Chapter 2

 

By the time Geoffrey pushed through the doors of Ward Security, his blood had boiled over so much, his normally pale skin had to be chalk-white from the loss. He’d finally stopped shaking, but fear and fury lay like a toxic lump in the back of his throat—he couldn’t taste anything but metal.

The police hadn’t been any help. He’d called and they’d come out, but he could tell they hadn’t taken him seriously. As far as they were concerned, someone he knew had brought him home. He hadn’t been hurt. There were no signs of rape. All he had that was threatening, was a note and a neatly folded pile of clothes. They hadn’t even taken the online threats he’d showed them seriously. They’d just told him to make a log of every instance of stalking.

Furious, he balled his hands into fists and swept past the training mats to the stairs, hardly noticing the noise of the self-defense class currently in session on the first floor. Several people called out loudly to him, but he merely waved over his shoulder as he hurried toward the large office at the top of the stairs.

One of those cops apparently followed him on Instagram because he’d murmured something about reaping what he sowed after some of the pictures he’d posted.

Asshole.

He may have been reckless a few times, may have gone a little overboard with the partying after his brother had gone off to college, but he didn’t deserve to be violated. Nobody deserved that. It might not have been physical, but it had been a violation. Someone had been in his house. Had taken off his clothes.

Geoffrey shoved his shaking hands into the pockets of his shorts as sweat broke out over his lip. He paused and took a few deep breaths.

A murmur of conversation trickled from the owner’s office. He recognized Rowan Ward’s and Andrei Hadeon’s voices right before Rowe’s distinctive laughter rang out. His door was open, the man himself sitting behind his desk, with his booted feet propped up on one corner, his dark red hair mussed. A close, matching beard shadowed his jaw. Rowe, the titleholder of Ward Security, was the only person he trusted to help him at this point. He was just damn grateful the man liked to check in on the Saturday self-defense classes.

Andrei lounged on the black leather couch along one wall. The monstrous thing had to have been chosen to accommodate the high number of big men working there—a fact he loved with everything in him. Normally.

Of course, it could have been purchased for the gymnastic sex Rowe apparently had with his boyfriend, Noah. He’d heard rumors.

“You gonna hover in the doorway or are you coming in, Geoffrey?” Andrei waved him closer.

He nodded at the Romanian, noticing that his long, black wavy hair had been left loose for a change. He usually gathered it into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Andrei had been seen less frequently on Saturdays since Rowe had named him COO of Ward Security, but the former fighter also filled in for the self-defense classes when some of the other bodyguards were busy. Today, he wore jeans and a white T-shirt. The guy had probably just stopped in for something, and now he was getting drawn into his drama. Nearly black eyes narrowed as he stared at Geoffrey and it felt like he was being read. Andrei sat up straighter.

Rowe lowered his boots to the floor and put his arms on his desk. “What’s wrong?” All joking disappeared from his voice.

Geoffrey looked between the two. “How did you guys know something’s wrong?”

Rowe lifted a red eyebrow. “Not only is your usually perfectly coiffed hair bedhead flat on one side—but saying you’re the color of a ghost would be a step up.”

“Sit,” Andrei ordered quietly. He pointed to the other side of the couch and got up. As Geoffrey took the spot on the couch, Andrei quietly closed the door to the office. “Rowe, you still got that whiskey in here from the company party?”

Geoffrey held up his hand. “No. Please. No alcohol. There’s probably something still swimming in my system.”

Andrei didn’t move, but a subtle change filled the air as he became completely focused on Geoffrey. That stare was so intense, Geoffrey had to fight the urge to squirm.

“Something?” Rowe’s forehead creased as he leaned farther over his desk. “You don’t know what?”

Lips tightening, he could only shake his head. His words tangled in his throat, wrapping around the fear, and it took everything he had not to let them see him shaking.

Andrei came back to the couch and sat very carefully. “Did someone drug you, Geoffrey?”

He managed a nod.

His eyes turned black. “Tell us what happened.”

It took him several moments to unravel the words, but he laid it all out. How he’d been out of it after only a few drinks, all the way to the visit from the police. He even pulled out his phone and showed them the email threats. “They’re obviously connected.”

“Looks that way to me. The cops looking into it?” Rowe asked.

“They said they will.” He shrugged and shook his head. “But I don’t believe them. Something about me ‘reaping what I sow.’”

Neither of the men spoke and Geoffrey watched them, noting the angry flush reddening Rowe’s pale neck and the way Andrei didn’t seem to be breathing. The two men looked at each other and Rowe nodded slightly before his gaze came back to Geoffrey. “You should go to the hospital and have them do bloodwork. See if there are traces of anything still lingering.”

“Does it matter what it was?”

“It can. Everything we know puts us one step closer to figuring out who did this. If it was Rohypnol, there’s still a window of it showing up in your blood. After that, urine tests if it’s been over twenty-four hours. I assume you came here for help?”

“I came to hire Sven as a bodyguard. You can help with more?”

“We’re set up for a lot here, Ralse. We have our own IT department, security, and more. But Sven is booked. We can do rounds with Royce and Dominic.”

His heart started slamming in his chest, his breaths quickening. Terrified he was on the verge of a panic attack, he dug his fingernails into his palms. “No. Just Sven. I trust him. I’ll pay double. Money isn’t a problem.”

Green eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to charge you double, Ralse.”

“I’m rich.”

“And that would somehow make taking advantage okay?” He snarled. “I don’t run my business like that. So, no. Regular fees. We can put Quinn and Gidget on the emails—see if we can track down the source. You can give them a timeline of everything that’s happened, give them access to your accounts.”

“Do you need a list of all my social media accounts?”

“Sure. But they’ll have them fast anyway.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “You’re kind of famous around these parts. I know we’ve got several employees that swear by that app thing you created.”

The exaggerated cowboy drawl almost made Geoffrey smile, but he still felt too raw. “I really would prefer Sven.”

Green eyes rolled. “I’ll tell you what I’ve told the others. I am not running a fucking dating service.”

Geoffrey looked at Andrei, who stared at Rowe impassively. Everyone in the city knew the famous Lucas Vallois had fallen for his Romanian bodyguard. They’d even announced their engagement before Christmas the previous year.

“When can I expect Sven to arrive at my house?” Geoffrey asked, not ready to give up.

“Someone drugged you, took you home, and undressed you, Geoffrey. You’re not leaving here without protection.” Rowe frowned at him for several seconds before a soft sigh slipped from his lips. “Stick around while I see what I can shuffle. You can give Gidget all your information, answer a few more questions, okay?”

The first bit of relief he’d felt today fell on him like a warm, welcoming blanket. Geoffrey closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.

“Hey,” Andrei said softly.

Geoffrey opened his eyes and focused on the handsome Romanian who looked like he’d started to touch Geoffrey’s arm, his hand still hovering in mid-air.

“I wasn’t raped,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not afraid of being touched.”

“Just because this person didn’t physically hurt you doesn’t mean you weren’t harmed. You didn’t give your consent, Geoffrey.” Andrei laid a gentle hand on his arm and squeezed. “Your personal space was invaded. That’s huge and it’ll leave you feeling off balance and scared and more than likely jumpy. Not being afraid of touch isn’t the same as being startled when you are.”

He nodded, glad for the comfort.

“You know where to find Gidget?” Andrei asked.

Geoffrey nodded. He gave the COO a shaky smile, then looked at Rowe. “Thanks.”

 

 

 

###

Sven Larsen tossed a towel around his neck to soak up the sweat from the self-defense class he’d just finished teaching. As the men and women milled around chatting and laughing, movement on the second-floor landing caught his gaze. He watched Geoffrey walk into the IT department. Which was basically a big room with lots of computer screens, Jennifer Eccleston, and Quinn Lake, the two intelligence specialists—though his boss called them hackers. Everyone also called Jennifer, Gidget, but Sven had never figured out why. Frowning as he followed the blond man with his gaze, he took in the wan complexion, the wrinkled khaki shorts and black sweatshirt that swallowed his slight, taut frame.

A sweatshirt. In summer.

He recognized shock when he saw it.

Sven had been alerted that something was off when Geoffrey had walked past him earlier. He hadn’t even looked in Sven’s direction and if there was one thing he could rely on when it came to Geoffrey Ralse, local golden boy extraordinaire, it was his full attention.

The man flirted outrageously, let inappropriate comments fly constantly from his pretty mouth, and then, there were the hands.

It was like he had more than two—as fast as they could slip inside a gaping tank top or under the loose hem of shorts. Sven had learned to wear tighter utility gear because Geoffrey never wasted an opportunity to grope.

And though Sven hoped it didn’t show, every one of those touches felt like they seared his flesh. He spent most of the time the man was around trying to look at anything other than the sexiest pair of plump lips he’d ever seen in all his thirty-four years. And they were always releasing the most suggestive words—ones that lit a fire that was both desire and annoyance.

By the time Geoffrey left his classes, Sven was sweating beneath his Under Armour a lot more than usual, and he was ready to shut the man up. With his mouth.

But that would never happen.

He still stared in the direction Geoffrey had disappeared, concern tightening his gut. From Geoffrey’s scared expression and the thunderous one on Rowe’s face when he shut his office door behind him, Geoffrey was now a client. That made him off limits even if Sven didn’t have strict, personal reasons.

From day one, he’d noticed something behind those blue eyes that told him there was much more to the man than the rich, club boy persona he showed the world. And boy, did he show the world. He constantly posted pictures of himself on his different social media accounts. Sven had looked. Possibly more than once. And he felt damned ridiculous for wanting someone who looked like he was barely legal—even though Sven knew he was in his late twenties.

“Larsen!”

Rowe’s shout made him jerk his gaze away from the door to the IT room toward his employer. Rowe leaned on the handrail surrounding the landing on the second floor. He waved him up.

Sven grabbed his water bottle and hit the stairs, taking two at a time in his haste. He followed Rowe into his office and closed the door. Andrei sat at the far end of the massive couch and gave Sven a small smile. While he was comfortable with both men, a little feeling of unease slithered through his stomach to be called into a meeting with the two executives of the company. Trying to keep his hands loose and relaxed at his side, he stood in front of his employer’s desk.

“Sit on the couch, Sven. I got it for all you giants.”

He wasn’t offended. Rowe didn’t mean anything by it, and Sven was used to the description. At six foot seven, he towered over most everyone, especially his boss who was at least a couple of inches below six feet. Rowe seemed bigger because he worked out hard, his stocky body strong enough to take down larger men.

But Rowe had nothing on the leaner man sitting next to him. Andrei was skilled in martial arts Sven had yet to learn. And Sven had been studying for years. He’d wanted the control. Needed it. With his size and strength, it was necessary.

“We’ve been officially hired by Geoffrey Ralse. He’s got a stalker problem,” Rowe said, moving to lean against the front of his desk. “Nonviolent. Mostly text and email threats.”

“But the stalker escalated last night,” Andrei added. The man’s normal calm was little more than a mask as anger vibrated in his words. “He believes he was drugged while at a club.”

Rowe nodded. He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right. “His home security has been compromised. He needs a twenty-four-hour guard, which means someone staying in his house.” Rowe paused and licked his lips. “Geoffrey has asked for you. Royce will come in for relief.”

A surge of panic slammed into his chest. He hated that Geoffrey was having a stalker issue, but spending twenty-four hours a day with him was terrifying. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Rowe to choose someone else, but another glance at their expressions told him this was a done deal. “Let me guess, he asked specifically for me. You know why, right?”

Rowe sighed and scrubbed one hand over his short beard. “I know how he is, Sven, especially with you. But the kid is scared. Really scared and he feels safe with you. I do believe that. He was sincere.”

“How does he know? He’s only known me here.” Sven cleared his throat. “And he’s not really a kid, right? I thought he was twenty-eight.”

Andrei snorted next to him. “Looks about eight years younger. But he’s better than he was. I would have sworn he was eighteen when I first saw him a couple of years ago.”

“He still looks eighteen to me,” Rowe said, curling his lip. “Kid is too pretty to be real.” He aimed a pointed look at Sven. “But I’m aware he’s a pain in the ass, and I’m aware of how he is with you.”

“Everyone is,” Andrei piped in. “It’s not like subtlety is something the man even remotely understands. He’s a small, walking billboard for everything he wants and feels.”

Geoffrey’s wants were not something Sven preferred to think about. “Tell me everything that happened.”

Rowe filled him in and Sven couldn’t stop his frown as his stomach twisted into knots. Geoffrey had skills when it came to self-defense. He’d once told Sven that his father had been worried when it seemed he wouldn’t be growing past five foot two. And when it became obvious Geoffrey was gay, his father had wanted him to be able to defend himself so he’d enrolled him in Aikido. It had been a good choice. That particular martial art worked on using the opponent’s weight against him.

Geoffrey had eventually grown, but only another three inches. Strong or not, the thought of some asshole making him that vulnerable made Sven want to punch things. “He has no idea what happened?”

“None,” Andrei answered. “But he believes someone drugged him and we have no reason to doubt him. Rowe and I glanced at some of his social media accounts. He goes out a lot, so he’d know if something had been different.”

“And the cops blew him off?”

“Guess one is a fan because he seemed to know a lot about Geoffrey’s online presence.” Rowe snarled. “Judgmental prick.”

“It is pretty vast,” Sven murmured.

Rowe’s lips twisted. “Looked him up, have you?”

He shrugged. “I was curious. One of the women in the class was talking about him being some kind of genius.”

“I don’t know about genius, but he has to be pretty bright to have created and sold an app that earned him millions at the age of nineteen. And get this.” Rowe reached behind him and grabbed a tablet off the desktop. He tapped on it a few times and then held it up for Sven to see.

There was an image of a mangled minivan with a headline about the death of Viola and Timothy Ralse. Rowe pointed to the date, which was eight years before.

“Geoffrey was only twenty when this happened but somehow, he got guardianship of his little brother. I don’t know a lot more yet, but seeing this surprised me. That brother is about to start his last year of college. Geoffrey took on a fourteen-year-old boy. He isn’t a mere party boy with lots of disposable cash.”

Sven had already guessed that after months of paying attention to him in classes, but he kept silent. He was still reeling over the thought of some asshole taking advantage of him while he was drugged. Every protective instinct he had rose to the surface. It was going to be hell on Earth staying with Geoffrey twenty-four-seven, but he wanted to do it. Wanted to help him figure out who was after him.

There was no doubt in his mind that someone was. And he was pretty sure money wasn’t the goal. Not entirely. Geoffrey Ralse really was a beautiful man with his delicate features and those plump lips. As far as Sven was concerned, any man would want him.

Or woman.

He wasn’t big, so he wouldn’t be hard to move. Hell, Sven could easily cart him around with one arm. He could maneuver him into all kinds of interesting positions.

That thought made his sweat return. He opened the reusable quart-sized water bottle he filled every day and took a couple of huge gulps to try and cool off.

Rowe eyed the bottle as he put the tablet back on his desk. “I still think it’s strange you don’t like cold water.”

Everyone teased him about the big, purple bottle his sister had given him. “Never have. Hurts my teeth.”

Rowe leaned forward, running his hand through his hair, before giving Sven a hard stare. “You really okay with taking this job? Geoffrey won’t be…easy.”

That was the understatement of the year. “He said he’d feel safe with me, so yes.”

“He also wants in your pants, Larsen.”

That prompted a grin. “I’m aware. Don’t worry. He’s not my type.” He held up one big hand and flexed it. “I’d break him.”

This earned chuckles from both men. Rowe stretched his arms over his head, causing some of the vertebrae to pop in his back. “You got a bag packed?”

“Of course. It’s in my trunk.” Rowe preferred the men in his security team keep several days’ worth of clothes at the ready at all times.

“You get that new silver Charger you were eyeing?” Andrei asked.

Sven nodded. “Yesterday. Lots of leg room and the doors are a good size. It’s a hell of a lot better than my last car.” He looked back at Rowe. “You mind me putting it in the garage when I take an SUV?”

“Of course not. Sorry to pull you from your new toy so fast.”

He opened his mouth to let him know it was fine, but Geoffrey walked back into the office. The man usually moved with a quick step, his body in motion at all times, his dangerous mouth curving into sultry smiles. This stillness unnerved Sven in the oddest way. It wasn’t right. Lively Geoffrey was the real one, and he grew furious all over again that someone had taken that from him. He hoped it was temporary.

Sven stood. “Gidget get everything she needs?”

Blond bangs flopped over his forehead as he nodded. “She’s got my number if she needs more, too. She wants me to bring in my laptop so she can see if he used it.”

“We can do that,” Sven answered. “Later. Let’s get you home. You look like you can use some real sleep. I’ll be there to watch over you.”

A little of the real Geoffrey returned in the sudden sparkle in his blue eyes and the seductive curve of those damn lips. They parted and Sven braced himself for some off-color proposition. But that light faded fast and his lips turned back down.

Sven suddenly realized how badly he wanted that improper, pushy vivacity back. Geoffrey might annoy him, but that had a lot to do with his effect on Sven’s blood supply and where it preferred to be directed whenever he unleashed all that brightness.