The Protection Deception

By Patti Larsen

When Petal is hired to play bodyguard at a private party, she brings her best friend Reggie Nolan along for the ride. The death of one of the guests means Petal is once again investigating a murder, only this time with help from her ex-husband, Raphael Van Dorn. Can she see past her regret at not telling him how she really feels and uncover the murderer before the guests depart or will she let the past interfere with finding the truth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patti Larsen
• Release date: Feb 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781989925195

Patti Larsen

About me, huh? Well, my official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is a multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in her head. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn’t it? I’m a storyteller who hears character's demands so loudly I have to write them down. I love the idea of sports even though sports hate me. I’ve dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.But always, always, writing books calls me home.I’ve had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It’s the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands... thank you for reading.As for the rest of it, I’m short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can’t seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my pug overlord and overlady, six lazy cats and Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

Book preview

The Protection Deception

Book Six: Masquerade Inc. Cozy Mysteries

Patti Larsen

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2021 by Patti Larsen

Find out more about me at

http://www.pattilarsen.com

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the vendor and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Moment De La Mort

She’s already aware something is terribly wrong, but it’s too late to do anything about it. She suspected, but until now she fought the truth. No longer. Life has never been easy for her, tragedy following her despite the fact there are those who believe someone in her position shouldn’t have a worry in the world.

Her worries are endless. And plague her even more now that she knows the end is near.

She should have done right by him. There’s no time now, though, to reassure him she’s taken care of everything. The others and their agendas, their greed and their loathing for one another, for her, they can fend for themselves.

Self-pity has never been something she cultivated, but she can’t help herself now, in her final moments, darkness reaching out cold, shadowed fingers for her soul. She’ll find herself in hell, no doubt, if there is such a place, though perhaps what she’s done means a faint hint of redemption, in the end.

She’s done what she can, but has she trusted the wrong person with the truth? Perhaps. He has his own plans, she’s sure. When he receives the information at the time and place of her choosing hopefully, he’ll know what to do with it. Be trusted enough to act. Money is a powerful motivator and she’s offering enough surely, he’ll do what’s necessary.

She knows who it is that’s ended her life. And accepts it because it’s fitting. Her fault, all of it. And now, even at the brink of death, she hurts too much to do the deed herself. Must rely on another to carry out the act she couldn’t bring herself to.

Whatever the case, her time is done. She sinks further into the embrace of the quiet dark, feeling her body shudder though her soul is already free.

Maybe she’ll see her darling boy where she’s going, after all this time, if it’s permitted. She may not have shown him her love in life, unable to, unaccustomed and unprepared for her emotions for him, but perhaps where she’s going, she’ll be free to tell her beloved son how she really feels.

How lovely that would be.

With a final sigh, she embraces her end, the fates of those she’s controlled for decades no longer hers to manipulate.

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Chapter One

There’s a thing about champagne. You either love it and can’t get enough of it or hate it with a passion. Since I’d been nursing the same glass for the past hour, and not just because I was on assignment… guess which camp I fell into.

The bubbles, now long gone, weren’t helping the flavor, despite the expensive label on the bottle it had been poured from. Maybe it was the carbonation, but I could never stand the bitter aftertaste.

Or maybe it was my own bitterness I was tasting. Huh. How was a thought like that for a smack in the butt?

Speaking of butt smacks, I dodged quickly the hand sliding down my waist toward the back of my dress and my current client’s most recent attempt to cop a feel. It grew increasingly more difficult to refrain from throwing what remained of my champagne into his smug little boy face, the barely twenty-year-old IT genius who thought he was the world’s gift to, well, the world, pushing his luck so far toward the edge of my patience I contemplated just what I’d been thinking accepting this job in the first place.

At least I wasn’t alone, my best friend and gleaming light of patience and charisma, Reggie Nolan, sparkling in her pale pink shimmer dress, the color deepening the burnished depth of her gorgeous tone to a rose-blush sheen under the seeming inhuman glow of her flawless skin. She’d piled that amazing mass of glossy black curls into an impressive crown, the halter-style of the glittering sheath showing off all her best curves dipping deeply enough the long line of gold dropping from the thin choker around her neck drew the eye exactly where she intended.

Reggie slipped one slender but muscular arm through Morley Finn’s right one, putting a stop to his traveling touch, her dark eyes laughing at me.

This is a terrible idea, I told her earlier as we got ready together, the simple crimson silk sheath I chose with the fine gold chain shoulder straps and matching gold heels making me feel very undressed, despite the fact the trumpet hem hit right at my French pedicure.

It’ll be fun, she told me, hands busy with my blonde hair, the wrapped, curled and tightly pinned extravagance she managed in about ten minutes while I marveled at her skill choked off in a haze of hairspray I was sure took a year off my life. Her broad wink did nothing to convince me. Trust me.

Since this was my job and I’d unwittingly roped her into joining me, I should have been the one reassuring her. I hadn’t intended for her to fall victim to Simone Evans and the lawyer’s beaming smile, nor had I led Reggie into the line of fire when I’d answered Simone’s request I pop up to her office yesterday afternoon, just for a second, if you have time?

Simone couldn’t have known Reggie was with me, the pair of us on our way to lunch, a mere block from the restaurant we’d chosen, nor that my best friend would be the one to talk me into finding out what the lawyer wanted. No, I actually blamed Reggie at this point since it was her intense curiosity about Rafe’s new girlfriend that had me in the position I was in right now.

I shot her a flat look as Morley riveted his attention on her this time. Though, the lingering smile on Reggie’s face, the way she casually but professionally handled his groping with a quick drink replacement and a deep and sultry laugh had me grateful she’d signed up. Because if I’d had to wrangle the little creep on my own?

He and his happy hands would be dead by now.

Never mind the kid had seemed anxious, nice if awkward, greeting Reggie and myself upon our arrival with a nervous nod and bobbing Adam’s apple as he swallowed a few times.

Morley’s concerned for his safety, Simone explained.

I’ve had threats, he blurted. Flushed deep red, his faded hazel eyes blinking, short brown hair doing little to hide his receding hairline even at such a young age. I hated the stereotype, but he was pale enough he really needed to get outside more and maybe eat something other than junk food because it was doing nothing for his complexion. I need a bodyguard for an event. He squinted at me then, looking me up and down. Don’t I know you from somewhere?

He did not. However, I was acutely aware of the fact my mother’s image—thanks to some weird resurgence used in an advertising campaign for a new clothing line of a scene from Mom’s last movie—had begun making the rounds and that I, due to a genetic anomaly that excluded the man who fathered me, looked just like her at my age.

The age she died, in fact.

He grinned. Pointed, glanced at Simone. That hot chick in the commercial! He pulled out his phone even, flashed me a meme of my mother. You look just like her. Morley then nodded to Simone. I’ll take her.

Like I was a pair of shoes or a cupcake.

And cue the heck to the no, take your job and shove it, walking out the door. Not just because he recognized my resemblance, not only for the callousness of his nature. There were plenty more red flags waving bravely for me to run fast and not look back, you better believe it.

How then, you ask, did I end up taking the damned job after all? As I turned away from my client with my red dress skimming the floor—Reggie’s soft alto murmuring to him and making him bray like a donkey in response—I gritted my teeth, my gaze raking over the gathering of tuxedos and fancy dresses, of women dripping diamonds, men nodding in distinguished pretense, faint strains of canned music traveling through the large ballroom where not a soul made a move to dance.

Simone had taken me aside, leaving Reggie to chat with the potential client, her lovely face a little pinched. He’s new to our firm, she said. My boss really wants him to enjoy himself, but we’re aware he’s, well.

Paranoid? No way someone wanted this kid dead. Then again, weirder stuff happened in my life, so who knew, really?

She made a little face of agreement. It’s an easy evening, she brightened. You get to dress up, drink champagne, eat cake. The way she laid it out had my intuition buzzing. A few hours in heels and you’re home again.

What’s the catch? There had to be one or she wouldn’t be selling it so hard.

Simone’s expression had stilled, settling into that formal lawyer face I’d seen her use on clients. Ares Security Group is supplying the private protection for the evening.

Ah. Rafe. Sigh.

Speak of the Adonis, I pretended to sip as my gaze lingered on him, half a room away, looking hotter than ever in his custom tux. No man should have been allowed to be that freaking delicious, or perfect, or have that kind of hold over me even now, all these years later, while dating someone else I actually liked and admired.

I’d almost said no to Simone yesterday, was this close to doing what I’d told myself I was now in the financial position to do and choose my clients rather than take whoever wanted me out of a need for the money. Until Reggie looked up from her chat with Morley and smiled at me. Maybe our client needs two bodyguards for the evening. Winked.

Our client?

He’d jumped all over it, clearly infatuated with her already, though his gaze lingered on me as well. This is awesome, he gushed. "Not just one, but two hot women on my arm? Let’s do it."

Simone’s very soft sigh didn’t come through to Reggie or the client, but I felt it and mirrored it.

At least I got to spend the evening with my bestie, right? And the pay was excellent, doubled without an eyeblink, Morley clearly not caring how much it cost to have us pretend to be his girlfriends.

Why didn’t I listen to my gut again? Maybe it was the excitement in Reggie’s entire being as we exited and went to lunch, the way she chattered her enthusiasm over the idea of working together while we munched on sushi.

I’ve been wanting to get out of the bar for a bit, she said, dark eyes sparkling. And you know I’m totes jealous of what you do. Even the murder stuff? I didn’t ask that question, just grunted. Why should you have all the fun?

Right. Fun. When did that start again?

Okay, I was done grousing, though it was apparent from the moment our client picked us up in a limousine his natural shyness had been tempered with enough alcohol he’d lost that kind of sweet nerdy side of himself we’d initially met and was well on his way to aggravating blowhard who bragged the entire drive to the private mansion on the outskirts of DC about the software he’d developed, going on and on until I thought about feeding him more alcohol just to make him pass out sooner.

The fact his app was now one of the most popular—and banal, thanks—new social media sites where people of all ages were encouraged to expose their most private inner thoughts and feelings in ten seconds or less to music and under filters only irritated me more. Someone like him shouldn’t be able to get filthy rich from selling lies and distractions but that was our world and how it worked, right?

Any respect I had for the kid died on that drive, and if Reggie wasn’t with me? I would have bailed. Instead, I let her take the lead, as I was right then and there, her experience handling drunk men at her popular 20’s themed lounge, The After Hours Club, not to mention the voyeurs who came to watch the burlesque shows at her downstairs theater, Full Reveal, made my best friend a natural to deal with Morley Finn.

Yes, I felt a little guilty letting her take the brunt of the job. And I’d be happily handing over a portion of my fee to add to hers just to keep the little brat from touching my butt anymore.

He wanted a reason to fear for his life? Yeah, just try