Protecting the Princess

by Carla Cassidy

  It was a relief to get her into the truck. He hurried back to the door of the office to lock it and to retrieve her bag, knowing he couldn’t relax until she was safely ensconced at the ranch.

  He needed to find out everything that had happened in the small country. He had to quickly learn about the coup and the escape of King Bjorn and his daughter. He needed to learn as much as he could to do his job to the best of his ability.

  The fact that King Bjorn had sent his daughter to Wild West Protective Services filled him with enormous pride and a sense of responsibility that was weighty. Of course, he shouldn’t be surprised that the king had sent her to them for safekeeping. After all, years ago Tanner’s father, Red West, had saved the king’s life.

  A real, honest-to-goodness princess. She was the first royalty to come to them for protection. It was an enormous boon for the company, a huge coup for him.

  He didn’t have enough facts yet to know exactly what was going on, but one thing was certain; failure would put the family business and reputation on the line.

  But, more than that, if what she said was true and assassins were after her, then failure could mean the death of the pretty young woman who had placed her life in his hands.

  Anna couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe her father had sent her to this man, to this place. As she’d sat on the bus that had carried her from California and into this land of dust and cows, she’d been horrified.

  She couldn’t believe her father had sent her to a…a cowboy for protection. Anna knew all about American cowboys, having seen a couple of Western movies. She knew they loved their horses, drank too much whiskey, ate beans out of a can and often threw their women over their shoulders like sacks of potatoes.

  She watched as Tanner West strode around the front of the truck to get to the driver’s door. His worn jeans hugged the long length of his legs and the cotton shirt he wore with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows exposed lean, muscled forearms.

  There was something about the tall, broad-shouldered man that had instantly put her on edge. Maybe it was the calculating light in his dark green eyes, or the stern lines of his face, a face both handsome and hard. Or maybe it was because she’d known him only minutes and already he had manhandled her more than anyone else had in her life.

  As he got in behind the wheel he seemed to fill the interior of the truck with a taut energy. He placed his gun between them on the seat, then started the engine and backed out of the parking space.

  “This ranch of yours? Does it have amenities?” she asked.

  He turned his head and cast her a quick glance, his eyes almost hidden by the low cast of the rim of his hat. “Do you mean, do we have electricity and running water? Shucks, Princess, you’re in luck. We even installed indoor plumbing not long ago.”

  She flushed, recognizing the slight bite of sarcasm in his deep voice. “Good,” she said with a forced lightness in her tone. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

  “You can probably expect that things at the ranch won’t be up to your usual style of life, but we’ll do our best to make sure that you’re comfortable for the time that you’re here.”

  “We? There are other people who live on this ranch of yours?”

  Despite the fact that she wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of spending any length of time at a ranch, she felt herself start to relax. This would be the last place on earth any of the rebel assassins would think to look for her. They would probably check out her ritzy vacation destinations first—Miami or Vegas or New York City.

  “Lots of people live on the ranch,” he said in answer to her question. “It’s a big spread. Besides all the men who work for us, there’s my father and the rest of the family and our housekeeper, Smokey. Although right now it’s just my father and Smokey. Everyone else is out on assignments.”

  “You have lots of bodyguards who work for you?”

  “It varies at any given time.”

  She studied him while his focus was fixed out the window and on the road. He looked so hard, as rugged as the scenery flashing by.

  There were starbursts of lines at the corners of his eyes, lines she had a feeling hadn’t been created by laughter. His jaw was lean and taut and already showing the bluish black hue of a five o’clock shadow. The black hat covered much of his dark hair, but from what she’d seen of it when he’d been hatless, it was thick and had just a hint of curl.

  There was nothing soft about his body, either. As he’d hovered around her on the walk to the truck, she’d felt the hardness of muscle, the heat of his body and, to her surprise and dismay, she’d found his nearness just a little bit exciting.

  She thought of the bodyguards who had been assigned to her in Niflheim. They had been professionals who had adhered to a strict dress code and who had always been deferential to her wants and needs. None of them would have ever shoved her aside without apology or taken liberties by nearly smothering her with their bodies.

  This man, this Tanner West, didn’t look like a professional bodyguard, nor did he look like the CEO of a business. He looked like a cowboy.

  “My father will expect you to assign your best bodyguard to me,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he replied in his smooth, deep voice.

  Satisfied for the moment, she looked out the window and frowned at the vast expanse of nothing but plains. Occasionally a house would appear tucked between pastures and wheat fields, but the general feeling she got as she gazed out the window was one of isolation and loneliness, of civilization gone.

  “This is horrible,” she murmured to herself. If she’d had anything in her wallet besides a handful of credit cards, she would have run. She would have escaped this place and this man and headed for real civilization.

  “Excuse me?”

  She turned to look at him. “This place. It’s so…so barren.”

  “First trip to the United States?”

  “No. I travel to the States frequently. New York City is one of my favorite places in the world to visit.”

  “We don’t have much in common with New York City,” he replied.

  She frowned and stared out the window once again. “I can see that. What do people do out here?”

  “They live. They work. They raise families and live a simple, productive life. I’m sure it all seems quite alien to you.”

  She shot him a sharp glance, and met his quick gaze. His dark green eyes were fathomless, making it impossible to discern if he’d intended to insult her or not. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She suspected most cowboys were probably rough around the edges and short on social skills. He’d certainly already shown himself to be short of social skills.

  Surely the man he assigned to her would be more civilized, much more understanding and respectful of her position and accustomed lifestyle.

  Surely whoever was assigned to guard her wouldn’t have a hard glint in his eyes or a mouth that looked as if it had never curved up in a smile. Surely he wouldn’t have the subtle arrogance she sensed in Mr. Tanner West.

  I will not be intimidated by a cowboy, she told herself. Even if that cowboy wore his jeans better than any man she’d ever seen.

  “You don’t have an accent,” he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “My nanny was American. My teachers were Americans. My father thought it important that I speak English flawlessly, without any discernible accent.”

  Once again silence fell between them.

  He turned down a dusty two-lane road with bumps as big as the suitcases she’d been forced to leave behind at the Los Angeles airport.

  Within minutes a sprawling ranch house came into view. Anna sat up straighter in the seat as he turned into the driveway. Apparently this was to be the place where she would spend her time until her father showed up or contacted her with new plans.

  The house itself was neat, painted a pristine white with black shutters and trim. Colorful spring flowers bedecked the sidewalk
that led up to the front door. It didn’t look as bad as she’d initially expected, and for that she was grateful.

  In the distance were dozens of other buildings and there were cows in a nearby pasture, their heads raised as if watching their arrival.

  He parked the truck in front of the house then turned to face her. “We’ll get you settled in, let you clean up, then I’ll have more questions for you.”

  His gaze was cool, with a flinty hardness that for some reason set her pulse racing. She was accustomed to men looking at her with a certain deference and respect. She saw neither in his eyes.

  “Fine. All I want right now is a place to freshen up. When will I meet the person assigned to guard me?” she asked.

  “You said you wanted the best.”

  “I insist on it,” she replied firmly.

  “Then you’ve already met him.” His eyes, those impenetrable eyes, locked with hers. “I’m the best there is. You’ll be my responsibility for the duration of the time that you’re here.” He opened the truck door, but still held her gaze. “We’ll get you settled in, I’ll do a little research, then I’ll go over the rules with you.”

  He got out of the truck, but she remained seated for a long moment. Rules? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had rules for anything. What possible rules could he attempt to impose on her?

  With any luck her father would arrive soon and the threat against them would be resolved. She had a feeling she and the handsome cowboy in the tight jeans weren’t going to last long together at all.

  Chapter 2

  In Tanner’s line of work it was important that he be a good judge of character. He had to be, to work with people as closely as he did. It had taken him all of two minutes to recognize that the princess was probably spoiled and more than a bit willful.

  Niflheim was a wealthy country, and the personal wealth of King Bjorn was enormous. Tanner could be certain that Princess Anna was accustomed to a life of luxury.

  Control. He had decided it was best to establish who was in control from the very beginning with the lovely princess.

  He’d learned through his years in the business that good protection wasn’t possible if the agent wasn’t in complete control of the potential victim. He hadn’t become one of the best at this by accident.

  Although officially he worked for his client in the protection business, it would only work if the client listened to him. He had to be the one in control.

  Tanner retrieved her small overnight bag from the back of the pickup, then waited for her to get out of the truck. As he waited, he tried to remember everything he knew about Princess Anna Johansson of Niflheim, but nothing concrete came to mind. He was familiar with the country and with the king, but he knew nothing about the woman now in his keeping.

  He’d have to do a thorough Internet search to see what he could find out about his newest assignment. He also needed to find out exactly what had happened in Niflheim and at LAX.

  More than anything, it was imperative that he calculate the risk to her and establish a plan for her protection.

  She got out of the truck and joined him on the sidewalk, looking none too pleased with him or the place where she found herself.

  He didn’t care about her happiness—he’d see to her basic creature comforts—but his main concern was to keep her alive. That’s all that was important to him.

  She swept past him with the imperial walk of a queen, head held high and small feet moving in purposeful strides. When she reached the front door she turned back to him, her eyes once again flashing with impatience. “Are you coming, Mr. West? I’m eager to get settled in.”

  He bit back a retort, joined her at the door and opened it to allow her entry. As always a sense of welcome engulfed him as he walked into the house where he’d been born and had lived most of his life.

  He didn’t live here in the main house anymore. Three years ago he had moved to the smaller three-bedroom house that had been the original homestead on the property when his father had bought the land years earlier.

  This evening he’d move back into the main house to guard the princess 24/7.

  The scent of cooking beef drifted from the kitchen. Nobody met them at the door, not that Tanner expected anyone. Smokey would be busy in the kitchen finishing up the dinner preparations and his father was probably out in the back working in the garden that had become an obsession in the past couple of years since he’d decided to semiretire from the family business.

  “I’ll take you to the room where you’ll be staying,” he said to Anna. She followed him down the long hallway that led off the entry.

  When Tanner’s father, Red, had married, he’d dreamed of lots of children and had built the house with a large brood in mind. The house boasted five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a dining area that could seat more than a dozen. It was perfect for a family that boasted six children.

  The only people now living in the house on a regular basis were Tanner’s father, Tanner’s sister, Meredith, and Smokey Johnson, the cook and housekeeper.

  He led Anna to what was now one of the guest rooms, a pleasant room decorated in greens and pinks with its own private bath. He set her overnight bag on the bed then turned to look at her.

  She stood just inside the doorway, her gaze taking in the surroundings. She finally caught his gaze and nodded slightly, her blue eyes cool. “This will be fine for the brief time I’ll be here. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to freshen up.”

  “You’ll find everything you need in the bathroom. Dinner is in the dining room in half an hour. Don’t be late.” With these words he turned and left the room.

  He went outside and around to the back of the house, where his father stood watering the large garden plot. Redmond West was a big man, tall with broad shoulders. He’d always been a dynamic man, but in the past couple of years he’d mellowed significantly.

  A severe case of arthritis had forced Red to leave the business he loved and he’d taken to gardening as a way to pass some of the hours of the days.

  Tanner quickly filled his dad in on what had transpired at the office and about their new houseguest. Red had been concerned about the king and his daughter when the reports of a coup had begun to trickle in to the national news. All of the reports had indicated the king had gone into hiding, but Red had feared them dead. He was glad to hear that King Bjorn and his daughter had escaped the country, but upset to hear about the attack at the airport, which indicated they were certainly not out of danger. Tanner then went back into the house, to the study, and sat at the desk where a computer was on and ready for his use. Before he began his Internet search, he used his cell phone to call two men who worked for him, arranging for them to take up guard positions at the front and back of the house. It was just a precaution.

  He used the Internet often for keeping up on the news. The first thing he needed to do was to check any and all stories concerning the coup in Niflheim. It took him only minutes to learn what he needed.

  The reports were sketchy and not filled with much information other than the fact that insurgents, after months of political unrest, had taken over the palace. According to the news report the king and his daughter had gone into hiding.

  He learned that there were two factions, a left wing and a right wing, each attempting to gain control of the country. Early reports were that the left-wing radicals led by a man named Swensen had pulled off the coup.

  He also checked out the news about the shooting at the airport, disappointed that the last news report indicated that authorities had no idea what had prompted the attack or who had committed it. Because nobody had been killed, Tanner had a feeling this particular incident would fade quickly, would be shoved aside in favor of other crimes in the city.

  He’d have to get more information from Anna. He needed to understand what was happening in the country and why the rebels would want her dead. She was gone from the country, so why the need for assassins?

  Typing in Anna’s name,
he thought of the woman who was his newest assignment. Although she had full, inviting lips, there was a petulance to them that set him on edge.

  As the search engine pulled up a long list of sites, he began to read the stories generated by the lovely princess.

  She made the society pages frequently. Details of her jet-set lifestyle made good gossip fodder. There were pictures, as well, grainy photos of her modeling designer clothing, drinking Dom Perignon in a trendy London club and sunbathing on a yacht in the Caribbean.

  He leaned back in his chair and studied one of the photos. In this particular picture she was on the dance floor in a Miami club. Her short dress exposed long, shapely legs and her head was thrown back in laughter.

  Tanner knew the type. In his years in the protective services industry, he’d seen up close and personal the self-indulgent, lazy lifestyles of young men and women who had too much money and expected special treatment as their due.

  After dinner he’d learn more important facts from her, facts that might help keep her alive.

  He reared back in his chair, his thoughts racing. It had been almost twenty years before that his father had worked briefly for King Bjorn. The two men hadn’t been in contact for years.

  When Tanner had met the king at the fund-raiser in Washington he hadn’t been working for the king. He couldn’t see how anyone could make a connection between Wild West Protective Service and the king of Niflheim. Surely she was safe here…for the moment.

  He shut off the computer and left the study, at the same time checking his wristwatch.

  Life in the West household ran on a routine that was rigid yet comfortable. Dinner would be served in ten minutes and he needed to let Anna know that tardiness wasn’t acceptable.

  This wasn’t a five-star restaurant where she could order up room service when she decided she was hungry. He didn’t care what her life was like in her world. She was in his world now.

  He knocked on the closed bedroom door and waited for a response. After several moments she opened the door. “Yes?” She eyed him as if he were a gnat buzzing irritably around her head.