Protecting his Life (Guarding Royalty #4)

Chapter 1

Felix

Felix Jamison held his sides at Malachi—or Kai, as he was now known to his friends—and Jason’s identical expressions. “You should see your faces,” he sniggered, trying to breathe through his laughter. “You really thought Hilary and Wally were a couple?”

“They were hugging!” Jason exclaimed.

“And they kissed!” Kai added.

“Oh, my god. So much for you being a reporter.” Felix shook his head. “Bloody hell. No. Wally is with Donovan. Hilary just helps them out with babysitting when they want a night out.”

“But I thought Wally was Donovan’s kids’ nanny?” Jason said.

Felix nodded. “He is. From what Oscar told me—being his best friend and all—Wally had been pining for Donovan since the moment he went for the job. Oscar got fed up and manufactured a meeting where Donovan overheard Wally’s feelings, and they kissed. The end.”

“Sounds like the plot of a romance book.” Kai sighed.

Jason nudged him. “Maybe you should write the story now you are all loved up and as you believe in fairy tales.”

Kai snorted. “And you don’t?”

“I never said that. I just can’t write about it.”

Felix listened to their banter, enjoying their company even as his heart pined for what they’d both found.

He wanted to have someone to go home to, someone to care for, someone to love.

But he’d never have that because the only person who had ever turned his head was out of reach and always would be.

He needed to move on, but he couldn’t find the energy.

He spent most of his time fighting the need to wrap himself around the man, to both protect and be protected from the world.

Pushing aside the thoughts before he spiralled into depression, he glanced around the cafe.

Book Drunk was a wonderful place for those who loved a drink with their books, or a book with their drink, depending on their preference.

Walking in the door, the first part of the space was the coffee shop, but then, to the side, were rows and rows of shelves filled to the brim with books of all kinds.

Felix loved reading as much as the next person, but it wasn’t his favourite pastime.

No, give him a computer any day of the week.

He leaned his elbows on the table and looked around, his inner bodyguard unable to stop from checking they were safe, despite knowing another two guards were there—one of which was his occasional replacement for watching Oscar because he was so caught up in the tech side of things lately, he didn’t have time to guard him, and he hated that. He missed their close friendship.

His gaze caught on the window. Prince Christian was making his way across the road with his bodyguard following him.

Felix swallowed but couldn’t look away. Tracking them as they pushed open the door and entered the coffee shop, he noticed Christian glance around them—the man was as much a guard as the rest of them.

But what caught his attention the most was Christian’s guard. Their one and only boss.

Brett.

Even just thinking his name sent heat and butterflies through his body.

He thought Brett might feel something for him, too, but he couldn’t be sure, and he wasn’t willing to risk it all by confessing and getting turned down.

That would just make life difficult with them working together.

He still couldn’t figure out how Brett balanced everything.

He was Head of Security for all the bodyguards and Christian’s personal guard.

Felix couldn’t be Oscar’s guard all the time when he was doing his tech stuff.

He shook his head. Brett was a built differently; he could do it all, Felix was sure of it.

“Hey, stop staring. You’ll get a crick in your neck,” Jason said, nudging his arm.

“I’m not staring. I’m observing,” Felix replied. It was not the best-kept secret that he had a crush on Brett, and he would not deny it if anyone had the guts to ask him to his face. His friends might one day, but that day didn’t seem to be it.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Kai asked Jason.

“I’m taking Lucia and Blake to the cinema. No idea what we’re going to see. Just whatever is on the screen when we get there.”

“You spoil your siblings far too much,” Kai joked. “Or not enough.”

“Definitely not enough,” Jason said with a grin.

“Do you get spoilt, Jason?” Felix asked, knowing the answer but asking anyway.

Jason’s smile widened until he was beaming. “Every day. Darius lets me get away with murder.”

“And don’t we know it? We’ve helped to hide the bodies, after all.”

Felix shook his head, his attention going to Brett again when he settled against the wall where Oscar had set a stool for the bodyguards to use whenever they came in.

It was the perfect spot to see everything in the coffee shop.

From what Oscar had told him, even with the reserved sign above the stool, people tried to use it and then complained when it wasn’t a decent spot because there was no table or anything to rest plates on, just a small ledge wide enough for a small cup or glass.

Oscar had said he’d lost count of how many times he’d explained that the seat was reserved for someone else.

The locals knew, but it was the tourists who didn’t either read or care.

“Right, I have to go,” Kai said. “I’m expected back.”

“Sucker.” Jason shoved him, and Kai shoved back.

“You two are like school children.” Felix stood.

“I’m heading out, too.” He couldn’t sit there and not stare at—sorry, observe—Brett.

He met Brett’s gaze, nodded once and then said goodbye to his friends and headed out.

He had plenty of work to do, but he wouldn’t be able to concentrate right then, so he aimed for home.

Home was a five-bedroomed detached house on the outskirts of Windsor, which was let out on a room-by-room basis.

At that moment, four people rented the rooms, including him.

He enjoyed the social aspect of sharing a house, and if socialising was too much for him at any point, he could retreat to his room and shut the door.

His roommates were pretty great, though, and it didn’t happen often.

Noise assaulted him as soon as he entered, and his fingers twitched with the need to grab his gun, but he checked that need and breathed through the instinct.

His roommates were pretty great, as he’d said, but they could be noisy.

Loud music, loud conversation and friends visiting all joined to make it a social gathering, which Felix didn’t mind. But goddamn the noise sometimes.

“Felix! You’re back!” Remi called, waving his hands in the air.

Remington Highcombe was a trust fund baby who didn’t have to work a day in his life, but he wanted space from his parents, and that had been his solution—finding a room somewhere other than where they were, even though he could have afforded an entire house himself.

The guy was one of the nicest people Felix had met, and that said a lot with how many people he interacted with.

Angelica came towards him with a drink in her hand.

“It’s not booze, but it’s thirst-quenching.

” She winked. Angelica Harris was a model who spent half of her time away at fashion shows around the world, but when she was home, she stayed within the house, not venturing out for anything.

As much as she loved the attention when she was on the catwalk, she hated it when she wasn’t.

“I can think of some other things that are thirst-quenching,” Austin said, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend-of-the-week’s neck. Austin Tomlinson was the drummer for The Ports and spent the majority of his time either in the recording studio or on tour. This place was his home away from home.

The fifth bedroom was empty, waiting for an occupant.

“I can see you’re already celebrating something. What’s happened?” he asked, cracking the lid on the bottle of water everyone knew he preferred if he couldn’t have coffee while glancing around at the other people gathered in the large, open-plan living area. He recognised most of them.

“Angelica has been offered a worldwide tour,” Remi said, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

Felix grinned. “Congratulations! I didn’t know that was an option for you.”

Angelica shrugged. “I didn’t think so either. I’m on the wrong end of the age limit, but they called and offered, and I accepted. It might be my last hurrah.”

Felix hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks. Sorry about the impromptu party.”

“When do I complain about a party?” He winked. “Have you ordered food?”

Austin nodded. “All sorted. There will be enough for several football teams.”

It was one thing they didn’t have to worry about, thankfully. The cost of food was high, but they were each earning a more than decent wage and could afford to eat takeaway every night for the rest of their lives, probably.

He conversed with several people he knew until the food arrived, and then they dug in. He looked around him and smiled. They were great people, but he was keeping a secret from his roommates. One that would change the way they looked at him.

He was their landlord.

There was a reason they were all high-flying individuals who had as fairly high-profile lives as Felix did.

It was also the reason his security system was first class.

They knew the pressures of being in the limelight, the intricacies of making sure they were safe wherever they stayed, and the emotional toll they often felt from those pressures.

He kept them safe, and in return, they helped him stay sane.

But if they ever found out he was their landlord, they would never trust him again.

****