Protecting His Fake Wife: Aegis Security, #2

By Leslie North

A kiss is the most dangerous weapon of all…

 

Charlotte Burnside's safe, comfortable world is turned upside after she and her two best friends witness a brutal mob murder. Now, the only way she can stay alive is to go into hiding with a former Navy SEAL. And going undercover with this gruff alpha male has got her heart racing.

 

Easton Yates is just so big, and tough… Not to mention incredibly hot. Posing as newlyweds, the two head to Florida for their "honeymoon." The boundaries for their fake marriage are clear: Act like a couple in public, but in the privacy of their hotel room, it's all business. But it isn't long before Charlotte finds the lines between reality and fantasy starting to blur…

 

Easton never had a problem separating business from pleasure. Then again, there's something about Charlotte that's making it awfully hard for him to keep things professional. Protecting his client is his main concern, but what happens when the mission ends? Now, he can't imagine his life without her… 

 

With danger surrounding them at every turn, can Easton and Charlotte survive long enough to give in to their heart's desires?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Relay Publishing
• Release date: Feb 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201159771

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Charlotte kept her smile in place as Holly rapped on the front door of McKinley's, the slightly dingy bar where Holly’s ex currently worked. It was her you’re my friend and I’m here for you smile, the I’m going to support you no matter what smile. She’d been wearing that smile enough in the past few days that it was starting to become second nature.

But Holly was her friend. She was more than that; they were a team—her and Holly and Nicole. They’d started a salon together, built it from the ground up. Been there for each other through all of the business’s ups and downs but also through all their personal ups and downs over the years. Charlotte didn’t have any siblings, but Holly and Nicole felt closer to her than sisters. Closer to her than anyone. Which meant if Holly had asked them to walk through fire, Charlotte would have.

Although, she admitted to herself, she’d probably prefer fire walking to taking an afternoon off from their salon to face down Zak Bryant, Holly’s ex.

He’d asked Holly to stop by McKinley’s so they could talk—just about the baby, Holly had assured them, though privately Charlotte wasn’t so sure. She suspected Zak might try to leverage Holly’s unexpected pregnancy into an opening for get them back together. It was pretty clear that’s what Nicole had suspected as well, judging from the determined, Mama Bear look on her face. Nicole had made no secret of the fact that, pregnancy or not, she thought Holly’s ex-boyfriend should definitely stay in the ex category. It had been the right thing to do to let Zak know about the baby—but that didn’t give him carte blanche to weasel his way back into Holly’s life.

The door to McKinley’s swung open, and Charlotte watched Zak’s smile disappear when he saw her and Nicole standing on either side of Holly. He looked as thrilled to see them as they were to be there.

Charlotte had only met Zak once before, on a rare girl’s night out a while back. Charlotte had pegged him as a bit of a Peter Pan: blonde and blue-eyed and charming—though not as charming as he thought he was. But the kind of guy who prided himself on never really growing up. She hadn’t been surprised when Holly insisted her dalliance with Zak was just for fun, that it wouldn’t last. And Charlotte had barely held back her laughter when Nicole didn’t even try to hide her relief.

Just as Holly had predicted, it hadn’t lasted. They’d already split before Holly even learned she was pregnant. Charlotte hoped it would stay that way, whatever Zak’s intentions. He didn’t seem at all ready to be a committed parent, and pretending otherwise would only hurt Holly and the baby in the long run. She knew what it was like to grow up with a parent that you couldn’t count on—but as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she immediately felt a swift stab of guilt. Her mom had tried her best. It hadn’t been her fault that she’d never been great at providing stability for herself, much less for her child.

I was hoping we could talk. Alone. Just the two of us. Zak flashed them a white, even smile, but it took on an edge when he turned to Nicole. If you don’t mind. This is kind of personal.

Oh, I absolutely mind, Nicole replied, tossing back her wild mane of dark curls. Her smile was every bit as sharp as his.

Holly sent Charlotte a telling look. This was going to be difficult. On any other day, Holly would have had no trouble going toe-to-toe with Nicole—but this situation with Zak and the baby had her uncharacteristically hesitant. That was exactly why she needed Nicole and Charlotte with her. And why they were going exactly nowhere.

Charlotte wound her fingers through Holly’s and held firm. Holly asked us to come.

Holly squeezed her hand back as she nodded. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of them. We’re a package deal, Zak.

That’s not what you said when we were dating, Zak remarked, then quickly added, Joking. He held the door open for them, avoiding Nicole’s glare as they entered and locking the front door behind them. Come on in—all of you— and grab a seat. I just gotta finish cleaning up before we open.

That much was clear to Charlotte, from the faint smell of lemon cleaner and the pile of black trash bags by the back door. She tried to ignore the slight shiver that crept down her spine. It was just a little dark, she told herself. There were only a few sparse lights on, which made the whole place feel bigger, emptier…off somehow. She didn’t know why it unsettled her, but it definitely did. Charlotte tried to shake that feeling and focus on the task at hand.

You ladies want something to drink? Zak asked as he rounded the bar.

Charlotte caught Nicole’s eye roll as Holly pointed at her stomach. Pregnant, she reminded him.

I know that, Zak said, his usual boyish smile replaced by a slightly more serious expression. I meant like a soda or something. Can you have soda?

Holly hesitated and then took a seat on one of the bar stools. Soda’s fine, she said. Maybe a ginger ale?

Coming right up. Zak poured one for Holly, then turned to Charlotte. There was something almost pleading in those boyish blue eyes, and it looked like he hadn’t had the time to artfully tousle his sunny blond hair this morning.

Charlotte took pity on him. May I have a club soda, please?

Zak tossed her a grateful smile as he served her her drink, but it faded when Nicole glared him down. He shifted awkwardly under the heat of it, then headed to the back door. It screeched as he pushed it open, and bent over to grab a couple trash bags. I’ll be right back. I just gotta take out the trash. Hey, uh, Nicole? You mind giving me a hand?

For a second, the fierce look on Nicole’s face was replaced by surprise. Me?

Yeah. You mind? Zak nodded towards the pile of trash bags by the door. There were several of them, yes, but Charlotte was sure he didn’t really need any help. She knew there was something else going on. Even in the short time he and Holly had been dating, Zak had never willingly been alone with Nicole.

Nicole glanced at them, uncertain. Charlotte gave her a small, encouraging nod. Whatever Zak wanted to talk about, it was worth hearing him out, at the very least. He was the father of Holly’s child, after all, which meant that he was going to be in her life in one way or another for a long time. Nicole nodded, and strode across the bar to follow Zak outside, hefting up a few trash bags along the way.

The minute the door closed, Holly turned to her, arching an eyebrow. How long do you think until she kills him?

Charlotte glanced at the clock over the bar. Five minutes?

She was only half-joking, but it made Holly laugh. Five minutes if we’re lucky. She nudged Charlotte’s shoulder. Thanks for doing this, by the way.

As if you could keep us away, Charlotte said, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders. However this turns out, we’re here for you. Both of you. No matter what.

Holly leaned over, dropping a kiss on Charlotte’s nose. You’re a good woman, Charlie Burnside. Seriously, though, she added, is this a terrible idea? You don’t think Nicole’s right about Zak, do you?

Charlotte hesitated, not sure how to answer. It didn’t seem fair to say yes, even though Nicole was probably dead on the money about Zak. While her rants could be…dramatic, that didn’t mean she was wrong when she said that Zak was irresponsible. Zak was immature. Zak probably shouldn’t be trusted with a gerbil, much less a baby. But on the other hand…Zak was also someone who’d made Holly happy, at least for a little while. She certainly knew him better than Charlotte or Nicole did, and maybe she saw something in him that they just didn’t see. I think it’s not up to her, or me. It’s up to you. Do you think Zak is someone you can trust to be there for you and the little bean?

Holly frowned down at her glass of ginger ale, tracing her fingers in the condensation. I don’t know. But I owe it to him to at least hear him out. She glanced at the back door. I guess we should go save him from Nicole, huh?

Charlotte nodded reluctantly. This wasn’t going to be pretty. Nicole tended to go full Momma Bear when someone she loved was in a bad spot.

They had just gotten to the STAFF ONLY door when it swung open and Nicole started to stride in. Charlotte wasn’t expecting the smile. Holly sounded wary as she started to ask, Is everything okay—

The gunshot had Charlotte jolting back. She’d never heard a gunshot before—not outside of movies or TV, anyway—but there was no mistaking what it was. Loud, sharp, echoing through her. She heard something fall, crash—and then two more shots. Holly let out a cry of horror as Nicole, shaky from shock, stumbled back into the door, the hinges shrieking painfully as it swung open just enough for Charlotte to get a good look into the alley behind the bar. She saw it like a tableau—the man with the gun, the blood, the rain.

Zak, on the ground. Still. Dead. Charlotte didn’t know how she knew that. She’d never seen a real dead body before, but she knew he was dead.

Then the man with the gun turned—saw them. Charlotte watched his arm—the one holding the gun—swing towards them, and then Nicole was shoving them back as another gunshot burst out. Charlotte heard the crack of wood, saw the burst of wood fibers as the bullet caught the doorframe. Nicole put her hands on the rusty door and heaved. Charlotte did the same, putting all her weight against it, as did Holly on the other side of Nicole. The metal door stuck, fighting them, but together they shoved it closed.

Charlotte heard Holly breathing, too fast and much too shallow, as if she was trying to gulp down air. Hyperventilating. Every muscle in Charlotte’s body was shaking, so badly she wasn’t sure if she could move, but she ignored that as she pulled Holly into a tight hug, turning her away from the window so she couldn’t see into the alley, couldn’t see Zak’s too-still body. She heard her voice, low and steady, murmuring to Holly, you’re all right. It’ll be all right. We’re right here with you.

Charlotte jumped, squeezing Holly tighter as another shot rang out, then another, shattering the window right next to Nicole.

Stay down! Nicole shouted, pulling out her phone as Charlotte pulled Holly down to the floor, out of the shooter’s view. She heard Nicole dial 911, her voice somehow fearless as she gave the operator their location and conveyed what was going on. She wished desperately that she could feel half as strong as Nicole right now, when everything in her was screaming for her to run and hide.

Nicole nodded and gave Charlotte a firm look. Give me a hand, Charlotte. We need to barricade this door.

Right. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay here, to huddle in a ball and just cry. But they had to keep that man from getting in. Charlotte pried Holly’s fingers off of her, not certain if Holly was even aware of what was going on, and glanced around quickly. There were a few wooden tables nearby; they looked like they might be solid enough to keep anyone from coming through that door. Charlotte hurried over to the nearest one, nearly slipping on the freshly mopped floor, and heaved. Her shoulders burned with the effort, as she fought to dig her feet into the floor to help her push. Then Nicole was there, grabbing the front lip of the table, pulling with all her might. Slowly, the table inched forward. It seemed to take forever, but together they managed to drag the table over and wedge it in front of the door.

The mirror over the bar burst into a shower of glittering fragments as more gunshots rang out, too many for Charlotte to count. Several of them caught one of the front windows. There was an odd, echoing sound inside her head. Everything seemed very distant. She heard Holly weeping, shuddering, choking sobs as if she was trying to push them back. Charlotte managed to stumble back over to her, feeling the sharp bite of glass through her jeans as she knelt beside her friend and pulled Holly into her arms. She felt Nicole scramble over to join them, her arms coming around them both to hold on tight.

That man had shot at them. He’d killed Zak. How could someone do that? Just shoot someone where they stood?

The sound of sirens approaching eased some of the tension from her shoulders. Thank God, this ordeal was almost over. But then a thought rose before Charlotte could stop it. They saw him—could recognize and identify him. She had a feeling that face would be burned into her brain for the rest of her life.

But worse, he saw them. He knew there were witnesses. What if he comes after us?

1

Charlotte carefully folded the dove gray tank top and packed it neatly into her suitcase. It wasn’t exactly beach material, but she didn’t have a lot of options. Her summer wardrobe was light. Hell, her wardrobe-wardrobe was light.

She wondered where they were going exactly. The Aegis Security team—the bodyguards Nicole had hired once the threats started coming in—had said Charlotte’s safe house would be in Florida. Nothing else, just Florida. And to pack light.

At least she was good at that. Packing light and quick and heading out to parts unknown without a single glance behind her. Heaven knew she had enough practice.

Charlotte shook that thought off, tried to ignore the sick, heavy feeling of dread that had cloaked her since the very first email. It got worse with every new message that arrived. Every new threat. Every new photo that showed how closely the killer was watching her. Maybe more than just the killer—maybe a whole team of people. The police believed Zak’s shooting was connected to the mafia. Whoever the killer was, there seemed to be an entire network that didn’t want him to be found—and that