by Tina Folsom
“With our help, yes.” He leaned forward. “That’s why I asked you here.”
“You want me to protect her and make sure whoever issued those death threats won’t get the chance to carry them out,” Hamish guessed. “Nothing easier than that.” It would be just like any other assignment he’d had in the past. Which begged the question, why Cinead had gone through the trouble of asking him to meet in person, when he just as easily could have sent the assignment through the usual channels.
“Yes, but that’s not all. I also want you to make sure she stays on the right path. I want you to lend her strength in the face of the opposition she’ll encounter.”
Hamish’s eyebrows snapped together. “And how am I supposed to do that, considering she won’t even know I’m protecting her?”
Cinead smiled, and for a moment, he thought he recognized a tiny glimmer of mischief in the other’s eyes. “That’s where this assignment will differ from your previous missions. She’ll know you’re her protector.”
Hamish jumped up. “Are you saying she’ll know that I’m a Stealth Guardian?”
Cinead chuckled. “Of course not. We’re not going that far. She’ll believe you’re a human bodyguard, hired by a wealthy supporter who wants to make sure nothing happens to her. But that’s not all. The people around her can’t know who you are. To them, you’ll be introduced as her boyfriend. It will give you unprecedented access—”
“Hold it right there!” Hamish shoved a hand through his dark hair. “With all due respect, that’s out of the question. I’m not the right person for this kind of assignment.”
“On the contrary, you’re the perfect person for this assignment.”
“Have you forgotten what happened to me?” Because he hadn’t. How could he ever forget the betrayal of the woman he’d loved? A betrayal that had nearly cost him his life. And now his elder expected him to pretend to be in love with a human?
Cinead’s voice was soft and fatherly, when he continued, “No, I haven’t forgotten what you went through. And that’s exactly why you’re the perfect candidate. You’ve tasted betrayal. You’ve seen its signs. You’re better prepared than anybody else. Would you really prefer I gave this mission to Manus? Or Logan? They are fine guardians, don’t get me wrong. But they wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of a woman like Tessa Wallace. Not if they had to pretend to be dating her.”
“Lure?” What the hell was Cinead talking about? He’d seen photos of the councilwoman, and while she was certainly very attractive, even beautiful, he didn’t understand where the danger lay. Sure, Manus had a reputation for being a philanderer, but he doubted that Cinead knew that. Their compound was a tight-knit group. They didn’t kiss and tell.
“It’s not her beauty that captivates men, though it certainly draws them to her. It’s her soul.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Her soul?”
“She’s good through and through. Everything she does is for the good of others. She doesn’t have a single malicious bone in her body, nor an evil thought in her mind.”
“How would you know?”
“Our emissarius has been watching her for many years. I trust him and his judgment. Just like I trust yours.” Cinead rose slowly and crossed the distance between them. “I know your heart broke when you lost the woman you loved, and I wish I could make it undone, my son, but I can’t. However, maybe that broken heart is the one thing that will help you get through this mission without any emotional involvement. I can’t say that for Logan or Manus. Either of them is likely to bring emotions into this mission, jeopardizing our goal. She has to become mayor. Baltimore needs her. Nothing and nobody can be allowed to lead her astray.”
Hamish lowered his lids and sighed. He had no intention of falling in love ever again. It was wrought with too much danger. But that didn’t mean he liked this assignment. The whole setup was unorthodox. Too many things could go wrong. Stealth Guardians operated in the background. They’d been given skills to make sure that they were never seen: the ability to cloak themselves so they were invisible—something they could extend to their charges either with their minds or their touch, the former requiring more energy than the latter—and the ability to walk through walls so no place was ever inaccessible to them—a skill they could not extend to their charges.
And now Cinead wanted him to operate out in the open? Visible to everybody?
“And the demons?”
“What about them?”
“They’ll realize what I am as soon as they see me with her.” They would recognize his aura as that of a Stealth Guardian, something only other preternatural creatures could see. Humans didn’t have that skill.
“I know. But we don’t have a choice. Besides, based on the rumors we hear about their new ruler, we must assume that they’re employing different tactics now. Zoltan is more innovative than his predecessor. He’ll find out either way that we’re protecting her. He’s too smart to think we’d leave somebody as valuable as Tessa Wallace unprotected.”
Resigned, Hamish looked straight at Cinead. “Who do you want me to choose as my second?”
“Enya. However, I want her to operate in secrecy. Ms. Wallace is not to know about her. Just in case we need an ace up our sleeve.”
At least with this order Hamish could agree. “Very well.”
Enya, the only female in his compound, would be his backup for those times when he couldn’t be with his charge. A wise choice, because despite her prickly nature, Enya was a fine warrior, and as a woman she would be immune to whatever charms Ms. Wallace had.
Just as he would be immune to them.
3
“Anton Faldo?” Tessa gaped at Poppy and looked up and down the corridor of the third floor of City Hall, where most of the offices of the council members were located. Seeing that this wasn’t the place to discuss such a sensitive topic, she motioned Poppy toward her office, while murmuring through clenched teeth, “Are you out of your mind?”
“He’s got the right connections,” Poppy said, following her through the door to the antechamber where several assistants for various council members were working frantically, dealing with visitors and busy phone lines.
Tessa rushed past Collette, her own assistant, and flung the door to the office open, charging in. “Connections, my ass!” she hissed as soon as Poppy had stepped into her office. “Faldo is a crook. He’s been under investigation several times.”
“He’s never been convicted,” Poppy threw in.
Tessa huffed. “Only because he can afford the best lawyers money can buy. And he probably pays off anybody who gets in his way. The man’s bad news.”
“He supports your campaign and—”
“What?”
Poppy grimaced. “Don’t you look at the donor reports I give you every day? He’s one of the biggest contributors to your campaign.”
Tessa threw up her hands. “That can’t be!” If people found out about this, it would ruin her career.
“I thought you knew.”
She fell into her chair, her hands supporting her head. “I can’t take his money.”
“You’ll have to take much more than just his money. You need his help.”
Tessa lifted her eyes to look at her campaign manager. They’d gone to college together, and she thought she knew Poppy inside out. Hadn’t they always had the same values, the same high moral standards? What had happened to her friend? Had she sold out?
“How can you expect me to accept help from a criminal? He’ll want something in return. If and when I’m mayor, he’ll want favors. I’m not going to sell my integrity to some crook!”
Poppy leaned over the desk. “You have to be pragmatic. Faldo’s donations are routed through one of his companies. Nobody’s gonna put two and two together. As for favors: Faldo assured me that his help comes without any strings attached.”
“And you believed him?” Because Tessa didn’t. After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Particularly not in politics, whe
re everything had its price, and everybody was for sale.
But Poppy continued, “Besides, do you really think that Gunn hasn’t taken donations from less than savory sources?”
“I don’t care what Gunn is doing. I’m not like him.”
Poppy sighed. “I know that. But I don’t think you recognize the seriousness of your situation. Somebody wants you dead, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to reject Faldo’s offer to send a bodyguard for you.”
“A bodyguard? You mean one of his goons?”
“I’ve never been called a goon before,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
Startled, Tessa jumped up and peered past Poppy. A tall man was leaning casually against the doorframe. He looked to be in his thirties, with thick, dark brown hair and dark stubble on his square chin. His eyes were dark—chocolate brown if she had to describe them. His cargo pants and casual shirt outlined his muscular physique, making him look like he was ready for combat. She ran her eyes over him, unable to look away. She’d never seen a man with such presence. Confidence oozed from every pore of his body. There was no doubt that his mere physical proximity could intimidate anybody. Though his photo could just as easily appear next to the word heartthrob in any dictionary.
Poppy whirled around. “You must be Mr. MacGregor. Mr. Faldo sent word earlier to expect you.”
“I knocked, but I guess nobody heard me.” Easing the door shut behind him, the man met Poppy halfway and shook her hand, his gaze straying past her to Tessa. “Hamish MacGregor, at your service. But nobody calls me Mr. MacGregor. I go by Hamish.”
Only now could Tessa hear the slight Scottish accent. It made her insides tingle pleasantly, and her pulse kick up a notch.
Poppy gave a soft laugh, one Tessa was only too familiar with: it always surfaced when Poppy was attracted to somebody. And who wouldn’t be attracted to Hamish MacGregor? But she wouldn’t let a handsome face and a toned physique sway her in her conviction not to accept help from a criminal.
“Mr. Mac—”
“And you must be Miss Wallace,” Hamish interrupted, stepping around the desk and offering his hand.
Short of being rude, Tessa felt obliged to shake his hand. “Yes. But as I just told my campaign manager, I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Hamish lifted one side of his mouth. “From the little I heard, it sounded more like you don’t want to be protected by one of Mr. Faldo’s goons.”
She stiffened. Just how much of her conversation with Poppy had he overheard? “Well, since we’re being blunt: I can’t be associated with Mr. Faldo’s… uh… operation.”
He scrutinized her now, looking her up and down. “I’m not in Mr. Faldo’s employ, if that’s what troubles you.”
“Maybe not on a regular basis, but he’s footing the bill,” she protested. And that meant she’d still be beholden to him in one way or another.
Hamish lifted an eyebrow. “I believe there’s been a little misunderstanding. Mr. Faldo is only arranging my services. He’s not paying for them.”
She stared at Poppy, who nodded. “I thought I told you that I approached the Foodworkers’ Union and got them to cover the expense.”
Embarrassment swept through Tessa. “Oh. Why didn’t you… I… uh…”
“Guess I forgot. I’m juggling way too many things right now,” Poppy answered and looked at her watch. “Speaking of juggling, I’ve got a meeting with a reporter. Gotta go.” She marched to the door. “Nice meeting you, Hamish.”
“Poppy… That still doesn’t mean I can accept…” But Poppy was already gone, leaving her alone with the handsome stranger.
This was never going to work. She couldn’t accept this man as her bodyguard. How would she go about her work with him hovering over her? Besides, weren’t bodyguards supposed to blend into the background? There was no chance in hell that Hamish MacGregor would ever be able to enter a room without being noticed. On the contrary, all eyes would be on him.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Mr. MacGregor—”
“Hamish,” he corrected immediately, a soft rumbling sound in his voice that sent her off kilter.
“Hamish, I don’t think this is going to work.”
~ ~ ~
What had Cinead said? Good through and through? Not likely! Tessa Wallace was combative, stubborn, and made for sin. The kind of sin that left you sweaty and panting. The kind of sin he’d sworn off. What had Cinead been thinking, assigning him to this battle-ready, high-strung beauty with long dark brown hair and gorgeous lavender eyes?
“You won’t be able to blend in,” she now said.
Hamish frowned. “Blend in?”
“Everybody will wonder who you are, and I don’t want anybody to know I have a bodyguard. It’s bad enough that I need one.”
He shrugged. “That’s why you’ll tell them I’m your boyfriend.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “What?”
“We discussed that it would be best if I posed as your boyfriend to avoid questions. It will arouse less suspicion.”
She swallowed visibly. “We?”
“My superiors and I. We know what we’re doing.” Even though Hamish didn’t agree with Cinead’s order. However, the fact that his charge was objecting to the idea, made him involuntarily see the advantages of such an arrangement.
Tessa shook her head. “Nobody will believe it.”
“Then we’ll just have to make it look believable.” At the thought of what that might entail, he felt a jolt of adrenaline rush through his veins. Instantly, he pushed the images from his mind. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake his best friend Aiden had made when he’d fallen for his charge Leila. Even though in Aiden’s case it had all turned out fine, Hamish knew from his own experience that not everybody was that lucky.
Hamish cleared his throat. “Let’s go over the details.”
“Details?” Tessa croaked and stared at him like a deer that found itself in the path of a speeding car.
Clearly she liked the idea of a pretend-boyfriend as little as he did. Not that either of them had a choice in the matter. She’d just have to come to terms with it like he had.
“Yes, the quicker we hash out the details, the more smoothly this will go down.”
“Mr. MacGregor—”
“Tessa, you’ll have to call me Hamish, or nobody will buy that I’m your boyfriend.”
He noticed her nervously rub her hand on her pencil skirt, which accentuated her slim waist and long legs. “Hamish, I’m really not sure how this is going to work. I don’t know you and you don’t know me. There are going to be hundreds of occasions where we can trip each other up.”
“We’ve thought of that, of course.” Or rather, Cinead had. “That’s why it’ll be best for everybody to think that we only just started dating. How about a couple of weeks ago? That way we don’t have to know much about each other.”
“True,” she conceded, “but aren’t you supposed to protect me all the time?”
“Yes. So?”
She sighed as if annoyed that he didn’t immediately know what she was referring to. “I wouldn’t be seeing a guy that frequently if I’d just started dating him. It’s not realistic.”
“It is, if you’re totally into him.”
“But—”
He stepped closer so only a foot of space separated them. “Have you never been completely enamored with a man, even though you only just met him?” A flicker in her eyes told him that she’d had that experience previously. “Well, then you’ll just have to recall what it felt like and act accordingly. And I’ll do the same and pretend I can’t bear to be without you. As long as people see us acting like a couple who can’t keep their hands off each other, they won’t question why I’m not leaving your side.”
At least that was the plan. A plan where so many things could go wrong. A harmless touch could lead to something more. A pretend-kiss could kindle a flame that might be hard to put out again. It was better not to go down that road.
&n
bsp; “Once the threat is over, we’ll have a very public breakup, and everything will go back to how it was.” There would be no emotional involvement, and the physical intimacy they’d have to show in the presence of others would only be a well-crafted performance.
“And how do we know when the threat is over?”
He hadn’t expected her to ask this question and had no canned answer to it. No answer he could give her anyway. He and his fellow Stealth Guardians would be the ones to assess whether the threat hanging over her had vanished, once her unknown enemy realized that she was no easy target.
“Let that be my problem. You just concentrate on this election. Now I need a copy of your schedule for the next week, including all business and private meetings. I’ll need to make sure the venues are safe and conduct background checks on the participants before I can approve your attendance at any event.”
“Approve?” She glared at him. “You can’t be serious.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
“No, you look like you’re about to be fired,” Tessa grunted, her hands on her hips, her eyes spewing venom. “I decide which events I attend, not you!”
“Wrong.”
“Consider yourself relieved of your duty, Mr. MacGregor!”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can and I will. I’m not dealing with an overpowering chauvinist prick who thinks he can order me around.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Would you prefer your father finding out what danger you’re in and have him curb your freedom instead?”
Her mouth opened. “How the f—”
“Whoa, what a nasty word for such a pretty mouth.” And she did have a pretty mouth, though at present he didn’t appreciate the defiant words coming from it. “I did my homework. And one thing you like even less than having to put up with a bodyguard is having your father find out you’re in danger.”
She let out an annoyed breath. “You’re wrong. I’d rather deal with my father than have to pretend you’re my boyfriend.”
He gave her a tight smile. “And here I thought you were a good daughter who didn’t want to aggravate her father’s heart condition.”