Hired to Protect (Book 2 of The Hired Series)

6. Penelope

Penny had been stunned when the Alpha first walked into the room. At least six and a half feet tall, the man almost had to duck to enter the door, and his shoulders were close to brushing the sides of the frame. His short dark hair and darker stubble framed a face that was intimidating even without his massive size, yet he was still handsome enough to draw attention from any hot-blooded woman.

Sneaking peeks at him from the corner of her eye as they discussed who would be the best Alpha to guard her, she couldn't help but secretly wish it would be him. He had a presence that made her feel safe as soon as she laid eyes on him. There was no way Adrian would be stupid enough to mess with an Alpha like him.

Focusing on Ethan and Ms. Haranne, it seemed her wish was going to come true when he offered to be her guard. Taking a good look at him before agreeing, Penny almost said no simply because of the temptation he posed. She had decided a long time ago that she was going to use suppressants and never use the services of an Alpha, but just looking at him had her core clenching at the thought of what he could do to her.

Snorting quietly at herself, she pulled her thoughts together and finally responded. Temptation be damned, hopefully she wouldn't need him around for long. Once Adrian got a good look at her new guard, hopefully he would back off and leave her alone.

When the Alpha left to gather his things, Ms. Haranne passed her a tablet, indicating where to sign the contract once she read it over. It was the usual legal jargon stating The Haven would not be held responsible for anything that happened during the course of the contract since the Alpha would legally be in her employ from the time he walked out of the front door, until he returned or the end of the term. Penny would have to handle any issues or costs incurred until she returned him and ended the contract.

Gagging a little at how much this was going to cost her, she signed and passed the tablet back.

"I know the court system can be slow, so if you need to extend the contract, just return before this one expires, and we can get a new one set up. You can also end the contract early if you feel you no longer need a guard."

Nodding, Penny hoped there wouldn't be any need for an extension. She wouldn't be able to afford much more than a month of his services before her savings would be completely drained.

She was finishing up with the formalities when there was another knock on the office door. Ms. Haranne called out to enter, and Ethan stepped back into the room. Penny could have sworn that the temperature in the office went up a few degrees with his return.

Thanking Ms. Haranne, Penny began to stand but Ethan stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. He was so much larger than her that his hand covered from her collar bone to halfway down her bicep.

"Don't stand, I'll push you out," he rumbled, his voice deep and rough.

Goosebumps flowing across her skin, Penny simply nodded and relaxed back into the wheelchair. The scent of sandalwood surrounded her as he spun the chair, pushing her through the door that Ms. Haranne moved to hold open for them.

In moments they were walking out of the front door, Ethan pushing her wheelchair to the curb and helping her into the waiting AutoCab before tossing the black bag he carried into the trunk and climbing in next to her.

Penny had always thought AutoCabs were roomy, but with the Alpha crammed onto the backseat with her, there was a distinct lack of space. Trying to take shallow breaths through her mouth so that she wasn't drowning in his scent, they sat in an awkward silence until she finally decided to break the ice.

"So, uh, have you always been a guard?"

Ethan's head turned to face her, one eyebrow raising.

"No. Just for the past ten years."

"What did you do before that?"

Still looking at her with a skeptical expression, he responded with, "Nothing in particular."

Humming, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Not a big talker?" she asked, raising her own brow.

A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as he continued to watch her. In the office his eyes had appeared to be a light brown like hers, but now that they were flooded with natural light, she could see that they were actually a beautiful hazel.

"You didn't hire me to talk. Most people prefer to pretend we aren't there unless we are needed."

"If I'm going to be trapped with you night and day for the foreseeable future, that's not going to work. You're a little big to be my shadow, and I already have one person skulking along behind me."

A surprised chuckle rolled from him, filling the cab and sending chills down her spine.

"Okay, if you want to talk, tell me about your schedule. The more I know the better prepared I can be."

Penelope grimaced before responding.

"Well, since I have been at the Force station all night, the plan is to go home and sleep for a while. If I wake up in time, I may do a few errands this afternoon. I usually like to get to the stores early, before they get crowded, and then make deliveries in the afternoon, but I don't really have a set schedule. I do tend to go to certain shops frequently, but I can end up anywhere if I'm searching down a particular item."

"So, your regular shops are where you will be more vulnerable." Crossing his arms over his chest, Ethan said, "Now tell me about your stalker."

Looking at Ethan now, Penny wished Adrian could see his face. That grim expression alone would have him tucking tail and running in the other direction.

"He's a beta named Adrian. We dated for a little over a year before I got tired of the attitude and told him to leave. That was almost six months ago. He didn't take it well. Made a few threats I thought were empty, but I was still uncomfortable staying somewhere I knew he had the access code, so I moved. Didn't see him for a little while, but he knows the stores I frequent, and I guess that's how he found me again."

"And what happened yesterday?"

"I was walking between two of my usual stores, they put out their new arrivals on Tuesdays and I always go check them out first thing, when I passed a silver car parked on the side of the road. I didn't think anything about it until the door opened just as I was about to pass by, and Adrian stepped out. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me into the backseat, but I slipped free. When he reached for me again, I ran, but I ended up in a dead-end alley. Apparently running in heels isn't the smartest idea," she said waving to the large black boot on her foot.

"Anyway, an Alpha that worked in the building we were behind scared him away. Then, last night, I was watching a movie before going to bed, and when I passed my front door on the way to my room, I found a note laying in the floor. I assume he slid it underneath at some point after I got home. I know it wasn't there when I came in. Basically, it said he had watched me the whole day and proved he knows where I lived now. Said he would 'see me soon' to finish our conversation. I immediately went to the station, and once I was done there I got cleaned up and came to The Haven."

Nodding, Ethan's expression grew grimmer.