Falcon Falls Security Boxed Set: Books 1-3, page 43
There was something about the way he stared at her as she stood in front of the wedding dress that had her wanting to cry instead of fight.
She took an uneasy step back, worried she’d do something crazy. Punch him or beg him for their first kiss. “I’m going to Paris, so if you want to keep me safe there, you are fake marrying me, and we’re dealing with this psychopath on my schedule,” she said, finding her voice again. “I want to be as far away from my family and friends as possible to keep them out of this too. And with any luck, we’ll draw the asshole out within a few weeks, and then we’ll get fake divorced.” She started to turn, but he grabbed hold of her arm, halting her.
His chest heaved with harsh breaths as he examined her like he might toss her over his shoulder and carry out his earlier promise to tie her up in a room to keep her safe.
Ella sighed. “I’m going to tell my mom. And she’s going to have a hard time believing this.” She thought back to her conversation with her mom in the stables not too long ago. “But I don’t want her to know the real reason we need to marry. She’ll worry, and I’d rather her just . . .”
“No, Ella Mae. I don’t know if I need to give you an answer in every language I know, but this isn’t happening.”
She set her eyes on the hand wrapped around her arm, but he didn’t take the hint and let her go. “You can fake marry another woman, but that won’t remove the target from my head, remember?” she softly reminded him, hoping to win him over with honey rather than vinegar. “Besides, no one will believe that you’re in love with her. That she’s ‘the one.’ Just like no one really believed that I . . .”—she lowered her eyes to the wood floors—“with Brian.”
She thought he’d release her after that, but he kept hold of her as if he’d never let go. “I already told you I won’t use you as bait.”
Ella faked a laugh. “At this point, if he knows your name, then he most likely knows mine. If he truly wants revenge, I’m not actually bait. I’m the target.” She lifted her head but couldn’t find it in her to look him in the eyes. “Is that why you stayed away from me? Why you felt you could only give me the weekend in New York?” she asked softly. “You’re a danger to me?”
He was quiet for a moment before answering, “Mostly. But . . .”
That unfinished line of thought was going to screw with her, and she knew he’d leave his words hanging in the air just out of reach. Like always.
“And I didn’t think you could ever forgive me once you learned the truth. I have a lot of blood on my hands. And I’m still . . . broken.”
Ella swallowed the lump of emotion lodged in her throat and lifted her chin, surprised that he’d opened up to her. It was a small sliver of an opening, but it was more than he usually gave.
His confession also had him pulling his hand free and taking two steps away, his attention snagging on the dress once again. “Was that what you were going to wear for Brian?” His voice was hoarse, like his words were stuck in the muck, and he had to pull and pull to get them out.
“No, I made this long before I met him,” she said. “I bought something off the rack to wear for him.” She stood alongside Jesse and stared at the dress, and a weird quiet filled the room.
She forced herself to look away from the dress, worried she might cry, and his hand slipped to her hip, and he guided her in his direction.
“Ella, I—”
“Jesse McAdams and Ella Mae!” Her mother’s voice boomed through the room, cutting off Jesse’s words. He dropped his hand from Ella’s hip. “A wedding.” Her mom strode across the room, panic-stricken. “Henry Rochella just knocked on my door to congratulate me and to ask if we needed anything for the New Year’s Eve wedding.” Her mom’s hands banded tight across her chest as she looked back and forth between the two of them. “After I picked my jaw up from the floor and wiped my drool, because well, he’s rather dashing, I had to recover from shock and act like I knew what in the blazes he was talking about.”
“I can explain.” Ella stepped forward. But how? How do I explain?
“Is that why A.J. looked like he was going to deck you earlier?” her mom asked Jesse. “You told him you two were getting married.” She shifted her attention back to Ella, and before Jesse could summon a lie, she said, “I don’t understand.”
Right. Our conversation in the stables doesn’t add up now.
“After dinner, Jesse proposed. And since I said yes to Rochella, and I’m leaving for Paris after New Year’s, and with everyone already going to be here for New Year’s Eve, we thought, why not? Let’s just do it. Beckett can officiate.”
Her mom’s gaze journeyed over Jesse as if she couldn’t decide whether to cry or hug him. “Are you telling me you finally got your head together because of Paris?”
“I . . .” Jesse looked at Ella, and she held her breath because it was now or never. He could either say yes, making it official that he agreed to her plan of becoming his fake wife in order to lure out the psycho, or he could say no. In which case, her mom would badger him with questions and want to know what the hell was going on. And Ella knew that was the last thing Jesse wanted. “I, um.” He pinched the bridge of his nose for a quick moment before turning to Ella’s mom. “I have to ask your husband for Ella’s hand first. If he says yes, then yes, consider my head firmly removed from my ass, ma’am.”
Jesse must have noticed she was two seconds from collapsing because he secured a hand around Ella’s arm and pulled her tight against him.
Husband and wife.
Fake husband and wife.
But only because someone wants me dead.
The tears streaming down her mother’s face might as well be the death of Ella. She’d be breaking her mom’s heart soon enough.
Her mom gathered her in her arms for a quick hug, then grabbed hold of Jesse. “I have a lot to do. And we have no time to do it.” She swiped away her tears with the backs of her hands.
“Please don’t tell anyone outside the immediate family,” Ella quickly told her. “We want it to be a surprise.”
“Well, you know I love a good surprise party, but a surprise wedding? Even better.” She slapped her hands together, and Ella could see the wheels turning so fast in her mother’s mind she was afraid her head might fly off. And then her attention moved to the wedding gown. “Oh, Ella, you’re going to be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen.”
Great. Now how could she not wear that dress?
“A wedding. Paris. This is a bit crazy,” her mom tossed out in a breathy voice.
“Tell me about it,” Jesse said under his breath.
As soon as her mom bustled from the studio muttering decorating plans, Jesse faced her. He let go of a deep sigh as he stroked his jaw, a contemplative expression crossing his face. “A.J. is gonna hit me when we tell him the plan. And my team at Falcon may not approve.”
“Good thing it’s my life and not theirs.” Ella shrugged, trying to pull off nonchalant when she was anything but.
“We’ll need extra security at the party in case word gets out ahead of time. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, but I’m not taking chances.” Jesse blinked a few times as though trying to figure out how he’d gotten strong-armed into this crazy plan. Ella had to admit that if her mom hadn’t burst in all aflutter with hearts and tears in her eyes, Jesse might not have given in. “There is one thing we’ll need to take care of before our, um, fake wedding.” He rolled his tongue over the seam of his lips, his eyes moving to her mouth. “The kiss after we say our I do won’t be fake. And I’ll be damned if the one thing Brian’s had that I haven’t happens for the first time in front of an audience.”
Her.
Heart.
Stopped.
Ella placed a hand to her chest when her heart jump-started and began to beat a mile a minute. Not because of what he said, but how he’d said it. His voice was rough and deep, and she was back in that hotel room three years ago, his mouth against her ear ordering her not to come until he gave his permission. She shuddered, chills covering every inch of her body.
“What?” she mouthed, a bit lightheaded.
“Brian. He’s had your mouth,” Jesse said darkly, slowly drawing his gaze back to her eyes. “I don’t like that.”
“But Brian—”
Jesse slowly shook his head in warning. “I don’t want to hear his name,” he cut her off, his eyes darkening to match the timbre of his voice. “He’s lucky he never made it to my hit list because if he’d ever hurt you, he’d be long dead.” He closed the space between them. “Just remember that about me,” he rasped. “Remember what kind of man you’re fake marrying. Remind yourself of who I am.” He brought his face closer to hers, and her heartbeat was out of control. “We’re playing pretend, Ella Mae, but there’s nothing fake about who I am. And who I will always be. A danger to you.” He paused and took a step backward as if not ready to claim her mouth yet. “Now, excuse me while I go get punched by three of your brothers after I ask your father for your hand in marriage.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Let me get this straight,” Rory said while plopping down on Jesse’s living room couch next to Ella. “You and my brother, the man you’ve dreamed of marrying for years but now hate with a passion, are getting fake married. Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?”
“Sounds like the plot to a romance novel,” Savanna chimed in, sitting opposite Ella and Rory in the leather armchair by the fireplace.
Jesse had decided it’d be best for Ella to stay with him, and so, she’d spent the night there. Rory and her husband, Chris, were staying at Jesse’s too, which helped ease Ella’s nerves. But sleep had been off the table after the day she’d had, and she’d tossed and turned all night.
And the next day, she and Jesse were getting married. How could this be her reality?
Ella peered at Savanna, who seemed uncharacteristically anxious. She’d crossed her legs, no doubt in an attempt to look casual, but her foot on the floor tapped nonstop while her other leg swung back and forth. “Is this the first time you’ve been at Jesse’s since . . .”
“Since men stormed the property hunting me down, and Griffin saved me by shooting a man in the face while we fled for our lives?” Savanna noticeably gulped and nodded. “Yeah, first time back. I’m okay, though. I promise. Just as long as we don’t have a repeat of that horror show. I don’t want anyone after you.”
“The three of us make a . . . well, pair doesn’t work. A triple?” Rory said with a little laugh, trying to break the tension in the room as they remained parked inside while the guys secured the property. Whatever that meant. “We should get some sort of special tattoo. The hunted ones.” She pointed to the inside of her wrist, sliding her long-sleeve up. “Put it right there. What do you think?”
“You still win the award for the craziest life story amongst the three of us, is what I think,” Ella responded. “The craziest thing I’ll probably ever do is fake marry your brother. But there’s still a chance no one will come looking for me if he doesn’t know or ever learn Jesse’s identity. We can only hope, right?”
Rory slid her sleeve back in place, a forlorn expression replacing the smile she’d plastered on her face, one Ella guessed was a vain attempt to make the situation less brutal.
“The rest of Griffin’s team will be here later today. Between them, A.J. and his teammates, and well, the CIA . . . I think we have strength in numbers to keep you safe. They’ll find the threat. It’s what they do,” Savanna said, her leg no longer bouncing up and down as she gazed out the window where her future husband stood outside talking to Jesse.
Ella was surprised Jesse wasn’t sporting a black eye by now. While A.J. had vehemently rejected the fake marriage idea, same as Jesse had originally, in the end, he’d given up. Ella wasn’t dubbed the most stubborn in her family for nothing.
But when A.J. briefed his brothers about the plan, it’d been Ella’s older brother Beckett who’d snapped and lunged at the groom. Fortunately, the other guys jumped in and held him back. And that was all after Jesse asked her father for her hand in marriage. From what Ella heard, her dad straight-up broke down in tears and said yes.
When she learned he’d been praying for her and Jesse to walk down the aisle someday, Ella had nearly thrown up from guilt. But it was best her parents were kept in the dark about certain details. They didn’t need to know that Jesse had been an assassin for the CIA. The less they knew, the safer they’d be.
It was going to be positively painful for Beckett to officiate the wedding, but he had the power to do so, and it’d make things easier to have someone “in the know” performing the ceremony since it was all one big sham.
“Will your parents be suspicious that we have security roaming the property tomorrow?” Rory asked a moment later, shaking Ella’s thoughts free. “Carter’s men will be armed. Everyone who knows the situation will be packing.”
“A.J. coughed up a believable answer for our parents. Said it’s for our celebrity guest, Rochella. Though Henry has his own security, just not as many as I would have assumed,” Ella explained.
“I didn’t see any sign of a bodyguard when he came to the café.” From the corner of her eye, she noticed Savanna’s gaze immediately fall to her lap.
“What?” Ella whispered.
Savanna slowly worked her attention to Ella. “Griffin has concerns that Rochella’s offer might be a bit too perfectly timed. Like he’s helping someone draw you out and away from here.”
Ella shook her head. “There’s no way a fashion mogul is taking orders from a criminal. Griffin’s paranoid.”
“Regardless, you know they’ll take a look into the offer. And Henry Rochella’s family and company,” Savanna said. “At least Falcon will be with you in Paris.”
“I’m sorry I’m the reason Griffin has to leave you,” Ella apologized, deciding to let go of the Rochella-as-a-bad-guy conversation. It didn’t sit well with her.
“You’re not. Jesse is. And well, maybe it’s not his fault either.” Savanna clutched the chair arms. “Maybe his job was a necessary evil, and . . .”
“No, we’re not cutting my brother any slack.” Rory stood and rounded the handmade coffee table that Jesse had crafted from reclaimed something or other. Always recycled. Repurposed. “Ella has to sleep under the same roof as him until they leave. But Chris and I won’t be a barrier for y’all in Paris, which sucks. I hate that you have to live alone with him pretending to be married for an unknown amount of time. Sitting and waiting for someone to come after you.” Rory ran her hands along her arms as if chilled. “Makes me ill.”
Ella couldn’t exactly ask Henry for a two-bedroom flat in Paris. Jesse would just have to sleep on the couch in their living room. Ella was still so shaken by everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours—Rochella’s incredible offer, temporarily moving to Paris, and as of that morning, her request for a sabbatical approved by her principal—that she’d nearly forgotten the fact she and Jesse would be “playing house” in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Henry had phoned an hour ago, right after they’d finished breakfast and Jesse had left, to let her know they were giving “the newlyweds” a few days for a honeymoon in Paris before she needed to join the other “gems” for work. Ella had considered refusing, but she was worried that’d be a red flag. Plus, that gave them some time to dig a bit deeper into the situation surrounding the man who might come after her for revenge.
“I wish Beckett had given Jesse a shiner,” Rory said while looking outside where her brother stood next to Griffin, a cell phone held out between them and most likely talking to someone on their team over speakerphone.
A.J. and the others were nowhere in sight, so they must have still been prepping the property for war or whatever. Maybe setting booby traps. It’d been too dark to “arm the perimeter” last night, so Chris and Jesse had taken turns staying awake.
“I’m sorry your brother has put you in potential danger too,” Ella said. “I hate that you have to sit around and wait for what might happen as well.”
Rory waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Chris and I are going back home soon, so I’ll be surrounded by a bunch of overprotective SEALs in Virginia. I’ll be fine. I’m not taking a break from work. If someone wants to come for me, they’ll get a bullet in the head. Or a bite in the ass from Bear.”
Yeah, Bear would sound off if there were any intruders as well. Ella nearly forgot they had the protection of a specially trained SEAL K-9. Trained by Rory herself too.
“We have an hour before we have to head to your parents’ place and help out with the preparations for this last-minute wedding. I doubt your mom slept at all last night, ironing out the wedding details,” Rory commented when they’d all remained quiet for a minute or so.
“I don’t think I can help plan.” Thinking about the dress she’d be wearing tomorrow already had her heart breaking into a dozen pieces. “I can’t pick out flowers or whatever I need to do for my fake wedding. It was bad enough Jesse and I had to fill out the marriage license this morning in front of my parents. I think Mom was a little suspicious and maybe trying to call our bluff.”
The license would be filed with the county, as was required, but Jesse’s people would alter the records online instead of making it official. Hack was more the correct term, she supposed.
“Y’all don’t need my help anyway,” Ella went on. “Mom will be fine. She lives for this stuff, and we just had your wedding to Chris this summer. And after organizing my almost-wedding last year, Mom is practically a wedding planning pro.”
The wedding with Brian. Ugh. Her stomach turned at the memory. And thinking of him only reminded her of a lie she’d told her best friends.
“You going to be okay? Like okay-okay, I mean?” Savanna tipped her head, her gaze switching from Ella to the window, Jesse and Griffin no longer in sight. “Physically, I know the guys won’t let anything happen to you. But emotionally, Jesse has already put you through the wringer.”
