Ruthless Guard: Fierce Mates: Rock Creek Clan, #6

By Liza Street

This dragon shifter will burn down the whole world, if that's what it takes to protect his fated mate.

 

After failing as a member of the Dragon Royal Guard and being lost for two hundred years, dragon shifter Hercules wants only to get lost in these modern times. When he first lays eyes on Brenna, he's sure she's been magicked into his life as a trick to entice him back to the queen's service. 

 

She has not. It turns out, though, that Brenna's struggling with her own brand of danger. One year ago on Halloween, Brenna's stalker escalated his so-called "affections." He was caught, but Brenna hasn't truly allowed herself to relax…maybe for good reason.

 

If Hercules isn't fit to guard royalty, how can he guard someone even more important—the woman of his dreams—his fated mate? 

 

USA Today bestselling author Liza Street brings the steam and the suspense in this hot dragon shifter romance. If you love dragons, damsels in distress, and a healthy dose of danger, buy your copy of Ruthless Guard today!

 

Ruthless Guard was previously published in the limited-edition anthology A Wicked Night in October 2021.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Liza Street
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201276935

Book preview

1

Brenna sat resolutely in her car in the office parking lot, refusing to let her fear get the best of her. She would listen to the last two minutes of her favorite horoscope podcast. She would keep her breathing even. She would kick today’s ass.

Your fiery Aries nature will allow you to conquer the day—

Damn right, Brenna thought.

—despite several challenges. There may be a new, very important person making an appearance in your life. If not a person of romantic or sexual interest, then perhaps a sensual new project.

Brenna snorted. It would probably be a project. Maybe she could bedazzle the drawer where she kept her vibrators.

Be open to the possibilities of this sexy-ass time of year, especially today and tomorrow. If you celebrate Halloween, start today, a day early, and embrace it like you’re living out a wet dream with your Hollywood celebrity crush. If today and tomorrow are meaningful in some other way, dear Aries, wrap your thighs around it and give it your all. And as always…

Brenna said the next part aloud with Christy Vavine, the self-professed whore of horoscopes: As always, grip this day by the hair and let it lick you out.

With a smile, Brenna turned off her streaming app and climbed out of the car. The cool October air was an uncomfortable reminder that she was out in the open, exposed. If he was out here, he could see her; he could be watching.

Crap. She needed to stop thinking this way. It had been a year since she’d filed the restraining order, a year since she’d decided to get her life under her own control and no longer let herself be batted around by a mentally unstable douchenugget who refused to listen to a strong no.

No more of this, she said to herself. Tomorrow, Halloween, would be the one-year anniversary of the last time she’d seen Donnie Douchenugget. It was time for Brenna to get over that so she could enjoy her favorite holiday—and the rest of her life.

She was reclaiming Halloween as her holiday, and she’d make it lick her out.

The sound of a car door slamming shut made her jump and spin around, her heart beating furiously. But it was only Ceci, her sort-of friend from the office.

Brenna! Ceci called, hurrying over. As usual, her blond hair fell over her shoulders in perfect waves and she had a perfect angle of eyeliner at the corners of her blue eyes. Happy Halloween.

Ceci shoved a hollow, plastic pumpkin at Brenna. The handle had curlicued ribbons of orange and black. Perfectly festive.

Thank you so much, Brenna said.

I saw your office all decorated, and I figured you were a fan of the holiday, Ceci said.

It was the sort of thoughtful thing Ceci often did, although sometimes Ceci’s gestures seemed forced. Brenna couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it was the reason why she hadn’t made many efforts of her own toward deepening their friendship.

Brenna peered into the hollow pumpkin. Unfortunately, the inside was filled with the kind of candy Brenna hated—the too-sweet stuff that made her teeth hurt and her tongue feel raw. But the thought was the part that mattered, so Brenna grabbed Ceci in a brief hug.

That’s so thoughtful, Brenna said with a smile. Thank you again.

Well, Halloween isn’t until tomorrow, but since we won’t be in the office, I thought now was the best time to give you this.

That’s really nice.

"Oh, of course! I wasn’t sure if I should get you candy or not because you’re probably trying to lose weight…so don’t eat it all at once," Ceci said with a wink.

Stepping back, Brenna tried not to frown. That kind of talk was well-meaning, but it hurt to hear when it came from her supposed friends. Yes, Brenna was heavier than average. But she didn’t have a sweet tooth, she ate normal-sized portions, and she enjoyed going for walks and dancing and moving her body. It was a good body, and she loved it. Unfortunately, other than Brenna and her best friend, Mia, nobody seemed to appreciate Brenna’s figure.

However, Brenna wouldn’t let Ceci’s thoughtlessness get her down. Not after Christy Vavine’s pep talk on the horoscope podcast. Today was Brenna’s, and no naysayers were going to make her think otherwise.

Keeping those thoughts in her head, Brenna walked with Ceci into Northern Physical Therapy where they worked—Ceci as a receptionist, and Brenna as a therapist. While Ceci went to one of the two front desks, Brenna continued through the building to her tiny office.

It was a veritable Halloween party in here because she’d decorated it earlier in the month—orange and black streamers, fake cobwebs, and a series of three miniature pumpkins lined up from smallest to largest across the front of her desk. The bulk of her patients met her out in the large therapy room, so these decorations were mostly for Brenna’s benefit.

She’d barely begun to settle in to make notes for her first appointment when her phone buzzed with a call from the front.

Brenna? Ceci said. Marco can’t come in today—his baby’s sick. Can you take his eight o’clock?

Crap. Brenna already had an eight o’clock. She didn’t mind filling in, but it was a horrible way to start her day, already behind. Yep, I got it. But send the next of his clients to someone else, or I’ll fall too far behind and have to skip lunch.

Well, I mean, you can afford to skip a meal, Ceci said.

Brenna hung up. Today was hers. Ceci was being an asshole, and likely because Ceci was stressed.

A second later, her phone buzzed again, and she picked up.

I’m sorry, Ceci said. That was rude of me to say.

Brenna sighed. It’s fine.

Sniffling, Ceci said, I’m horrible, I know it.

It’s fine, really, Brenna said. Jeez, why was it now her responsibility to make Ceci feel better, after Brenna was the one whose feelings had been hurt?

Thankfully, the morning went mostly as planned after that. Marco’s patient was actually a cool guy who looked like he’d been on the brink of asking Brenna out, but then Brenna’s next patient had shown up. Probably for the best, because Marco’s patient had also mentioned his ex-wife at least three times during the course of his session.

At lunch, Ceci brought Brenna her favorite sandwich from the Italian deli they both went to, and Ceci made sure Brenna had a full thirty minutes to enjoy her sandwich. A note in Ceci’s handwriting said, Sorry I was a stressed-out jerk. I’m going to do better.

And that was really all Brenna could ask for. She carried her sandwich to the little courtyard across the parking lot from the office, where Mia met her. As they tucked in to their respective lunches, Mia said, Are you sure you want to go out tomorrow night?

Brenna surveyed her friend. Mia was one of the strongest people Brenna knew. With her muscular frame, her black hair in a bob with an undercut, and her no-nonsense brown-eyed gaze, Mia was a force. She had black belts in, like, everything, and ran a martial arts studio.

Are you worried about me? Brenna asked.

Mia nodded. It’ll be a year exactly, and it might bring up old anxieties.

Eh. That just means it’s been a full year for me to get over it. Besides, I don’t think we’d even know it was a year if all that shit hadn’t happened on a holiday.

I guess, Mia said.

And didn’t you already ask a nurse to watch your mom tomorrow night? Brenna asked.

Yes, but I can cancel and give the nurse the night off—

"You need a night off, Brenna said. Seriously. It’s been forever since we had some fun."

Mia sighed. I guess I’m nervous about spending time away from Mom.

Brenna reached over and