The Bodyguard and the Bombshell (Masters and Mercenaries: The Hideout #1)

Chapter One

Australia

Nate Carter stood on the big lawn of the house he’d spent

his teenaged years in and wondered why it no longer felt like home. It wasn’t

like he didn’t love the big ranch house, didn’t have fond memories of riding

horses across the rambling station with his sister, Elodie, or spending

evenings with his parents watching movies.

His parents weren’t the problem. His sister was still the

same obnoxious, loving woman she’d always been.

He was the problem.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” a deep voice asked.

He turned and saw his father standing on the big wraparound

porch where he would sit with his sister, swinging and talking about what was

going on in their lives.

He’d been home for six months and he made excuse after

excuse why he wouldn’t sit there with Elodie. He was busy. There was work to be

done.

He never once told her the real reason. He was scared he

would sit there and have absolutely nothing to say.

Elodie had known what she wanted to do with her life since

she was five years old. He was twenty-six and had no idea where his place was

in the world.

Which was why he was changing things up. “Moving to the

States or working for Big Tag?”

His father wore his normal uniform of jeans and a T-shirt

and looked more like a cowboy than the soldier he’d been in his younger years.

Brody Carter was a legend in the security business. He’d gone from Aussie

Special Forces to working for an international security company. He’d married a

woman he’d met on what he would call an “op” but what Nate kind of thought was

really fate. All of his life he’d looked up to this man, and Nate was so

worried he was letting him down. “Both, I suppose. You know Damon would love to

have you.”

Before they’d moved back to Australia, his family had been

based in London. Elodie barely remembered living in the place called The

Garden, but Nate did. Nate remembered growing up with Damon Knight’s kids and

all the others.

“I need something new.” It was nothing less than the truth.

Since he’d left the military, he’d been drifting. Nothing had been able to

shake this sense of… He hesitated to use the word ennui. Ennui sounded

like something that happened to way smarter people than him.

“Are you sure you’re not following one of the Taggart

girls?” His father’s brows had risen. “Because I worry you would be making a

mistake, son. Tasha’s getting married and the twins… Well, I don’t know how any

man handles those twins of Tag’s.”

Nate laughed. It felt good to laugh. He’d been kind of numb

for the last couple of months. “Absolutely not. And I’m not trailing after Lou,

either. There is no woman involved in this decision of mine. I’m doing this for

me.”

He wasn’t going to mention he’d been thinking a lot about

Daisy O’Donnell lately. He wouldn’t pursue her or anything. When they’d been

kids, she’d followed him around and he’d known about her crush. He hadn’t

minded, though he also hadn’t touched her. It made him wonder what she was up

to these days.

His father nodded and stepped down, joining him on the lawn.

“I suppose my question is what you’re going to get out of the experience. You

told me you didn’t think you wanted to work security.”

“It seems to be the only thing I’m halfway good at.” Which

was precisely the problem.

“Ah, so you’re feeling the pressure, are you?” his father

asked.

“Pressure? No one puts pressure on me. I come home and tell

you I’ve left SASR and Mum simply gets my old room ready and you put me on the

schedule. I thought the military was going to be my career.”

His father shrugged. “There’s no pressure from me or your

mum. You want to help me around the station, I’m happy to have you. You want to

go work at Mum’s clinic, she would love it. Your uncle’s business is the only

one I’m going to ask you to stay out of, and you know damn well why.”

Because Uncle Alfi worked on the outer edges of morality.

He’d been a fun guy to have around, but he could get into the wildest scrapes.

“I don’t think he’s looking for a partner.”

His father snorted. “He’s always looking for a partner. I

suppose I’m just wishing you didn’t have to go so far away to find yourself.

This is the pressure I’m talking about.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Ah, but I do understand you,” his father said with a sigh.

“I was you, son. I was the rather normal man madly in love with a brilliant

woman who I couldn’t believe I deserved.”

His parents were some of the most solid people he’d ever

known. While his friends’ folks were splitting up or taking breaks, his parents

were obnoxiously in love.

He’d never felt romantic love either. Elodie fell in and out

of love so easily, and he’d never felt more than some affection for the women

he’d been with. Friendship and good sex had been the height of his

relationships. “I think Mum would disagree.”

“Oh, she did, and I was a stubborn arse for a long time,”

his dad admitted. “I let my insecurities put you and Mum in a very bad

position. This is why I talk about pressure. You have been raised around

extraordinary women. Women who have sparks of talent they can’t deny.”

His mother was a doctor. She was driven and practically

glowed with purpose.

His sister had started dancing at the age of five. Most kids

outgrew it, but not Elodie. She was attending a prestigious university and

expected to join a company when she graduated.

He’d had his shot at the career he’d thought he’d been

destined for, and it hadn’t worked out. “I’m very proud of them both.”

“But you wish you had that spark,” his father prompted.

Nate shook his head. “No, I wish I knew where I belong.

Don’t think I’m not grateful, Dad. I love my family, but I don’t belong here

anymore. At least when I was working with the team I felt some sense of

purpose.”

He’d been called in to help with an op Tag’s daughters and

their team had been running in Sydney. Naturally it had all gone to hell, but

it had been the one thing in months that made him feel like he mattered.

“You won’t be working with the Agency,” his father pointed

out. “You’re going into the bodyguard unit. It’s not the same. Do you want to

be an investigator? Because Damon probably has more room for you to move

around.”

“I’ve lived in London. I want something new. I want to try

this. Like I said, I don’t mean to hurt you or Mum.”

“We’ll be fine. I simply want to make sure you’re not

running away for the wrong reasons.”

“I don’t think I’m running away at all. I’ve been drifting.

I don’t want to work the station the rest of my life,” Nate admitted.

His father’s arms crossed over his chest as he looked out

across the lawn. “I don’t have a problem with you wanting out. Your sister

wants another life, too. We came back to help your grandmother. She’s gone now,

and we’ll probably sell the place. Your mum has a hankering to travel again.”

His mother’s version of travel would be to go to the world’s

forgotten places and try to make them better. His father would be right beside

her. “She wants to open another clinic?”

He’d been born in a clinic his mother had run outside of

Sierra Leone.

“Her kids are grown and I think she wants to do more good in

the world. And I’ll be honest, I’m looking forward to having time with her, but

I worry what happens if we’re out wandering the world and you need us. Am I

wrong to not keep a place for you to come home to?”

Damn, but he loved this man. “You and Mum and Elodie are my

home. Not some space. I know if I ever need you, you’ll be there. I’m trying to

be brave, Dad. It would be easy to stay here and work this station and marry

someone from town, but it’s not what’s in my heart.”

“Then you have to go into the world and figure it out,” his

father said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Find your passion and don’t let

it go. But I want you to consider what I’m about to say to you. Sometimes the

passion we need isn’t a career. It’s a person. It’s a family. I’m not ever

going to be as smart as your mum, but I learned my place long ago. It’s to love

her and build this family with her. To support her and you and your sister. I

wouldn’t take it back for anything in the world. Certainly not for some

high-powered career. It’s the best job for me. Be open to what the universe

offers you. And know no matter where we are, we’re here for you.”

The door opened and his mother stepped out. “We should get

on the road if we’re going to make it to the airport in time.” She strode down

the steps and joined them. “Oh, I’m going to miss you. All my babies are flying

out of the nest. You should know I’ve already called Avery, and she’s going to

make sure you have everything you need. Are you sure you don’t want to wait

until you find an apartment?”

He was staying with friends. Well, with people he knew back

when he was a kid. He’d known Aidan O’Donnell since they were babies. Their

parents were friends who would get together every couple of years.

“I want to get a feel for the city,” he explained. He would

be living with Aidan and two of his friends. Their extra room would work until

he decided where he wanted to live.

The fact the room was also close to a BDSM club Aidan and

his friends ran was a plus. He’d been raised around lifestylers, but the clubs

were few and far between here in the outback, and he hadn’t had occasion to

play during his time in the military. Unless he went to Sydney, he didn’t play,

and Sydney was so far away.

But that wouldn’t be a problem in Dallas. There were several

clubs he would have easy access to. He would go and figure his life out. And

maybe spend some time with a pretty sub or two.

“Let’s get going then,” his father said.

He took his mum’s hand and moved to the truck so he could

start his future.

* * * *

Dallas, TX

One week later

Daisy O’Donnell was ready.

Real estate hadn’t worked out for her, but she was all

right. She wasn’t meant for the restaurant world either. The fifth time she’d