The Alpha Bodyguards Books #4-6

Chapter One

S quealing, she launched herself at him.

“Ty Asher, you motherfucker!” Laughing through happy tears, the small brunette’s arms went around my commanding officer’s neck as her feet left the ground. “You didn’t tell me you were coming home.”

“Good to see you too, sis.” Kissing his sister on the top of her head, Ty hugged her hard once, then pried her off. “Quit strangling me and meet my buddies.”

After swiping at her face, she rubbed her hand on her tight jeans before smiling up at me. “Hi, I’m Mercy.” She offered me her hand as she nodded toward my CO. “I’m this asshole’s sister.”

My blood rushed south, and my breath faltered.

Eight seconds and she stole my heart.

I stared.

Then I catalogued every detail about her.

Barely over five feet, full breasts, fuller hips, small waist, the face of an angel with lips made for sin. Brown-haired, dark-eyed, she was beautiful.

Incredibly beautiful.

She was everything I’d seen in the photos in Staff Sergeant Asher’s quarters, but more. A whole damn lot more.

Slapping my shoulder, Ty smirked. “Vos isn’t much of a talker.” Stepping around me and dropping his duffle, he aimed for the small kitchen off the entry. “Anyone want a beer?”

I took her hand. “Preston Vos, ma’am.”

Her eyebrows drew together, but she didn’t let go of my hand. “Vos, huh?”

Unfiltered and sexy, she took my breath. “Dutch, ma’am.”

She smiled wider. “Stop calling me ma’am, and I might give you your hand back.”

I smiled. Almost. “Yes, ma’am.”

She laughed, flirtatious and feminine and real. “Smooth, Corporal.”

The corner of my mouth tipped up. “Sergeant,” I corrected. “E5. But call me Preston, ma’am.”

“Right.” Drawing the word out, she lifted her chin and winked as she released my hand. “ Preston .”

“Mercy.” I said it just to taste it.

Inhaling at the sound of her name on my lips, she took in my height. “And how tall are you?”

“Six-five.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Hanging his phone up, Rollins blew through the still open front door and took one look at Ty’s sister. “Well, hot damn. Now I’m doubly sorry for lagging outside and taking a call.” Holding his hand out, giving Mercy his signature grin, he nodded in my direction. “Am I too late? Did Vos beat me to it? You taken yet?”

Walking out of the kitchen with three beers in one hand, Ty slapped Rollins on the back of the head. “Quit fucking flirting with my sister.”

Grinning, Rollins took Mercy’s hand and kissed it. “Damn, Staff Sergeant, can you blame me? You didn’t tell me your sister was H-O-T hot .”

“I also didn’t tell you that if you touch her, I’ll string you up by your balls, but now I am.” Ty handed first me then Rollins a beer. “Both of you stay the fuck away from her.”

Rollins dropped Mercy’s hand and took the beer. “Ignore him,” he stage-whispered. “I can take him any day.”

“Right.” Mercy rolled her eyes. “Just like you can take me?” She smirked, and you could see the family resemblance. “Sorry, player, I’m too smart for your bullshit.”

Rollins’s hand went to his chest. “Player?”

“You got a better name?” she challenged.

I liked her even more.

“Sure do.” He grinned. “Sam Rollins.” He bowed. “At your service, ma’am.”

Wow, she mouthed, looking at me, then her brother. “You sure know how to pick ’em, Ty.”

Ty shook his head as he walked past us toward the small living room. “I didn’t pick shit. The fucker followed us home for the weekend.”

Her face fell when Ty said weekend, but she tried to hide it. “So I have you three freeloaders for what? Two days?”

Ty sank onto the couch and put his booted feet on the coffee table. “Almost.” Taking a pull of his beer, he took out his smokes. “Thirty-six hours before we have to report back.”

Walking over to her brother, she swatted his leg. “Get your dirty-ass feet off the coffee table.” Quicker and stealthier than any woman I’d ever seen, she made to sit down next to her brother, but swiped his pack of cigarettes instead. “And no smoking inside.” She leveled me and Rollins with a look. “That goes for you two miscreants as well.”

Rollins set his beer on the counter and held his hands up. “Not a smoker, baby. I like kissing beautiful women too much.” He grinned.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Mercy muttered, looking at her brother. “Is that joker for real?”

I smiled.

Ty chuckled. “He thinks he is.”

Grabbing his beer, Rollins waltzed into the living room like he owned the place. “ He knows he’s real.” He winked at Mercy. “One hundred percent real, baby.”

“Christ,” Ty muttered, putting his boots back on the coffee table and leaning his head back.

Rollins took a side chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. “You’re just jealous you got no game.”

“Who needs game when you have skills?” Ty countered, rubbing a hand over his face. “Merc.” His gaze narrowed as he watched his sister toss his cigarettes on the kitchen counter and grab herself a beer. “You got any food here or do I need to go to the store?”

“You think I don’t eat when you’re away?” Crossing one arm defensively over her stomach, she took a long drag of her beer.

Ty’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t start, and since when do you day drink?”

“Since last week,” she clipped.

Setting his beer down and pushing off the couch, Ty crossed the living room. Without a word, he pulled his sister into his arms and hugged her for a long moment.

I glanced at Rollins.

Taking a sip of his beer, he shrugged.

Releasing his sister, Ty reached for a set of keys on the counter. “I’ll run to the store.” He glanced at me and Rollins. “What do you fools want for dinner?”

“Aw, Staff, don’t make the beautiful lady cook. Let’s go out.” Rollins stood. “I’m buying.”

“I’m in. Merc?” Ty grabbed his beer and downed it before taking the bottle to the kitchen sink.

Sighing, his sister eyed Rollins before looking at Ty. “Is he going to be like that all night?”

“What?” Rollins laughed, his hand going to his chest. “You don’t think I’m sincere?”

Mercy half laughed. “I know you’re not sincere.” She shrugged. “But it’s not often I get to go out with three Marines.” She finished her beer and grabbed her purse. “Burgers at Casey’s, then beers at Dax’s bar?”

“Works for me,” Ty agreed.

I set my untouched beer down and held my hand out to Ty for the car keys.

Mercy watched the exchange, then looked up at her brother. “You’re right. He doesn’t talk much.”

“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch out for him,” Ty clipped, walking around her. “Come on, Rollins.” He held the front door open. “You first. I don’t trust your ass walking behind my sister.”

Grinning, Rollins walked out, followed by Ty.

Mercy paused to look up at me. “You don’t drink?”

“No, ma’am,” I answered quietly.

Her expression shifted, and sadness filtered in.

I fought to keep from reaching out to touch her. “Are you all right?” I wanted to know what had happened to her last week.

Studying me, she ignored my question. “How long have you known my brother?”

“Since I enlisted.”

Her stare intent, she was almost frowning. “Which was?”

The sadness in her eyes, the determination in her stare—she was more beautiful by the second. “Two years ago.”

“He’s never mentioned you.”

“I don’t give anyone much to talk about.” I kept to myself. Always.

“On purpose?”

If survival was a purpose. “Yes.”

“Mercy!” Ty yelled from the driveway. “Let’s go.”

She ignored her brother. “Why?”

I liked her attention far more than I should. “What made you sad just now?”

“Merc!” Ty yelled again.

“Coming!” she hollered at him before looking back up at me. “Who says I was sad?”

“I do.” I could practically taste it. It was in the air all around her, and I couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman more than I wanted her.

She smirked, but there was no humor in it, only irony. “Is it a prerequisite? Are all Marines so sure of themselves?”

“While I imagine you have a lot of experience with the Marines from being around your brother, I couldn’t begin to guess at any man’s self-assuredness.”

Her eyebrows shot up as a small smile touched her full lips. “You’re pretty smart for a twenty-year-old.”

“I never said I was twenty.”

“You said you enlisted two years ago,” she reminded me.

I knew what I’d said. I was filing away every word of this conversation. “I wasn’t eighteen two years ago.”

She laughed and patted my shoulder. “Okay, Mr. Mystery. How about we go to dinner and you can ply me with alcohol and then talk circles around me.”

My expression sober, I gave her the truth. “I would never attempt nor desire to ply you with alcohol.” I wasn’t Rollins. If she were to come to me, she had to come on her own.

She sighed and dropped her gaze. When she spoke, it was under her breath. “Then that would make you different than ninety-nine point nine percent of all men I’ve ever met.”

I didn’t pretend to not hear her. “I am different.”

She looked up at me. “No kidding. I’m just trying to figure out if that’s good or bad.”

The latter. But I was too enamored of her to warn her. Arm bent, I held my elbow out to her. “Dinner?”

For two seconds, she didn’t move. She simply stared.

Holding her gaze, I let her.

Then I foolishly opened my mouth. “I don’t do this often.”

Her eyes cut to my lips, and she swallowed. “Do what?”

Not hiding behind a blank expression, I gave her the truth. “Allow people to see me.”

She didn’t miss a beat as her eyes found mine again. “I would imagine you don’t.”

“You’re refreshing.” And breathtaking.

She smiled. “You’re trouble.”

“Not like Rollins.”

“Defending your honor so soon?” she joked. “And here we haven’t even kissed.”

“Preston, you fuck, quit monopolizing my sister and let’s go !” Ty yelled.

Ignoring Ty, I gave his sister a half-truth. “I never have to defend my honor.”

“Because you don’t have any?” No humor or sarcasm in her tone, she asked the question without malice, as if she were simply asking and simply expecting an honest answer.

I gave her one. “I’m not a player.” I didn’t fuck around, literally or metaphorically.

“Is that supposed to reassure me?”

I filed away her use of the word reassure. “If I were a player, I would tell you how stunning you are and mention the attributes of your physical appearance.”

She blinked, but then she laughed. “You’re right. You’re not a player. I just can’t figure out if that was the most awkward one-liner I’ve ever heard.” Pausing, she searched my face, then her voice quieted. “Or the smoothest.”

“Neither,” I assured. “Dinner?” I held my arm out again.

“Oh, Preston Vos.” She sighed. “I do believe you are one for the record books.”

“Truer words were never said.” During firing week, I’d been one point off from a perfect score on the weapons qualification course. My primary marksmanship instructor said it was a record.

“Son of a bitch.” Shaking her head, she took my arm. “I think I might actually like you.”

I showed my hand. “The feeling is entirely mutual.”

“But just to be clear,” she started before I’d finished my last word, “there’s no way you’re twenty.”

“I’m not.”

“So, are you going to share that tidbit of personal information with me, or are you gonna roll up like the streets around here at midnight and tuck that shit away for another day?”

For the first time in my life, I looked down at a woman and wanted more than what was between her legs. “I’m twenty-five.”

She whistled low. “A twenty-three-year-old enlistee with all those eighteen-year-olds.” She shook her head. “God bless you.”

I didn’t respond.

I walked her to her car, opened her door, and ignored the glare from her brother.

God had never been on my side.