Guarded by the Cowboy (WEST Protection Book 2) Read online

  Boone’s chest burned. This was the shit he lived for. Pulling calves still offered some excitement, but one of his biggest reasons for getting on board with Ross’s idea to establish a security company boiled down to challenges exactly like this one.

  “Prisoner?” Lauralee’s tone came out so breathless that Boone’s gut tightened in reaction. She abandoned her post at the computer system she was always glued to, and drifted over to join them, bringing with her the source of the doughnut smell—it was her.

  “You have to do this. You have to get close to her and help free her,” she said.

  Ross gave the single nod of agreement that was part of the Wynton birthright. “Exactly.”

  Boone firmed his lips. “I totally agree that she has to be freed, but since I’m not married, I don’t see how Black will hire me as head of security. Without that, I won’t even get close enough to help her. Who am I supposed to marry?”

  Ross spread his hands as if he was at a loss too.

  “Can Corrine be passed off as a wife?” Boone was throwing darts at a board of balloons with little hope of hitting one. This entire prospect seemed like a losing battle.

  A long pause followed while Ross considered his question. “The guy requires a marriage license as part of the paperwork, and since Corrine’s our sister, that won’t work.”

  Damn. “Who do you suggest then?”

  “I’m sure you can find a woman. You’ve got plenty chasing you.”

  “Christ.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, but it did nothing to dispel his shock at what his brother was asking him to do for the sake of one woman.

  “Why can’t Noah do it?” Lauralee put in.

  Boone rounded on her, and she took a hasty step backward as if he startled her with his sudden move.

  “Yes! Noah’s the logical answer. He and Maya Ray are halfway to the altar.”

  “He isn’t trained the way you are, Boone.”

  Fuck. Ross was right—while their baby brother had attended many of the training courses the rest of the team had, Boone had more experience. This job sounded next-level compared to small-town security positions or the odd politician to guard. Infiltrating Black’s ranch meant going undercover while digging deep and finding a way to free the man’s wife.

  “There’s gotta be some other way in.”

  “If there is, I can’t think of one. I’ve been racking my brain to find an answer. We’ve gotta act quick. Who knows what Black’s capable of doing to this woman.”

  Lauralee let slip a small noise like a moan of despair and faced away from them, head bowed.

  “We need a roundtable, brother,” Boone said.

  “No time, and I already made the decision—you’re going undercover, Boone. Now keep thinking of possible wives.”

  Ross walked out of the office, leaving him to hash through several scenarios and rejecting them with the same rapid response time.

  The few women he hooked up with for the occasional drink and Friday night romp were marriage material, all right, and they’d welcome his proposal. But damn if he’d ever cast them off later on without hell to pay in divorce lawyer fees plus alimony.

  “Fuck! I can’t get married.” He took off pacing to the windows and tugged the bottom of the blind to send it shooting upward. “I can’t think of anything worse than divorcing a person I never even got the chance to love first!”

  He didn’t expect Lauralee to say anything, and was glad when she remained silent.

  “This is crazy,” he muttered. “It can’t work. We’re going to have to pass on this job.”

  He glanced up in time to see Lauralee compress her lips in disagreement.

  He whirled from the window, took two steps, yanked out a chair and dropped into it, folding forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

  “Leave it to Ross to back me into a corner and then dial up the heat. Here’s a woman for you to save. Oh, by the way, you can’t get in to do that without pretending you’re Black’s chief of security. And the best part? You can’t have the job unless you’re married. Why the hell does the guard have to be married?”

  He lifted his head and looked straight at Lauralee, who seemed stunned by his outburst.

  She cleared her throat. “Maybe he’s paranoid? Or he only runs a Christian prisoner camp?”

  He expelled a harsh noise that was nowhere near a laugh. “God help me if I gotta find a woman on short notice.”

  “Ross said you have girlfriends.”

  He did laugh this time. “Girls I sleep with. Or take to dinner. Definitely not women who will agree to a whirlwind, short-term, fake marriage. Besides, there isn’t time for a prenup. The day I lose half of my part of the Wynton Ranch or this business—” He cut off, fuming too much to go on.

  A lurching heartbeat passed, and then he heaved himself to his feet and stalked out of the office without even tossing a glance at Lauralee.

  He couldn’t face the judgment in her eyes any more than he wanted to examine it inside himself. Fact was, walking away would leave him feeling like a failure. So how the hell did he find a way on to Black’s team?

  * * * * *

  A loud bang made Lauralee jerk upright in her seat. When Boone strode in like a prized bull off the Wynton ranch chased him, she scrambled to her feet.

  He fixed her in his stare.

  Her stomach bottomed out at his scowl, but she held her ground and waited for him to speak first.

  While he simply stood there, gaping at her, she started to spout off her findings about the security breach.

  “I found the transactions that point to the crime at the pharmaceutical company. I spoke with Silas about it all too—”

  He blinked at her as if he had no clue what she was talking about. Then he shook himself and gave a hard nod.

  She went on, “Also, I was thinking about the company’s secur—”

  “Lauralee?”

  “Yes?”

  “Stop talking.”

  The insult slammed into her. She’d been treated different by men in this field, and some spoke to her with blatant disrespect, but she thought WEST Protection would be different.

  She opened her mouth to give Boone a piece of her mind, but he took one big step toward her.

  She stiffened. “What in the world are you doing?” she demanded.

  He ripped off his hat. Then jammed it back over his brown hair that needed a good trim.

  “If you’re trying to think up a way to let me go from WEST Protection, I’ll tell you right now that I’m willing to fight for my position. I’m worth a lot to your company, and here’s why—”

  “Stop,” he grated out.

  She paused midway through ticking on her fingers her top performances over the past month.

  In one more step, he invaded her space. She pitched against the desk, gripping the edge as she tipped her head and stared at him up close.

  His hazel eyes contained far more amber than she ever noticed. Or was that gold?

  She shook her head to clear it but only managed to flood her nose with the scent of his personal aroma, which surprisingly wasn’t manure.

  A moment of silence passed while she waited for him to demand she enhance the image more…or ask her to do his laundry again.

  “Marry me, Lauralee.”

  Her jaw dropped. No air passed in or out of her lungs for the space of five heartbeats.

  Then she exhaled in a burst. “What! You’ve lost your mind!”

  “I need a wife for the job. You heard Ross.”

  She started shaking her head and her fingertips burned as she gripped the desk behind her tighter. “Get someone else!”

  “Look, there isn’t much time to spare. Black’s wife is desperate to escape. Ross spoke with the staff member she bribed to get the message to us and, well, we don’t think she has time. I need to get in there now and find a way to get her out.”

  “But…but…” she sputtered, unable to come up with anything else to say to h
is…proposal? Had Boone Wynton seriously just asked her to marry him?

  Her words flooded out as her brain engaged once more. “I’ve done some weird things in this line of work, but this? No way.”

  “You’re the only person I can think of.”

  “How charming of you to say so. This proposal’s getting better and better.” She peeled her hands off the desk and folded her arms even as his reason for asking her plucked at every heartstring she had.

  “We’re both professionals. It’s a job. We can divorce right afterward.”

  She narrowed her eyes on his rugged features. “What about your bride taking half your assets?”

  “Would you do that?”

  “No!”

  “I didn’t think so. That’s part of the reason why I asked you.”

  She drew her brows downward. Should she be flattered that he didn’t believe her to be a woman who’d take advantage? Or happy that he trusted her enough to ask her?

  He arched a brow at her in anticipation.

  “I have to think on this.”

  “Well, think fast. I’m leaving in an hour.” He backed up a step, which allowed her to skirt around his big body.

  Earlier, he’d paced and now she found herself following the same path, her bootsteps loud in the quiet office. He was right—this was crazy. When she heard Ross suggest that he marry in order to slide into Black’s employ, she thought it the best course for the sake of the woman held prisoner.

  But now that she was being dragged into the mess, she saw Boone’s point. Why did he need to be married? Wasn’t there another way for him to infiltrate the billionaire’s ranch and free her?

  Lauralee stopped walking and gazed evenly at him. “You mentioned Noah taking this job, but Ross says he’s out of the running. What about Ross? He and Pippa are already in a committed relationship.”

  “He’s met Black in person. He’ll be recognized.”

  “Crap.” She took off again, swooping around two desks Silas had pushed together to hold his enormous setup of the most impressive top-of-the-line equipment she’d seen.

  She skidded to a stop. “All I need to do is sign my name on a certificate and then you go to Black’s ranch? That’s my only role in this deal?”

  “No,” he said slowly.

  Her brows shot up. “No? What else?”

  “You’re coming with me. If you’ll agree to. Ross believes it will look more convincing.”

  “Oh God.” She had so much to think on and the seconds flew by far too fast.

  She threw him a look. Okay, he was hot but annoying. She didn’t want anything to do with the marriage side of this deal.

  Maybe…

  “Wait. I’ve got it.” She held up a hand. “We falsify records, so it looks like you’re married.”

  He shook his head. “No good. This dude’s crazy enough that he runs deep checks on everybody in his employ. Apparently he’s paranoid enough that he thinks someone will run off with his wife, and he’s got enough money to worry about her taking it.”

  “This is ridiculous. Didn’t he have a prenup?”

  “Yes, Ross read it over just a little bit ago, and it’s damn solid. But clearly Black’s got some mental issues too.”

  Every corner she turned, a roadblock popped up.

  “Why can’t the FBI be called in? Or some other government agency? It’s a hostage situation. Get SWAT in there.”

  “Lauralee, if we hadn’t already explored every last avenue we have time for, I wouldn’t be asking you to step into this role with me.” The amber in his eyes seemed to glow brighter, imploring her as much as his words.

  “This is really the only way?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Ross thinks so, and I do too.”

  Boone glanced at the clock on the wall, laying on the pressure.

  “How would we get married on such short notice?”

  “We’ve got that handled, Lauralee. Does this mean you’ll do it?” Irritation burned beneath his usual baritone. He sounded rougher and angrier. Even those times she thought him serious—like when he shoved his laundry on her—were mild in comparison to his voice now.

  She scrubbed her hands over her face. “I need five more minutes, Boone. Then I’ll give you an answer.”

  His chest swelled as he inflated it with a deep breath. Then he gave her a nod and walked out of the office, leaving her alone to make her decision.

  Marry this man and save the woman, or refuse and hope he found a way to do it without her?

  Chapter Two

  Why was Lauralee taking so damn long to give him a simple answer?

  And why was he getting so irritated that she hadn’t said yes yet? It wasn’t as if he wanted to marry her, even for a job.

  Had five minutes passed yet? He didn’t give a damn if not—he walked back into the office and stared Lauralee down.

  “Well?” he barked out.

  She said nothing, and he saw for the first time that her freckles stood out more on her paler complexion. She might be affected by the demands he placed on her, but didn’t she see this was bigger than her—bigger than both of them?

  “Look, I’ve already got an appointment set at the JP to get hitched on the way out of town. If you’re not with me, then I need to find someone else fast.”

  Lauralee slashed her hand through the air. “Fine, I’ll do it on one condition—that you never lay a hand on me.”

  Glancing over the curves he hadn’t considered very enticing anyway, he held up three fingers. “Boy Scout’s honor.”

  Relief passed over her face, leaving him more annoyed.

  “Go home and pack. We leave in…” He checked the clock on the wall again. “Thirty-six minutes. Meet me at my truck. Oh, and where’s that jacket I gave you earlier today?”

  Her lips twitched. “In the corner of your office.”

  He strode in and glanced around, his gaze landing on the duffel in the corner. Now he saw why her lips had twitched with amusement. She’d just thrown his bag in the corner, unopened. What did he expect—his momma’s loving service?

  When he walked into the main office again, he fixed her in his stare. “Gold or platinum?”

  “What?”

  “For a ring. What do you prefer?”

  She gave a wild shake of her head, making the bun on top wobble. “Surprise me!”

  He had a hell of a lot to do between now and the time she met him at his truck. Not only did he need to pack a few things and meet with Ross again to hook up a method of communication, he actually wanted to say goodbye to his family.

  On his way to the house, it struck him how mad his momma would be if she found out he was getting hitched without her present. Fake or not, she’d want to be there to pass out hugs and well wishes.

  His stomach hung out somewhere around his heels. Was this really the only way?

  No going back now. He managed to convince Lauralee and judging by her reaction, that was no small feat.

  Following his nose to the scent of fresh bacon frying, he came across his mother standing at the range.

  She paused in flipping the long strips in the frying pan to look up at him. She instantly sobered. “Oh no. I recognize that look on your face, Boone Lindell Wynton.”

  Christ, he’d earned all three names?

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re about to do something I won’t like.”

  That was true, but surely if it was for work, that changed things?

  “I can’t tell you what’s going on, Momma. You know the rules.”

  She grunted. “When will you be back?”

  Though she was used to her sons leaving for WEST Protection by now, not one of them wanted to see her downturned lips.

  He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. “Soon as possible.” How long would it take to find a way to free Black’s wife?

  How to keep her from hearing about the secret, rushed wedding about to take place?

  “Take care of yourself, Boone.” She squeezed him,
sighed and returned to flipping bacon. He snagged a slice off the plate that was cooling and bit into it. When he groaned in delight, she smiled, and that was all the blessing he needed.

  He hurried to his room and in minutes had everything he needed. Outside, Ross waited for him. His brother looked as concerned as his mother had a few minutes before.

  “Stop fretting,” Boone said. “What do you got for me?”

  Ross held out a bag that he knew would contain weapons, ammo and multiple burner phones. Boone took it without speaking.

  “You think Lauralee’s up for this?” Ross’s question had him leveling his brother in his stare.

  “A little late for that, isn’t it?”

  He didn’t respond. “Noah’s hooked you up with an interview with Black. He mentioned you were recently married and don’t want to leave your new wife so soon for work, so you’ll be bringing her along.”

  He arched a brow. “And Black’s okay with that?”

  “Noah said whoever he spoke with was convinced of the story.”

  “Tell me more about Black’s wife.”

  Ross compressed his lips and pushed out a sigh that sounded a hell of a lot like their momma’s a few minutes before. “You know everything I do. They married a little over two years ago, but nobody’s set eyes on the woman since.”

  “Are we sure she’s alive?”

  “As of last night, yes. But this staff member who passed on the message is concerned for good reason.”

  “Does Black beat her?” Boone hated any man who raised his hand to a woman, and he’d have no problem finding a place to hide the body once he got Black in his sights.

  Ross shook his head. “I told you everything I know. This is where you being on the property will help. I’m sure the staff talks, and you can gather intel.”

  “I hope Mrs. Edwards’ theater group back in high school does me some good—I haven’t had to put on an act in a long time.”

  Ross’s lips quirked. “Not even with the occasional lady friend?”

  He snorted. “You have no damn clue how glad I am that I’m not marrying one o’ them.”

  Ross held out a small box to Boone, and he took it. “You’d better get a move on. My buddy at the courthouse has a small window of time where he can get you the backdated license, and you know Lexis doesn’t like being kept waiting.”