Master Unchained (Stealth Guardians Book 2) Read Free

protect her and make sure whoever issued those death threats won’t get the chance to carry them out,” Hamish guessed. “Nothing easier than that.” It would be just like any other assignment he’d had in the past. Which begged the question, why Cinead had gone through the trouble of asking him to meet in person, when he just as easily could have sent the assignment through the usual channels.
    “Yes, but that’s not all. I also want you to make sure she stays on the right path. I want you to lend her strength in the face of the opposition she’ll encounter.”
    Hamish’s eyebrows snapped together. “And how am I supposed to do that, considering she won’t even know I’m protecting her?”
    Cinead smiled, and for a moment, he thought he recognized a tiny glimmer of mischief in the other’s eyes. “That’s where this assignment will differ from your previous missions. She’ll know you’re her protector.”
    Hamish jumped up. “Are you saying she’ll know that I’m a Stealth Guardian?”
    Cinead chuckled. “Of course not. We’re not going that far. She’ll believe you’re a human bodyguard, hired by a wealthy supporter who wants to make sure nothing happens to her. But that’s not all. The people around her can’t know who you are. To them, you’ll be introduced as her boyfriend. It will give you unprecedented access—”
    “Hold it right there!” Hamish shoved a hand through his dark hair. “With all due respect, that’s out of the question. I’m not the right person for this kind of assignment.”
    “On the contrary, you’re the perfect person for this assignment.”
    “Have you forgotten what happened to me?” Because he hadn’t. How could he ever forget the betrayal of the woman he’d loved? A betrayal that had nearly cost him his life. And now his elder expected him to pretend to be in love with a human?
    Cinead’s voice was soft and fatherly, when he continued, “No, I haven’t forgotten what you went through. And that’s exactly why you’re the perfect candidate. You’ve tasted betrayal. You’ve seen its signs. You’re better prepared than anybody else. Would you really prefer I gave this mission to Manus? Or Logan? They are fine guardians, don’t get me wrong. But they wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of a woman like Tessa Wallace. Not if they had to pretend to be dating her.”
    “Lure?” What the hell was Cinead talking about? He’d seen photos of the councilwoman, and while she was certainly very attractive, even beautiful, he didn’t understand where the danger lay. Sure, Manus had a reputation for being a philanderer, but he doubted that Cinead knew that. Their compound was a tight-knit group. They didn’t kiss and tell.
    “It’s not her beauty that captivates men, though it certainly draws them to her. It’s her soul.”
    He arched an eyebrow. “Her soul?”
    “She’s good through and through. Everything she does is for the good of others. She doesn’t have a single malicious bone in her body, nor an evil thought in her mind.”
    “How would you know?”
    “Our emissarius has been watching her for many years. I trust him and his judgment. Just like I trust yours.” Cinead rose slowly and crossed the distance between them. “I know your heart broke when you lost the woman you loved, and I wish I could make it undone, my son, but I can’t. However, maybe that broken heart is the one thing that will help you get through this mission without any emotional involvement. I can’t say that for Logan or Manus. Either of them is likely to bring emotions into this mission, jeopardizing our goal. She has to become mayor. Baltimore needs her. Nothing and nobody can be allowed to lead her astray.”
    Hamish lowered his lids and sighed. He had no intention of falling in love ever again. It was wrought with too much danger. But that didn’t mean he liked this assignment. The whole setup was unorthodox. Too many things could go wrong. Stealth Guardians