Master Unchained E-Book

Tina Folsom

• Herausgeber: Tina Folsom
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Serie: Stealth Guardians
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 404

Beschreibung

After a painful betrayal in his past, Immortal Stealth Guardian Hamish MacGregor vows to never get involved with another human. But when he is charged with protecting Councilwoman Tessa Wallace from the Demons of Fear, his powerful desire for her soon makes this routine assignment the greatest challenge he's ever faced. Caught between mortal danger and immortal passion, Tessa and Hamish must work together to defeat their enemies and bring peace back to a city in turmoil... and they discover that falling in love can be the most dangerous adventure of all. Stealth Guardians: Lover Uncloaked (#1) Master Unchained (#2) Scanguards Vampires: Book 1: Samson's Lovely Mortal Book 2: Amaury's Hellion Book 3: Gabriel's Mate Book 4: Yvette's Haven Book 5: Zane's Redemption Book 6: Quinn's Undying Rose Book 7: Oliver's Hunger Book 8: Thomas's Choice Book 8 1/2: Silent Bite (A Scanguards Wedding Novella) Book 9: Cain's Identity Book 10: Luther's Return Novella: Mortal Wish Book 11: Blake's Pursuit Novella 11 1/2: Fateful Reunion (October 2016) Out of Olympus Series: Book 1: A Touch of Greek Book 2: A Scent of Greek Book 3: A Taste of Greek Book 4: A Hush of Greek (November 2016) Venice Vampyr Novella Series: Venice Vampyr (#1) Venice Vampyr (#2): Final Affair Venice Vampyr (#3): Sinful Treasure Venice Vampyr (#4): Sensual Danger Eternal Bachelors Club: Lawful Escort Lawful Lover Lawful Wife One Foolish Night One Long Embrace One Sizzling Touch In collaboration with Lara Adrian: The Phoenix Code Book 1 & 2: Cut and Run Book 3 & 4: Hide and Seek

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

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Book Description

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About the Author

Copyright

Master Unchained

Stealth Guardians #2

Tina Folsom

Book Description

After a painful betrayal in his past, Immortal Stealth Guardian Hamish MacGregor vows to never get involved with another human. But when he is charged with protecting Councilwoman Tessa Wallace from the Demons of Fear, his powerful desire for her soon makes this routine assignment the greatest challenge he’s ever faced.

Caught between mortal danger and immortal passion, Tessa and Hamish must work together to defeat their enemies and bring peace back to a city in turmoil... and they discover that falling in love can be the most dangerous adventure of all.

ALSO BY TINA

Stealth Guardians

Scanguards Vampires

Phoenix Code Series with Lara Adrian

Out of Olympus

Venice Vampyr

Eternal Bachelors Club

* * * * *

Master Unchained (Stealth Guardians #2)

Copyright © 2016 by Tina Folsom

* * * * *

1

Councilwoman Tessa Wallace was typewritten on the plain white envelope. No address. No stamp. But when she opened it and read the note inside, Tessa began to tremble. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heartbeat accelerated. Cold sweat began to build on her nape.

Get out while you still can. You don’t want to end up like the last mayor, do you?

The note wasn’t signed. But the threat was clear. Somebody didn’t like the fact that she was running for the highest office in the city of Baltimore—an office that had become vacant after the previous mayor, John Yardley, had died two months earlier.

For a moment, she closed her eyes, allowing a shaky sigh to escape. She’d always known that politics was a dirty and dangerous game. But this went too far. The only reason she’d thrown her hat into the ring after the mayor’s untimely death was because she believed that the acting mayor, Robert Gunn, wasn’t the right man for the job. His incendiary rhetoric only aggravated the civil unrest that currently raged in the city. What this city needed was a peacemaker, not an ambitious politician who had no qualms about issuing executive orders that curbed the rights of minorities. He even went so far as to encourage police brutality against African Americans and Latinos, while white thugs got a free pass. Reports of racially motivated false arrests and illegal seizure of property were piling up, and Gunn didn’t see anything wrong with it.

But despite the fact that Gunn was a terrible choice for mayor, she didn’t think he’d do something as reckless as threaten her. On the other hand, she wouldn’t put it past his many supporters to try and scare her off, thus allowing him to run for mayor unopposed.

A brief knock at the door startled her more than it should have. Before she could answer, the door was ripped open, and Poppy Connor, her campaign manager, charged in. A woman gifted with more energy than an Energizer bunny, the chubby redhead held up a sheet of paper and grinned triumphantly.

“Hot off the press! The latest poll numbers.”

Poppy nearly tripped over her own feet on the way to the desk, where she placed the sheet in front of Tessa.

Automatically Tessa glanced at it, but she didn’t get a chance to read the numbers, before Poppy announced, “You’re up by five points. This calls for a celebratory drink.” Excitement spilled from her voice and colored her face. As if Poppy needed a reason to drink. She’d always been a party girl.

Tessa forced a smile. “That’s still within the margin of error.”

Poppy clicked her tongue. “That’s not what you said when Gunn was five points ahead of you two weeks ago.” She pointed at the sheet again. “I mean, look at it! That’s a huge swing in only two weeks. I think our approach is working. You’re appealing to the people. They see something in you.”

Tessa shrugged, unable to enjoy the good news, the effect of the threatening note still lingering. “Yeah, I guess.”

Her campaign manager cast her a questioning look. “You guess? What’s wrong? I thought you’d be jumping up and down at that news. Isn’t this what you want? Don’t you want to win?”

Tessa lifted her eyes. “I do. The people of Baltimore deserve better than Gunn. But…”

“But what? Don’t tell me you haven’t got the stomach for this. I know people have been attacking you for your youth and inexperience, but you can’t let that get to you.”

“I’m not.” She hesitated, wondering whether to tell Poppy about the note. She took a few breaths. Maybe it was best to just ignore it. So somebody didn’t want her to be mayor. Not exactly a surprise.

Tessa pasted a smile on her face. “I’m just a little exhausted.” She picked up the piece of paper and studied the poll numbers more closely. “These numbers look really good.”

Poppy leaned closer and looked over her shoulder. “And look at the Hispanic and African American voters.”

“I’m way ahead with them.”

“You’re killing it in that demographic!” Poppy confirmed.

“But we have to get the unions on our side. Have you arranged the talk at the—”

“What’s that?” Poppy’s hand shot past Tessa’s shoulder, pointing to the note lying exposed on the desk, now that Tessa had moved the poll sheet.

“That’s nothing.” Tessa made an attempt to snatch it before Poppy could take it. Too late.

Poppy stepped away, perusing the note, then holding it up. “Nothing? That’s a death threat! Jesus Christ, Tessa, when did you get this?”

“It was on my desk when I got back from the council meeting. It’s probably just some wacko nutbag.” She took the note from Poppy’s hand. “I’m not taking it seriously.” Even though the threatening words had given her a fright at first, she wasn’t going to admit that to Poppy. The less she made of it the better. “If I took every stupid threat seriously, I wouldn’t get any work done.”

Poppy stilled. “What are you saying?”

“I just told you: I’m not taking it seriously.”

Poppy shook her head and gripped Tessa’s shoulders, almost pulling her out of her chair. “Look at me.” She brought her face closer. “Are you implying that this is not the first threat you’ve gotten?”

Tessa’s breath hitched. She’d never been very good at hiding things—or at lying. Maybe she shouldn’t have become a politician. Her father had told her all along that she was too honest for this profession. Too good, whatever that meant.

Poppy’s eyes widened. “Oh my God! You’ve gotten other threats like this, haven’t you?”

“I wouldn’t call them threats,” Tessa said, attempting to diffuse Poppy’s concern.

“What would you call them then?”

Tessa shrugged. She had no answer. Instead, she pulled the top drawer of her desk open. Inside were several other notes, all possibly from the same sender, though before today, the messages had been more suggestion than threat.

Poppy pulled a few notes out of the drawer. “Oh crap, Tessa!”

Tessa watched silently as Poppy skimmed the notes.

“When did you get the first one?”

“A couple of weeks after I announced my candidacy for mayor.”

Poppy pointed to the remainder of the notes. “I’ll take these.”

“What are you gonna do with them?”

“Show them to somebody who can help you.”

Tessa jumped up. “I can help myself!”

Poppy braced her hands on her hips. “No, you can’t. Not when it comes to something as serious as this. You need a professional.”

“A professional?”

“Yes, somebody who can protect you, because as your campaign manager, I’m not only responsible for getting you votes, I’m also responsible for your safety.” She pointed to the note from today. “I’m not going to stand idly by while somebody clearly wants you dead. I’d be a piss-poor excuse for a friend if I did.”

“You can’t just go over my head about this!” Tessa protested. “I’m not in danger. This is just some disgruntled voter who’d rather have Gunn as mayor.”

“How many disgruntled voters do you know who issue death threats?” Poppy gave her a stern look. “You’re getting protection, and that’s that.”

By now, Tessa was fuming. She jumped up. “If you do that, I’ll fire you!”

“Do what you have to, but if you don’t accept protection, I’m going to show these to your father. We’ll see what he has to say about it.”

Tessa’s chin dropped. If her father thought she was in danger, he would personally march down to City Hall and put her in protective custody. He’d always looked out for her, though even he hadn’t been able to protect her all the time. He’d failed her once, and it had made him even more overprotective. She had no intention of worrying him over something like this. He had enough on his plate. “You wouldn’t!”

“Oh, I would, in a heartbeat!” Poppy crossed her arms over her chest. “Your choice.”

Tessa pressed her lips together, knowing she’d lost this round. “I should have never hired you. Friendship and business clearly don’t mix.”

Poppy smiled sweetly. “Honey, hiring me was the best thing you ever did.”

2

Hamish stepped out of the portal that had brought him from his own compound to one located thousands of miles away. The journey had taken only seconds. It was the Stealth Guardians’ primary mode of transportation and enabled them to act quickly in times of crisis. It was also, however, their Achilles’ heel: should a demon ever enter one of their portals, he would be able to access any of their race’s strongholds and destroy them from within.

Cinead, a member of the Council of Nine, their ruling body, was already waiting for him.

“You came quickly,” the elder statesman said in his thick Scottish accent.

“You made it sound urgent.”

“It is.” He motioned to the hallway. “Walk with me.”

As they walked through the maze of corridors, Hamish glanced at the man who’d always been a mentor to him. Dressed in dark slacks and a light Polo shirt, he made a striking figure. In his younger years, Cinead had been a fearless warrior, before deciding to devote his life to guiding his race as a member of the Council of Nine. Today, though, he looked tired and solemn.

“What’s on your mind?” Hamish felt compelled to ask.

Cinead smiled, but it was forced. “Many things.” He pointed to a door and walked through it, disappearing right in front of Hamish’s eyes.

Hamish followed, allowing his body to disintegrate so it could pass through the solid wood and reassemble behind it, an ability singular to his race.

He’d entered a large library with a comfortable seating area and books stacked on shelves as far as the eye could see. Cinead walked to the fireplace, touching the frame of a small picture. Hamish had seen the painting many times: a baby boy stretched out on a bearskin. The dark-haired boy lay on his stomach, stark-naked, a small birthmark the shape of an axe gracing one butt cheek.

“He would be the same age as you, had he lived,” Cinead said into the silence. An eerie echo accompanied his words, as if the ghosts of the dead were whispering back.

Hamish swallowed hard, suddenly realizing the significance of today’s date. “How long has it been?”

“Two-hundred years to the day,” Cinead said, turning toward him, “since the demons killed him. He was just a wee bairn, still in diapers.” He walked to the couch and sat down, motioning Hamish to do the same.

He complied.

“I guess I’m getting sentimental in my old age.”

Not that Cinead looked old; their race didn’t age fast. Even at close to five-hundred years, Cinead didn’t look older than a man in his late forties. His eyes, however, reflected the wisdom and experience of his long life and the pain and hardship he’d lived through.

“Is that why you wanted to see me? To reminisce?” If it were so, he wouldn’t blame him. Cinead had been like a second father to him after Angus, Cinead’s only child, had been killed by the Demons of Fear, their mortal enemies.

The elder Stealth Guardian shook his head. “Although you remind me of him, or rather of how I imagine he would have turned out, had they not taken him. Still, I didn’t call you to talk about old times.” He smiled. “I’m proud of you, Hamish, for all that you’ve accomplished as a guardian.”

Somewhat embarrassed by the open and unexpected praise, Hamish said, “All thanks to your guidance.”

“You’re too humble. Another one of your positive traits, like your judgment. You would have made an outstanding member of the Council of Nine and—”

“I told you my reasons for declining a seat on the Council and I thought you underst—”

“I understood.” Cinead lifted his hand in a calming gesture. “Don’t worry. You’re not here so I can talk you into something you clearly don’t want. In any case, both vacancies on the Council are being filled as we speak. In fact, I’m glad you decided to remain a guardian. You’re more valuable to us out in the field. Particularly now.”

Instantly on alert, Hamish felt his spine stiffen. “What do you need?”

Cinead smiled softly. “Ever the eager soldier. That’s good. This is a delicate situation, one that requires a man of your judgment and experience. A man who won’t let his feelings get in the way of his duty.”

Hamish lifted an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt. Feelings? He hadn’t had feelings in a long time. Feelings had nearly killed him once; since then he’d wrapped a heavy chain around his heart, one he had no intention of ever removing. He was as loyal as ever to his fellow Stealth Guardians, particularly to the men and women of his compound, but every outsider—particularly the charges he was assigned to protect—he treated with cool distance and measured suspicion. Trust was something that he didn’t dispense easily these days, because trusting the wrong person could spell the end for him, or for his brothers and sisters.

“… civil unrest and riots. We can’t allow this to continue. Do you understand?”

All of a sudden, he realized that Cinead had started talking, and he’d missed half the conversation.

“Yes, sir.” He nodded quickly and gave Cinead an expectant look, urging him to elaborate.

“It’s all happening in your backyard. We knew there would be problems after the unexpected death of Mayor Yardley, we just couldn’t anticipate how bad it would get.”

Hamish began to realize what Cinead was talking about: Baltimore, the place he called home. He edged forward on his armchair, genuine interest now surging within him. While he would go anywhere the Council sent him, he preferred missions close to home, because he felt—just like a football team—that it gave him a home field advantage. And over the last two months, things had gotten out of hand there: crime had skyrocketed, demonstrations had turned violent, and riots had erupted.

“You suspect demons are involved in the current unrest?”

After all, it made sense. The Demons of Fear thrived on civil unrest, hate, and fear. It made them stronger. They took every opportunity of inciting violence, so they could feed off the resulting fear. So they could get stronger and one day come out in the open and rule over mankind. And the only thing standing between the humans and their likely fate was the Stealth Guardians, who’d made it their mission to thwart the demons’ plans.

Cinead tapped his fingers against his lips. “I’m not certain. But what I do know is that there is one person who can put an end to this and bring peace to the city again. We have great hopes for her.”

“Her?”

Cinead nodded. “Councilwoman Tessa Wallace. She understands the plight of the disadvantaged in the city. They believe in her. She’s running for mayor.”

Hamish nodded. “I’ve seen a few news reports. She’s certainly a better choice than Gunn.” Then he shrugged. “And I believe the voters know that. Nothing for us to do.”

“On the contrary.”

Hamish cocked an eyebrow.

“One of our emissarii sent word that the councilwoman has received death threats.”

“From the demons?”

“We’re not sure. In any case, if she exits the race, it will only play into the demons’ hands. We can’t let that happen. In his two months in office as acting mayor, Gunn has already stirred up too much trouble, and he appears to have no intention of calming his constituents. On the contrary: his speeches and his actions only incite more violence, more protests. He divides the various fractions of the city. Race relations are sitting on a powder keg likely to explode at any moment. We fear the worst if he wins the election. But if…”

“… if the councilwoman wins, you think she can turn the city around?”

“With our help, yes.” He leaned forward. “That’s why I asked you here.”

“You want me to protect her and make sure whoever issued those death threats won’t get the chance to carry them out,” Hamish guessed. “Nothing easier than that.” It would be just like any other assignment he’d had in the past. Which begged the question, why Cinead had gone through the trouble of asking him to meet in person, when he just as easily could have sent the assignment through the usual channels.

“Yes, but that’s not all. I also want you to make sure she stays on the right path. I want you to lend her strength in the face of the opposition she’ll encounter.”

Hamish’s eyebrows snapped together. “And how am I supposed to do that, considering she won’t even know I’m protecting her?”

Cinead smiled, and for a moment, he thought he recognized a tiny glimmer of mischief in the other’s eyes. “That’s where this assignment will differ from your previous missions. She’ll know you’re her protector.”

Hamish jumped up. “Are you saying she’ll know that I’m a Stealth Guardian?”

Cinead chuckled. “Of course not. We’re not going that far. She’ll believe you’re a human bodyguard, hired by a wealthy supporter who wants to make sure nothing happens to her. But that’s not all. The people around her can’t know who you are. To them, you’ll be introduced as her boyfriend. It will give you unprecedented access—”

“Hold it right there!” Hamish shoved a hand through his dark hair. “With all due respect, that’s out of the question. I’m not the right person for this kind of assignment.”

“On the contrary, you’re the perfect person for this assignment.”

“Have you forgotten what happened to me?” Because he hadn’t. How could he ever forget the betrayal of the woman he’d loved? A betrayal that had nearly cost him his life. And now his elder expected him to pretend to be in love with a human?

Cinead’s voice was soft and fatherly, when he continued, “No, I haven’t forgotten what you went through. And that’s exactly why you’re the perfect candidate. You’ve tasted betrayal. You’ve seen its signs. You’re better prepared than anybody else. Would you really prefer I gave this mission to Manus? Or Logan? They are fine guardians, don’t get me wrong. But they wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of a woman like Tessa Wallace. Not if they had to pretend to be dating her.”

“Lure?” What the hell was Cinead talking about? He’d seen photos of the councilwoman, and while she was certainly very attractive, even beautiful, he didn’t understand where the danger lay. Sure, Manus had a reputation for being a philanderer, but he doubted that Cinead knew that. Their compound was a tight-knit group. They didn’t kiss and tell.

“It’s not her beauty that captivates men, though it certainly draws them to her. It’s her soul.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Her soul?”

“She’s good through and through. Everything she does is for the good of others. She doesn’t have a single malicious bone in her body, nor an evil thought in her mind.”

“How would you know?”

“Our emissarius has been watching her for many years. I trust him and his judgment. Just like I trust yours.” Cinead rose slowly and crossed the distance between them. “I know your heart broke when you lost the woman you loved, and I wish I could make it undone, my son, but I can’t. However, maybe that broken heart is the one thing that will help you get through this mission without any emotional involvement. I can’t say that for Logan or Manus. Either of them is likely to bring emotions into this mission, jeopardizing our goal. She has to become mayor. Baltimore needs her. Nothing and nobody can be allowed to lead her astray.”

Hamish lowered his lids and sighed. He had no intention of falling in love ever again. It was wrought with too much danger. But that didn’t mean he liked this assignment. The whole setup was unorthodox. Too many things could go wrong. Stealth Guardians operated in the background. They’d been given skills to make sure that they were never seen: the ability to cloak themselves so they were invisible—something they could extend to their charges either with their minds or their touch, the former requiring more energy than the latter—and the ability to walk through walls so no place was ever inaccessible to them—a skill they could not extend to their charges.

And now Cinead wanted him to operate out in the open? Visible to everybody?

“And the demons?”

“What about them?”

“They’ll realize what I am as soon as they see me with her.” They would recognize his aura as that of a Stealth Guardian, something only other preternatural creatures could see. Humans didn’t have that skill.

“I know. But we don’t have a choice. Besides, based on the rumors we hear about their new ruler, we must assume that they’re employing different tactics now. Zoltan is more innovative than his predecessor. He’ll find out either way that we’re protecting her. He’s too smart to think we’d leave somebody as valuable as Tessa Wallace unprotected.”

Resigned, Hamish looked straight at Cinead. “Who do you want me to choose as my second?”

“Enya. However, I want her to operate in secrecy. Ms. Wallace is not to know about her. Just in case we need an ace up our sleeve.”

At least with this order Hamish could agree. “Very well.”

Enya, the only female in his compound, would be his backup for those times when he couldn’t be with his charge. A wise choice, because despite her prickly nature, Enya was a fine warrior, and as a woman she would be immune to whatever charms Ms. Wallace had.

Just as he would be immune to them.

3

“Anton Faldo?” Tessa gaped at Poppy and looked up and down the corridor of the third floor of City Hall, where most of the offices of the council members were located. Seeing that this wasn’t the place to discuss such a sensitive topic, she motioned Poppy toward her office, while murmuring through clenched teeth, “Are you out of your mind?”

“He’s got the right connections,” Poppy said, following her through the door to the antechamber where several assistants for various council members were working frantically, dealing with visitors and busy phone lines.

Tessa rushed past Collette, her own assistant, and flung the door to the office open, charging in. “Connections, my ass!” she hissed as soon as Poppy had stepped into her office. “Faldo is a crook. He’s been under investigation several times.”

“He’s never been convicted,” Poppy threw in.

Tessa huffed. “Only because he can afford the best lawyers money can buy. And he probably pays off anybody who gets in his way. The man’s bad news.”

“He supports your campaign and—”

“What?”

Poppy grimaced. “Don’t you look at the donor reports I give you every day? He’s one of the biggest contributors to your campaign.”

Tessa threw up her hands. “That can’t be!” If people found out about this, it would ruin her career.

“I thought you knew.”

She fell into her chair, her hands supporting her head. “I can’t take his money.”

“You’ll have to take much more than just his money. You need his help.”

Tessa lifted her eyes to look at her campaign manager. They’d gone to college together, and she thought she knew Poppy inside out. Hadn’t they always had the same values, the same high moral standards? What had happened to her friend? Had she sold out?

“How can you expect me to accept help from a criminal? He’ll want something in return. If and when I’m mayor, he’ll want favors. I’m not going to sell my integrity to some crook!”

Poppy leaned over the desk. “You have to be pragmatic. Faldo’s donations are routed through one of his companies. Nobody’s gonna put two and two together. As for favors: Faldo assured me that his help comes without any strings attached.”

“And you believed him?” Because Tessa didn’t. After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Particularly not in politics, where everything had its price, and everybody was for sale.

But Poppy continued, “Besides, do you really think that Gunn hasn’t taken donations from less than savory sources?”

“I don’t care what Gunn is doing. I’m not like him.”

Poppy sighed. “I know that. But I don’t think you recognize the seriousness of your situation. Somebody wants you dead, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to reject Faldo’s offer to send a bodyguard for you.”

“A bodyguard? You mean one of his goons?”

“I’ve never been called a goon before,” a deep voice said from the doorway.

Startled, Tessa jumped up and peered past Poppy. A tall man was leaning casually against the doorframe. He looked to be in his thirties, with thick, dark brown hair and dark stubble on his square chin. His eyes were dark—chocolate brown if she had to describe them. His cargo pants and casual shirt outlined his muscular physique, making him look like he was ready for combat. She ran her eyes over him, unable to look away. She’d never seen a man with such presence. Confidence oozed from every pore of his body. There was no doubt that his mere physical proximity could intimidate anybody. Though his photo could just as easily appear next to the word heartthrob in any dictionary.

Poppy whirled around. “You must be Mr. MacGregor. Mr. Faldo sent word earlier to expect you.”

“I knocked, but I guess nobody heard me.” Easing the door shut behind him, the man met Poppy halfway and shook her hand, his gaze straying past her to Tessa. “Hamish MacGregor, at your service. But nobody calls me Mr. MacGregor. I go by Hamish.”

Only now could Tessa hear the slight Scottish accent. It made her insides tingle pleasantly, and her pulse kick up a notch.

Poppy gave a soft laugh, one Tessa was only too familiar with: it always surfaced when Poppy was attracted to somebody. And who wouldn’t be attracted to Hamish MacGregor? But she wouldn’t let a handsome face and a toned physique sway her in her conviction not to accept help from a criminal.

“Mr. Mac—”

“And you must be Miss Wallace,” Hamish interrupted, stepping around the desk and offering his hand.

Short of being rude, Tessa felt obliged to shake his hand. “Yes. But as I just told my campaign manager, I don’t need a bodyguard.”

Hamish lifted one side of his mouth. “From the little I heard, it sounded more like you don’t want to be protected by one of Mr. Faldo’s goons.”

She stiffened. Just how much of her conversation with Poppy had he overheard? “Well, since we’re being blunt: I can’t be associated with Mr. Faldo’s… uh… operation.”

He scrutinized her now, looking her up and down. “I’m not in Mr. Faldo’s employ, if that’s what troubles you.”

“Maybe not on a regular basis, but he’s footing the bill,” she protested. And that meant she’d still be beholden to him in one way or another.

Hamish lifted an eyebrow. “I believe there’s been a little misunderstanding. Mr. Faldo is only arranging my services. He’s not paying for them.”

She stared at Poppy, who nodded. “I thought I told you that I approached the Foodworkers’ Union and got them to cover the expense.”

Embarrassment swept through Tessa. “Oh. Why didn’t you… I… uh…”

“Guess I forgot. I’m juggling way too many things right now,” Poppy answered and looked at her watch. “Speaking of juggling, I’ve got a meeting with a reporter. Gotta go.” She marched to the door. “Nice meeting you, Hamish.”

“Poppy… That still doesn’t mean I can accept…” But Poppy was already gone, leaving her alone with the handsome stranger.

This was never going to work. She couldn’t accept this man as her bodyguard. How would she go about her work with him hovering over her? Besides, weren’t bodyguards supposed to blend into the background? There was no chance in hell that Hamish MacGregor would ever be able to enter a room without being noticed. On the contrary, all eyes would be on him.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Mr. MacGregor—”

“Hamish,” he corrected immediately, a soft rumbling sound in his voice that sent her off kilter.

“Hamish, I don’t think this is going to work.”

~ ~ ~

What had Cinead said? Good through and through? Not likely! Tessa Wallace was combative, stubborn, and made for sin. The kind of sin that left you sweaty and panting. The kind of sin he’d sworn off. What had Cinead been thinking, assigning him to this battle-ready, high-strung beauty with long dark brown hair and gorgeous lavender eyes?

“You won’t be able to blend in,” she now said.

Hamish frowned. “Blend in?”

“Everybody will wonder who you are, and I don’t want anybody to know I have a bodyguard. It’s bad enough that I need one.”

He shrugged. “That’s why you’ll tell them I’m your boyfriend.”

Panic flashed in her eyes. “What?”

“We discussed that it would be best if I posed as your boyfriend to avoid questions. It will arouse less suspicion.”

She swallowed visibly. “We?”

“My superiors and I. We know what we’re doing.” Even though Hamish didn’t agree with Cinead’s order. However, the fact that his charge was objecting to the idea, made him involuntarily see the advantages of such an arrangement.

Tessa shook her head. “Nobody will believe it.”

“Then we’ll just have to make it look believable.” At the thought of what that might entail, he felt a jolt of adrenaline rush through his veins. Instantly, he pushed the images from his mind. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake his best friend Aiden had made when he’d fallen for his charge Leila. Even though in Aiden’s case it had all turned out fine, Hamish knew from his own experience that not everybody was that lucky.

Hamish cleared his throat. “Let’s go over the details.”

“Details?” Tessa croaked and stared at him like a deer that found itself in the path of a speeding car.

Clearly she liked the idea of a pretend-boyfriend as little as he did. Not that either of them had a choice in the matter. She’d just have to come to terms with it like he had.

“Yes, the quicker we hash out the details, the more smoothly this will go down.”

“Mr. MacGregor—”

“Tessa, you’ll have to call me Hamish, or nobody will buy that I’m your boyfriend.”

He noticed her nervously rub her hand on her pencil skirt, which accentuated her slim waist and long legs. “Hamish, I’m really not sure how this is going to work. I don’t know you and you don’t know me. There are going to be hundreds of occasions where we can trip each other up.”

“We’ve thought of that, of course.” Or rather, Cinead had. “That’s why it’ll be best for everybody to think that we only just started dating. How about a couple of weeks ago? That way we don’t have to know much about each other.”

“True,” she conceded, “but aren’t you supposed to protect me all the time?”

“Yes. So?”

She sighed as if annoyed that he didn’t immediately know what she was referring to. “I wouldn’t be seeing a guy that frequently if I’d just started dating him. It’s not realistic.”

“It is, if you’re totally into him.”

“But—”

He stepped closer so only a foot of space separated them. “Have you never been completely enamored with a man, even though you only just met him?” A flicker in her eyes told him that she’d had that experience previously. “Well, then you’ll just have to recall what it felt like and act accordingly. And I’ll do the same and pretend I can’t bear to be without you. As long as people see us acting like a couple who can’t keep their hands off each other, they won’t question why I’m not leaving your side.”

At least that was the plan. A plan where so many things could go wrong. A harmless touch could lead to something more. A pretend-kiss could kindle a flame that might be hard to put out again. It was better not to go down that road.

“Once the threat is over, we’ll have a very public breakup, and everything will go back to how it was.” There would be no emotional involvement, and the physical intimacy they’d have to show in the presence of others would only be a well-crafted performance.

“And how do we know when the threat is over?”

He hadn’t expected her to ask this question and had no canned answer to it. No answer he could give her anyway. He and his fellow Stealth Guardians would be the ones to assess whether the threat hanging over her had vanished, once her unknown enemy realized that she was no easy target.

“Let that be my problem. You just concentrate on this election. Now I need a copy of your schedule for the next week, including all business and private meetings. I’ll need to make sure the venues are safe and conduct background checks on the participants before I can approve your attendance at any event.”

“Approve?” She glared at him. “You can’t be serious.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“No, you look like you’re about to be fired,” Tessa grunted, her hands on her hips, her eyes spewing venom. “I decide which events I attend, not you!”

“Wrong.”

“Consider yourself relieved of your duty, Mr. MacGregor!”

“You can’t do that.”

“I can and I will. I’m not dealing with an overpowering chauvinist prick who thinks he can order me around.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Would you prefer your father finding out what danger you’re in and have him curb your freedom instead?”

Her mouth opened. “How the f—”

“Whoa, what a nasty word for such a pretty mouth.” And she did have a pretty mouth, though at present he didn’t appreciate the defiant words coming from it. “I did my homework. And one thing you like even less than having to put up with a bodyguard is having your father find out you’re in danger.”

She let out an annoyed breath. “You’re wrong. I’d rather deal with my father than have to pretend you’re my boyfriend.”

He gave her a tight smile. “And here I thought you were a good daughter who didn’t want to aggravate her father’s heart condition.”

Caught in her bluff, she glared at him. For several seconds an internal struggle appeared to rage in her. Her chest heaved, her hands clenched, and her shoulders stiffened. Silence stretched between them.

Then she finally gave him an answer. “I can’t wait for the day we break up.”

“The feeling is mutual.” He turned on his heel and stalked to the door. “I’ll see myself out. I’ll get your schedule from your campaign manager.”

After all, there might be events that Tessa didn’t feel he should accompany her to, and Poppy was less likely to leave anything off.

“I’ll be back when you’re ready to leave City Hall.”

4

Hamish stormed into the men’s room—which luckily was empty—and charged into one of the three stalls, slamming the metal door behind him so hard that the entire structure rattled.

“What was all that about?”

He whirled around and found himself face-to-face with Enya, who materialized right in front of him.

“What was what?” he growled. For a moment he’d forgotten that Enya had accompanied him to the initial meeting with his charge—though she had remained invisible the entire time just as Cinead had requested.

Dressed in black shorts and a red, rather tight top, her long blond hair braided and pinned around her head, a casual observer would have never guessed what a magnificent warrior she was—fearless and lethal. Both with her hands and her sharp tongue.

Enya crossed her arms over her chest and slanted him a don’t-bullshit-me look. “Interesting approach you’re taking with your new charge, buddy. Hope it works out.”

“You’re my second, so don’t question my authority.” As the sentinel, the lead guardian on the assignment, he was the one who gave the orders. Enya was his backup.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied. Her tone said otherwise, however, he had no intention of justifying his actions.

How could Cinead have been so wrong in his assessment of Tessa Wallace? The emissarius who’d claimed she was good through and through should have his head examined. Tessa was anything but. She was combative and head-strong. “She’s a piece of work, that woman,” he ground out.

“Because she didn’t fall to your feet and say ‘Yes, sir!’ to everything you said?” Enya put her finger to her lips in a mock-contemplative gesture. “Hmm. Makes sense.”

“What’s your fucking problem?”

Enya shrugged. “I have no problem. Because I don’t let my emotions get the better of me.”

“Neither do I!” Though Tessa’s opposition to his suggestions had riled him up. In a purely professional way, of course.

“My bad.”

And now Enya was getting on his nerves by making more out of the situation than there was, turning a molehill into Mount Everest. “Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it.”

“You really don’t get it, do you?” she asked, shaking her head, her gaze a little softer now.

“Get what?”

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “A woman running for mayor isn’t gonna be a pushover. Making her comply with certain rules so you can keep her safe will take some finesse. I always thought you of all people had a boatload of that at your fingertips.”

“Guess I’m fresh out of finesse.”

At that, she chuckled, a sweet sound that reminded him of why he’d always seen and treated her like a younger sister, even though she was practically the same age as he.

“You’d better stock up on it then, because you’ll need her cooperation if this whole fake boyfriend-girlfriend scenario is supposed to work. There’s only so much I can do in the shadows.”

He lifted his hand, stopping her. He knew his duties. “I don’t need anybody telling me what I’m supposed to do. Which brings me to your duties.” It was best to deflect from him now. Enya had already stirred up too much shit for one morning.

“Don’t worry, I know what to do,” she said almost bored. “I’ll be staying in her office, checking out her visitors and the staff that’s coming in and out. I won’t leave her side until it’s time for you to take over.”

“If she makes any appointments or agrees to any events without putting them on the calendar or notifying her campaign manager or me, I’ll need to know.”

“Understood. But do you honestly think she’d try to sneak past you?”

“She didn’t exactly like the idea of me accompanying her to every event.”

Enya rolled her eyes. “She’s not stupid. She knows that if she wants to be safe, she needs to stick with you. She’ll just have to get used to the idea. She strikes me as an independent woman who’s not used to asking for permission. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. Would you like it if some stranger suddenly showed up and said you couldn’t do this or that and would need to run every decision about your whereabouts by them? Answer: no, you wouldn’t like it at all.”

He grunted, but he knew Enya was right.

“So why don’t you make it a little easier on her?”

“How?”

“Don’t provoke her. She’ll only fight back like a caged tigress.”

Enya’s last words conjured up an image of Tessa dressed in a slinky outfit charging at him and tossing him on a bed, mounting him, mauling him...

Fuck!

He ran a shaky hand through his hair. He hadn’t had fantasies like that in a long time. Not since his ill-fated almost-union with Olivia—a woman the demons had manipulated to get to him. And he’d fallen for it, for her. Hard. But it had all been a lie. A lie that had nearly killed him. Was it then a surprise that whenever he saw a woman who stirred any kind of feelings in him, he lashed out in anger, hoping to drive her away before he made the same mistake again? Before he got emotionally involved and let those emotions cloud his decisions.

“… and maybe a box of chocolates. Those always work wonders. Every woman loves them,” Enya said.

“What?” How long had he zoned out?

“Why the fuck do I bother giving you advice when you don’t even listen?”

“I was listening,” he lied.

She looked him straight in the eye. “So what did I say then?”

“To give her chocolates.”

“And?” She pressed her lips into a thin line.

He scrambled for an answer. “Say something nice to her.”

Clearly surprised, Enya arched one eyebrow. “So you do listen occasionally.”

Lucky guess. After all, he wasn’t born yesterday. He had been with enough women to know how to pacify one: pay her compliments, and shower her with gifts. How hard could it be?

“Just don’t lay it on too thick. Women can smell it when a man is insincere.”

“Enya?”

“Hmm?”

“Get the hell out of here! My capacity for listening to bullshit advice has reached its limit for today.”

Chuckling, Enya eased back, walking through the metal door without opening it, while her body turned invisible. “She’s got spunk. Maybe I can learn something from her.”

He couldn’t let her have the last word and swung the stall door open. “You’re supposed to just follow my fucking orders. If you can’t comply—”

But Enya was already gone. Instead, a man in a suit had entered the restroom and stared at him, shaking his head.

“Man, just do the deed in private. And for God’s sake, don’t talk to it.”

Cursing three ways to heaven, Hamish hurried past him, embarrassment and anger sweeping through him in equal measure. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Having to play boyfriend to this bossy woman, who didn’t know what real danger she was in, was by far the bigger problem. Cinead had been wrong: the betrayal he’d suffered hadn’t inoculated him against being attracted to a woman he had no business desiring.

But he wasn’t taking the blame for this. No, he had a very convenient scapegoat up his sleeve: rasen. Every Stealth Guardian experienced the mating call the closer he got to his two-hundredth birthday. Rasen, the need to find a mate and procreate, influenced a Stealth Guardian much in the same way a dog was affected by a bitch in heat. But Hamish was determined to ignore it—even if that mating call came in the form of the most delectable female he’d ever encountered.

Rasen could kiss his bloody ass!

5

When her assistant Collette, a leggy black woman in her mid forties, popped her head into the office, Tessa looked up from her files.

“Tessa, I’m leaving now,” Collette said. “And so should you if you want to make it to the party on time. Traffic is hell out there. Did you hear they had to close off Park Avenue because of a demonstration?”

“Oh, crap!” Tessa shut the file and jumped up from her armchair, glancing at her wristwatch. “I didn’t realize it was that late already. Thank you, Collette. Is Poppy still in the building?” Maybe Poppy could ride with her so she wouldn’t have to be alone with her new bodyguard, who’d texted her that afternoon to tell her he’d be picking her up at City Hall to take her to the event.

“No, she left long ago. Said she had meetings outside the office. I believe she was planning to meet you at the party.”

Tessa pasted a fake smile on her face to hide her disappointment. “That’s perfect, thanks. Have a great night, Collette.”

“You, too, Tessa,” her assistant replied and left, easing the door shut.

“Damn it,” she cursed as she collected her handbag.

It was time to get ready to leave. She quickly checked her clothes, making sure there were no stains on her blouse, then slipped into her gray suit jacket. She’d chosen this outfit especially this morning, because she could wear it both to the office and the event and wouldn’t have to waste any time by stopping by at home and getting changed.

Tessa pulled out her compact and perused her reflection. Did her cheeks look a little red? She shrugged. So what if they did. She wasn’t going to the event to win a beauty contest.

Her stomach growled. No wonder. She’d skipped lunch in order to receive several concerned constituents who had family members embroiled in the recent riots downtown. They’d been beside themselves, begging her for help, claiming their sons had nothing to do with the fights that had taken place at a demonstration. After two hours of listening to the same story over and over again, she’d been exhausted and close to tears. Something had to change in this city.

Switching off the light on her way out, she closed the door and locked it. The antechamber, which was shared by four assistants, all working for one council member or another, was empty. She was crossing the room when she heard a noise behind her. Spinning around, she instinctively gripped her handbag tighter, hoping to use it as a shield against an attacker. She froze. There was nobody behind her, just the closed door of her office and Collette’s tidy desk a few feet to its left.

Heart beating into her throat, she cast frantic looks in every direction, but she was alone.

“Shit!” she cursed under her breath.

She was definitely losing it. She hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it until now, but the death threat two days earlier had rattled her, and the arrival of the bodyguard had driven the reality of her situation home. She was in danger because somebody didn’t like her political agenda, when all she wanted was to bring peace and prosperity back to this city. The people of Baltimore needed her, and therefore she needed to win this election. And that’s why—even though she didn’t like Hamish’s macho attitude—she would just have to play along with her overbearing bodyguard.

And her bodyguard was already waiting for her when she reached the lobby. He’d changed clothes and was now wearing a dark blue suit with a lavender-colored tie. But even the elegant attire couldn’t disguise his muscular physique or the fact that he looked like he could overturn a tank singlehanded. To her surprise he smiled at her as she approached him, and when she reached him, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

“You look great, Tessa.”