The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  Behind her sat a man named Ryder, popping Hot Tamales in his mouth in between keystrokes. Lexi had met him the day they arrived at the house. He was wearing large headphones, and she could hear music blasting from them. How was he not deaf?

  And talk about cute. He looked a little younger than her with hair that hit his shoulders. He had incredible chocolate eyes, and if he didn’t surf, she’d eat a shoe. He was every bit the part of a beach bum surfer with sun-kissed skin and a relaxed demeanor.

  “You wanted to see me?” Lexi asked.

  “Well, yes, but Noah also wanted a minute with Jake.”

  Lexi tilted her head. “Why didn’t he just say that?”

  Pamela smiled. “I’ve learned that men are particularly strange creatures.”

  “We are not,” Ryder said.

  Lexi shot Pamela a confused look.

  Pamela shrugged. “No idea. That’s a new one.”

  “It’s a gift.” Ryder pulled his headphones off, spun in his chair, and gave her a lopsided grin. “Actually, don’t tell anyone, but I could read your lips in the reflection of the monitor screen.”

  “Okay, yeah, that’s a gift,” Lexi said.

  “So, how’s Jake?” he asked.

  “Sore and tired, kind of like he’s been shot and beaten.”

  Ryder shrugged. “Eh, nothing he’s not used to.”

  “I’m not used to it,” Lexi replied. “Guess I will be soon since I’ll be doing my residency.”

  Pamela walked to Lexi and touched her shoulder. “No matter how many times you see someone hurt, it will never affect you like seeing someone you care about in the same condition.”

  “You speak from experience?”

  “I lost my husband a year ago. He was killed in a drive-by shooting. I’d seen a lot as a detective on the police force, but Henry…” Pamela voice cracked. “Nothing could have ever prepared me for that.”

  Lexi jaw dropped. “Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been awful.”

  “It was, and for a while, I drifted, but unbeknownst to me, he’d left me with the ability to pretty much do what I want.”

  “And that’s how this started?”

  Pamela nodded. “You could say that.”

  “Noah said you had news about my papa?”

  Ryder lifted a finger. “I do. I got a satellite image of him at an estate in Northern California. Looks like it’s owned by that Faustus Zikas guy.”

  Lexi took a seat at the table. “That’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

  “There’s been nothing but radio silence since you guys left Ellington. Nothing. Which silence I get, but there’s been a lot of movement. We’re still trying to figure out what he’s up to,” Ryder said.

  Another man strolled into the room, tossed down a large backpack, and bumped fists with Ryder.

  “How’d it go, Gunner?” Ryder asked the man.

  Gunner shrugged. “Uh, DA took my testimony, and it’s looking like he’s going to jail.”

  “Scum.”

  Gunner turned to Lexi. “And who is this fetching creature?”

  Wow. This guy was beefy, and that was saying something since she was comparing every man she met to Jake. He dwarfed Jake by a good three inches and fifty pounds—all muscle. He had dimples, a square jaw, and if he’d said he was a movie star, she’d have believed him. Still, he wasn’t Jake. And in her mind, there was no one better or better-looking.

  “She’s Jake’s,” Ryder said.

  The man smiled, and Lexi knew this man was used to women taking one look and swooning. “I’m Gunner.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it.

  “He’s going to kill you, man,” Ryder said.

  Gunner laughed. “What? I’m being polite.”

  Ryder rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, when Jake politely kills you in your sleep, you’ll wish you’d listened to me.”

  “Eh, Jake’s a softy. He couldn’t hurt a fly.” Gunner took a seat across from Lexi. “So, what’s going on, boss?”

  Pamela leveled her gaze at him. “I’m not your boss. I’m your—”

  “―lady who tells me what to do. Definition: boss.” Gunner shot her a spectacular smile.

  “You can give your debrief later. In the meantime, we’ll get you caught up.” Pamela plopped a manila folder on the table and took a seat in front of it. “Lexi, mind starting from the top again?”

  “No,” Lexi replied and began telling Gunner everything. His face fell the second she mentioned Jake being her husband, and Pamela choked down a laugh. Once Lexi finished telling him, Pamela took over with what they’d learned.

  “Give me all the files and an hour. I’ll have it figured out,” Gunner said, holding his hand out for the folder.

  Pamela slid it over to him and stood. “Lexi, how about you and I grab a bite to eat and sit on the veranda outside a minute?”

  Lexi nodded. “Okay.” She stood and followed Pamela out of the room, down a hall, and into the kitchen. The same woman who’d brought them tea a few days ago was standing over a tall stockpot. Her dark highlighted hair was pulled back, and she had an apron tied around her thin waist. She was older than Lexi but not quite as old as Pamela.

  The woman turned and smiled. “Hi, I should have introduced myself before now, but it seemed you were dealing with enough when you first got here. I’m Meredith Young.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Lexi Maheras.”

  The woman nodded. “I know. How’s Jake?”

  “Better, but it’s going to take some time before he’s a hundred percent,” Lexi said. It seemed like everyone in the house knew and cared about Jake. The only person who hadn’t asked about him was Gunner, which, now that she thought about it, was odd. Maybe she’d ask Jake about that later.

  “Merry, think you could fix us some sandwiches and ice tea and bring it to the veranda?” Pamela asked.

  “Sure. I’ll get it together and bring it right out.”

  From there, Lexi followed Pamela out into the cool night air. Soft light illuminated the space just enough that she could see. “I had no idea what time it was. The windows are all so dark.”

  “We keep them dark for a reason. When I picked this place, I thought it would be great, but being on South Padre Island, right on the beach…it’s turning out that I may have let my desire to sink my toes in the sand cloud my judgment.”

  “Oh, how long have you been here?”

  “Not long, and I’ve been sending out feelers for a new location. Somewhere on the east coast. I like having access to the water. It gives us more transportation options.”

  “I can see that.”

  Pamela sat down in a chair and waited for Lexi to sit as well. The roar of the waves hitting the sand could be heard in the distance, and the wind blowing through hedges was soothing. A few moments later, Merry brought out a tray and set it on the table in front of them.

  “Thank you, Merry.”

  “You bet,” she said and walked back into the house.

  “I love it out here. At night, under the stars, when the world is asleep and I can hear the waves and only the waves,” Pamela said.

  Lexi pointed her face to the sky and nodded. “It’s incredible.”

  Pamela leaned forward with her arm draped over her knees and began eating her sandwich. After a couple of bites, she brushed her hands together and took a sip of tea. Lexi followed her lead and took a bite of hers.

  When Pamela offered her something to eat, Lexi didn’t think she was all that hungry, but that first bite only highlighted how famished she was. Before she knew it, she’d devoured the sandwich.

  Lexi wiped her mouth and took a long drink of the tea. “I really didn’t think I was starving.”

  “I thought you might be,” Pamela said and finished off her sandwich. The silence stretched out, and she leaned back in her chair. “I noticed something when you were telling Gunner about Jake.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You went from saying married to calling hi
m your husband.”

  Lexi sucked in sharp breath. Now that Pamela had brought it to her attention, she had done that. Husband had rolled off her tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jake was hers, and staking that claim made her happy. Not that she was going to tell Pamela that. “It was a slip.”

  “I see,” Pamela said and smiled. “Personally, I’ve been waiting for Jake to fall for someone.”

  “Oh, I don’t—”

  “You can see it when he looks at you.”

  Lexi shook her head. “He’s just glad I’m safe.”

  Pamela nodded. “I guess that could be it. He does seem relieved that you’re here.”

  “Exactly. We’ll get the marriage annulled as soon as we can. He’ll go back to bodyguarding, and I’ll finish up my medical degree.” It was as though she was taking a knife and plunging it into her heart. The idea that they’d part ways made her physically ill, and it was the last thing she wanted.

  “Perhaps that’s for the best. I can’t imagine how much you’ve sacrificed to get your degree.”

  “I have. I have everything planned out.” Tears pooled in her eyes. A plan without Jake. What was she going to do without him? She’d been a hysterical mess when they first arrived. Not knowing if he was going to live or die. Wondering if she’d ever get to feel the warmth of his body next to hers or to kiss him again. It had been torture.

  “I think you’ll find plans are not all they’re cracked up to be sometimes. I had no plans other than to retire, sit on a porch drinking coffee with the love of my life, and growing old with him.”

  “And now you’re doing this.”

  “Exactly.” Pamela smiled.

  Maybe Lexi had clung to her plans too hard. She had made them right after her mother died. If she did a little digging, that was the catalyst for becoming a doctor. It’s what her mom wanted. Until her mom’s death, Lexi had wanted to study genealogy. Finding her family’s old records excited her, but once she found out her mother was sick, all her desires had melted away.

  “I haven’t always wanted to be a doctor.”

  “But you enjoy it now?”

  “I think I’ve been so focused on becoming a doctor that I’ve never stopped to question if I enjoyed it or not.” The revelation was a like brick hitting her. She’d felt elation at finishing her clinicals. Her mom would have been thrilled that she’d done so well in school. Of course, the reason she didn’t have a social life was that she had to study so hard. Medicine hadn’t come easy to her at all. She’d fought for every “A.”

  “That’s a question only you can answer.”

  “I didn’t even know I had a question. Papa just encouraged and supported me, but I wasn’t really listening either.”

  Pamela patted her hand and stood. “It’s amazing what stopping for a moment can do for you. In the quiet, all you have are your thoughts. I’m going to go check on Jake since I haven’t seen him today.”

  “I think I might sit here a minute.”

  “Take your time.”

  Lexi nodded, and Pamela walked into the house, leaving her with nothing but waves and wind. It seemed as though her list of things to weigh and consider kept getting longer. A relationship with Jake, if he wanted one, and now, the question, did she want to be a doctor? Did she love it?

  She loved helping people. That feeling of elation from giving comfort and meeting a need that the person wasn’t able to meet by themselves. Like with Jake when he was sick. She loved taking care of him, but while sewing his wound, she’d gagged more than once. And that wasn’t the first time. Had she skated over it in an attempt to finish her plan or to have the feeling that she was making her mom happy?

  Now she was left with the question of what Lexi wanted and what would make her happy. Maybe if she had the answers to those questions, she’d find the answers to her questions about Jake. One thing she was certain of: she loved Jake. She loved him more than all of her plans.

  Chapter 22

  With one hand braced on the bed, Jake held his midsection as he swung his legs over the side, grateful someone had thought to bring him a shirt and some pajama bottoms. The simple act of sitting upright left him breathless and pained. Lexi had left the night before and hadn’t returned. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but the compulsion to find out was enough to propel him out of bed.

  A tap came from the door, there was a pause, and then it opened. Lexi walked in and stopped. “What are you doing?”

  “Sitting up.”

  “I can see that. Why are you sitting up?” She crossed the room and stopped in front of him. Her little gray t-shirt and white jeans hit every curve and did things to his nervous system.

  He lifted his gaze to hers. “You left and didn’t come back. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “When I came back last night, you were asleep. I went upstairs and took a shower, lay down a second, and fell asleep.”

  “So, you weren’t upset with me?”

  She tilted her head. “No, what could you have done to make me upset?”

  “You’d be surprised at the idiotic things I can do and remain unaware.” He chuckled and held his stomach tighter.

  Lexi stepped between his legs and took his face in her hands. “You haven’t done anything to upset me.” She smiled. “You need to lie back down.”

  “It hurts too much to move.”

  She held his gaze with those bright-blue eyes that seemed to shine a light on all the things that made him feel dark. Her fingertips skirted over his lips and along his jaw, and then she threaded her fingers through his hair. His head fell back as his eyes closed.

  He couldn’t hold back the groan. One day he’d have to figure out what it was that made that so enjoyable. “If my enemies ever find this out, I’m doomed.”

  Her lips brushed across his. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  Their breath mingled as her lips hovered over his.

  “I appreciate that,” he said.

  She drew her parted lips along his jaw and pressed a kiss below his ear. “Have any more secrets you need me to keep?”

  “A few, but I can tell you later.” He sank his hand into her hair and held her as he pulled her lips down to his.

  At first, the kisses were light and sweet. The kind made for greetings and social events. As they continued to kiss, they morphed into something needy. He’d never felt a hunger like he felt for her. He began to imagine building a life with her, but his thoughts were interrupted by gunfire.

  Jake pulled back and listened. How had the place been found? Was he responsible for that? If anything happened to Noah or Pamela, that would be a guilt he’d never get over.

  “What?” she asked.

  He looked up. “You don’t hear that?”

  “Shots?”

  “I have to get you out of here,” he said and pushed off the bed. His bare feet hit the cold tile, and his knees nearly buckled. He caught the nightstand and steadied himself as Lexi pulled his arm across her shoulders.

  “There’s no way you can fight your way through anything that’s happening.”

  He cupped her cheek. “I have to. I’ll get you out of here, and we’ll figure something out later.”

  Before heading to the door, he found his shoes and stuffed his feet in them, working to ignore the ache in his ribs. They reached the door, and Jake peeked out.

  It sounded like whoever was trying to get in was being held at bay at the moment. All of the shots still sounded like they were coming from outside. It seemed bizarre to him. Who would bring a firefight to a beach house in front of so many witnesses? Granted, the home was sitting away from all the others. But still, with as much gunfire as Jake was hearing, surely someone was curious and calling the police.

  “Stay behind me.”

  Lexi stayed on his heels as they sneaked down the hall to the steps. He stopped at the bottom and braced his hand on the banister. Charging up the steps was going to take more energy than he had, but if he could make it
to the garage, or even the helipad, he could get her out of there.

  He kept her behind him as they slowly took the stairs to the main floor, pausing every few steps to listen to the gunfire playing out. It was getting closer, and that meant Jake needed to hurry.

  The next few steps he took a little quicker, and when he made it to the landing, he paused. Suddenly, everything went silent, and he froze.

  “Mr. Maverick, please join us in the living room. We have much to discuss,” a familiar Greek voice said.

  “Faustus?” Lexi hugged his arm. “How?”

  “Please join us before I start shooting people,” Faustus called.

  Jake looked down at Lexi. He’d let her and her father down. He’d let Pamela, Noah, Ryder, and Gunner down too. It seemed everything he touched turned rancid if given enough time. He held Lexi behind him as he made his way through the house to the living room.

  When he reached it, he found Noah and Ryder on their knees with their hands laced behind their heads. Gunner and Pamela were missing, which meant Gunner must have taken Pamela away before they were breached.

  “I’m sorry, guys,” he said.

  “Why don’t we put these men somewhere a little safer while we talk, Mr. Maverick?” Faustus looked at a burley guy standing behind Noah and Ryder. The man barked at Noah and Ryder to get to their feet. He cuffed their hands and then forced them out of the room. A door deeper in the home opened and shut, and then the man returned, keeping his gun aimed at Jake.

  “Now, this is much better.”

  “I won’t let you take her,” Jake said.

  Faustus smiled. “I never thought you would.”

  “What do you want, then?” Jake pulled Lexi further behind him, blocking her completely with his body.

  “I’d like to speak to Lexi if you don’t mind.”

  “No.”

  Lexi pulled free of Jake and stepped in front of him. “What?”

  Faustus held her gaze. “If you haven’t noticed, there are several weapons aimed at your bodyguard.”

  “You’d kill an unarmed man?” Lexi asked, disgust lacing the words.

  “No, but I do have a proposition for you,” Faustus said as he took a seat in one of the chairs. “Something I think you’ll find more than generous.”