Her Bodyguard Swap: a clean bodyguard romance (Lockwood Industries Book 1) Read online

  “Her Bodyguard Swap”

  Lockwood Industries #1

  By Laura Ann

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  HER BODYGUARD SWAP

  First edition. January 2, 2020.

  Copyright © 2020 Laura Ann.

  Written by Laura Ann.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  NEWSLETTER

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  DEDICATION

  The first book in every series is dedicated to my

  darling husband. It’s because of his support and love

  that I was able to turn this hobby into a career.

  I love you more.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  No author works alone. Thank you, Victorine.

  You and your sister make it Christmas every time

  I get a new cover. And thank you to my Beta Team.

  Truly, your help with my stories is immeasurable.

  NEWSLETTER

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  PROLOGUE

  Ridge kept a close eye on Harlan as the meeting was brought to order. Although his brother looked calm, Ridge could still see the tightness around Harlan’s eyes and mouth. His eyes, which were focused on the group of men, still had a haunted look to them even though Harlan had been back for close to six months from his capture and imprisonment.

  Ridge sighed and pushed a hand through his thick, curly hair. He wished they could go back. Back to a time before they were all sent overseas as part of their military assignment and before Harlan sacrificed himself to insurgents in order to save the rest of his men. Ridge, Sawyer and Harlan were triplet brothers who had all joined the military together, but they hadn’t been part of the same team.

  If only I had been there, Ridge growled mentally. Maybe I could have done something to have stopped all this. Maybe I could have saved my brother.

  After being rescued, Harlan had come home a changed man. He no longer laughed or smiled, and he was constantly twitching and on edge. But his determination to keep people safe hadn’t waned, and that’s what brought the group sitting at the kitchen table together today.

  Harlan had been honorably discharged because of his trauma. Ridge and Sawyer had only had a couple of weeks left on their contracts when Harlan was rescued and had not reenlisted, stepping away from the military life with their brother. The Roman, Archer and Valentina had trickled in as their own contracts had ended, bringing the grand total to six.

  However, civilian life wasn’t proving to be as easy as they expected and the whole group was struggling to find a way to integrate back into society when their skill sets made them good for only one thing.

  “Thank you for coming,” Harlan said in a low, quiet voice. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time—”

  Sawyer snorted and Harlan paused to look at him. “Sorry.” Sawyer put his hands in the air. “It’s just that since we all retired, we don’t have enough things to spend our time on, so I don’t think anyone here is gonna care if you take up a chunk of it.”

  Ridge huffed and grinned while the others murmured or chuckled. That’s entirely too true.

  Harlan nodded solemnly, then began again. “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be starting a business.”

  A hush fell over the room. As ex-military, every person there knew how to be still, and it could be felt at that moment. The air itself seemed to be waiting in anticipation.

  “I’ve been talking to the Gruffmans about getting a loan to get me started, and as of yesterday, I was given the green light,” Harlan explained, pausing to take a drink from his steaming mug.

  “How can we help?” Valentina, or Val as they liked to call her, chimed in.

  Harlan slowly and methodically set his mug down. Ridge had noticed since Harlan had been home that his movements had changed. It was as if Harlan wanted to be sure that he was in charge of every nuance of his life. He no longer did quick or reckless actions. Everything was thought out and purposeful.

  Just another piece of my brother that was left in the Middle East, Ridge thought mournfully. He wanted his real brother back, but was at a loss. Maybe this business thing will be good for him.

  “I’d like for you all to join me. In essence, I want to hire you.” Harlan’s baby blue eyes went around the room and met with each individual person for a moment.

  “I think we need to know what the business is first. Don’t you?” Sawyer prodded.

  Harlan nodded. “I’m going to open Lockwood Incorporated. A personal security company.”

  Archer whistled low under his breath. “Wow, man. That’s a big deal.”

  Harlan shrugged. “It’s going to take a fair amount of work, but it was the best idea I could come up with.” He twisted his mouth to the side. “It’s what we’re made for, outside of serving, anyway. Who else will be able to boast to having six ex-military recruits on staff?”

  “What exact type of security are you wanting to provide?” Roman spoke up.

  “I’d like to offer private security, such as events or personal bodyguards and possibly even home security set-up and monitoring.” Harlan cleared his throat. “Since doing the last one will require more staff than we have right now, I’ll probably start with the first two and then grow from there.”

  “And we can get started just like that?” Val asked, her dark eyebrows high on her forehead. “Just...” She snapped her fingers. “BOOM! We’re all bodyguards?”

  “Not quite.” Harlan opened the notebook sitting in front of him. “In order for us to offer those services, we would all need to be licensed by the state.”

  “I love ya, bro,” Sawyer interrupted, “but I’m not going back to school.”

  Ridge snorted and shook his head.

  Harlan scowled at Sawyer, then continued. “No schooling is required, but we would have to pass a test. I don’t think it’ll be an issue, since all the necessary skills are things we already know.”

  Roman and Archer were nodding along with Harlan’s words.

  “The Gruffmans have loaned me enough to rent an office building in Denver and renovate it to suit our needs.” Harlan looked up from his notes. “It would mean a small commute for everyone, but I think being closer to the big city would be a smarter business move.”

  “Right,” Ridge agreed quietly.

  “Anyway, I wanted to put this out and see who was interested.” Harlan again met everyone’s eyes. “I would like you all to join me, but I won’t force anyone, of course. You’re all able to make your own decisions and I’ll respect whatever you think is best for you.”

  Sawyer raised an eyebrow at Ridge and they nodded at each other. “Did you really think we would le
t you jump into the next adventure without us, dude?” Ridge grinned, then reached over and slapped Harlan on the back. “We’re in!”

  Harlan nodded his thanks, and once again, Ridge was reminded of all that had been lost during those months Harlan was gone. In the old days, the three brothers would have been laughing and teasing, thumping each other on their heads and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Their antics had driven their younger sister Goldie up the wall. However, now their interactions were subdued and the banter was dead. Sawyer and Ridge were constantly afraid of doing something to hurt Harlan, and yet, trying to still act as if everything was normal.

  “I’ll follow you anywhere, sir,” Roman stated evenly. He was a man of few words, but with his size, there wasn’t much you had to say. The biggest of the group, Roman was the epitome of strong and silent. However, his loyalty was unmatched. He’d been part of the team when Harlan was taken, and Roman had followed Harlan right out of the military when it was all over.

  “You know I’m in,” Archer offered as well. “Working for you would be an honor, sir.” Archer nodded solemnly, his usual brooding manner set aside for the moment.

  Harlan turned to Val, who was smirking. She shrugged. “Hey, as long as I get to hit a few people along the way...I’m happy to be there.”

  Ridge snorted again while Sawyer reached across the table to offer her a fist-bump.

  “Thank you,” Harlan said quietly. “You all are family to me, and while I don’t deserve your loyalty, I’m grateful to have it.” He stood, his chair squeaking as it slid across the linoleum. “Tomorrow I’m heading to the building to see what renovations need to be done. Anyone is welcome to come, but I’m hoping to open doors in the next six weeks or so.”

  “Guess it’s time to dust off our hammers and paintbrushes,” Sawyer said with a smile.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Ridge teased, pushing his brother’s head. “You’re worse with a paintbrush than you are with a frying pan.”

  Sawyer put his hand to his chest as those at the table chuckled. “I’ll have you know, I cooked a completely edible egg just yesterday!”

  Ridge scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah...only edible because you can eat eggs raw.”

  Archer and Val burst out laughing while Roman smiled at the brothers’ interactions.

  Still smiling, Ridge turned to where Harlan had been, hoping to see a glimmer of amusement. Ridge’s smile dropped, however, when he noticed that Harlan had quietly slipped out. The rest of the table quieted down as they realized he had left as well.

  The mood in the room grew heavy as all thoughts turned to their leader, who was obviously still hurting.

  “Maybe starting this business will help,” Archer offered quietly.

  Ridge nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s a good thing.” His jaw worked back and forth for a minute. “It has to be.”

  CHAPTER 1

  “And that’s a wrap!” Everly punched the button on her phone to shut off the recording and slumped back in her seat, mentally and physically exhausted.

  Clapping came from the back corner of the room and she jerked at the sound.

  “Geez, Leon!” Everly put her hand to her heart. “You scared me!”

  Leon grinned and walked over to give his sister a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry. I was trying not to interrupt your video.”

  “Yeah, well...thank you for that. It took me a dozen tries to get that song right.” Everly set her guitar in the case at her feet and latched the lid.

  “It sounded great.” He grinned. “If you’re a girl, anyway.”

  Everly rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with giving women songs of empowerment. If you don’t like it, don’t listen. Besides, not all my songs are like that.”

  “True, and I listen because you’re my sister,” Leon pointed out.

  Everly stood and grinned sweetly. “Still, you’re not exactly my target audience.”

  “Thank heavens for that,” Leon muttered, throwing his arm around Everly’s shoulders as they walked out of the room.

  Everly elbowed him in the ribcage, but he barely grunted. “Good grief,” she lamented. “You’ve been out of the military for almost a year and you’re still rock hard. When are you going to become fat and flabby like the rest of us?”

  Leon chuckled and pulled her in close to ruffle her hair. “Not for a while, hopefully. I still have to trick a beautiful woman into keeping me, then I can get soft.”

  “Good luck with that one. She’s going to have to get past your face first, not just your six-pack.” Everly laughed as she darted away from Leon’s growl of retaliation. She ran into her office, then stopped to catch her breath.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?” Leon asked, stopping in the doorway.

  “Nah.” Everly waved him in. “I just need to upload this video to my editor and check my stuff online. No biggie.”

  Leon dropped into one of her chairs, swiveling back and forth. “You ever figure out what was going on with that troll a while back?”

  Everly froze for a split second, then forced herself back into motion. “Uh...nope. Never did.”

  “Everly,” her brother growled. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing!” She turned away from him and connected her phone to the computer.

  “Is he still following you?”

  Everly started to hum, hoping to delay the inevitable. Her brother spent ten years in the military and she knew full well he wasn’t going to let the subject drop. His sense of protectiveness was far above the normal man’s. Dating in high school had been a nightmare with her domineering older brother by her side. Her chair jerked when Leon grabbed it and spun her around to face him.

  “Tell me what’s going on, Ev,” he pleaded softly, his brown eyes full of concern. “No matter how innocent it may seem at first, these kinds of things can get completely out of control.” He had stood up and come over, now leaning over her chair so they were face to face.

  Everly let out a breath and deflated. “He’s still there, leaving comments on everything I post. I mostly hide them, so others don’t see his comments, but I’m sure there are a few I’ve missed.”

  “And what’s he saying?” Leon stood up straight and folded his arms over his large chest. His spread feet and strong stance were a testament to the habits ingrained in him during his years of service.

  Everly picked at the hole in her jeans. “Just...stuff. You know, like calling me a home-wrecker and saying my music sounds like a dying cat. Stuff like that.”

  “Nothing more personal?”

  She pinched her lips shut and felt the fear that had hit her a couple of days ago slither back up her spine.

  “Everly. Tell me,” Leon said forcefully.

  Everly scowled up at him. “Why? It’s not like he can do anything to me. He doesn’t know where I live, and a few words online aren’t going to hurt or stop me. People leave nasty comments on stuff all the time. It’s obvious he’s a little on the crazy side.”

  “And crazy people are the most dangerous.” Leon squatted down and put a hand on her knee. “Tell me what he’s saying, please.”

  Everly rolled her eyes, trying to hide the fact that they were tearing up, and looked away from her brother’s penetrating gaze. “A couple of days ago, he made some comment about how he was sure I bleed just like any other person. That being a musician doesn’t give me immunity from being hurt.”

  “Show me,” Leon demanded. “Show me the exact comment.”

  “Leon, it—”

  “I mean it, Ev. Show it to me.” His tone left no room for argument, so Everly spun around and pulled up the post, exposing the stranger’s remark.

  “That’s it,” Leon growled. He stood and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his phone.

  “What are you doing?” Everly asked, her eyes wide as she watched him punch in a number.

  “Getting you protection.”

  “What?” Everly’s response was cut short when
Leon began speaking into the phone.

  “Hey, Har, it’s Leon.” He paused, nodding. “Yeah, good to talk to you too. Listen, I’ve got a little problem. My sister is an online, indie musician and she’s got a troll whose comments are escalating into dangerous territories.”

  “Leon,” Everly hissed, only to be quieted when he put up a finger.

  “Yeah. Yeah. Great. Okay. We’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks. I owe you.” He hung up and stuffed the phone back in his pocket.

  “What the heck was that?” Everly screeched, jumping out of her chair. “I’m not some little girl for you to just take care of. I’m a grown woman who is perfectly capable of handling this situation herself.”

  Leon’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, yeah? And just how are you handling it?”

  Everly ground her teeth. “By getting rid of his comments and ignoring him.”

  “That won’t make him go away, Ev. In fact, it’ll probably only make him madder than he already is.”

  Everly threw her hands up. “So the guy is getting creepy. Like I said, he can’t find me, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

  Leon stepped in close and got right in his sister’s face. “They can always find you,” he said in a low, deadly voice. “If you are alive, you can be found. Never underestimate the power of the internet, Ev. Never.”

  Everly’s jaw dropped at the steely tone of her brother’s voice. She’d seen him go into protective mode before, but this was a whole new level. “What exactly are you suggesting I do, then?”

  The darkness dissipated from Leon’s expression and he stood up again. “Come with me to the meeting tomorrow. My old military buddy, Harlan Lockwood, just opened a personal security business. We’ll talk to him and see what he recommends.”

  Everly pinched her lips until they were a thin, white line. “I really don’t think this is necessary.”

  “Humor me,” Leon stated baldly, then glanced at his watch. “I need to get to work soon.” He turned and started walking. “You care if I snag some lunch before I go?”