1
Grady “Mac” McFarland stared at his boss, Rex Grayson. Normally, he gave his former army captain a lot of respect, but Rex seemed to have gone off the deep end this time. This mission was unlike any of the others Grayson’s Guardians had sent him on. To the point that he wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly. “You really want me to be a bodyguard for a rich woman and her seven-year-old kid?”
Rex nodded. The captain was only four years older than Grady’s thirty-two, but the grim weariness in his boss’s gray eyes betrayed the emotional toil they’d suffered during their last tour in Afghanistan. Grady—he was only Mac to his army buddies—knew that Rex had taken the loss of their teammates hard and that he’d ended up getting divorced after he’d returned stateside. From what Grady could tell, his boss was still grieving. “Yeah, that’s exactly what Ms. Lauren Chandler is asking and paying us for. I really need you to do this.”
“Why me?” The question popped out before he could stop it. The truth was that someone from the team had to take this assignment. Granted, they were usually sent on rescue or recovery missions. None of them were experts in keeping an eye on a socialite and her daughter.
“Because you have good instincts and even better investigative skills.” When his phone dinged, Rex reached for it. “Ms. Chandler has some strong opinions on who she’ll accept as her bodyguard. Besides, I have a feeling that we’re going to need to work with the police and the FBI on this.” Rex held up his phone. “She’s here.”
Grady swallowed a groan as he rose to his feet. The door to the office swung open, revealing a stunning blonde wearing a long leather coat that probably cost more than his house back in Cody, Wyoming. Lauren Chandler looked rich, even without the sparkly diamond studs in her ears and the expensive-looking clothes. A large leather handbag, which matched her coat, was slung over her shoulder. She looked to be roughly his age. Her pale skin indicated she didn’t get out in the sun much, or maybe it was just that it was early February in Chicago. The young girl beside her had long brown hair that was held back from her face with a pink headband, and she had the same brilliant blue eyes as her mother. The little girl also wore a thick navy-blue parka in deference to the freezing-cold Chicago temperatures.
Not unlike Wyoming, he thought with a sigh. No such luck he’d be sent to Florida or some other southern state in the winter.
“Ms. Chandler, this is Mac, er, Grady McFarland. Mac, this is Ms. Lauren Chandler and her daughter, Lucy.”
“Nice to meet you.” He forced a smile on his face as he stepped forward to offer his hand. To his surprise, Lauren shook it with a firm grip.
“Thanks for agreeing to help me.” She glanced at her daughter, and amended, “Help us.”
“I was just about to fill Mac in on what’s been happening.” Rex gestured to the chairs beside his. “Please have a seat.”
Lauren removed her leather bag and dropped gracefully into the chair beside his. Her daughter took the seat on her other side, almost as if Lauren had purposefully put herself between him and Lucy. He frowned, not appreciating being viewed as a threat to the little girl.
“A seven-year-old girl was abducted two days ago,” Rex said, breaking the silence. “Her name is Ariel Turner, and she happens to be one of Lucy’s closest friends. They attend the same private school together.”
Grady frowned. “And Ms. Chandler believes that the abduction is an indication Lucy is also in danger?” To his mind, that was a leap, even if Lucy’s parents were rich.
“Please, call me Lauren. I have the video on my laptop.” She surprised him by removing a computer from her large bag and opening it. “I think when you see this, you’ll understand my concern.”
Rex inclined his head, indicating she should go ahead with the video. Grady leaned over to see the screen as Lauren queued up the video. A whiff of her perfume teased his senses, but he ignored it. As a client, Lauren was off-limits, even if she wasn’t rich and had a daughter.Three strikes, you’re out, he thought wryly. Besides, he wasn’t interested in dating anyone after his former fiancée broke things off. His job caused him to travel across the US, and frankly, he liked the different missions Rex Grayson assigned to them.Until this most recent request, he silently amended.
Beside him, Lauren expanded the video on the screen and hit the play button. A young girl wearing a navy-blue parka and a pink headband walked down the sidewalk. She wore white tights beneath a navy blue and green plaid pleated skirt. At first, he thought the girl was Lucy, as they both had brown hair and the same pink headband, but as he searched the girl’s facial features, he realized it wasn’t.
A man wearing a ski mask suddenly appeared on the screen. He swooped the girl into his arms, covering her mouth with his hand as he darted away. The kidnapping happened so fast Mac blinked in surprise when the short video ended.
“What in the world?” He glanced at Lauren. “Do the police have any leads on who did this? Is there more video that shows the vehicle the kidnapper used to escape?”
“No.” Her expression was strained. “The most interesting thing is that Ariel was released less than three hours later.” She paused, then added, “After the kidnappers realized they’d grabbed the wrong girl.”
A chill snaked down his spine. Okay, now he understood. He caught a glimpse of Lucy’s concerned face and framed his comment as carefully as possible. “You believe your daughter is in danger.”
Lauren’s blue eyes flashed. “I know she is.”
“Ariel was scared.” Lucy’s voice was small. “But the bad man didn’t hurt her.”
Mac’s throat tightened at the thought of Lucy being snatched the same way Ariel had been. He sat up straighter, absorbing the gravity of the situation. “Do Ariel and Lucy always dress alike? I mean, other than wearing their school uniform.”
Lauren nodded. “They like to pretend to be twins.” Her brow furrowed. “Although not anymore.”
“Ariel’s mother doesn’t like me.” Lucy’s blue eyes were bright with tears. “She said we can’t play together anymore.”
“It’s okay, Lucy.” Lauren wrapped her arm around her daughter’s slim shoulders, hugging her close. “Ms. Turner is just upset about what happened. I’m sure that once the bad man is behind bars, everything will go back to normal.”
“I hope so.” Lucy’s voice was muffled against her mother’s coat. “Ariel is my best friend.”
“I know, sweetie.” Lauren’s stricken gaze turned to Mac’s. “Lucy needs protection. And we also need to understand the source of the threat.”
Grady glanced at Rex, then slowly nodded. “I’m sure the local police and the FBI are working on that as well.”
