Personal Bodyguard (Sunrise Security #2)

Chapter 1

Eve Tilly struggled to keep her smile in place as she waved at a group of young women who giggled their way out of Tilly’s Bar and Grill. “Thanks for stopping by.”

A brunette with large blue eyes and too-tight jeans threw a smile over her shoulder before they disappeared out the door.

As she hurried to the now-empty table, the corners of Eve’s mouth dropped a little.

She couldn’t let her guard down completely.

Not with the last patron of the night hunched over his nearly empty plate and half-filled beer at the bar.

She should have flipped the closed sign ten minutes ago, but she couldn’t shut things down until her bar was completely empty.

God, she was tired.

When she’d taken over her family’s bar in Cloud Valley, Wyoming, right before her twenty-eighth birthday, she’d poured her blood, sweat and tears into keeping the traditions alive. She loved her job. Loved her customers. Loved the community she served.

But tonight, after working nonstop for the past two days with the annual rodeo in town, she’d give anything to kick out her last diner and bury her head under her covers for the next week.

Becca, her best friend and manager, joined her at the dirty table. “I told Rick he could leave, so the kitchen’s officially closed. As soon as that guy’s done, we can clean up and head home.” She nodded toward the haggard cowboy with the overgrown beard and weathered hat pulled low over his eyes.

She waited for Becca to clear the table and pocket the tip before wiping her dishcloth over the crumbs. “Why don’t you take off, too? No reason for both of us to stand around and wait. I’ll finish the rest while he eats.”

Becca’s frown dipped her dark eyebrows into a deep V in the middle of her smooth forehead. She flicked her gaze above Eve’s head, an easy feat since she was a good four inches taller, and scrunched her nose. “Are you sure?”

Eve fisted a hand on her hip. The rag dangled down her leg, dampening her jeans. She cringed and tossed the towel on the table. “I’m fine. Besides, you’re opening tomorrow. Might as well get some of that beauty sleep while you can. You’ll be lost without it.”

Becca rolled her big blue eyes. “Sleep I want, but it never comes easy with a teething toddler. Which, by the way, Suzy’s asking to see Auntie Eve. You need to stop by soon.”

Just the sound of her goddaughter’s name was enough to turn Eve’s insides to mush.

She didn’t begrudge her parents’ decision to retire and see the world, but taking over the business at such a young age had cost more than she’d anticipated.

Her baby was the bar, plain and simple. And as much as her heart yearned for a family of her own, there simply weren’t enough hours in the day to devote to anything beyond profit margins and inventory.

Besides, she’d tried that once, and it hadn’t ended well. She’d been left with a broken heart and her dreams further away than ever.

But at least she had her adoptive family to dote on whenever she could find the time.

“Once the rodeo moves out of town, I’ll grab my favorite little girl for a slumber party. I’ll get some quality girl time. You and Bobby can get some sleep…or whatever else it is you need.” Laughing, she wiggled her eyebrows.

“That sounds amazing. I’ll hold you to it.” Becca pointed her index finger at Eve then hauled away the dirty dishes, disappearing through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

Eve made a mental list of everything that still needed done before leaving for the night and headed to the cash register. Screw it, she didn’t want to wait for this guy to pay before counting the till. She’d comp his meal so she could take off as soon as he was done.

“All righty,” Becca said in a singsong voice as she returned from the kitchen. “You sure you’re okay?”

Eve nodded, this time flashing a genuine smile. “I’m sure. Go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With her friend gone, she counted the money in the register then cleared her throat loud enough to gain the diner’s attention. “Don’t mean to interrupt. Just wanted to let you know I took care of your bill. Thanks for your business and have a great night.”

He gave a brief nod then drained the rest of the amber liquid in his tall glass.

She noted his mostly eaten food. Shouldn’t be too long before he finished.

Not wanting to pressure him, but fine with giving subtle hints, she crossed over the scuffed wooden floors to the neon lights that dotted the dark-paneled walls.

She tugged on the cords of the lights, shutting down the colorful advertisements and slogans she’d known since she was a child.

When she’d taken over ownership, a tiny part of her had considered giving the place a facelift.

Adding brighter colors and replacing all things old with new and more modern.

But when the time came to make the changes, she couldn’t erase what her parents had created.

The attachment to the things she’d loved since childhood was deeper than she’d realized.

So she kept everything exactly the way it’d always been, down to the giant buck head mounted above the stone hearth—the hat between its antlers changing along with the seasons. Tonight, he wore a tan cowboy hat, and someone had added a giant pair of sunglasses that made her smile.

Okay. Signs turned off. Tables cleared. Money counted.

All she had left was to clean the floors and bus the last plate.

A quick glance told her the man was still in his seat.

She hurried to the small hallway closet where she kept the broom.

She wouldn’t start sweeping until he left, but maybe he’d notice her waiting and leave a little bit quicker.

Stepping back into the dining area, she let out a big sigh. He was gone. Good. Now she could finish her list and get the hell out of there. Tomorrow would come soon enough, filled with another busy day of tourists.

Hurrying to clean the bar, she grabbed his plate and glass. Something slid from the bar and hit the floor near her feet. Curious, she returned the dishes to the bar and crouched to find a small piece of wood that resembled a flower of some kind.

Huh?

She turned it in her hand, trailing her fingers over the tiny crevices carved into the wood. Hopefully someone hadn’t left it behind accidentally, but she didn’t have the energy to care too much at the moment. Standing, she tossed the whittled flower onto the dirty napkin she’d placed on the plate.

Suddenly she was hyperaware of a presence behind her.

“Appreciate the meal, ma’am.” A brush of warm breath skimmed the back of her neck and raised the hairs on her arms.

The low, gravelly voice turned her stomach. It was close. Too close.

She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat and attempted to step to the side and take back her personal space, but a hard grip on her bicep pinned her in place.

“No reason to be scared, miss. Just wanted to give you a proper thanks. It was awfully nice of you to give me such a great meal for free.”

“No thanks necessary.” She yanked her arm, but he refused to release her.

He spun her around, letting go of her arm just long enough for her to face him. He reclaimed her bicep with his clammy hand, bracing his other on the bar at her back. He leaned close, the smell of cigarettes and sweat mixing with the beer on his breath.

Fear tightened her chest, but she refused to let him see it. She lifted her chin, staring him straight in the eyes. “You need to let me go. Now.”

His soft chuckle grated her nerves. He lowered his mouth to speak softly into her ear. “I’m just trying to be friendly. Give a man a chance, darlin’.”

“I said, let me go.” She couldn’t stop the quiver that shook her words.

He moved his lips to her jawline. His wiry beard scratched her skin.

She hiked up her knee as hard as she could until it connected with the sensitive spot between his legs. His grip loosened and she lunged away.

He fisted the neck of her shirt and hauled her to him, molding his big, lean body to hers. A sneer twisted his lips. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

Eve opened her mouth and screamed.

Disconnecting the call from his sister, a little bit of the tension wrapped around Reid Sommers’s neck loosened.

As much as he loved his baby sister, their conversations got harder and harder.

She might stay in their hometown in Indiana to help their dysfunctional father, but Reid had run as far away from that mess as he could the moment he’d turned eighteen.

The Marines had made him into a man. And twelve years later, the town of Cloud Valley, Wyoming, gave him a home.

A home he’d spent the last year protecting as best he could as a security specialist at Sunrise Security.

Madden McKay, his boss and best friend, leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hey, man. You done with the case at the Wilson ranch?” The lines around Madden’s eyes told him his friend had suffered just as long of a day.

Reid propped his elbows on the desk. “Yeah. Finished late this afternoon. Was making my notes when Tara called.”

Madden’s dark brows rose. “Everything okay?”

“As okay as they can be.” Reid dropped his arms and shoved away from his desk.

Needing to move, he paced between the lone window in his office and the cream-colored wall on the other side of the room.

“Dad talked his way out of rehab then stole money from Tara. She’s upset, and I feel for her.

I really do. But damn it, Dad will never change, and she’ll never accept that.

I can’t keep getting sucked into this mess. ”

Madden frowned. “I’m sorry, man. Wish there was something I could do.”

Stopping in front of the window, he stared at the mountains in the distance. The jagged peaks and explosion of colors that came with late summer calmed his jangled nerves. He pulled in a large breath. “I learned a long time ago there’s nothing anyone can do.”

Enough. Don’t waste another second on trouble hundreds of miles away. Not my problem anymore.

Except when Tara called and dragged him back into the middle of the mess he tried to avoid at all cost.

“Anyway,” he said, facing Madden. “We should talk about hiring more help. Things have finally picked up. I’ve finished the Wilson case and have three more waiting for my attention. Have you considered hiring Dax?”

Madden scowled but gave a tiny nod. “We’ve talked. I’ve also spoken with Ben recently. He’s searching for his place after leaving the Marines. This could be a good fit.”

“Agreed.”

After struggling to win over the citizens of Cloud Valley and the surrounding area, Sunrise Security had grown beyond anything Reid could have imagined.

Business was booming, which left him and Madden with full hands and even fuller schedules.

He trusted Dax, Madden’s younger brother, and Ben Besler, whom they’d served with in the Marines.

A quick glance at the clock ticking on the wall reminded him of the time. “Can we discuss more tomorrow? I need to get my head on straight after that call, and I’ve been here all day. I need to find some dinner and head to bed.”

“Sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He waited for Madden to slip into his own office across the hall before shutting down his computer and gathering his things. He flipped off the light and hurried through the empty lobby—the receptionist desk long abandoned for the day and sitting area nice and neat—then headed out the front door.

Main Street was quiet this time of night.

Bright bistro lights zigzagged above the street and competed with the starry sky for attention.

Lit lampposts chased the shadows from the empty sidewalks.

Shops and restaurants had closed, sending citizens off to their homes.

Even the horde of tourists in town for the rodeo had found somewhere else to pass the rest of their night.

Hope beat inside him with every step that at least one business remained open. Tilly’s Bar and Grill was the only place in town to grab an ice-cold beer and a good meal past nine.

And the only place to find Eve Tilly, the beautiful owner who could make him laugh no matter how sour his mood.

Although he enjoyed the breeze, he quickened his pace.

Odds were that Eve had closed for the night, but if he caught her before she left, he might persuade her to let him in for a drink.

If he was being honest with himself, he could get a cold drink at home.

What he really needed was a few minutes with Eve to loosen the rest of the tension coiled in his gut.

As the golden letters etched into the glass of the front window of Tilly’s came into view, a shrill scream sent his pulse into a gallop. He sprinted toward the front door, yanked it open and red-hot anger pounded against his temples.

A tall man wearing a faded jean jacket and worn brown cowboy hat towered above Eve.

He used his body to pin her against the bar.

His long, scraggly beard hid his facial features, but there was no disguising his intent as he gripped her wrist in one hand while the other clamped over her mouth.

He struggled to press his lips to her neck.

Eve clawed at the man’s face with her free hand.

“Get the hell away from her.” Reid stormed across the room and yanked the man away from Eve.

Eve’s hazel eyes flew wide. She lunged to the side, but the man kept a firm grip on her wrist. He spun around, holding Eve to his chest, and grabbed the dirty knife off the plate from the bar. “Don’t make me hurt her.”

Reid stopped and balled his hands at his side. Every instinct screamed to slam his fist in the asshole’s face, but he couldn’t risk injuring Eve. “Let her go.”

The man clicked his tongue. “You think I’ll give up that easily?”

Aiming for a calmness he didn’t feel, Reid shrugged. He focused on the man. If he stared too long at the fear in Eve’s face, he’d crumble. “Don’t see how you have many options.”

The man grinned, showing off crooked teeth. “I’m going to walk with the lady to the door, and you aren’t going to do anything stupid.”

Reid swallowed his rage and watched the man maneuver toward the exit, Eve trapped against him. Reid took small steps, keeping the two of them within reach. His heart beat a frantic rhythm in his chest as his brain went into overdrive to think of a way to get Eve away.

With his back to the door, the man’s grin grew. “So long.”

Eve firmed her mouth and jabbed her elbow into the man’s gut.

Grunting, her captor bent at the waist, and his hand slipped from hers.

Reid sprinted forward, the need to spill the other man’s blood like fuel in his veins.

The man reached for Eve’s hair, his long fingers snaking through the auburn strands. He jerked her head back before shoving her in Reid’s path.

Reid caught her seconds before she fell on the floor and the man ran out of the bar.