out. There was nothing to figure. Kit was cloak-and-dagger about her life and her job. Marissa was on public display every time she left the house.

  Griffin crossed the room to join them, stepping into the tiny office and closing the door behind him.

  Kit set her hand on Marissa’s arm. “Jack will stay with you until we know what happened to Avery. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  Surprise wafted through her. “You think I’m in danger? You think Avery being attacked means that I might be a target, too?” She hadn’t considered it was an option. Nothing in what had happened indicated Marissa was in trouble.

  Kit pressed her hands together in worry. “We can’t know, but I want you to be safe. I’d stay with you, but Griffin and I have a project we’re deeply involved with. You can trust Jack. Griffin has known him a long time and he’s the best in the business.”

  “The car business?” Marissa asked. She wanted her sister to trust her enough to level with her. Their relationship had come leaps and bounds in the last few years, but she and Kit hadn’t been close growing up. Marissa worked too much and now that she was retiring, spending time with family would be easier.

  “Jack will make sure you are safe,” Kit said, ignoring the question.

  “I have bodyguards,” Marissa said. Her bodyguards accompanied her to jobs and when she went out. Two were waiting for her call to pick her up. She hadn’t thought she would need a bodyguard while at the police station.

  “Jack isn’t a bodyguard exactly,” Kit said. She glanced at Jack and gestured for him to continue.

  “Former army special forces,” Jack said.

  “An army ranger?” Marissa asked. She didn’t need someone with super special skills to protect her. The size of her bodyguards intimidated people. Overly aggressive fans and photographers rarely approached and when they did, it wasn’t a big deal for her bodyguards to let them know they had crossed a line.

  Jack didn’t answer.

  “I know you have a home alarm system and a great team of bodyguards, but Jack will stay with you around the clock, not just when you have an event or are going out,” Kit said, plowing a hand through her hair.

  Marissa’s skin tingled. A handsome man like Jack staying with her all the time. With Jack close, Marissa would have a hard time maintaining professional boundaries. She liked her space. She lived alone and preferred it that way. Even when she had been in a serious relationship, she had liked traveling and being away from her significant other. Being alone meant time to collect her thoughts. Having a stranger with her would be draining. “I can hire Jack as a part of my team if that makes you feel better, but I’m not interested in twenty-four-hour protection.”

  “One day,” Kit said. “Let him stay with you for one day and when the police know more, we can adjust.”

  Marissa was too tired to argue. She looked at Jack. He met her gaze evenly. No flicker of interest in his eyes. In fact, he appeared bored. He wasn’t panting to get close to her or crowding her and that increased her interest in him. “One day,” she agreed.

  “I’ll speak to the police and make sure you’re free to go. The three of us will stay until we get this sorted out,” Kit said.

  * * *

  Jack hadn’t wanted to leave Springfield to fly to New York for this job, but he owed Griffin. Not sure what to expect, he hadn’t anticipated being attracted to Marissa. She was knock-him-flat sexy. Long brown hair that fell like silky strands of ribbon and a body that was feminine and strong. She likely spent hours in the gym every day. Jack had seen her picture prior to today, but he hadn’t anticipated how beautiful she’d be in person. Photographs could be edited. In Marissa’s case, she was more breathtaking in person. Her eyes were expressive and warm. He had expected her to be whiny or completely rude and arrogant. She wasn’t.

  “I know Kit put you up to this, but I don’t need anyone to protect me,” Marissa said.

  Jack felt a twinge in his knee, an injury from his last mission. Following his physical therapist’s plan, in six months he planned to be back to full fighting strength. Working on his family farm in Springfield had been therapeutic in its own way. But Griffin had asked him to do this and Jack couldn’t deny a friend. “Your sister feels you do.”

  Marissa shook her head and a few locks of shorter hair fell over her cheek. She brushed them away with graceful fingers. “She worries. I can’t see what Avery’s attack has to do with me.”

  He didn’t either, but Kit believed there was a connection and Jack trusted her instincts. She worked for the same organization he did, the West Company. Though he wasn’t privy to the specifics of her skills, everyone who worked for the super-secret spy organization was talented and smart. A pain shot down Jack’s leg, reminding him that on his last op, he hadn’t stayed sharp and he’d almost died because of it. His partner had betrayed him and it still stung that he had not seen it coming. Worse, he was expected to testify in detail what had happened. He was dreading it. “It’s a wait-and-see situation. You’ll be happy I’m around if something comes up.”

  Marissa studied his face with intelligent eyes. “I’d prefer my privacy.”

  “I can do my best to give you space, but I won’t force my services on you. If you’re planning to try to give me the slip or make this hard on me, forget it. I don’t need that.” He wanted to be clear about his boundaries.
He was a world-class operative, currently on the sidelines with an injury. That didn’t mean he was planning to involve himself in some ridiculous cat-and-mouse game.

  Marissa inclined her head and folded her arms over her chest. “I wouldn’t do that. I told my sister this was fine for a day.”

  Jack heard something in her tone akin to annoyance. “It’s been my experience that these things take more than a day.”

  “The police will figure this out. My guess is that you’ll be flying out of here tomorrow.”

  “There’s nothing I’d like more.” Springfield was home and he had fallen back into living as a farmer. The hard work and long hours were what he needed. If Marissa didn’t need him, he’d get on with piecing together the twisted wreckage of his life.

  Chapter 2

  Marissa slept better knowing Kit and Griffin were in her guest bedroom, but Jack sleeping in her living room felt odd. He had insisted on being in a location between the front and back doors to keep an eye on the house and who came and went even though he would have been more comfortable in her other guest bedroom.

  After checking the doors and windows on the main floor, Jack had sat on the couch. His laptop was open in front of him, but it seemed to interest him only slightly. He hadn’t stared at her. He hadn’t looked at her. Marissa simultaneously liked that and found it irritating. Men often paid attention to her and she was curious why Jack seemed uninterested.

  Before she had gone to bed, she had offered him a drink. He had declined.

  Marissa rolled over, adjusting her pillow to get more comfortable.

  It wasn’t just thoughts of Jack keeping her awake. Every time she closed her eyes, she thought of Avery, picturing the last words they had spoken to each other, wishing she could have talked to Avery about what had happened with Rob. Deep sadness and grief cut through her and regret followed close on its heels.

  The police would find evidence at the scene and Avery’s attacker would be found. Pictures taken backstage had to have captured something. Marissa flipped her pillow to the cooler side. She tried breathing exercises to slow her heart rate and induce a state of relaxation. Usually, she slept fantastically in her house. She traveled more than half the year and sleeping in her bed was a luxury. Tonight, sleep was elusive.

  Her phone buzzed. She looked at the display. It was a message from Ambrose. You awake?

  She typed a reply. Yes.

  I am sorry about Avery. You were friends for a long time.

  She and Avery had been close. Marissa should have worked harder to repair the relationship. Rob wasn’t worth the loss of a friend. When they hadn’t been on speaking terms, she had told herself she was fine. But it had hurt. Though Marissa had been through two heart-wrenching divorces, Avery’s friendship had been the one solid relationship she’d had. How are you?

  In shock. Can’t imagine not seeing her again.

  Her chest felt tight. This couldn’t be fixed. That acknowledgment devastated her all over again.

  Marissa heard a creak outside her door and she tensed. Kit or Griffin might be checking on her. Or was Jack patrolling her town house for security issues? Several seconds of silence passed.

  She heard another creak.

  I have to go. Talk soon. She sent the message and squeezed her eyes closed. The noises were the house settling. She was safe.

  Marissa felt a hand on her arm. She opened her eyes and came face-to-face with a man she didn’t recognize.

  Before she could scream, he clamped his hand over her mouth, pushing her back into her pillow, pressing her hard into the mattress. Her heart thundered and she tried not to panic. Pushing at his hand, she couldn’t get his weight off her. He would suffocate her!

  The door to her bedroom slammed open, light from the hallway spearing inside, and Jack launched himself at her assailant. The relief of his heaviness being tossed from her consumed her.

  Marissa scrambled to move away, her sheets tangling around her. She screamed out to Kit, a warning in the case the assailant wasn’t working alone.

  Griffin barreled into the room.

  “One assailant. He’s down,” Jack said.

  Griffin turned on the lights just as her sister appeared in the doorway.

  On the floor at Jack’s feet was her assailant, and he wasn’t moving. Was this the man who had killed Avery? He had close-cropped black hair, a small nose and thin lips. He wore all black from his turtleneck to his sneakers. He didn’t look familiar.

  Marissa’s heart was racing and she felt dizzy. “Is he dead?”

  “No,” Jack said. “Maybe he can tell us why he’s here and what this has to do with Avery.”

  “Breathe slower or you’ll pass out,” Kit said, setting her hand on Marissa’s back.

  Marissa had been taking short puffs of air, but she finally inhaled deeply and focused again on the man on the floor in her bedroom. “I don’t know him.”

  “An assassin?” Jack asked.

  Griffin nodded once swiftly, agreeing with Jack.

  Marissa looked between the three of them. “He was sent to kill me? How do you know?”

  “Instinct,” Jack said.

  Kit’s eyes were narrowed with concern. “It will be okay. I promise. We’ll figure this out.”

  Marissa looked at Jack. “Guess you won’t be booking a flight out.”

  Jack shook his head. “I’m settling in for the duration.”

  * * *

  Jack didn’t follow gossip columns, but he had read up on Marissa on the flight to New York. He wouldn’t call watching over Marissa a mission. Though the intruder tonight had established Kit was correct in believing there was a real threat against Marissa, if Avery’s killer was the same man who attacked Marissa in her home, they could wrap this up, get the answers they needed, and Jack could be home by morning.

  Jack didn’t know what to make of Marissa. Gorgeous, obviously, but she wasn’t arrogant about it. She was confident. He didn’t know how many women would be comfortable in a thin-strapped tank top and white silk pants while talking to strangers. The police had arrived at her home and had arrested her attacker. It was the second time in twenty-four hours that Marissa was making a statement to the police. The one upside to the assailant attempting to kill her was that she was no longer the prime suspect in Avery’s murder.

  Marissa was talking with one of the officers on the scene. She spoke with her hands, her movements and face expressive.

  Marissa was every bit as beautiful in person as she was in photos and magazines. Hard not to picture her wearing a swimsuit or lingerie like she did in her ads. Those were hard to ignore. They emphasized her best features: her face, her long hair, her curvy, toned body.

  Jack had expected for this project to involve drama, mostly that of her making, but that wasn’t the case. The perpetrator had been arrested and they might be in the clear. A short assignment was fine with him. It had been a good distraction from the problems with Bianca and his last mission.

  After the police left, Jack, Kit, Griffin and Marissa assembled in the kitchen. Kit had prepared tea. Marissa had a huge kitchen with white cabinets and black shiny countertops. Her dining room was expansive with vaulted ceilings, three of the sides lined with windows and the fourth open to the kitchen. Jack circled the room, closing the roman shades. No point in giving a marksman a clear shot of Marissa. She watched him but didn’t question what he was doing.

  Marissa sat at the head of the ten-person table. She had put on a short purple robe and wore light purple slippers on her feet. Her hands were shaking and Jack fought the urge to put his arm around her. If she knew him better, she would know she was safe. He had a sixth sense about his clients. When trouble lurked, he sensed it and reacted quickly.

  “The police said they’ll run his prints and try to get an ID. He wasn’t talking,�
�� Kit said. “Reaffirms our suspicion that he was hired.”

  Marissa took a sip of the tea her sister had set in front of her. “I don’t know why anyone would hire a man to kill me.”

  “We need to find the connection to Avery,” Griffin said.

  Jack agreed. He didn’t know enough about either woman to guess the motive.

  “Avery and I were friends,” Marissa said. “But we hadn’t talked much recently.”

  “Why’s that?” Jack asked, sensing she was holding back information.

  Marissa was tapping her heel against the floor. “Avery and my boyfriend slept together. Rob cheated on me. We fought about it. The friendship was over. I let the tabloids speculate and didn’t talk to many people about it.”

  Love triangles and jealousy were fuel for anger. “Could this be career jealousy from someone in your field?” Jack asked.

  Marissa shrugged. “Maybe. There’s always someone who misses out on a product campaign or doesn’t get a spot they want in a show.”

  “Or a stranger who became fixated on you and Avery,” Jack said.

  Marissa shivered. “Could be.”

  After tossing around a few more theories, Kit hugged her sister. “We have to pack for our flight. Unless you want me to reschedule?”

  “Is it that late already? Or should I say that early? Don’t reschedule. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you.”

  The sisters hugged and then Griffin and Kit left the room. Jack was alone with Marissa. She swirled the tea in her cup. Her eyes were dark with exhaustion.

  “I should try and go back to sleep,” Marissa said. She rose slowly, bracing her hands on the table as she stood.

  “Let me check your bedroom and bathroom. Then I’ll sweep the house again,” Jack said. He followed Marissa up the stairs, looking away from her perfectly round rear end and her robe swishing around her legs as she climbed.

  Her bedroom smelled faintly of spices. Jack couldn’t have named which ones. With the exception of the unmade bed, the room was tidy and on the gray walls were black-and-white prints of famous architectural landmarks: the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Palace of Versailles and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Jack checked the windows, moving aside the semisheer curtains to ensure they were latched and locked.