Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Cowboy D-Force (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Brotherhood Protectors Book 4) (2 page)

He made it through the room and out the door. As soon as he was outside, he broke into a sprint toward his truck, climbed in and hauled ass out of the parking lot and away from the obnoxious diva he wanted no part of.

So much for a relaxing reintroduction to his beloved state of Montana. Hopefully, his second day back home would be better than his first.

T
he banging
on her Jeep window jolted Angel out of the nice nap she’d just started. Normally, her boss, Lena, managed to stay longer than thirty minutes in a bar. Angel had been counting on at least that long of a nap.

Except Lena’s publicist was pounding the glass, his face a study of desperation. What was Lena up to now?

Angel sighed and lowered the window. “What’s up, Phil?”

“She’s doing it again. And there’s a cameraman inside getting it all on video.”

“Get her out,” Angel said, rolling the window up.

Phillip clutched the top of the glass as it whirred upward, trying to keep it from closing. “You gotta help me. We need damage control before that video gets out. And she just flashed a stranger. It’s all on the god damn video!”

“That’s your problem. I’m just the stunt double. I’m not even sure why you brought me along.” She shrugged. “Don’t really care as long as I get paid an indecent amount of money.”

His eyes widened. “Seriously, if you want a paycheck, you have to help me get her out before she kills her chance at any future scripts because she’s such a loose cannon.”

Angel sighed. Phillip seemed a nice enough guy, but he worked for the bitchiest, most narcissistic woman in Hollywood. Which said a lot, considering Lena lived in Hollywood among hundreds of actress wannabes, who thought they were God’s gift to the silver screen. Lord help those who didn’t agree.

But Lena was the drama queen to beat all drama queens.

“What’s she done now?” How she’d gone from being a respectable stunt woman to Lena Love’s body double, on the screen and off, she wasn’t sure. Then again, she did know. The money was pretty damned good. Another year and she could afford to buy her own house in the woods and pay cash. Then she could work in a library or an oil change place. Somewhere she didn’t have to hurl her body through glass windows or ride motorcycles through flames

“She just flashed one of the customers because he refused to dance with her.”

“I like the man already.” Angel pulled the keys from the ignition, climbed out of the car and followed Phillip to the door.

She didn’t like loud music, and she liked cowboys even less. They usually smelled like horses. And she really didn’t like horses. Not since she’d tried stunt riding for Lena. The horse had spooked when one of the booms had fallen to the ground with a loud crash.

Angel had thought she was going to die that day. Three miles later, after jumping a fence, crossing a six-lane highway and crashing into someone’s back yard pool, the horse had finally slowed enough for Angel to jump off. How the horse wrangler had gotten the animal out of the swimming pool, she still didn’t know. She’d almost drowned along with the animal and had to suffer through a trip to the hospital in the back of an ambulance with a suicidal driver.

She drew her stunt assignments line at horseback riding. And she was about to tell Lena where she could put her big, fat paychecks.

With her blond hair tucked up in a baseball cap, and wearing a baggy hoody and equally baggy jeans, Angel could have passed for a teen from the hood, instead of a woman who, with the right makeup and hairstyle, was the spitting image of Lena Love, multi-million-dollar princess of the big screen.

Lucky her. When she wasn’t careful, she was stopped in stores around LA, mistaken for the actress. Having the paparazzi follow her gave her a real understanding of what it was like to be famous.

Lena could have it. It wasn’t Angel’s circus, and she didn’t want anything to do with the publicity.

Unfortunately, she’d been called in on several occasions to “be” Lena when Lena was indisposed and couldn’t represent herself—code for stoned out of her mind or passed out cold.

“Damn it, where’d she go?” Phillip stood on his toes, searching the room for the blonde. “She was at the bar when I went outside.”

“I’ll check the ladies room,” Angel said. “You check outside the back door.”

Phillip ran for the back of the building and hopefully a rear exit.

Angel hoped he’d find Lena first and save her from telling the woman what she thought of her troubled life. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind to Lena. Wouldn’t matter anyway. When she sobered up, Lena would have no memory of what Angel had said.

She followed the sign indicating toward the restrooms and entered a darkened hallway. She’d see far too many scary movies to like dark hallways. Nothing good ever happened in them.

Pushing her misgivings to the side, she pressed on and entered the ladies’ room to find the space in complete darkness. Running her hand along the wall, she located the light switch and flipped it on.

At first, she thought the bathroom was empty. She turned to leave, but stopped when she heard a slight moan.

“Lena?” she called out.

Another moan sounded. Angel ducked low, looking under the stall doors for legs and feet. In the last one, she found more than legs and feet. She found Lena, lying on the floor in front of the toilet, her back to Angel.

Angel tried the stall door, but it was locked. “Lena, you have to get up and unlock the door.”

Another moan, but no movement on the actress’s part.

“Jesus, Lena, if you’re going to pass out, at least leave the freakin’ door unlocked.” Angel shot a glance to the ceiling, knowing what she had to do and not liking it one bit. She didn’t mind rolling in the dirt, wearing a fire-retardant suit and being doused in gasoline and set on fire, but she really hated touching anything in a public restroom, especially the floors around the toilets.

Yanking several paper towels out of the dispenser, she placed them on the ground in front of the stall door. With a deep breath, she lay on her back and shimmied beneath the stall door, bumping up against Lena’s inert body.

The woman moved, groaned and heaved her guts up all over the nasty floor. Now, not only did it smell like urine, the restroom smelled like booze vomit.

Fighting the urge to retch, Angel worked her way into the stall, stood, unlocked the door and flung it open. Then she reached to hook her hands beneath Lena’s arms and dragged her away from the toilet and into the middle of the washroom.

That’s when she saw it.

“Sweet Jesus, that can’t be good.” Struggling with the smell and the urge to contribute to it, Angel stepped to the door and opened it. “Phillip, you gotta see this.”

Phillip glanced up at the sign over the door. “I can’t go into the ladies’ restroom.”

“Make an exception. We have a problem.”

He shot a look down the hallway, and then ducked through the door. “Make it quick. What’s wrong—holy shit! What the hell happened?”

“Apparently, someone didn’t like Lena flashing her boobs, or she’s got a stalker.”

BITCH
was written across Lena’s forehead in big, black, bold letters. Also, trailing down one cheek were the words,
I’m going to make
, and on the other,
you pay.

A shiver rippled across Angel’s skin, raising goose bumps. She ran to the sink, wet a fresh paper towel and bent to wipe the ink from Lena’s face.

The wet paper towel did nothing to remove the ink. She tried adding soap to the towel. The soap had no more effect than the water.

“Sweet Jesus,” Phillip said. “What are we going to do now? She can’t be seen in public like that.”

“Seriously? That’s all you’re worried about?” Angel pointed at the writing. “That’s a threat. And apparently, whoever did it has it in for Miss Love. This ink is not coming off.”

Phillip stood, wringing his hands. “She can’t leave this bathroom like that.”

“As it is, she’s not going out on her own two feet anyway. She can’t stand up and walk back through the barroom. The woman needs to be carried out.”

Phillip tried to lift Lena into his arms, but like a slippery fish, the actress slid through his fingers. “The camera man is waiting to catch anything he can on Lena. She’s already had too much negative publicity.”

“I thought any publicity, good or bad, was preferable to no publicity.”

“Yeah, ask Lindsay Lohan how that worked for her. Or Brittany Spears. Sometimes it works in their favor, but not always. Talent only gets you so far. Being easy to work with gets you the roles. She’s got too much riding on a script she really wants. It’s a juicy one that could position her for an Oscar nomination. The studio doesn’t want a mess on their hands.”

“And she’s a mess.” Angel murmured. “I’ve seen her party too hard, but this takes it further. Does she need to go into a rehab center?”

Phillip sighed. “I’ve tried to talk her into it, but she doesn’t think she has a problem.”

“Passed out drunk in a bathroom stall is a problem. Whoever did that to her face could have done a whole lot worse.”

“She needs a keeper.”

Angel held up her hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m just a stunt woman, not a bodyguard.”

Phillip’s eyes narrowed. “You know, you’re more valuable as her double than as her bodyguard. This might be the perfect timing to get her into a private rehab facility. She could be detoxing while you’re flushing out the jerk who did this to her.” His lips spread into a genuine grin and he rubbed his hands together.

“Me? Play the part of Lena Love in real life?” Angel flung her hand in the air and backed away. “Oh, no. I’m all good for taking the hits, driving the fast cars, falling through the windows, but I’m no actress.”

“I’ve seen you mimic Lena’s tantrums. That’s all you have to do. Please, stay on her ranch for the next two weeks while we clean up her face and dry her out.”

Angel frowned. “What about the message on Lena’s face? Someone’s got it out for her.”

“So, you’re bait for the nutcase who did this. We’ll hire a bodyguard for you, since the world will think you’re Lena.”

“I’m not so sure I like being bait. And I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“At least, you’ll stay sober. You won’t be caught off guard like Lena. And I know you can defend yourself with your military background. But a bodyguard is something Lean would want.”

“She has bodyguards. Though, where were they when she was attacked here in the restroom?”

“Something I plan to find out. I’m not impressed with their abilities. Plus, we need one who isn’t as familiar with Lena as her own bodyguards. I’ll check around the state for someone local.”

Angel thought about what Phillip was telling her. “So, all I have to do is play Lena, on her ranch, here in Montana, not LA?”

“Two weeks.”

“I’ll have full use of the pool and everything, just like Lena?” Angel was warming to the idea.

He nodded. “Everything, even her wardrobe.”

“And Lena will be off somewhere in a rehab facility? I don’t have to put up with her bullshit?”

Phillip held up two fingers. “Scouts honor.”

Angel snorted. “Like you were ever a scout.” She made up her mind. “Okay. I’ll be Lena for two weeks. Other than an artistic stalker who paints threats on actress’s faces, it sounds like the perfect paid vacation.” She held out her hand. “Deal.”

Phillip shook her hand. “Deal. I’ll have a bodyguard sent out to Love Land tomorrow.”

Angel shrugged. “No hurry. I wouldn’t want him to get in the way of my downtime.”

At that moment, Lena moaned, opened her eyes and said, “Where am I?” Then her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she passed out again.

“Let’s get sleeping beauty out of here,” Angel said.

“Yeah, and whatever you do, don’t let anyone see us carrying out a passed out drunk Lena Love.”

Angel pulled a bright pink camouflage bandana from the hip pocket of her jeans and wrapped it around Lena’s signature blond hair.

Phillip tried again to lift Miss Love. “I can’t do this on my own. I’m not built to haul actresses around in my arms.”

“You carry the top. I’ll lift from the lower end.” Angel grabbed Lena’s narrow. “Ready?”

Phillip nodded.

“Lift,” Angel said.

Phillip took the brunt of Lena’s weight.

“Where to?” Angel asked.

“There’s an emergency exit at the end of the hallway. We can take her out the back.”

“I’m ready when you are,” he said, his voice straining.

“Good, let’s get her out of here.”

Phillip backed all the way down the hall, and through the exit, and out into the night, Montana sky.

So far, so good. They might get her out of the bar for the night, but how would they get the indelible ink off her face?

Angel figured that would be Phillip’s problem to tackle when Lena was in detox.

For the next two weeks, Angel had a date with a swimming pool and fruity cocktails she could slip some whiskey into. Playing the rich and arrogant Lena Love could be fun, as long as her new bodyguard and the artistic stalker didn’t rain on her summer sunshine.

D
uke pulled
up to the gate of the Love Land Ranch and shook his head. He couldn’t believe his first assignment was as bodyguard to the infamous Lena Love. The eccentric diva who’d flashed her tits at him the night before at the Blue Moose Tavern. Sure, he’d expected to provide personal security to some rich and famous person, but holy shit.

Not her.

“Is there someone else who can take this one?” he’d asked his new boss, Hank Patterson. Yeah, it might not be the right thing to ask on your first day, but geez, the woman was toxic.

Hank frowned. “I would think you’d be excited to get this gig. Lena Love is iconic in the movie industry.”

“She’s not the nicest person.” Hank’s wife, Sadie entered the room carrying a tiny bundle, their little girl, born only two months previously.

Although he’d just met the man, obviously, in Hank’s book, the baby hung the moon. And the man was extraordinarily loving toward Sadie, his wife.

Sadie pursed her lips. “I’ve been on the same set with Lena once. I swore I’d never do another movie with her. She’s one-hundred-percent diva and a real beyotch.” Sadie McClain would know. Having established herself as one of Hollywood’s top-grossing actresses, she was Lena’s direct competition.

Hank arched an eyebrow. “The assignment is short term. Two weeks. When she goes back to LA, she’ll return to using her own bodyguards.” Hank fixed his gaze on Duke. “Two weeks. That’s all I’m asking. I’d take it myself, but I’ve got a couple more guys coming on board soon, and I’ve been out beating the bushes for clients.”

“Not to mention, you’re on diaper duty this weekend. when I have to be at the premier of my new movie.” Sadie stared down at her baby. “Isn’t that right, Emma, sweetheart? Daddy has diaper duty.”

Hank’s lips twisted. “You heard her. I’m tied up this weekend and all my other agents are assigned. You’re the only man I have who can take this one. I have another job coming up, but the client has yet to arrive in country. The timing of this assignment keeps you employed until he arrives.” Hank tilted his head. “What have you got against Ms. Love?”

“She made a pass at me last night and gave me a full-frontal exposure of her manufactured breasts.”

“She flashed you?”

Hank’s bark of laughter startled the baby. and she cried out.

“Shh, sweet Emma,” Sadie sang to soothe the baby back to sleep. “Hank, really,” she admonished her husband.

“Two weeks. That’s all I ask,” Hank said in his inside voice.

Duke stared up at the arched sign and sighed. From bad-ass Delta Force soldier to babysitting a spoiled, obnoxious diva. He’d sunk to a new level of low he’d never expected.

Maybe he would be better off hiring out as a cowboy for room and board on a corporate cattle ranch. At least, he wouldn’t have women flashing him.

His mother would be appalled at Miss Love’s behavior. He’d just have to keep that little tidbit about the flashing to himself.

Duke blamed his mother for his lack of a permanent relationships with the opposite sex. His mother had been the consummate housewife, mother and nurturer. She was the best cook, most accomplished seamstress and the nicest person he had the pleasure of knowing. How could any woman measure up to her perfection?

Yeah, he’d had sex with a number of willing participants, but he’d always found something about them that didn’t quite make the cut.

Now. This woman.

Two weeks.

He’d survived for two weeks in the hills of Afghanistan after being separated from his teammates, living off roots and the wild rabbits he’d snared. Two weeks on a rich woman’s resort property would be nothing.

Then why would he rather shoot himself in the foot than face Lena Love again?

He punched in the security code and waited for the gate to open enough he could drive his pickup through.

The wide concrete drive wove through a lodge-pole pine forest and up into the foothills of the Crazy Mountains. The trees thinned, exposing lush green pastures filled with grazing horses and cattle.

The road climbed upward and emerged near the top of a hill. A massive structure of rock, cedar and glass consumed his view.

This was a home in the mountains?
Holy crap.

If he wasn’t being forced to babysit the diva, this would be a plush assignment. Then again, he wasn’t on vacation, nor would he be lounging by a pool, drinking Mai Tais and eating bon bons.

A muscular man, wearing pressed jeans and an equally clean and pressed white shirt, strode around the side of the house and waved at Duke. “Hired help parks in the servants’ lot behind the barn.” He pointed to a drive leading around to the back of the house.

Since he was the hired help, Duke followed the man’s instructions and drove around to the back of the house and down a slope to a barn bigger than the high school he’d attended. It was by far the biggest barn he’d ever worked around. It could be a convention center or big-city rodeo arena.

He parked his truck next to several others bearing the Love Land Ranch logo.

Getting out, he decided to leave his duffle bag until he learned where he’d be sleeping for this gig. He assumed he’d stay in the big house with Miss Love. If his task was to keep her safe, he’d have to be close enough to do that.

“Bodyguard?” The young muscle man appeared beside Duke.

Duke nodded. “That would be me.”

The man stuck out his hand. “Brandt Lucas. Foreman.”

“Duke Morrison.”

“Miss Love is up at the pool. She asked me to send you to her as soon as you arrived.”

“Thank you.”

“If you need help with anything to do with the ranch, cattle or horses, see me or my assistant foreman, Lyle Sorenson.” He nodded toward an older man in faded jeans, an equally faded blue chambray shirt and a dusty cowboy hat.

The older guy pushed a wheelbarrow full of muck from the barn to a pile at the rear of the massive structure. He dumped the load, glanced up and nodded in Duke’s direction.

Duke almost laughed. The difference between the younger, clean, muscle-bound man and the older, wiry, dirty one was too obvious.

Miss Love had probably promoted Lucas to Foreman based on his looks, rather than his abilities.

“How many horses does Miss Love keep on the ranch?” Duke asked, just to test his theory.

Mr. Lucas shrugged. “A dozen or so. If you want exact numbers, you can consult Mr. Sorenson. He keeps the books on the animals.”

“And what do you do?” Duke asked.

He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. “I’m the foreman. I tell the other ranch hands what to do.”

Duke swallowed back the laughter threatening to erupt. A real ranch foreman knew, to the head, the number of livestock a ranch had and kept close tabs on additions and losses. He knew how much feed it took to get them through the winter, knew which ones were sickly and which horses got along with the others. He’d never leave it to the ranch hands to manage the herds or care for their health and wellbeing.

Man candy. That was what Brandt Lucas was.

Duke didn’t have much respect for a man who didn’t earn his keep. But then, he didn’t know what Lucas had to do for Miss Love to earn his pay. It might have nothing whatsoever to do with managing the livestock or the crops.

“You can go on up to the house,” Brandt said with an easy smile. “Like I said, Miss Love is lying by the pool.”

Duke climbed the slope to the big house, admiring the combination of rustic charm and clean, modern lines. He cut through a stand of trees and shrubs that provided a barrier around the stone-paved patio and pool. A rock waterfall graced one end of the pool, and a line of deck chairs stood between the pool and the house. One of which was occupied by a woman wearing a miniscule black bikini and a pair of sunglasses.

He crossed the stone patio to the deck chair and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.

A minute passed and nothing.

Duke cleared his throat.

“I know you’re there. You’re blocking my sun. Move, please.”

He gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “Miss Love, I’m Duke Morrison from Brotherhood Protectors. Hank Patterson sent me over.”

“Fine, fine. You can change into a bathing suit and go for a swim for all I care.”

“No, thank you, Miss Love. I’m here to work, not play.”

She huffed. “I told Phillip I didn’t need a bodyguard here on my own ranch. He doesn’t listen.”

“Phillip?”

“My publicity agent.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to inspect the house and the security system.”

She waved her fingers. “Fine. Do what you have to, just do it out of my sunshine.”

He shook his head. “Miss Love, are you sure you should be out in the open?”

She tipped her sunglasses low so that she could stare at him over their tops. “And where else but out in the open would I get sunshine? Seriously, couldn’t they have sent me a smarter bodyguard?”

Anger bubbled up inside Duke’s chest and rose in a heated flush up into his face. He had to remind himself he was representing Hank’s business. Going off on a customer wasn’t the way to get referrals and additional business. He had to resist his urge to lift Miss Love, chair and all, and dump her into the pool. “I’ll just have a look at that security system.”

“Whatever.” She laid back, sunglasses back in place. “Wake me in thirty minutes. I’ll need to flip over and tan my back.”

He studied her for another few seconds. Yes, she was beautiful, with a body that didn’t quit. Long supple legs, with well-defined muscles and taut abs. Her arms were toned, and there wasn’t an ounce of flab anywhere on her. She probably paid her personal trainer a small fortune to get her into that kind of shape. Lying down, her breasts weren’t nearly as voluptuous as they’d been when she’d flashed them in his face at the bar the night before.

Apparently, she didn’t remember him from the Blue Moose. She’d probably been too plastered to remember much of anything.

Good. He’d rather she didn’t remember the encounter. If he was lucky, she wouldn’t make another pass at him.

“Oh, and Luke?”

“Duke,” he corrected automatically.

“Get me a drink on your way back. Jack Daniels on the rocks with a squeeze of lime.”

Babysitter, bartender and waiter. Yeah, he’d come a long way from his calling as a highly-skilled warrior.

“Oh, and Luke?” she called, stopping him again.

“Duke,” he said, his ire rising by the second.

“Give me a hand up. I feel like taking a dip in the pool.”

He reached out his hand, gripped hers and yanked her out of her chair a little harder than he’d intended, his anger fueling his muscles. She slammed into his body, her sunglasses knocked from their perch on her nose. She stared at him through clear, blue-gray eyes, her mouth opened in a silent O. “Was that necessary?”

“You wanted up,” he said. “You’re up.”

Her pretty brows puckered. “You’re a rude man, Luke. I’ve a mind to fire you.”

“My name is Duke. And you’d be lucky to have a mind.”

She rolled her eyes. “Luke, Duke. What does it matter? You’re blocking my sun again. Move.” She planted her hands on his chest and gave him a shove, stronger than he’d anticipated and with a little edge to her voice on the last word.

He stepped backward, remembering too late the pool was right behind him. Before he could stop himself, he fell backward. As he went, he reached for anything to grab hold of. It just so happened to be Miss Love’s hand.

Momentum sent him into the water. Quick reflexes and a strong grip brought Miss Love in with him.

He hit the water hard and sank fast.

The woman who’d pushed him thrashed and kicked, hitting him with her heel in his war-damaged knee.

Pain shot through his body, stunning him, making the summer sun dim to gray and finally black.

A moment later, an arm came around him from behind, looped over his shoulder and chest and pulled him to the surface.

As soon as he hit fresh air, he sucked it in, his eyes blinking open. When he realized he was still in the water, he kicked hard and fought the arm holding him.

“Be still, or you’ll drown us both,” a feminine voice grumbled in his ear.

He leaned back against a warm, soft body, swimming him toward the shallow end of the big pool. When his feet touched the bottom, he stood, getting his bearings and filling his lungs full of life-giving oxygen.

A few steps away in the shallower water, Lena stood, her pretty blond hair plastered to her scalp, her makeup running in black rivulets down her cheeks, her gaze narrowed. “Are you all right?”

For a moment Duke stared at her, trying to comprehend what she’d just asked. Her action, saving him, was so out of character for the diva, she could have been someone else entirely.

Duke wondered if he’d crossed into another dimension where the Lena Love there was actually a nice person, not the spoiled, brat in his own dimension.

“I’m okay,” he said, his cheeks heating. His first day on the job as a bodyguard and his client saved him from drowning. It didn’t bode well for the rest of the two weeks.

A
ngel had been acting
full-on diva when she’d managed to send her new bodyguard into the pool. She hadn’t expected him to pull her in with him. When she’d surfaced, and he hadn’t, she’d panicked for a second. Then the life-saving skills she’d learned when she was a teenaged lifeguard at the neighborhood swimming pool kicked in. She dove down, found Duke and dragged him to the surface, her heart pounding so hard, she could barely breathe. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” He waded to the side of the pool and pulled himself up onto the deck.

“Nothing, hell.” She followed, determined to get to the bottom of her bodyguard’s near drowning. “You passed out.”

“Shit happens,” he said, then pulled his T-shirt over his head and wrung it out into the pool. His broad, muscular chest had dozens of little scars, some bigger than others. “I’m fully capable of providing protection for you for the next two weeks.” He reached down, offering her a hand to help her out of the water.

She hesitated a moment, and then laid her hand in his.