Captive: A Bodyguard Romance (Hollywood Guardians Book 1)

by Heather Ashley

  The guy has no idea what he's up against here, but I have no doubt that once we uncover what the hell is going on, he'll be able to clean it up with the loyal guys he's got around him.

  I look back down at the beautifully bruised girl still sleeping with her face pressed against my chest. My thumb moves almost on its own to graze the purple skin along her jaw, and my teeth clench. I didn't sleep much last night, instead staying up and listening for any sort of retaliation the older club guys might try to pull on Gigi or me.

  It's clear to me now after spending a few weeks here that the problem isn't the club as a whole, but that core group of men who have no regard for anyone but themselves, the power they can steal, and the profit they can make. It's fucked up, and the only way I'll walk away from here without doing something about it is if Savage tells me I can take Gigi and go.

  Now that the president admitted the truth and laid out what I need to do to take Gigi out of here without the club coming after her, I'm hyper-focused on making it happen as soon as possible. It's not just about my personal vendetta anymore. Now, my desires have expanded to include Gigi and even her brother into the people I feel this fierce need to protect.

  Vandal, Bomber, Brutal, and Poison—and maybe some other brothers I haven't discovered yet—will sure as fuck get what's coming to them by the time I walk away from this.

  Gigi shifts against me, and I loosen my hold on her. I'd tightened my body around hers as I thought about the men who hurt her—who could've hurt her so much worse than they did if I hadn't gotten there in time—and how I almost failed her like I'd failed the others before.

  I'm here for redemption, though, and I wouldn't be finished until I got it. This is my test, and failure isn't an option. Sleepy green eyes look up at me as she wakes, and the corner of my mouth tilts up into a lazy smile, the kind only Gigi can drag out of me.

  "Now there's a view I could get used to waking up to," I drawl, running my hands through the silky strands of her hair. She closes her eyes and lets out this contented sigh that makes the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a tingle rolls across my skin. I'd never experienced anything like the way my body reacts to Gigi before I fucked her.

  Logically, I know there are other women in the world, but it's like I don't even see them now, not when she's like a fucking beacon to my soul. I want to tell her so fucking bad, but I can't. Not yet. The words sit on the edge of my tongue while I look down at her with nothing but reverence, but I bite them back.

  She's been through so much, and I'm about to upend her whole world again with what I have to tell her, so confessing that I'm not only obsessed with her, but also so in love with her that it's hard to breathe, would make me the most selfish asshole on the planet, and I won't do it.

  Gigi peeks up at me with one eye open and a smile on her bruised lips. "You're sweet, but I know you're lying. Still, I'll take it." She lets out a little laugh that's husky from sleep, and my dick twitches at the sound, already half-hard from being pressed up against her.

  She says I'm sweet? I've been called many things in my life, but sweet has never been one of them. Maybe she brings it out in me, or maybe she has low standards.

  I run my fingers down her arm, watching as her skin pebbles under my touch. Last night, I avoided the conversation we need to have and gave her what she wanted from me. This morning, I wouldn't do that again. She needs to know what's going on and that I'm serious about getting her out of here.

  "As much as I want to stay in bed all day with you, you need to eat. I'll go grab us breakfast, and when I come back, we need to talk about yesterday." I was tempted to leave it at we need to talk, but I didn't want her to get the wrong idea after everything that happened. The last thing I want her to think is that she's scared me off, or I'm walking away when it's the furthest thing from the truth.

  Her face pales as my words sink in, and I know she doesn't want to think about her time spent in that fucked up dungeon or whatever, but that's not where the conversation's going. I press a kiss to her forehead and sit up, untangling myself from her. I don't know how she's going to react to the news that this place that she hates so much is where she actually comes from—where her roots are. I won't have to wait long to find out.

  Slipping out of bed, I grab a pair of jeans from the dresser and throw on a shirt before tucking my gun into my waistband. "Any requests?" I ask her, knowing she's not picky but likes sugary stuff in the morning to go with her coffee. While I wait for her to answer, I slip my phone into my pocket, too.

  Gigi thinks I'm sweet? I'm going to show her just how mushy I can be.

  "All the coffee," she says with a groan and pulls the blanket back over her head. I chuckle because she's so fucking cute and step out into the hall, hating leaving her alone even to go down and get something for us to eat. If there was any other way for us to get food in my room, I'd do it, but this place isn't exactly a five-star hotel, and room service has more to do with getting pussy than a hot meal.

  I hurry down the corridors and the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Leaving Gigi alone and unprotected in my room is stressful as hell, and my senses are on high alert while I scan the hallway for any signs of trouble. Sure, my room has a lock, but if someone really wanted in there, it wouldn't be very hard to kick the door in.

  The kitchen was quiet when I walked in, but there was hot coffee already in the pot and fresh-baked muffins piled on the counter. One of the sweet butts—Tiffany, I think—smiles at me when I reach for two mugs and start filling them up. "Morning."

  "Morning," I grunt, not wanting to delay getting back up to my room and not in the mood to have a conversation so matter how nice the girl might be.

  She steps up beside me, handing me a plate with a bunch of muffins on it. "I heard what happened to Gigi yesterday, and lord knows the entire club heard Poison and Brutal crying and bitching when they were hauled out, and the doc was called in. Is she okay?"

  I soften a bit at her concern for Gigi and nod my head. "She'll be fine."

  "Good, and tell her not to worry about her shift tonight. Lola and I have it covered." I bristle but not at Tiffany. I'm pissed that these assholes would still expect her to work behind the bar tonight at all, considering what she went through. What the fuck is Savage thinking treating his sister the way he does?

  The only explanation I can come up with is he doesn't want people to know he's giving her special treatment or that she's a weakness to him, but fuck that. I may need to have a talk with him about it, but I don't want to overstep. When Gigi finds out who he really is to her, she might want to handle this on her own.

  No matter what she decides, I'll be there to back her up.

  "I'll tell her," I finally say, stacking the plate she handed me on top of the coffee mugs and picking it all up while it balances precariously. I curse as I realize I'll need to wait for the elevator to get back up without spilling my entire haul.

  Tiffany turns back to take her next batch of muffins out of the oven, and I hurry back to my room, unlocking the door and finding my little demon still buried in the blankets so I can't even see her face. I set down the mugs and move the plate off the top, taking her cream and sugar-filled drink and crawling back onto the bed.

  I yank the blanket down off her, and her hair flies everywhere as she glares at me and tries to snatch the blanket back. Chuckling, I grab her wrists in one hand and push the mug toward her face to tempt her to sit up. She takes the bait, and I let her go, handing over her cup when she reaches for it. She groans when the first sip hits her tongue, and I watch her throat as she swallows, biting back a groan of my own.

  Fuck, she's so tempting.

  Talk. We need to talk first.

  I clear my throat, and she's watching me expectantly from behind the rim of her steaming coffee mug. Her hands are wrapped around it, and my mind goes straight in the gutter, imagining how they look wrapped around me and swallow hard, trying to stay focused.

  It's nearly impossible wi
th Gigi around. She's such a goddamn distraction but in the best way.

  "So, I'll start off with the easy stuff. I saw Tiffany in the kitchen, and she said not to worry about your bar shift tonight. She and Lola have it covered." I try not to sound as pissed off as I feel about it, but I don't know if I do a good job masking my irritation. Gigi just nods, but she doesn't look relieved.

  If anything, she looks apprehensive, the spot between her eyebrows is wrinkled, and I can't help but reach out with my fingers and smooth out her skin. "You want me to dive right in, or do you need another minute for the caffeine to kick in?"

  She blew out a breath that made the hair in front of her face fan out. "Let's get this over with." Gigi sits up straighter like she's bracing herself for whatever bomb I'm about to drop on her, and suddenly I'm fucking pissed that Savage is leaving this up to me to do. I don't want to be the one to destroy the world she's known her entire life. I'll gladly be here to pick up the pieces, but why the fuck couldn't he handle his own relationship with her?

  This isn't my place, but it's the shit hand I've been dealt, and Gigi trusts me, so I'm going to get through it, and I won't let her down.

  I jump right in, figuring it's best to start at the beginning. "You told me you were stuck here because your mom owed Devil money for drugs and offered you as payment," I say, reminding her of what she shared not too long ago about her situation, and she nods along. "Did that ever strike you as weird? That Devil, being who he was, would want to take a kid on in a place like this?"

  Her forehead wrinkles again in that adorable way she has while her eyes go far away as if she never really stopped to think about Devil's motivations, especially considering he earned his club name well with his reputation. "I guess I never really thought about it," she finally answers.

  "The reason for that," I hesitate and blow out the longest fucking breath I ever have while I rake my hands through my hair. She squeezes my leg in an attempt to comfort me when I should be the one comforting her. My heart tightens in my chest like she's reaching between my ribs and holding it in her hand. It blows my mind how fucking kind Gigi is despite all the shit life's thrown at her.

  "The reason for that," I repeat, "is that you are… were… his daughter." The last part comes out quiet, almost a whisper, because I hate that the words coming out of my mouth have the power to hurt her.

  She watches me in shock, her lips parting on a gasp as her eyes go wide. "What the hell? No, he's not. My mom told me he was some loser trucker she had a one-night stand with who left her at a truck stop along the highway."

  "I think she lied, Gigi," I say softly, glad I haven't eaten anything yet this morning with how my guts are twisted up over the look on her face. She starts to shake her head, and then her hand starts to tremble around her coffee cup so much, I pluck it out of her grip and move it to the nightstand.

  "Does that mean… is Savage…" She looks up at me for guidance, like she hopes I have all the answers here, but I don't. I wrap her up in my arms, and she clings to me like I'm the only thing she can trust in a world that's suddenly not what she thought it was.

  "He's your brother, yeah."

  She picks up her head from where it was resting on my chest and looks at me with narrowed eyes. "He knew? He knew all this time and kept me locked up here like a fucking animal? Letting those deluded pieces of shit torture me and put their hands on me?" Her voice gets louder and more distressed with every word, and I rub circles on her back to calm her down.

  "He didn't know, not until Devil died and he found some files in his office. You really need to talk to him, baby. I've told you all I know, and he'll be able to fill in some blanks." She wiggles out of my hold and stands up, rushing to pull clothes on.

  Even in this situation, I can't help but notice how fucking stunning Gigi is while she pulls on clothes that I hate because they cover her body from me. This excited energy skitters through my body that I have to work to shut down, because now is not the time for me to be thinking about how good it feels to sink into her.

  When she goes into the bathroom and shuts the door, I fall back onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling while I wait for her. This is such a shitshow, but she needs to sort out whatever's going on with her brother.

  I have to admit it's weird as fuck to say that, but it's true.

  Gigi steps out of the bathroom with a look of determination in her eye and steel in her spine, so I push up off the bed and take her hand, kissing the tip of every one of her fingers before lacing them with mine. "This is a good thing. You're going to get answers, and from what I've seen around here so far, Savage is a decent guy. You know he made me a deal yesterday? Before we found you in the basement? He knows who I am and what I'm here to do, and if I help him figure out how to fix what's broken with this club, he'll let you go when I leave."

  Her eyes widen for the second time this morning, and I'm happy to have gotten all that shit out in the open. I don't like keeping shit a secret, especially from the girl I've fallen for. Building a future on a stack of lies is never going to work.

  "He said that?" She looks at me with so much hope in her eyes that this nightmare really will end for her someday that it makes my knees weak. I made her a promise, and it's one I will do whatever I have to do, to keep.

  I nod, and she blinks a few times as her eyes swim with unshed tears. I know she wants to look strong when she faces Savage, so I give her a minute to take a few deep breaths while holding her hand in a silent show of support. "Ready?" I ask when her jaw tightens, and she shakes her shoulders out.

  She nods once, and that's all the signal I need to get this over with. We don't talk on the walk down to Savage's office. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I know I have to go into town for a couple of hours to deal with a few things, but I can't go until I know she'll be okay with Savage watching over her while I do.

  Gigi doesn't knock on the door, and I wonder for a second if Savage is getting pissed off at how we've been ignoring the closed door of his private space. Instead, she throws it open and stalks into the room like she owns the place.

  Savage looks up from where he sits behind his desk, and Saint's eyes follow the direction of the disturbance and flash knowingly when he spots Gigi. "I'm just going to…" Saint says, closing the laptop open on his lap and standing up to leave. He rushes out past both of us without another word and closes the door behind him.

  "I guess the secret's out," Savage says with a half-smile as he leans back in his chair and gestures for Gigi to sit in the seat Saint just vacated. This conversation is likely to be uncomfortable as fuck, and I don't know how much I should stay for. The energy in the room is awkward, and I bite my cheek to keep from lashing out to snap the tension.

  It's not my place, though. This is Gigi's show, and she's gotta do it the way she sees fit. She's looking at Savage like she's never seen him before, studying him for similarities or maybe the truth of his words. I'm not a mind reader, but that'd be what I'd be doing if I found out I had a long-not-so-lost sibling.

  I take the chair beside her and reach out to tip her face in my direction. "Do you want me to stick around for this? If you want privacy, I have some errands I can run." Gigi looks back at her brother and then at me again, squaring her shoulders.

  "I've got this. Go, and I'll fill you in when you get back." Her eyes soften as she looks at me like she's grateful I'm giving her the space to do this on her own. I may be a possessive asshole, but I like to think I know when to step back and let her face what she needs to in a supportive role.

  "You sure?" I ask because I don't want to leave if she's faking her confidence because she thinks she's jeopardizing my mission or something. She gives me a small smile and leans forward, dropping a quick kiss on my lips. She tastes minty and sweet, and I run my tongue along my lips, chasing more. Her gaze drops to the motion, and I have to look away before we get lost in the heat that always builds between us so easily.

  I glare at Savage, putting on my best menacing expression. "
You better protect her while I'm gone. If I hear of anyone even saying one fucking word to her that's upsetting in any way, I'll burn this motherfucking place to the ground," I promise. "You know I'm capable of that shit, so I suggest you don't test me."

  He chuckles, but it's the dark kind like he understands exactly what I'm saying because he'd do the same damn thing. "I'd expect nothing less. What happened yesterday," he starts, and shadows cross his eyes as his jaw clenches. "It will never happen again."

  "It better not." I turn back to Gigi. "Think you can stay out of trouble for the next two hours, little demon?" I reach out and tuck a soft strand of her hair behind her ear so I can see her green eyes better. They look subdued today, almost a sage green that reminds me of the cacti outside.

  "Yeah, I'm good here, I think," she says as she looks at her brother, and he gives her another small smile. Yep, it's still weird as fuck that he's her brother and that I'm about to trust him to keep her safe while I'm gone.

  "Alright, I'll be back in a couple of hours," I say, standing up and dropping a kiss on the top of her head before turning to shoot another glare at Savage. He better not fuck this up, or I don't care what he says, I'm throwing Gigi on the back of my bike and taking her to Elias—the newest addition to my team and a doctor—and having him dig the GPS tracker out from under her skin.

  When I step outside the office, I close the door and hope I'm making the right call leaving her here. Guilt makes my stomach twist into knots, but with how suspicious everything is here right now, I can't check on my team on club property anymore. It's disturbing as fuck how easily Saint hacked into my computer, so that's out, too.

  I'm moving a lot faster than I normally would as I jog out to my bike. It's still early, and half the club isn't awake yet, so the only thing I have to contend with on my way outside is a couple of the sweet butts—I don't remember their names, but they're both unnaturally blonde and sexually aggressive—who block my path, trapping me in a cloud of choking perfume as they try to lure me into their room.