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Copyright © Jayce Carter 2020. All Rights Reserved, Totally Entwined Group Limited, T/A Totally Bound Publishing.
Maybe pouting wasn’t the most mature choice, but Emily could think of no better reaction when faced with her three new—and far too hot to be fair—alpha bodyguards.
Her father had discovered she’d been skipping out on her last protection detail. Not that it had been the first time she’d taken her security less than seriously. Men were easy to manipulate and convince to do whatever she wanted. It hadn’t taken more than a week or two of work for her before a new bodyguard would start turning a blind eye to whatever she wanted. Not to mention, getting her way had never been hard, not with her classical good looks. Long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a figure she spent plenty of hours of cardio keeping slim meant it didn’t take much to tempt men.
Besides, her father hovered over her as though she were still a child. As an alpha, he couldn’t help it, but that didn’t mean she’d just put up with it. He’d been overprotective all her life, ever since her mother had been murdered when Emily had hardly been old enough to walk. Why should Emily suffer just because her mother had ended up the target of some deranged alpha?
Life as an omega had enough problems without factoring in a father who wouldn’t let her go to the store alone.
“Miss Pitch,” Levi, the head bodyguard, said with that professional, distant politeness she loathed as he gestured toward the waiting limo. He was dressed in one of the all-black suits that seemed obligatory in his line of work. Not that she’d complain with how he filled out that suit. Levi had that no-nonsense attitude, paired with dark green eyes and dark hair. His stern expression was the sort of thing that could melt panties, at least if he hadn’t been such a buzz kill. Still, it made her want to see how far she could press him before she got a reaction.
Emily scowled, lifted her chin and walked ahead with the haughty “I’m better than you” attitude she’d learned at an early age. Arguing any more now wouldn’t do a thing.
She’d argued for hours with her father when he’d told her about the additional security and it hadn’t changed anything. It hadn’t been the first time they’d had this fight, and it wouldn’t be the last. Because she was his only child, her father liked to keep her wrapped up and away from any potential danger, and Emily? She liked pushing her luck.
Maddox moved in front of her to open the door, which put her beside the very large alpha. He’d unnerved her more than the other two from the moment she’d first seen him, when he’d stood, his height having to be six-four at least. Add to that a shaved head, serious eyes and the broadest chest she’d ever seen, and it was no wonder she’d taken an automatic step backward.
The third alpha, Grant, lacked the outwardly vicious edges of the others. Instead, he smiled like a lure, like the prettiest, most tempting trap in the world. Eyes so dark a brown they were nearly black had peered at her, coaxing her to fall into them, and all of it wrapped up in flawless dark skin.
Were all alphas so tempting, or was it just those three? Or, maybe her lack of exposure meant any alpha at all would draw her in.
As an unclaimed omega, Emily had plenty of eyes on her. No shortage of alphas would have loved a shot at her, since the possibility of mating into the Pitch family would tempt even saints. Money, power, prestige—her bloodline could offer them all to the lucky alpha who landed her as a mate. Her father knew that fact well, which meant his protection kept her both safe and away from any alphas.
Emily slid in and to the front of the limo, as far as she could away from them. Levi, Grant and Maddox got in afterward, showing no reaction to her distance. Maddox and Grant had their focus moving from place to place, not darting but a slow perusal. Neither appeared worried, just alert. Meanwhile, Levi had his gaze pinned to his phone, his finger scrolling through whatever he read on his screen.
“I have spin class tonight.” Emily crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat. Being ignored never failed to make her want to act out.
Levi lifted his gaze from his phone, a bored expression across his features. “I think we can miss that. The threat against you is credible, and tomorrow we will take you to the airport. At that point—”
“I’ll be safe again. Right. Since you’re new, I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m never safe. After this, Dad will come up with another reason why I’m in danger, another reason why I need an escort.” She threw the words out there like bait, waiting for one of the alphas to respond.
That was how it worked. Throw out tiny barbs, little complaints, and play up the “poor girl who just needs a little help” card. One of the alphas would tell her it wasn’t so bad, and she’d squeeze out a few tears about how hard it was to be trapped all the time, how she just needed a little freedom, and before she knew it, she’d be off to spin class.
Instead, Levi cocked a dark eyebrow before dismissing her and returning to his phone as if she hadn’t spoken.
The gall… Emily’s mouth dropped open. She was the only daughter of business mogul Samson Pitch. She was a damn legend. She had mating requests from no less than fifty different alphas, and those were just the ones who had passed the first level of rejections. How dare some hired help ignore her like she were a petulant kid?
