Ranger’s Protection: SEAL and Veteran Series: Book Three Read online

  SEAL and Veteran Series

  SEAL’s Homecoming

  SEAL’s Accidental Family

  Ranger’s Protection

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, FEBRUARY 2019

  Copyright © 2019 Relay Publishing Ltd.

  All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  www.relaypub.com

  Blurb

  Viktoria Jonsdottir is none too pleased with the personal bodyguard her father has insisted on hiring to keep her safe. Safe from what, she has no idea, but she’s convinced having this brooding man hovering over her is completely unnecessary. All she wants to do is get to New York where her father is conducting high level meetings for their corporation—meetings she arranged, to prove her value to the company. Sure, Lee MacCallister is sexy as hell and his eyes would make an ordinary woman swoon. But Viktoria is no ordinary woman. She’s not going to fall for Lee, even if he does make her feel things she’s never felt before. Like this strange new emotion that just might be…happiness.

  It’s a simple enough assignment for the former Army Ranger—protect some rich, spoiled woman for a few days then pick up the check. Only thing is, Viktoria isn’t like any woman he’s ever met. She’s tough, smart, and has a body that’s more than a little distracting. He can keep it professional, even though she’s beyond tempting as sin. But when things get dicey and Victoria’s enemies prove to be far more dangerous than Lee anticipated, he realizes Viktoria has become more than an assignment—she’s become personal. And that could be the most dangerous thing of all.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  End of Ranger’s Protection

  Thank you!

  About Leslie North

  Also by Leslie

  1

  Lee McCallister used his forefinger and thumb to widen the document filling the screen of his smartphone. His oldest brother, Chance, had taken a picture of the letter the Army mailed to their childhood home—the address Lee claimed as his permanent residence though he didn’t live there—and texted it late last night.

  Below the official letterhead, his old lieutenant colonel invited (commanded) Lee to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, in three weeks. His former Army Ranger unit was to receive the Valorous Unit Award for their “extraordinary heroism in action.”

  The phone edges bit into Lee’s fingers as he skimmed the words: your unit performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission…

  Echoes of explosions, frightened screams, men shouting orders in multiple languages, and chaos invaded his mind.

  Slamming his eyes closed, Lee ground the base of his palm against his right eye socket, forcing the sounds of that mission back into the hole deep in his mind. He hated thinking about that day. Their unit may have succeeded in rescuing the band of soldiers and the medical civilians also held hostage, but Lee had lost his career. His right eye looked normal to the rest of the world but thanks to a flying piece of shrapnel, it no longer had the perfect vision required to maintain his sniper status with the Rangers. He’d had to medically retire and suddenly become a civilian twenty years too soon. And he had no backup plan. At twenty-eight years old, he had to start over.

  Then life decided to kick him in the nuts all over again. He barely had his discharge papers in hand when his father died. With his mother already gone in Lee’s early teen years, losing his father meant he only had his two older brothers left. Good thing he loved the SOBs and knew they’d always have his back or he’d be in even worse shape.

  His phone chimed, ripping Lee out of his spiraling thoughts and into the present. Closing the letter, he glanced at the time and jerked away from the building’s stone façade. Early morning sunshine attempted to burrow behind his sunglasses as he rounded the corner and headed toward the main entrance, helping Lee box the last few months in his mind and focus on the present. San Diego, California, was about two-thousand miles away (depending on how you traveled) from that letter currently sitting in his hometown of Springwell, Georgia. He didn’t need to respond this minute, so he shoved it down on the list of priorities.

  Tackling the stairs, he headed to the business located on the second floor and stepped inside the two-office suite. A clock on the wall above the small waiting area showed he’d arrived precisely at eight a.m. Right on time.

  “Go on in.” The young man seated behind the reception/administrative assistant desk pointed to the open door on the left.

  Lee dipped his chin in acknowledgement as he passed, then shut the door behind him after entering. More sun filtered into the windows, bathing the room in its rays. The various plants enjoyed the light, but it did nothing to brighten the face of the large man stuffed behind the wooden desk.

  “Boom,” Lee greeted, marching with his hand out toward the man rising to his feet. Sebastian McKinney never went by any other name but Boom. It could harken back to his EOD—Explosive Ordinance Disposal—days before he did a stint as a Ranger or how loudly his voice carried. Either way, the moniker fit the man perfectly.

  A massive hand engulfed Lee’s and squeezed just enough to be noticeable but not enough to cripple. Boom may be in his sixties, but he stuck to a strict workout regimen and diet that had him looking years younger and maintaining the solidly muscled width of a Humvee.

  “Welcome back,” Boom replied, his deep voice bouncing off the walls as usual. “I read your report on the Asia assignment.” He motioned for Lee to have a seat in one of the two visitor chairs.

  Lee dropped into the black-cushioned seat and nodded. “Nice and boring.”

  Boom laughed. “Just how we like it.”

  Yesterday evening Lee had returned from escorting a prominent politician to South East Asia for three days, then back.

  “You’ve completed four assignments for us now.” Boom rested his hands on his desk. “And I’ve been very pleased with what I’ve seen so far. Are you settling in okay? Still want to stick with us?”

  After Lee and his brothers buried their father, Lee’s former CO had reached out and asked if he had anything lined up for work. Lee had admitted he had no clue what to do with himself. His CO had offered to secure an interview with a retired Ranger who co-owned Elite Security Services based in San Diego that handled a lot of short- and long-term bodyguard assignments. His CO had then suggested Lee find a shooting range and become proficient in small arms. Welcoming the chance to do something besides wallow in the bitterness and anger, he’d bought himself a Sig Sauer. The foreign feel of the handgun versus the weight of his beloved sniper rifle grated, but he sucked it up. The mechanics of shooting a Sig were different enough from a rifle
to be a challenge, even without his eye issues. His brother Harris, an active-duty Marine Raider, had helped him hone the skill during their road trip from Georgia to Las Vegas they’d taken after burying their father and he was grateful. With vision off in his dominant eye, he could still hit the bullseye but it wasn’t as easy anymore, and it took a lot more concentration than he’d ever had to exert before.

  Did he still yearn to be with his unit, covering them with his rifle? Hell yeah. But he couldn’t, so, three weeks ago he’d walked into this office and accepted a job. He wasn’t fool enough to throw this opportunity away even if he couldn’t see himself as a career bodyguard.

  “It’s different from the military,” Lee answered honestly. Boom could smell BS from a mile away so Lee didn’t try. “But I’m getting the hang of things and would like to stay on your payroll if you’re willing.” Maybe he’d stick around long enough to find a real place to live instead of the month-to-month sublease on a deployed SEAL’s condo.

  “Glad to hear it.” Boom smiled wide and lifted a file off his desk. “Seeing how well you did with the politician, I’m convinced you can handle another sensitive assignment.”

  Curiosity swamped Lee as he slid the file from Boom’s fingers.

  “This new job,” Boom continued, “is confidential. Outside of the two other men assigned to help you, the fewer the people who know this client’s movements, the better, but the work itself should be a cakewalk.”

  Lee opened the file—

  Hol-lee… Piercing blue eyes shown from an exquisite face surrounded by miles of thick black hair. “Is it my birthday so soon?”

  Boom laughed but waggled a finger. “Sorry, son. She’s strictly hands off.”

  “Damn.” Regret lanced through Lee but he wasn’t too upset. The line between a professional bodyguard and his client needed to remain as impenetrable as a Kevlar vest. Boom told him that on his first day and Lee respected him for it.

  “Viktoria Jonsdottir is the daughter of a very powerful man whose Icelandic company is a leading manufacturer of wool products,” Boom recited as Lee’s eyes skipped to the bio summary that said the same thing. “They’re in the U.S. on business and the father, Jon Aronsson, wants her protected while he handles some hard-nosed negotiations.”

  “Why me?” Lee paused, flipping to the next page. “I mean, I’m grateful for the assignment and the vote of confidence to be the lead, but I’m still new and your tone tells me you’re cautious about this job.”

  Boom inclined his head. “The fact you’re picking that up just solidifies my decision.” He scratched his chin. “You’ve got good instincts and your former CO,”—commanding officer—“told me men tended to look to you in tough spots. All that counts.” He motioned to the file. “This should be just a babysitting gig, but I’m not taking any risks. Jon Aronsson is a very exacting man who’s been referred to us by an old friend of mine. I don’t want anything to screw up a potentially long-term relationship. He’s usually the target beyond Iceland’s borders if there’s trouble. It’s another reason why he’s separating himself from Viktoria. We have no reason to believe she’s in any danger now, but if something happens, you’re the guy I want there to deal with it. Besides, of all my available guys, you’re the only one with a tandem jump certification, and you have the most HALO and HAHO jumps under his belt.”

  Lee jolted and snapped his spine straight at the military terminology for parachuting from a plane. HALO—High Altitude Low Opening—and HAHO—High Altitude High Opening—were used in covert missions and had everything to do with when you pulled the cord to open the parachute. “You think we’re going to be tandem jumping?”

  Tandem was skydiving with two people strapped together in a specialized harness that had one parachute supporting both their weights. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded and it wasn’t his favorite activity.

  “I certainly hope not.” The creases between Boom’s eyes deepened. “But since you’ll be spending most of your time crossing the country in a private jet to New York City, I’d be stupid not to have that potential scenario covered.”

  From what he’d experienced so far, Boom never held back or beat around the bush. He laid out all the pucker-factors to make sure Lee understood the risks, but Viktoria had no known threats and it should be an easy babysitting job.

  Lee’s gaze drifted to the picture of Viktoria. The sunlight gleamed off the photo, catching those piercing blue eyes, taunting him to remain professional as they lounged on a luxury plane. Slapping the file shut, he grinned at his boss. “Should be fun. When do I meet her?”

  2

  “I can’t believe Father changed the schedule without consulting me,” Viktoria Jonsdottir spat into the cellphone she had resting in the limo’s console beside her. She’d been sitting in the parked car at the regional airport for the last thirty minutes. “He has got to stop treating me like a child!” Her voice echoed off the leather interior. “I worked around the clock to get this deal off the ground, and I have the right to be an integral part of these negotiations.”

  “You know how he gets,” Katrin, Viktoria’s friend since they were eight years old, simpered through the speaker.

  “It’s inexcusable.” Viktoria slapped her head against the headrest. At twenty-eight years old, she’d strived to become a well-educated, valuable asset. “This was supposed to be my time to shine. My way of showing Father and the rest of the business world I have what it takes to step into Father’s shoes when he retires.” She snapped her chin down. “I did all the preliminary work on establishing the new division. I projected the profit and loss over the next ten years and proved we have to diversify into other materials to stay healthy and profitable. I researched and found the right market to expand into, and I set up the initial round of trade negotiations here in the U.S.”

  Katrin’s sigh reverberated. “Did he tell you why he left for Chicago without you?”

  Various odd vehicles bustled around the white and teal private jet sitting a hundred feet to her right. The very jet she should either already be on or not even know the existence of after leaving yesterday with her father as they’d planned. “Only after I pressed did he mumble something about us separating to make me less of a target.”

  “Did you hear of a threat?” Katrin’s voice sharpened, and she seemed one hundred percent focused on the answer.

  “None that I know of.” Viktoria watched the nozzle of a fuel hose fit into the plane. “At least he couldn’t send me home completely.” That would convey the wrong message to the CEOs and politicians scheduled to meet with them. The company couldn’t look like its interest in the trade deals was waning. “I’m allowed to attend some of the private parties and secure meetings but none of the public and high-profile events. You know, the very ones I should be attending.”

  Viktoria glanced at her watch. Frustration pumped through her veins. When in the hell was her new security supposed to show up? “Luckily, I’m allowed to attend the negotiations in New York City.” In two days.

  “Ohhhh,” Katrin breathed, losing the edge of her tone. “I love New York.”

  Katrin would. Her friend had no interest in the business world. She loved to shop and live off her trust fund. In fact, almost all the women Viktoria grew up with in Iceland’s high society were mostly interested in traveling the world, owning the latest fashion must-haves, and enjoying a series of flings with local men in exotic locales. By contrast, Viktoria had graduated college and gone on to graduate school, obtaining PhDs in business and economics. Constant fear of ending up in the tabloids kept Viktoria from experiencing much of the “college life.” One bad photo or social media post could affect the image of her father’s company and bring shame on her family. Within Iceland’s borders, they were well-protected—from attacks and from paparazzi—but in Europe where she attended school, it was open season. Not that she did anything to bring attention to herself.

  “Oh,” Katrin chirped. “I’ve got to go. Keep me posted.”

 
; Signing off, Viktoria plucked her tablet off the seat on the other side of the console. Though she hadn’t wanted to say anything to Katrin, Viktoria suspected her father knew more about the potential for danger than he let on. He had to be keeping some type of threat against her to himself. Or else why spend all this money to hire private security and charter a private jet?

  Jabbing the touchscreen, she opened her email…or tried to. An error message filled the screen, telling her she didn’t have an internet connection.

  Of all the…grrrrr.

  Why did Aleta have to develop a sinus infection last night? She tossed aside the tablet in disgust. She needed her assistant, but the woman had to stay grounded until her condition cleared up.

  She glanced at her watch, then snapped her eyes to the view beyond the tinted window. This new bodyguard and team better be the quiet, brooding type who stay out of the way. She had so much to do—

  Holy…Viktoria’s forehead smacked against the glass, and she left it there to stare at the epitome of masculinity and sex striding across the tarmac. Dark-washed denim hugged the tall man’s strong legs, and a plain, tight, black T-shirt wrapped around a fit torso, soaking in the August temperatures. A pair of sunglasses hid his eyes but the rest of his face caused drool to pool in the corner of her mouth.

  Licking her lips, she fought the urge to lower the window to see if she could pick out any more details. Rein it in, Viktoria. But she couldn’t tear her eyes off him. Everything about the man screamed lethal intent and danger. A shiver stole down her spine and she absently rubbed the rising hair on her arms. The way he moved, more like prowled, spoke of vast experience or intense training of some kind.