Special Ops Bodyguard

Just days ago, someone had taken his only daughter, Lana, hostage in an attempt to win his cooperation with a nefarious plot, and his son Dylan had hired two bodyguards to babysit him around the clock. Arrangements had been made for him to come here, to the Bar Lazy K, to hide.

Hide! Like some pathetic rabbit scurrying down a hole away from a fox. He was a senator, damn it! A leader! He hated the idea of holing up in his son’s ranch like some cowering wimp. He needed to be doing something to find Lana. To get the wolves off his back. Not hiding at his son’s house, no matter how well-protected and secure the ranch was.

Hank gritted his teeth and drummed his fingers on the bedside table.

If only he’d never gone to that meeting of the Raven’s Head Society, the highly secretive assembly of powerful men who now had him by the balls, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Lana would still be safe in Europe. His career wouldn’t be on the line. He wouldn’t be constantly looking over his shoulder wondering who he could trust.

Or waiting for the media to flash breaking news that President Joe Colton had been killed and he’d been framed as the chief suspect in the murder conspiracy.

Hindsight might be twenty-twenty, but it provided no solutions—only deep regret. He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the bedside table. Dammit, there has to be a way to stop this juggernaut before anyone gets hurt!

Across the room, Bart Holden, his night-duty bodyguard, folded his arms over his barrel chest. “If you’re ready to call it a night, I’ll give you some privacy. If you need me, I’ll be right outside the door. Or you can use the intercom.”

Hank cast a side glance to the call button by his bed and jerked a nod. “Good night.”

One reason for coming to Cole’s ranch rather than lying low somewhere else was Cole’s elaborate security system, which Hank’s somewhat paranoid mother had installed to protect her vast wealth before selling the property to her grandsons. The entire main house had been wired with an intercom system, the wine cellar had been modified to be a panic room in case of trouble, and security cameras and an alarm system protected each outbuilding and the main house.

But being locked down in a house as secure as Fort Knox didn’t ease Hank’s mind. Lana was being held hostage. The president was in danger. And past mistakes of every sort had crept out of the shadows to ruin Hank’s career and threaten his life.

He had to find a way to stop the Raven’s Head Society. And soon.

Kate rubbed her throbbing elbow, which had taken the brunt of her fall, and held her breath as Gage squared off with Larry. This could get ugly.

She glanced toward the kitchen where Pete Greenburg, the cook, would be cleaning pots and pans in preparation for closing. Pete, who had recently celebrated his sixtieth birthday, had expressed his concern for Janet’s situation before, but also made it clear he chose to stay out of other people’s business. The cook would be of little help if a brawl erupted.

Maybe she should call the local police. Or better yet, since Larry had too many friends in the Maple Cove Police Department, she should call Wes Colton, the county sheriff. Wes had a reputation with the ranchers for being a fair and reliable lawman.

“Let. Go. Of. Her. Arm.” Gage grated through clenched teeth. His icy blue eyes lasered into Larry, and veins stood out on his linebacker neck.

Rising slowly from the floor and dusting her hands, Kate studied Gage’s glowering countenance and chiseled features. His granite expression brooked no resistance, nor did his unflinching position blocking Larry’s escape. Muscled arms, one with a barbed wire tattoo around his bicep, folded across a chest wide enough to more than fill the door.

Kate shivered. If she hadn’t seen flashes of good humor from Gage earlier, she’d swear the man was made of rock or steel. Hard. Cold. Surly.

Yet he was defending her and Janet from Larry’s rough treatment. Something no other man in Maple Cove had ever done. Larry’s buddies on the police force looked the other way every time Kate called them to help Janet. Of course, it didn’t help that Janet never pressed charges.

He didn’t mean it, Katie. I’m fine. I provoked him. He’s sorry, and he promised never to do it again.

Kate was thoroughly sick of Janet’s excuses, but what could she do if her sister refused to leave the abusive marriage? Kate would stick by Janet, her only blood relative, as long as it took.

Knowing that this rough-hewn man, this stranger who had found his way to their small town, was taking her side, seeing the situation for what it was and doing something about it, made Kate feel a certain bond with him. As though they were allies in a war.

Even if her ally was rather … brutish and gruff.

He was here, after all, to protect Hank Kelley. That meant he had to be tough. Right? But he was still a good guy. Wasn’t he?

“Move your ass,” Larry snarled, releasing Janet but not backing down from his opponent.

Gage held firm. “Apologize to Kate for shoving her and to Janet for hurting her arm.”

“Bite me.” Larry balled his fists.

The dark glare Gage nailed on Larry left a cold dread curling in Kate’s stomach. Ally or not, she decided the smart move on her part would be to avoid Gage Prescott while he was in town. She had no room in her life for brutish, grouchy men, even if she had felt a spark of attraction earlier, when he’d cracked his granite facade for an instant. She’d have sworn he was flirting with her, that he’d felt the same crackle of electricity when their eyes had met.

But what did she know about men? She’d never had more than a few dates before she’d moved to Maple Cove, and the list of available, desirable men in her new home was frighteningly short. Kate had resigned herself to being alone and celibate for the foreseeable future, because she refused to abandon her sister. Somehow she had to save Janet from her bad marriage and poor choices.

A muscle in Gage’s square jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth. “Apologize to the ladies. Or we’ll still be standing here at breakfast tomorrow morning.”

Kate had no doubt Gage had the stamina to outlast Larry in a battle of wills. She stooped to right the chairs she’d knocked over as she fell, but she kept a wary eye on the standoff.

Larry finally huffed a disgusted sigh and turned an angry gaze aside. “Sorry, Kate. Janet.”

He cut a sharp look to Gage and cocked his head as if to say, “Well?”

Gage grunted and stepped aside.

Kate hurried over to her sister and stopped her from following Larry out the door. “Don’t go yet, Janet. Give him time to cool off.”

Janet shook her head. “He won’t cool down. He’ll just get madder. It’s better if I go now.”

“Janet!” Larry barked from the sidewalk, “Come on—now, or you’re walking home!”

She shrugged and forced a grin for Kate as she headed out. “Don’t forget to scrub out the tea urn, Kate. See you in the morning.”

Kate’s gut knotted, and tears clogged her throat. “Be careful, Janet! I love you!”

The diner door closed with a jangle of bells that seemed mockingly cheerful in light of the tension still vibrating in the air.

Kate stared out the plate glass window long after Janet and Larry had disappeared from view. How was she supposed to convince her sister that Larry wouldn’t change? Real love didn’t hurt. The promises Larry made and the apologies he piled on his abuse didn’t make up for his rough and demeaning treatment when he lost his temper.

“Are you hurt?”

The deep male voice shook her from her troubled thoughts. She spun around to find Gage watching her with those glacier-pale eyes. Wiping her hands on her apron, she managed a grateful smile as she shook her head.

“I’ll be fine. Just bumped my elbow.”

He stepped toward her as she hurried to the counter to finish cleaning up for closing. When he wrapped his large hand around her wrist, she gasped, as much startled by the electric tingle that raced through her from his touch as by his unexpected approach. “Let me have a look. I’m familiar with first aid.”

Kate felt the heat rush to her cheeks, and she silently cursed her Nordic genes that made her flush at the slightest provocation. Having Gage’s wall of testosterone towering over her as he gently probed her elbow was more than enough to start butterflies swirling inside her.

“I don’t think anything’s broken,” he murmured as he examined her arm.

“Told you.”

When he angled his gaze to meet hers, Kate flashed a teasing grin. He arched one dark eyebrow, and a dizzying combination of attraction and intimidation buffeted her. With his thick, wavy brown hair, broad shoulders and square jaw, Gage definitely had masculine appeal. But his piercing blue eyes and unsmiling mouth rattled her, especially since she didn’t have a lot of experience with men to begin with. She didn’t fear him, per se. After all, he’d come to Janet’s rescue, stood up for them against Larry. His chivalry went a long way, in her book, toward excusing a stern persona.

As if she were looking for a man … Kate gave her head a quick shake. She had no business sizing Gage up. He was only a visitor in town, and until she convinced Janet to leave Maple Cove, perhaps go back to Ohio where they had grown up, she had to make her sister her priority.

Besides, when she chose a man, she’d be looking for someone sweet and warm and kind. Someone safe. No temper-prone Larrys or gruff Gages for her. No thank you!

Gage released her arm and narrowed his eyes. “Tell me about him.”

Chapter 2

Kate blinked. She’d been lost in her own thoughts, and Gage’s request felt like a non sequitur. “I’m sorry?”

“Your sister’s husband. What’s his story?”

Kate’s shoulders sagged. “Oh. Larry.” She puffed her bangs off her forehead as she circled the end of the counter and started putting away silverware. “Well, clearly the guy acts like a jerk sometimes.”

His steady gaze held hers, showing no reaction to her comment. He showed little if any emotion at all, in fact. For not the first time, meeting his stoic expression brought to mind the craggy rock cliffs of the surrounding mountains. Hard. Cold. Unmoving.

“Go on,” he prodded.

Kate twitched a nervous grin, embarrassed to have been caught staring. And what about him staring at you?

“He’s not always like that, mind you.” Kate sighed and jammed a handful of drinking straws in the dispenser. “By tomorrow he’ll be apologizing all over the place and making her promises …” She let her voice trail off, wondering why she was telling this stranger her sister’s private business. With a quick, embarrassed grin, she shrugged the topic away.

“And he convinces her to stay.”

She cut a startled glance to his and nodded.

“Sounds like typical battered wife syndrome to me.”

Battered wife syndrome. A chill raced down Kate’s spine. Though she knew the truth about Janet’s marriage, hearing the harsh but honest term applied to her sister was unsettling.

“Has she called the police on him?” Gage asked.

Kate hesitated. Did she want to get into this with a man she just met? “Uh, yeah. She has. So have I. For all the good it does.” She gnawed her bottom lip and sighed. “Larry went to school with the guys on the force. They’re his buddies. They don’t do anything about him.”

Gage’s dark eyebrows drew together, and his light blue eyes turned stormy. His muttered curse rumbled like approaching thunder. Kate’s hands stilled on the countertop, and she tipped her head, studying him. “Why do you ask?”

His chin jerked up a notch. “Someone should do something about him. He can’t be allowed to hurt her, or you, and get away with it.”

“I’m trying to help her. I moved out here from Ohio about a year ago to be with her. She’s the only family I have, and I can’t let her—” She dropped her gaze to her hands when her voice cracked.

An awkward silence passed, filled only by the clatter of dishes from the kitchen where Pete was preparing for the next morning’s breakfast.

“Janet is lucky to have you.” The words were spoken so softly, she could almost believe she’d imagined them.

Lifting her head, she met a penetrating stare that seemed more caring now than icy. His pale blue irises were flecked with navy, which warmed his eyes and softened the hard edge he projected.

Or maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see. Was she so desperate for a man that she’d conjured tenderness and warmth in a stranger who’d yet to crack a smile for her?

Sucking in a deep breath, she rallied herself. “I believe I promised you a piece of my apple pie.”

Glad for the distraction, Kate took the pie down from the pastry stand and cut Gage a thick slice. “My best friend in Ohio was the Amish girl who lived next door to us. I learned to bake from her mother. I spent hours with them every day. Spent more time at their farm than at my own house, in fact. Anyway, Emma’s mother taught me to cook and people around here seem to think my desserts are pretty good. But judge for yourself.”

She slid the pie in front of him and handed him a clean fork.

Gage cut a bite, shoveled it into his mouth and chewed slowly. Kate held her breath, as if his verdict had the power to end or salvage her baking career.

His eyebrows lifted, and he nodded, licking flakes of crust from his lips.

Kate’s gaze zeroed in on the quick sweep of his tongue, and a fuzzy warmth swam through her, settling low in her womb. Dear heavens, why did such a simple thing seem … erotic to her?

Another flood of heat stung her cheeks. She wasn’t used to a man having this sort of effect on her.

After he swallowed, Gage turned the fork in his fingers idly.

“Well?” She canted toward him, all too eager for his assessment.

His stony expression shifted, his lips twisting wryly, and a sultry heat lighting his eyes. “Only thing I’ve ever had any better was sex.”

“Oh. I—” The heat in her cheeks shot straight to the roots of her hair. Her hand fluttered to her mouth, and she covered a stunned laugh. “I, uh … thanks. I’ve never … had my baking compared to sex before.”

His cheek twitched, and she’d have sworn she heard a chuckle rumble from his chest.

“Well, I’m finished back here,” Pete called to her as he shuffled out of the kitchen. “You’ll lock up when you leave?”

Gage sent her a puzzled frown. “You’re closing?” He flipped his wrist to check the large watch on his wide wrist. “It’s only eight o’clock.”

“This is a ranching town, Mr. Prescott. Most ranchers and their families have eaten dinner and headed to bed by now. Mornings come early in a ranch town, which means we’re open at 4:00 a.m. to serve breakfast.”

He lowered his brow and pressed his mouth in a firm line as if digesting this information.

“Well, then I should let you finish your work.” He shoveled another couple of bites of pie in his mouth and gave her a nod as he rose from his stool.

“Don’t rush off on my account. You can finish your pie, at least, then … maybe walk me to my car?”

He reached in his wallet and pulled out a couple of bills. “I’d be glad to walk you to your car, but … I wouldn’t have thought a woman had to worry about being accosted in a small town like this.”

Kate took off her apron and stashed it behind the counter. The infernal heat of her blush prickled her scalp again, as she gave him a bashful grin. “Well, yes … the town is quite safe, usually.”

He tipped his head and arched an eyebrow. “Then … are you flirting with me, Miss Rogers?”

Her heart beat triple-time under his narrow-eyed scrutiny. “Well, if you have to ask, I’m obviously not doing it right.”

He slid his check and payment across the counter to her. His expression lightened, and a small dimple appeared in his cheek. “On the contrary, I like your style.”

Even that hint of a smile sent her pulse racing. And his dimple … dear Lord, that dimple softened the hard edge to him and made her weak in the knees.

Easy, girl. The man is only passing through town. Kate gathered her purse and pulled out her keys to lock up the diner, warning herself not to get any crazy ideas about Gage Prescott, security specialist. She might not know much about men, but she knew enough to be certain Gage was not the sort to settle down in a small town in the middle of Nowhere, Montana.

When Senator Kelley left town, so would his hunky bodyguard.

As Gage drove back through the front gate of the Bar Lazy K, he found his mind drifting to Kate’s sunny smile and her endearing tendency to blush at the slightest provocation. He gave his head a firm shake and redirected his thoughts to his client and the reasons he’d been hired.

He drove past the sprawling main house and pulled the truck up to the ranch hands’ bunkhouse. In light of Kate’s comment about ranchers heading to bed early, Gage found the amount of activity on the ranch intriguing. A large number of men still milled about outside the bunkhouse, including several men working near the stables. Gage knew almost nothing about ranching, but even to him this amount of activity after dark seemed unusual.

As he climbed out of the truck, the ranch manager, an older Native American man named Rusty Moore, approached him with a smile, three large dogs circling his legs, barking. “Easy, Ace. He’s a friend. Evening, Mr. Prescott. A successful trip?”

Gage tossed the keys back to Rusty. “Somewhat. Thanks again for the use of the truck.”

“I’d say anytime, but the truth is this truck and most of the other vehicles will be tied up for the next several days. We leave early in the morning.” Rusty reached down to give one of the dogs a good scratch behind the ear. “You’ll guard the place while we’re gone, won’t ya, Ace? Good boy.”

The dog’s slow steps and gray muzzle told Gage the mutt was up in years, while the two others had the energy of youth. A black dog with a white spot on its head greeted Gage with a wiggle of excitement, planting his front paws on Gage’s hip to nuzzle his hand.

“Domino! Get down!” Rusty fussed. “Sorry about that. Border collies are great for herding, but what they have in ranching skills, ours lack in manners.”

Gage ruffled Domino’s furry head. “I don’t mind. I like dogs.” He cast his gaze around the commotion and honed in on Rusty’s earlier comment. “Why is everyone leaving tomorrow?”

The ranch manager nodded. “The annual roundup. We’ll drive or ride into the hills and find all the cattle, load ‘em up and bring them back to be sorted and sent to market. It’s a big job so most everyone goes.”

Gage rubbed his chin, deciding how the absence of all the ranch hands might affect his ability to protect the senator. Having the hands around was tantamount to having a fleet of guards watching for unusual activity on the property. In their absence, Gage and Bart would have a vast amount of land and several outbuildings to keep secure. “The stable and barn are monitored with security cameras, right?”

Rusty nodded. “All of the buildings are.”

“But is anyone monitoring the camera feed or is the video only used to identify a trespasser when there’s a problem?”

Rusty scoffed a laughed. “Mr. Cole doesn’t have the manpower to have someone watching the camera feed around the clock. Problems are rare. Having this many hands around is security enough most days.”

“Most days. But as you said, everyone is heading out tomorrow.”

Rusty frowned. “Are you expecting a problem?”

Gage shrugged. “Hard to say. I wouldn’t be here if trouble wasn’t a possibility, and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t familiarize myself with all the security measures in place.”

Rusty slid his fingers into the front pockets of his dusty jeans. “Cole should be up at the house by now. He can brief you on how the security system works.”

Gage jerked a nod. “Thanks.” He turned to head toward the main house then paused as Domino scampered across the yard in front of him. He shouldn’t underestimate the value of the dogs as a warning system in the event of trespassers. “Mr. Moore?”

Rusty turned.

“What are the other dogs’ names?”

The manager smiled and pointed to the older black dog with the gray muzzle. “That there is Ace. He’s fifteen years young and the daddy of these other two. He sticks pretty close to home, seeing as how he’s blind now.” He pointed to the third dog, more white than the other two. “That’s Mitzy, and you already met Domino. The younger two will go with us on roundup, so they won’t be in your hair.”

“I was actually thinking the dogs would help alert us in case of a break-in.”

“Ordinarily they would, but we need ‘em to work this week, herding cattle. But ol’ Ace, even without his sight, he’s still a pretty good guard dog. His hearing and sense of smell are still top-notch. He’ll bark if he thinks there’s a stranger we need to be alerted to.”

Gage gave the old dog a considering scrutiny. “All right, Ace. You’re my go-to guy out here. Got it?”

Hearing his name, Ace wobbled closer, tail wagging, and Gage let him sniff his hand before stroking the dog’s head. Ace followed Gage as he crossed the dusty yard to the main house, a massive, multilevel home made of river rock and natural timber.

As he neared the main entrance, Cole’s housekeeper, who’d been introduced to him earlier as Hannah Brown, appeared in the door. “There you are! I’ve had your dinner ready for an hour. Where have you been, mister?”

Gage blinked, startled by her scolding tone. He opened his mouth to tell the brusque older woman he’d eaten at Ira’s Diner when he realized her gaze was on Ace rather than him.

“Come on, boy.” She clicked her tongue and hitched her head toward the kitchen, confirming that her chastisements were for the dog. When she lifted her chin and directed an inquisitive look at Gage, he nodded a greeting. “Evening, Mr. Prescott. Can I get you anything from the kitchen before I head to bed?”

“No, ma’am. I’ve had dinner. If I need anything later, I’ll get it for myself.”

“No, you won’t,” she said, straightening her back and raising her head so that she appeared taller than her diminutive five-foot-two height. Her stern expression brooked no resistance. “There will be no rummaging about in my kitchen and leaving messes for me to find in the morning. If you want a drink, you can use Mr. Cole’s wet bar in the family room. If you want to eat, get it now. After that, the kitchen is closed.”

When they’d arrived earlier in the day, Senator Kelley had told him not to get on the housekeeper’s bad side. “She’s a piece of work that one. Been here since my father first built the ranch. She gave me my first spanking when I was four.”

Gage inclined his head. “Roger that, ma’am. I won’t disturb your kitchen.”

She gave him a satisfied grin. “Good. I think we’ll get along just fine.” She tugged on the sleeve of her sweater as she headed to the kitchen with Ace at her feet. “Tell Hank breakfast is at five. I want Cole to have a good meal before he heads out. If Hank wants to take refuge here while his girlfriends are stirring up trouble, it’s not my place to tell him no. But he can keep to the ranch’s clock,” she tossed over her shoulder in a clipped tone. “I won’t be cooking two sets of meals every day just so he can keep a gentleman’s schedule.”

Gage gave a grunt of amusement. Cole Kelley’s housekeeper reminded him of a few COs he’d had in recent years.

The sound of raised voices led Gage to the living room. Senator Kelley and his son stood on opposite sides of the room glaring at each other as they exchanged verbal volleys. Bart stood just behind the senator with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Do you ever think about anyone besides yourself?” Cole shouted at his father. “Are you really so stupid that you thought no one would find out?”

Gage hadn’t yet been formally introduced to the ranch owner, but the resemblance to his twin brother made Cole’s identity obvious.