Chapter 1
Mack Shaeffer stood a few feet away during the video call, but not so far that he couldn’t catch a glimpse of Cole’s sister on the screen. Mariah was wearing a deep-green strapless dress that exposed her shoulders and muscular arms. The woman was the opposite of petite and frail. In fact, the word magnificent came to mind. That had been Mack’s opinion of Mariah from the first time he laid eyes on her, almost two years ago. She wasn’t fragile, yet Mack felt an even stronger urge to protect her. Something deep inside told him she wasn’t safe, and he would never ignore his premonitions again, no matter how foolish they might seem.
“What do you think of my dress?” she asked Cole.
“You look like a Christmas tree,” Cole replied. “It’s ugly.”
Her mouth twisted in a crooked grin. “It’s a bridesmaid dress. It’s supposed to be ugly.”
“I don’t get it,” said Cole. “Why would a bride want her bridesmaids to wear ugly dresses?”
“A bride has to make sure her bridesmaids don’t look better than her.” Mariah chuckled. “When it’s my turn, I’m going to put my bridesmaids in flour sacks, just to be sure.”
Mack couldn’t imagine a dress that would make Mariah look less than gorgeous. He moved closer to get a better look. Big mistake! His throat squeezed shut at the entrancing draw of her haunting blue eyes.
“Listen, Mariah,” said Cole, oblivious to Mack’s discomfort. “If you’re going to insist on staying up in Kansas instead of coming down here where my team can protect you, I’ll have to send someone up there.”
“You’ll do no such thing!” Her face reddened to match her hair. “I don’t need a babysitter, Cole. I’m thirty-one years old… a grown woman.”
“You’re acting like an irresponsible child,” Cole retorted, an unwise choice of words, in Mack’s opinion. Unfortunately, his boss didn’t seem to have a healthy respect for his sister’s wrath, and he was about to pay for it.
“How dare you, Cole!” Her fiery curls danced around her bobbing head. “I have more responsibility in the tip of my little finger than you do in your entire body.”
Mack waved his arms like a referee calling time and mouthed, “Drop it.” But Cole ignored his warning.
“Remember who you’re talking to, baby sister. I run a multi-billion-dollar company.”
“Sure. You were free to run off and start Phantom Enterprises and make your fortune because you had me to stay close to home and look after mom and dad.”
“They were in their forties, Mariah. It’s not like they were old and feeble.”
“When Dad had knee surgery, you were busy giving television interviews.” Mariah gave a sharp nod, as if that settled the argument.
Cole’s eyes narrowed, his jaw flexing. This was going downhill fast. Mack had to do something to prevent World War III. He grabbed the phone from Cole’s hand. “Mariah, I’m the one insisting you have protection at all times, and it has nothing to do with your ability or your responsibility.”
It was true. As Cole’s head of security, Mack was obsessed with the safety of Cole’s entire family. Even more so since the attempted murder of Cole’s wife, Brooke, only six weeks ago. In Mack’s opinion, he’d failed to protect Brooke. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.
“I understand you’re just doing your job, Mack.” Mariah folded her arms, a flush spreading down her neck. “But you’re making a big deal out of nothing. The wedding is in a tiny town thirty minutes away from here, and I’m staying at my friend’s house. Plus, I’m not going to be alone. My boyfriend is going with me.”
Boyfriend? His stomach clenched. Why was he surprised? Mariah was beautiful. She wouldn’t stay single forever. Some lucky guy was going to snag her eventually, but Mack couldn’t imagine one who’d be worthy of her.
Cole snatched the phone back. “Are you talking about Puny?”
“His name is Pewter.” She said it in a tone that made it clear her irritation was building.
“Who names their kid after a cheap grey metal?” asked Cole.
“It’s a family name. He’s Pewter Harbinger Masterson the third.”
“Are you kidding me? They’ve done it three times? Do these people hate their sons?” Cole threw his head back and guffawed. “Anyway, you sent me a picture of him, and Puny fits him better. I don’t see how that scrawny guy could do anything to protect you.”
“Pewter says I don’t need a bodyguard, with him around.” Even from five hundred miles away, Mariah’s glare was slicing her brother to pieces. “I’ll have you know he was on the boxing team.”
Mack fought an insane urge to punch this Pewter person in the jaw. The guy had to know his boxing experience wouldn’t translate into protecting Mariah from a real attack. Mack forced his tight fists to relax, one finger at a time.
“Oh my! I’m shaking in my boots!” Cole put his hand to his mouth and mimed biting his nails.
“I feel sorry for Brooke, having to put up with you every day.” Mariah ground her words between gritted teeth. “This is exactly why I refuse to move to Houston.”
“Awww, don’t be mad.” A sincere expression slid onto Cole’s face. “You know I’m only teasing. I’m sure Pewter’s a great guy, but he’s not trained to keep you safe like my people.”
“Cole, you’ve been calling me every other day with some new threat, and they all turn out to be nothing. What happened to Brooke was awful, and I know it’s made you nervous. But it was one crazy guy, and he’s locked up until the trial.”
“This threat is real. Even the FBI is taking it seriously.”
“If I show up at Allie’s wedding with a bodyguard, it’s going to take all the attention away from her. This is her one big weekend, and I’m not going to ruin it.”
“And what if someone shows up and kills you at the wedding? You don’t think that might ruin her day?”
“This discussion is over,” Mariah said, the firm set of her jaw cementing her words. “I’ll fly to Houston Sunday night, and we can discuss this so-called threat over Christmas.”
“But Mariah—”
“Goodbye, Cole,” she said, sternly. Then she lifted her brows, a smile lighting her clear blue eyes, and waved her slender fingers. “And bye, Mack, if you’re still there.”
The screen went black.
Coal groaned and slumped at his desk. “Mack, can we guard her without her being aware? Is there someone you could send? Someone you trust?”
“I should be the one to go. I’ve memorized every picture in the FBI’s top suspect list. If it’s any of them, I’ll recognize them.”
“Thanks, Mack. I’ll sleep a lot better if you go. Although…” Cole said, with a pointed look at the tattoos on Mack’s arm, “you don’t exactly blend in.”
“I gave up on blending in around ninth grade, when I passed six-foot-three.” Mack rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve found, when I go to a formal event wearing a dark suit, people automatically assume I work for the facility. But I’m sure Mariah will be spittin’-mad if she sees me.”