Page 1

Chapter

One

Retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Robbie Perrine trained himself to never be distracted by the physical effects of nerves.

Running through enemy fire, infiltrating a trafficking ring, taking down a crime lord …

he’d done it all and more. He’d acquired the ability to be more machine than man, pushing human connection, warm memories of Alice Marshall, anxiety of death, and the chance of failure far from his mind.

But right now? He was nervous and feeling every annoying symptom. Palms sweating, neck prickling, heart racing, mouth dry, stomach heaving … any indications of nerves that were possible to feel were manifesting themselves, and he hated every second.

Robbie paced the gorgeous penthouse patio overlooking the matrix of buildings and canals that made up the epic city of Venice, Italy, as he clung to his phone.

He shot a glare at his lifelong friends Brandon Richards and Rockwell Pierre.

Brandon wasn’t brave enough to face him in person, or more truthfully, Brandon, Rockwell, and Brandon’s girlfriend Madelyne had been busy at home in America making certain all of their friends’ adventures started off well.

He was on a video chat with the two of them, and Brandon was attempting to talk Robbie into being ‘hyped’ about the upcoming adventure .

These nerves were a hundred percent Brandon’s fault. If his billionaire friend were here in person, Robbie might throw a punch, regardless of the fact Brandon was dying of brain cancer.

“Why did I agree to this?” he groaned.

“You’re going to protect Alice, find and dismantle a serial killer, and the two of you are going to fall in love again.” Brandon bounced on the screen, giving Robbie the perception of vertigo, which didn’t help his already tumbling stomach.

Robbie rubbed at his throbbing forehead, at his too-hot neck, and then tugged at his too-thick beard. “Stupid ideas like that will make me go catch a plane from Venice back to San Diego,” he muttered.

He’d be happy to dismantle a serial killer, but fall in love again? Not a chance. Alice most likely hated him.

Alice used to be a sweetheart to everyone, most of all him.

The day he had enlisted in the Army and left her behind while she cared for her ‘sickly’ mom was the last time he’d seen her.

Their epic fight when he’d asked her to go with him still stung.

He’d said things he shouldn’t have about her mom.

She’d said there was nothing for her in Fort Moore.

His parting shot had been, ‘Nothing you care about, obviously.’ It all still hurt when he pulled it out to examine it, so he never did so.

When he went home to visit his parents and siblings in Marietta, Georgia, he avoided any of the places she might be.

Luckily, there were over sixty thousand people in Marietta and almost five hundred thousand in nearby Atlanta.

Their families didn’t know each other, as his family was humble and her mom was insanely wealthy.

It had worked to avoid Alice. For fifteen gut-wrenching, soul-killing years, he hadn’t seen the only woman he’d ever loved.

Now he was going to have to not only face her but spend at least two weeks with her.

Alice was in danger. Robbie had agreed to keep her safe from a serial killer who had murdered her boyfriend, her two closest friends Natalie and Ruby, who he’d always thought were fun girls and great friends to Alice, and her cute little dog Odie over the past year.

All the while taunting Alice with untraceable emails that she would turn to him for love soon.

The murderer called himself ‘Big Buddha’. The guy was disturbed, and so far there had been no leads with the Atlanta police or the FBI. Every death was different—stabbing, gunshot, strangling, and asphyxiation. No patterns besides a card or note near each body that said:

Alice,

You’ll only have me to love soon.

Big Buddha

Maddening. If Robbie could talk her into it, he’d have Aiden Porter’s tech team and several of Aiden’s top operatives get involved. They could investigate and likely find the man.

Another maddening fact, which he didn’t want to think about, was the fact that Alice had a serious boyfriend before the man was murdered.

It had been in the information he’d read and re-read on the plane ride over.

How serious was a serious boyfriend? Why had she never married? Did she ever think of Robbie?

He shook off the inconsequential questions and turned his thoughts to Brandon and Madelyne. They had roped Robbie and four of their other friends into protecting endangered women while having a European travel adventure. Who did that? Only Brandon. He was one of a kind for sure.

Robbie felt naked with no weapons except a knife.

He would have the aid of four bodyguards, so at least he wouldn’t be on his own for the op, or with Alice.

That was somewhat of a relief. He had no clue what he’d even say to his long-lost love.

His hand shook as it held the phone. This was a nightmare.

He was the farthest thing from a ‘hand trembling’ kind of guy.

The bodyguards would be accompanying Alice from the Venice airport. Brandon’s jet transporting Alice and the four men from Georgia had touched down an hour ago. They should be here by now.

He studied the narrow canals and tight walkways between buildings.

He was more of a wide-open spaces kind of guy.

If only he could go back to mountain biking the trails of Jade Valley, Arizona, where he’d been on an assignment a couple months ago.

Red rock mountains, desert beauty, spacious valleys, very few humans around.

That was a vacation to him. Not fourteen hours on an airplane, thousands of people swarming tiny streets between red brick and stone buildings, and a language that wasn’t in his repertoire. At least the food should be good .

Even alone on this patio, gazing down at the murky canals and the people weaving through streets and over bridges on foot or on the canal in gondolas and small boats, Robbie felt claustrophobic.

How would he run, bike, lift weights, or swim for the next two weeks?

More importantly, how would he be around Alice and keep her safe without losing his heart to her again?

He was a hardened security operative for the famous and charismatic Aiden Porter.

Love and soft touches and angelic soul mates were not part of his present or future.

He heard the beep of the electronic keypad to the lock on the condo’s front door and whirled.

“They’re here,” he barked into the phone. “What do I do?”

Brandon woofed out a surprised laugh, and Rock’s eyebrows went up.

“I don’t think you’ve ever asked one of us what to do before,” Rock said in a too-serious voice. “You all right, man?”

“No,” Robbie admitted, clenching his free hand into a fist and holding the phone more tightly to keep from trembling.

Footsteps sounded and four men strode into the airy and swanky living area with three-hundred and sixty-degree views of the city below.

The penthouse was two spacious and expensive stories.

All the bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms were on the upper level.

Robbie recognized the men, all fellow security operatives for Aiden Porter. That was a relief.

“You’ve got this,” Brandon encouraged like some kind of hopped up on caffeine cheerleader. “Alice has always loved you. You’ll keep her safe and she’ll love you again.”

Robbie’s eyes widened at his friend’s cheesy and inopportune words.

Alice stepped out from behind Captain Price Sanderson and gaped at Robbie.

“Robbie?” she whispered, putting her long fingers to her full rosebud lips. Lips he had captured in heated exchanges on sweltering summer nights in Georgia.

It felt like a lifetime ago, but somehow those memories were a living, breathing thing at the moment. It was all he could do to restrain himself from storming across the distance, sweeping the angel off the floor and into his arms, and savoring those lips once again.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, pulling her hand away and straightening her shoulders.

He’d always loved Alice’s tall, curvy shape.

She wasn’t some wilting flower, and she was tall enough to match his large stature.

Still, he could easily pick her up and cart her around.

She’d always laughed when he did that, claiming no one else could sweep her off her feet and make her soar like he did.

She wasn’t laughing right now. Her dark eyes were shooting sparks at him, and she’d asked him a question.

“Is she there?” Brandon’s voice came from the phone.

Robbie ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket. He clenched both hands into fists.

“Was that Brandon?” she asked, her smooth brow wrinkling. She tossed her dark, curly hair over her shoulder. Striding up to him, she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. Her own deep-brown eyes were angry.

The scent of sweet raspberries and cream wafted over him. Robbie had to spread his stance and command himself to hold his ground. He either wanted to step in and hold her close or run the other direction.

“Yeah,” he grunted.

“Get him back on the phone. That jerk lied to me.”

“Lied to you?” Robbie arched an eyebrow. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it. He wasn’t getting Brandon back on the phone. He could only imagine the crap that would spew from his friend’s mouth with Alice on the line.

He rubbed at his neck, wishing Aiden had an assignment for him that no one else could possibly complete.

He’d vacate this awkward situation and never see Alice again.

Seeing Alice again, and her not looking at him with love but with contempt, made him feel like someone had gutted him with a dull knife.

He didn’t need or want this kind of agony.

“He and Madelyne told me I was coming to Venice for an epic adventure to stay safe from Big Buddha with bodyguards from Aiden Porter.” She gestured behind her.

Robbie knew each of the men, Captain Price and Lieutenant River Einheart the best. These men would be trustworthy and qualified, and it was comforting to have a familiar face and know how the other guards operated.

Price arched his eyebrows. River smirked at him. A lot of help they were.

“Yeah.” Robbie nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“He never said one word about you.” Alice folded her arms underneath her chest and gave him a pointed look, obviously wanting an explanation.

Robbie had no idea what to say or do. Call Brandon back and tell him the deal was off as he’d gotten Alice here on false pretenses?

Yank Alice in tight and never let her go?

Run and jump off the balcony and hope he hit the canal and not a side street?

He might break every bone in his body, but that would hurt less than Alice being here and not wanting him here.

He stared into Alice’s dark eyes. She was obviously angry and obviously not wanting to be with him.

Back when he was an untested Army Ranger and had felt the effects of nerves strongly, he’d stepped forward with faith. He’d prayed hard and then plunged into the battle or the assignment. His focus had come, the Savior had strengthened him, and nothing else had mattered.

He was in the midst of a battle right now, and he had no clue how to focus on anything but Alice’s beautiful and distraught face.

The nerves weren’t going away anytime soon.