Barefoot in Pearls (Barefoot Bay Brides Book 3) (41 page)
Read Barefoot in Pearls (Barefoot Bay Brides Book 3) Online
Authors: Roxanne St. Claire
“What exactly will you do?”
Gabe grinned. “Shit no one else can. Bro, I know how to run, hide, transform, and show up as another person on a different continent better than any other spook out there. Why not put those skills to good use and make serious cash from people who are willing to pay for that kind of überprotection? Sometimes, a bodyguard isn’t what they want. They need more than standard security, and that’s where I come in.”
“Will they stay here, or is this ‘überprotection’ some kind of a pit stop on their way to another place?”
He shrugged, knowing he didn’t have all the answers yet. “Depends on the case. Most will move on, staying here only long enough for me to do the legwork to get them a new identity and home. Some might stay. We’ll have to take each deal as it comes.”
Listening, Luke crossed his arms and looked toward the bungalows as if trying to picture this whole thing unfolding there. “Why not use that Guardian Angelino business as a front?”
“In Boston? Too easy to find people, too many access points, no control. I have been looking for a place just like this. More or less in the middle of nowhere, where the ‘guests’ can become anyone, and with a front business that’s legit.” He unlatched his hands and leaned forward. “With a partner I can trust.”
Luke eyed him for a long time. “I didn’t want a partner.”
“And neither do I. It’s a cover, man. And a damn good one. You do your security thing, and, yes, I can give you a metric buttload of advice on how to run that business with my eyes closed and my dick in a sling. In exchange, you just tell people I’m your silent partner or consultant or whatever. I don’t go out on security calls, and I don’t expect you to help with my cases.” At the flicker in Luke’s eyes, he added, “Unless you want to. We’ll work out the money, and it’ll be good.”
“How are you going to find clients?”
Gabe just laughed. “Dude, they find me.”
Luke still wasn’t convinced, Gabe could tell by the dubious look in his eyes. “Who’s going to believe that you, Gabriel Rossi, has decided to move to an island in Florida and live the quiet life as a partner in a security firm?”
Gabe put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I can make anyone believe anything. You just have to go along with it, and you will take a nice cut of the cash for your trouble, and I won’t take a penny of yours.”
“You didn’t make Poppy believe you were a locked-out guest,” Luke challenged.
“Which makes me certain I picked the right place. I told you, it was a security test. If the basics weren’t here, I couldn’t make this my home base. But they are, and I can.” He tightened his grip. “Gimme a chance, and we’ll see how it works out. I think this place is ideal for running, hiding, and reinventing.”
Luke didn’t answer for a long time, his eyes narrowing. “You know what I think?”
“That your fairy fucking godfather just landed with a pot of gold?”
“I think you’re the one running, hiding, and reinventing, Rossi.”
Gabe didn’t even flinch, but turned away to be sure his eyes didn’t give anything away. “Just say yes or no, bro.”
Luke waited a long time. Too long. Then he smiled. “Hell, yeah. I’m in. I gotta believe anything with you is going to be…interesting.”
“As fuck.” Gabe grinned and smacked Luke’s shoulder. “Now show me the new offices. Time for a little action in…what’s the name of this hellhole again? Bare-Ass Bay?”
Luke laughed. “Barefoot Bay.”
“Cute. Shit’s about to get real in Barefoot Bay.”
“Real what?”
Gabe slid into a sly smile. “Real…
different
.”
Barefoot Bay Undercover
launching Spring 2015
Have you read all of the Books of Barefoot Bay? Each one stands completely alone, but if you want to kick off your shoes and fall in love in order…here you go!
The Complete Barefoot Bay Backlist
The Barefoot Bay Billionaires (Contemporary Romance)
(These three stories are also available as a specially priced boxed set called
The Barefoot Billionaires
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The Barefoot Bay Brides
And if you’d like to know how Casa Blanca rose from the rubble of a hurricane and meet the four women who started the resort, dip your toes in the original Barefoot Bay books!
The Barefoot Bay Quartet (Contemporary Romance)
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About the Author
Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels of suspense and romance, including many popular series and stand-alone books. Her entire backlist, including excerpts and buy links, can be found at
www.roxannestclaire.com
.
In addition to being a six-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times and the Borders Top Pick in Romance, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and are routinely included as a Doubleday/Rhapsody Book Club Selection of the Month.
Roxanne lives in Florida with her family and can be reached via her website,
www.roxannestclaire.com
, her Facebook Reader page,
www.facebook.com/roxannestclaire
, and Twitter at
www.twitter.com/roxannestclaire
.
Barefoot in Pearls
Copyright © 2015 South Street Publishing
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ISBN: 978-0-9908607-0-9
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All rights to reproduction of this work are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the copyright owner.
Thank you for respecting the copyright. For permission or information on foreign, audio, or other rights, contact the author, [email protected]
Cover Art: Robin Ludwig Design
Interior Formatting: Author E.M.S.