Target: A Military Romance (Unwanted Soldiers Book 1)

by Aden Lowe

  The sudden change in his attitude, from semi-relaxed, to all business, prevented me from asking what he meant at the moment. Instead, I went along as he ushered me down the stairs, with a quick pause while he assessed the outside, then to the car. When we reached the car, he took a moment to look all around it, then unlocked it and helped me inside.

  "What did you mean, from door to car?"

  The keys rattled as he put one in the ignition. "I mean the car should be waiting for you, already checked out and safe, and you should go right from the door and into the car." He started the car, and after a little maneuvering, pulled us into traffic. "How does this work? You have the so-called breakfast with the Senator, then go on about your day?"

  "Yes. I usually have charity things, or meetings. I had more free time when I worked full-time." I laughed a little, but the joke fell flat.

  "I imagine so. You have appointments today?" The easy-going banter from earlier had disappeared entirely.

  It made me wonder if I hadn't imagined the whole thing. "Yes. Jared thinks it's important for me to choose a cause to support, for when he becomes President. As First Lady, I can do a lot of good for people."

  "You've chosen something already?" His blue gaze met mine in the rearview.

  I hated riding in the back, especially while trying to hold a conversation. "My first choice wasn't suitable. Jared felt it wouldn't resonate enough with the American public. So I have to decide on something else."

  "What was your first choice?"

  "Mental health awareness and affordable treatment. But that gets into unsavory behaviors, homelessness, addiction, and other unpleasant things. He thinks I should start a children's literacy organization."

  Trick's laughter rang out in the enclosed space of the car, startling me. "Let me get this straight. You're supposed to support some cause that people will relate to?"

  "Yes. Is that funny?"

  "No, not at all. But there are dozens of programs to get kids to read. It's taking the easy way out, in my opinion. Something to actually make a difference for people with mental illnesses? That's not so easy." One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug, and he returned his full attention to driving.

  I fell silent as the words sunk in. He was right, of course. The causes Jared considered acceptable were the popular ones. If I wanted to make a real difference to anyone, I needed to look further, and deeper. Helping people should not be about being popular, or politically correct, or whatever term they wanted to put on it this time around.

  The coincidence of Trick's advice fitting better than Jared's wasn't lost on me. Or maybe coincidence and chance had nothing to do with it. Maybe Trick just took the time to notice things around him, and paid attention to people. There had never been a time during mine and Jared's relationship when he didn't run everything by his advisors.

  "Lauren, I'd like to see more of you, and I'd like us both to agree not to see anyone else. Tabitha and my other advisors agree, an exclusive relationship with you will appeal to voters. Are you willing?"

  It bothered me when Jared consulted his advisors about the progress of our relationship, even before he mentioned anything to me. At the time, I put my hurt feelings aside, and agreed, glad to move to the next phase with a man who cared about me. Now, maybe it bothered me a little more.

  The ride went by quickly, and before I was ready, Trick pulled the car into the space by the door into Jared's building. The doorman rushed out to open my door, as usual, but Trick beat him to it, and waved him away. He took a good look around, then opened my door himself, offering his hand to assist me.

  I accepted with a smile. "Thank you, but you didn't have to do that."

  "I take my job seriously. If I let someone I don't know run up and get you out of the car, I'd be stupid. This is why we need a second person when you're out, at least to deal with the car." He took my arm and guided me to the front door, watchful and poised for action.

  As soon as we were inside the building, he became even more alert. "Is something wrong?" If a threat came, I wanted to know, and be able to do whatever it took to stay safe.

  "Nothing unusual. Keep moving." The short reply kind of hurt my feelings.

  Jared lived on the first floor, and the housekeeper opened the door, just like always. Her smile widened a little when she spotted Trick at my side. "He's on the patio already."

  "Thank you." I followed her through the sleek, modern living room, and out onto the patio, where the table waited. Jared stood to one side, totally absorbed in a conversation with Tabitha, his assistant.

  The look she sent my way would have curdled milk if I were a cow. I didn't know what I did to her, but whatever it was, she never let it drop. Every time I saw her, she either gave me a dirty look, or made a snide comment. Worse, Jared backed up everything she said.

  The spiteful little bitch in me reared her head. Jared always wanted me to just wait by the table until he finished whatever business happened to have his attention when I arrived for breakfast.

  This time, I sauntered over, slid my arm around his waist, and tip-toed to kiss his cheek. "Good morning, dear. I'll wait while you finish your little meeting." I shifted my gaze to Tabitha. "Sweetie, you really should get more rest. The dark circles aren't really a becoming look." I let my heels click a little more aggressively on the tile than necessary as I went back to the table.

  Trick held my chair for me, his lips twitching with humor. I sat, and poured myself a glass of juice. For once, I wasn't going to stand meekly and wait for Jared to grace me with his presence. I might regret it later, but for the moment, I refused to be the quiet, obedient little woman.

  Jared's pale gaze flicked over me, then went to where Trick waited at a distance. He said something else to Tabitha, then came over to the table. "What is this all about?"

  My inner bitch refused to back down. "What's what all about?" I took a sip of my juice, and helped myself to a croissant and butter.

  A scowl creased his brow, and he pulled out his own chair. "This behavior is unlike you, Lauren."

  I deliberately raised my brows. "Behavior? I said good morning to you, then sat down to wait for you. Is there something wrong with that?"

  He inhaled slowly, as if struggling for control. A chill of fear settled into my spine, but I ignored it. "You're usually more polite than to barge into a conversation, or to sit before I'm ready to join you."

  The burn on my thigh throbbed, and seemed to spur on the part of me I never allowed out. "It's hardly polite of you to order me to arrive at a specific time, then keep me waiting while you meet with your little assistant."

  A faint spot of red showed high on each cheekbone, and his gaze returned to where Trick waited. "Excuse me a moment." He stood. "Would you come here, please?"

  "Yes, sir." Trick strolled over. "What can I do for you, Senator?"

  "Why are you still here?" The red on Jared's cheeks darkened. "Miss Johnson has no need of your services at the moment. She is perfectly safe here."

  "Respectfully, sir, as we discussed yesterday, I take my job seriously. There is always risk, even in familiar surroundings." Now that I knew him a little better, I could detect the sarcasm in Trick's tone. "It would be all too easy for someone to climb that fence, which is designed for aesthetics, rather than security. Neither of you are safe out here without someone keeping watch." He backed away, then went back to the place he claimed earlier.

  Jared returned to his seat, his eyes dark with fury. "My first order of business today is to have that man removed." The linen napkin snapped with his anger as he shook it out before placing it in his lap.

  "Why?" What on earth had gotten into me? "He's doing his job, and very well, it seems to me. I would far rather err on the side of caution. Your political aspirations put me in danger, and I prefer to remain in one piece. If that means someone hovering nearby, ready to keep me safe, so be it." My heart raced. I never opposed Jared so directly.

  Jared stared at me for a moment, exercising remarkable restrai
nt for him. "We will discuss it, at length, later. What are your plans for the day?"

  I smiled. "I'm scheduled to meet with Ruth Smythe, from the childhood literacy council we discussed a few weeks ago. However, I decided to cancel, and do something else."

  Jared's eyebrows nearly disappeared under his hair. "Excuse me? Why are you going to cancel? That is incredibly rude."

  "Rude? How? I'm calling to cancel, rather than just not show up." I took a bite of my croissant to gain time to bolster my courage. "I'm cancelling because I've decided I'm not interested in supporting that as my cause."

  The heavy scowl returned. "And what, may I ask, precipitated that decision? I thought we agreed, children's literacy is a good, solid cause."

  "Oh, it is. Just not the one I want to get behind right now."

  "And what, pray tell, in all your political wisdom, have you chosen to support?" The sarcasm made the back of my neck tingle. That tone usually came right before he completely lost his temper.

  I fought the urge to bite my lip, and just back down. Trick was right. If I wanted to actually help people, I couldn't take the easy choice. "Mental health awareness and affordable treatment."

  Dark red suffused his face. "We agreed that was not an acceptable interest."

  "No, you agreed."

  His hand lashed out so fast I didn't even see it coming. The blow landed on my chin with enough force to knock my head back. Jared stood, towering over me, his fist drawn back. "You will do as you are told. I don't know where this rebelliousness is coming from, but it needs to stop."

  Fear turned me to stone, and all I could do was watch his fist come at me, and squeeze my eyes closed at the last instant.

  The blow never landed.

  Jared grunted and cursed. I managed to open my eyes, despite the fear.

  Trick held Jared's fist, entirely enclosed in his larger hand. "You really don't want to do that, Senator." The coldness of his tone sent a shiver down my spine.

  Jared turned to face him, slow and deliberate in his movements. "That was a fatal error."

  Trick grinned, but the expression held all the warmth of an arctic winter. "The minute you think you're man enough, you come right fuck on. Unlike a woman, I assure you, I hit back. Hard." He tightened his grip on Jared's fist, then thrust it away from him. "Miss Johnson, if you're ready, we should go. You have a schedule to keep, after all."

  I stood, in a daze, and allowed Trick to lead me out of Jared's apartment, out of the building, and to the car. Jared would be even more furious with me. My hands started shaking in shock. I dreaded facing him again, bearing the brunt of his anger.

  Chapter ten

  It took everything I had not to kill that bastard. When he drew his fist back to hit her again, I nearly acted on the need. The entire time I walked at her side, leading her from his apartment, the little spot right in the center of my shoulder blades tingled, expecting a bullet to come crashing into me at any moment. The bullet never came, though, and eventually, I held the door for Lauren to get in the car, and got us the hell out of there.

  "Back to your apartment?" I had no idea of anywhere else to take her, and couldn't imagine she might want to go anywhere else, anyway.

  She sighed. "Yes. I think I'll stay in today, after all." Tears trickled down her cheeks when I glanced at her in the rearview.

  I silently cursed Senator Jared Richardson all the way to her building, then escorted her upstairs. She refused any help this time, so once she was securely tucked away in her apartment, I called McKinley.

  "It's Ross. I have a problem."

  "Is the client okay?" Worry came clearly through the phone.

  "Yeah. Well, not really, but nothing security-wise." Explaining this was not going to be pretty, and would probably go better face-to-face. "You have anyone who could relieve me for a few minutes? I'd like to meet with you, if possible."

  "Actually, your shift relief just checked in. He'll be there in about five minutes. I found someone to come in."

  "Cool. I'll see you at the office in a bit, then." I ended the call, and debated how much to tell McKinley. Either way, I needed to let Lauren know someone else would be here for the time being. I knocked at the door, and waited while she undid the locks.

  "Trick, is something wrong?"

  The sight of the darkening bruise on the lower part of her jaw made me forget for a moment what I needed to tell her. "Uh, no, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to let you know I'll be leaving in a little bit. McKinley called someone in to relieve me, even though I'd rather stay. But since you're staying in, you'll be safe anyway."

  A touch of fear crossed her face. "You're leaving? Do you know when your next shift is?"

  I quickly counted hours. If I kept the meeting with McKinley short, I could crash for a few hours, and still make it back by evening. "I'm not sure how the schedule works, since I'm new with McKinley. Do you have your phone handy?"

  She looked a little surprised, but nodded and disappeared inside, returning with her cell phone. I quickly put my number in her contacts, and sent myself a text so I would have her number as well.

  "There. You have my number. If you need anything, even if you just want to talk, call or text me. If you get frightened, I'm nearby, so I can get here in a few minutes." Add changing motels to my little list of things to do. I'd spotted one in her neighborhood the day before, and already intended to switch.

  She shook her head a little, and a lock of hair fell forward. "No, I don't want to bother you. I'll be fine."

  Unable to resist, I tucked the hair back. "It's no bother. You'd be saving me from death by boredom. I don't know anyone here, yet, remember?"

  The wistful smile she gave made me ache to kiss her sadness away. "Death by boredom wouldn't be a good way to go. Okay, you convinced me."

  "Try to have a good day, Lauren. Don't forget to call me." My replacement chose that moment to arrive, and introduced himself. I waited until Lauren was safely locked back inside her apartment to leave.

  On second thought, I turned back. "Hey, Toller, can I have a word?"

  "Sure." He dropped into the chair on the landing, which annoyed the piss out of me.

  "You ever covered Miss Johnson before?" My hands itched to slap some respect into him.

  He shrugged. "No, I'm just coming off another detail. She sure looks like she needs security, though. Body like that, I'll be fighting them off her."

  Rage rolled over me, forcing me to work to rein it in. "Her body is of no concern to you, other than ensuring her safety. Just be aware, her fiancé, Senator Richardson, is the one who put those bruises on her face. If he shows up, be alert."

  "Will do." He straightened in the chair a little. "Relax a little, man. You seem awfully uptight."

  Uptight didn't even come close. "Just stay alert." I jogged down the stairs, trying to ignore the nearly overwhelming need to go back and send Toller on his way.

  Only the reminder that no outside threat really existed kept me from doing exactly that. Richardson's reason for increasing her security was orchestrated by me, so as long as the Senator stayed away, everything would be fine. By the time I walked into the office, I was almost convinced.

  "Eric's waiting for you." The same receptionist, or whatever title she held, waved me on back with a smile. "Thanks for taking the extra shift, by the way."

  "No problem." I wasn't in the mood to flirt with her, so I went to McKinley's office rather than waste the time.

  "What's up, Ross?"

  "Mind if I close the door?" At his gesture, I shut it securely, and took a seat. "I wanted to talk to you about Lauren Johnson. Or rather, Senator Richardson."

  "Let me guess. You'd rather be on his detail." McKinley frowned and made a note on a legal pad in front of him. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything. Everyone wants on the big jobs."

  "Actually, no. It wouldn't be a good idea to put me protecting that bastard." I waited, watching while my words sunk in.

  "Seriously?"


  "Did you know he hits Miss Johnson?" The moment of truth had arrived. Either he knew and didn't care, or he had no idea and would be as angry as I was.

  "You're kidding? How did you find out?" The sudden frown made me feel a little better.

  "I saw him. And so did the man on his detail. In the car, last night, on the way to some unplanned thing, he got pissed and slapped her. Then this morning, at breakfast, he hit her, closed fist." My muscles vibrated with anger again, at the memory.

  "Fuckkk! If this gets out, it'll ruin his political career." He made more notes.

  My jaw clenched so hard I probably cracked a molar. If this bastard cared about nothing more than the blowback, I would make sure he went down, too. "He'll probably call you and demand you fire me. I stopped him from hitting her a second time this morning."

  He grinned. "Good. I hope you made it hurt. If he calls, I'll tell him you're my best man, so he doesn't want to lose you."

  I relaxed a little. "I didn't want to go too far with it. And I'd hate for my action to bite you in the ass. He seems like that kind of person."

  "I have no doubt. Don't worry about it, though. We're not the biggest firm in town, but we're the best, and he knows it. I'll handle him." He stood and offered his hand. "Thanks for bringing this directly to me."

  "I figured anyone on her needed to know, and you definitely did, just in case." I stood and accepted the handshake. "One more thing. If you can swing it, I'd like to pull doubles, first and second shift. I'm new in town and need to hurry up and make the deposit and first rent to get a place."

  "You sure you're down for that?"

  "I got nothing else to do, and I don't sleep much."

  He nodded. "Alright. I can definitely make that happen. Being stretched so thin right now is really fucking up the schedules. That'll help a lot."

  The move to the motel in Lauren's neighborhood took less than an hour. The place had seen better days, and was much smaller than the hotel I left. The room was spotless, though, even if the bedspread was a little threadbare. I settled in quickly, stripped, and fell into the bed, tired as fuck.