For the first time in weeks, Delaney Lawson had plans that didn’t include dodging the paparazzi or stopping to pose for pictures with her fans. Her grueling schedule during her last movie set in Montana had come to a close, but renovations at her home in Los Angeles had stalled, making it impossible to return. No biggie. When she’d accepted the role, she’d been excited to return to her home state to film the thriller. She’d been looking for an excuse to spend time in her hometown to hang out with her girlfriends and get some serious R&R. Now she had one.

Smiling, she continued driving toward Eagle Rock with her windows down, the music turned up and adding her seriously bad vocals to the lyrics. “Sugar,” she sang at the top of her lungs. “You’re sweet . . .” Soon she’d be back with her friends, drinking longnecks, and dancing to jukebox Top 40 Hits at the Blue Moose Tavern.

“Honestly, please stop. You’re so tone deaf you’re killing the song.”

She sent a sidelong glance at her friend and personal assistant Kerry Ann and grinned. “You’ll survive.”

“Not with my hearing intact.”

“Good thing it won’t be long before we reach your place, then I’ll run over to the Blue Moose Tavern,” she said. “I can’t wait to see everyone again.”

“Thanks for giving me a lift home first.”

“No problem, but I wish you’d come with me. I’m sure everyone would love to catch up with you too.”

“Not my gang. Besides, you know me, I’d rather sip a Cosmo at my favorite club in LA than hang around here.”

“I understand.” The joint didn’t have much in the way of class, and Delaney had hung out in far glitzier places since moving to Los Angeles, but nothing could dampen her excitement about spending time with her friends. “Are you sure you still want to stay at your folks’ place?” Delaney asked, worried Kerry Ann would feel lonely and sad in her childhood home since her parents had passed away.

“It’s mine now, remember.”

Delaney shook her head. “I still can’t believe they’re gone.

“Me, either. Dad went so fast, I barely had time to say goodbye.”

“I’m sorry, Kerry Ann.”

“Thanks. But I’m fine, really. Just trying to decide whether to sell the ranch or not.”

“Tough decision,” Delaney said, approaching another S curve.

Beside her, she caught sight of Kerry Ann gripping the Jeep’s handlebar. “Still hate driving in these mountains, don’t you?”

“With a burning passion of my soul.”

Delaney laughed. Her best friend had a wreck the first week after getting her driver’s license. “We’re fine,” she said, then lifted her foot from the gas pedal, and gently pressed the brake.

The Jeep continued gaining speed. Her heart thudded against her sternum. “Shit.”

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you slowing down?”

Fear laced Kerry Ann’s voice adding fuel to Delaney’s racing pulse. Her fingertips prickled. “Nothing.” She hoped. She pressed the brake harder. No dice.

“This isn’t funny.”

The wind whipping through Delaney’s hair suddenly chilled her to her bones. “Hold on,” she said. “I’ve got this.” She controlled the Jeep and steered through the S curve, keeping her hands steady on the wheel though her insides shook. Another mile and she’d approach a steeper downgrade on the road.

“We’re going to crash.”

“Not if I can help it,” Delaney said, holding the steering wheel with one hand while pulling the emergency brake’s lever. “Hold on.” Nothing changed.

“I really don’t want to die here.”

Acid coated Delaney’s tongue, and she tasted metal. Neither did she. “That’s not happening. Not today.” She hadn’t come this far in her life to lose everything now to faulty brakes.

“Then do something.”

“I will. I am.” Good thing her older brothers and her dad had taught her every trick in the book when it came to navigating emergency situations. Still, her muscles quivered and everything in her body tensed. “Trust me.”

Quickly, she shifted into second gear, then coasted across the dividing line to the opposite side of the highway toward the gravel shoulder. Her tires crunched over the gravel, fear skittered down her spine, but she held tight even as the Jeep fishtailed. Please let this work. Please. Please. Please. The world around her seemed to stand still, everything a picture-perfect shot while she slid into the beargrass and elk sledge shrubs buttressing the shoulder’s edge. She turned into the skid, then crashed into an immature stand of ponderosa pines.

She heard a loud pop. Dust and the harsh slap of fabric hit her face, pushing her back against her seat. “Holy shit,” she cried, the pain in her cheeks burning hot. Dazed, she shook her head and pushed away from the deployed airbag. “Are you okay?”

Kerry Ann coughed and sputtered. “I’m fine.”

“Thank God.”

A strong, acrid scent filled the interior and her heart thudded fast against her sternum. Up until this moment, she’d been concentrating on steering out of a potential accident. Now reality hit.

She’d crashed. Shivering, she shifted the Jeep into park, turned off the engine, and unsnapped her seatbelt which had locked her in place. “Told you we’d get out of this in one piece,” she said. Still, everything ached, her skin burned, and the early evening fall temperatures were dropping steadily.

“Let’s hope we’re close enough for cell phone reception.”

Montana’s Crazy Mountains were notoriously awful for losing signals, the towers spread thin and unreliable for making calls, even during emergencies. “No kidding.”

Kerry Ann reached for her purse and pulled out her phone. “We’re in luck,” she said. “Two bars.” She showed Delaney her screen then quickly called the local service station in Eagle Rock.

“How long until the tow truck gets here?” Delaney asked when Kerry Ann finished giving their location over the phone.

“Half an hour tops. This is one of those times I’m grateful there isn’t a lot of action around here.”

“Ditto.” Gingerly, she gave herself a physical once over. Nothing broken. Nothing sprained. But a major bruise was already blooming at her collarbone where the seatbelt ran. Then she glanced in the rearview mirror and grimaced. “My beautician would have a conniption fit if she saw this. A bright red stripe slashed across her face. She looked at Kerry Ann who had suffered a similar, albeit less marked, fate.

“No big deal. It’s not like your glam looks matter here.”

“Nope. Never did.” Even now, she never really believed the celebrity photos of her splashing across the headlines in the tabloids. Deep down, she’d never left behind the country girl who’d left her hometown to head to Los Angeles to chase her dreams.

“We should get out of here, wait by the side of the road to flag the tow truck down.”

“I’d like to text Allie too.” Her girlfriend had arranged the get-together tonight so Delaney could meet her husband Axel Swenson, a bodyguard for the Brotherhood Protectors. “I need to let her know we’ll be late.” She opened her door and stepped outside.

Kerry Ann joined her and they made their way through the underbrush toward the highway’s shoulder. “I wish I’d worn something warmer,” she said, tugging her thin sweater around her waist.

“Yeah, me too, but we’ll be out of here soon enough.”

“At least you remembered to trade in your stilettos for cowboy boots,” Kerry Ann said ruefully. “But still. It could have been a lot worse.”

“Exactly,” Delaney said, texting Allie about their accident. After reassuring her that she and Kerry Ann hadn’t suffered any major injuries other than a few bruises and a slight airbag rash, she accepted her friend’s offer to pick them up. The sooner the better.

“Man, it’s creepy out here.”

Gravel bounced across the empty highway, echoing in tandem with the sound of the cool mountain breeze rustling through the trees. Branches creaked. A snap sounded. The hairs on her neck raised, and Delaney scanned the highway for the tow truck. “No kidding,” she said, hoping Allie showed up soon.

Another branch cracked and Kerry Ann clutched her arm. “What’s that?”

“Probably just a deer or something,” she said calmly to reassure her friend, though her heart raced. Wolves had been known to roam these mountains and, with more civilization encroaching, animals were getting bolder.

“You sure?”

She looked at her Jeep, furtively searching for anything lurking in the darkening forest. Nothing stood out despite the growing trepidation beating hard against her breastbone. “Yes,” she said. But deep down, the growing blackness had her counting every second that they stood by the road waiting for help.

What had happened was probably a freak accident. And her parents just had her Jeep serviced a month ago before they went on vacation. But something didn’t add up, and that made the looming night sky more ominous than ever.

* * *

Ethan Walker sat across from his new boss, the scarred desk separating them. “Appreciate the opportunity to work for your company,” he said.

“You came highly recommended.” Hank Patterson tilted his head toward the man flanking his left side. “Swede says you were one of the best in the field. Purple Hearts aren’t awarded to just anyone.”

“Thanks.” But the medal meant nothing compared to wishing he could get back to Afghanistan. Sure, he’d managed to protect a few of the guys in his unit by throwing himself in the line of fire, but he didn’t save them all. And he’d bought himself a one-way ticket out of the Marines with his hip injury. “You have an assignment for me?” Better to focus on what he could do. Brotherhood Protectors gave him a fresh start, albeit not one he’d ever have considered before his hip had been shot through.

“Not yet, but that’ll give you time to settle in first.”

“You sure you don’t want to bunk with me?” Swede asked, then pulled out his cell phone to glance at the screen.

Ethan shook his head. “Nah,” he said. At thirty years old, he was too damn old to bunk with anyone. Besides, sharing living quarters always reminded him of his lousy childhood and the numerous foster homes he’d endured. He liked Swede. If not for him, Ethan’s job prospects would have been nil to maybe a shit desk job after his medical discharge from the Marines. But being a third wheel in a newlywed’s house held no appeal for Ethan.

He glanced at Swede who had a frown on his usually amiable face. “You okay?” he asked.

“Something’s up with Allie,” Swede said. “She was supposed to meet Delaney Lawson at Blue Moose Tavern, but they’re coming here instead.”

Adrenaline spiked along Ethan’s nerves. “Delaney Lawson? The movie star?” Even he recognized the name—who wouldn’t when she’d just won an Oscar? Plus, plenty of guys in his unit had her pictures hanging in their barracks.

“Yes. Allie said her friend just had a wreck. Monty’s Service station is bringing her Jeep in, but according to Monty, things look suspicious.”

Hank straightened. “Why does he think that?”

“Brakes failed.” A muscle jumped in Swede’s jaw. “Looks like they were deliberately tampered with according to Allie. She says they’ll be here shortly.”

“Looks like you might have your first assignment after all,” Hank said, standing and locking eyes with Ethan.

“Come on,” Swede said. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Whoa. After all Ethan had been through in Afghanistan and Iraq, who knew he’d end up protecting some Hollywood starlet against her diehard fans in the middle of nowhere. But a job was a job. “Sounds good to me.”

Ethan joined his friend and Hank, pain lancing deep in his hip, but he ignored it. The damn gunshot in Afghanistan had fucked up his military career, but he wouldn’t let the injury stop him from moving on.

This might not be the battlefield, but for the first time since Ethan had left rehab in Bethesda, he had a purpose: completing his first assignment at the Brotherhood Protectors and moving on with his life. If he clung to any mission, he’d forget about the last one—even if the throbbing pain in his left hip made the task almost impossible.

“Look, I don’t care what you say,” a shrill voice said as the ranch house’s foyer filled with women, two of whom looked like they’d been through a chalk storm. “I refuse to let you go home alone when there might be someone out there trying to hurt you.”

“Relax, Kerry Ann.”

Ethan looked at Delaney Lawson as she tried to calm the other woman down. She was even more beautiful in person.

“I’m sure Monty’s overreacting,” Delaney continued.

“We could have been killed.”

Swede’s wife put a hand on both the women’s shoulders. “You were very lucky,” she said. “I agree with Kerry Ann. You need protection. My brother’s team is the best in the business. I’m sure he’ll . . .”

“He’ll make sure you won’t even know you’ve got a bodyguard, Delaney,” Swede said, cutting in.

“But this is Eagle Rock,” she protested. “My hometown has got to be the safest place in the world.”

“Not always. Just ask Sadie,” Hank said, then gestured toward the back of the ranch house. “Come in. We’ll discuss what needs to be done in the kitchen. I’m sure Sadie will want to join us.”

Kerry Ann stalked off first in her very high heels. “Excellent idea. I could use a drink after what just happened. Come on Little Miss Unafraid, and listen to the man.”

“Okay.” Delaney tunneled her fingers through her tangled auburn hair. “But only because I’m humoring all of you.”

“Good,” Hank said, nodding toward Ethan. “I’ve already assigned Ethan Walker to protect you.”

She shot a glance toward Ethan, colored ever so slightly, then nodded. “Naturally, I’ll pay top dollar for his services.”

“We’ll work out the terms of the contract before you leave,” Hank said. “Rest assured, he won’t let you out of his sight until the authorities apprehend the culprit.”

“Hopefully, that’ll be sooner than later,” she said, then sashayed around Ethan.

He caught a whiff of her sexy scent mingling with the after-effects of the airbag explosion. She had a natural sway that her cowboy boots enhanced—cowboy boots? Never expected a big star like her to be so down to earth—and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her, wondering about the person behind the public image.

He’d thought he’d be babysitting a spoiled movie star, not a sexy and feisty woman who ticked all the boxes in his I-want-to-do-you column when Hank gave him his assignment. Fuck. He couldn’t think of her that way. Not when he’d been hired to protect her.

Still, by the time they’d all sat around Hank’s kitchen table, joined by his pretty wife, Sadie, Ethan couldn’t take his mind off Delaney’s wide, generous mouth—full-lipped and inviting.

“How soon before we hear from Monty?” Ethan asked to get his brain back on track.

“No later than tomorrow,” Hank said.

“But I don’t want her alone until then,” Kerry Ann said, then took a healthy swallow of white wine. “We can’t risk it.”

“As I said before, Ethan won’t let her out of his sight.”

Delaney slanted a look his way. “I suppose so, but I really don’t . . .”

“If Monty’s right, you need a bodyguard,” Hank said. “Ethan’s a former Marine. A war decorated hero. You’ll be in excellent hands with him.”

“You’re right. I thought something was off when the stupid brakes failed, but I keep hoping it was a mistake during the Jeep’s last service. Is that so wrong?”

For the first time, Ethan heard fear in her voice. Not much. She’d modulated it well, but he’d heard it just the same. Many people would have missed the subtle undertones of dread, but he’d been trained to listen for nuances, to catch changes in body language that expressed anger, fear, and danger. “Never assume anything,” he said. “You never know who wants to hurt you—even the people you think you can trust might be dangerous. Anyone else besides your parents know you’re here?”

“My agent—Laurence Hunter. I told him to contact me here while my house in LA is getting renovated. He’s negotiating a contract for me to act in another Trevor Maguire film. I trust Laurence as much as I trust everyone in this room,” she said, standing and locking her gaze onto his.

Her green eyes knocked the breath out of his lungs. Damn. No wonder the woman was an A-List movie star. Even with her hair a mess, along with the fine dust of white powder coating her hair, her figure-hugging jeans and her practical denim jacket she was, in a word, gorgeous.

Jeez. Get a fucking grip. Of course, she’s gorgeous. But I’m here to do a job that doesn’t include screwing her. “Then we’ll leave it to Hank and the Brotherhood Protectors, along with the authorities to find the person responsible for your accident,” Ethan said. “The only person I’m concerned about is you.”

He’d treat this job like any other mission. Get in. Do what was expected of him. Protect his hot Hollywood star, then move on to the next client.