Page 7 of Splintered Memories (Ember Hollow Romance #2)

August

I pushed through the doors of the Hearthstone office, noting the unfamiliar vehicle in our small parking lot. A white Mercedes SUV, an expensive and uncommon vehicle for the area.

The front lobby of our office building was empty, though.

The door behind me closed with a shuddering thump in the wild spring breeze.

I winced, a headache brewing in my temples and wrapping around the back of my head.

I’d been working all morning on campus, providing security for a political speaker, and I was beat.

Anytime politics were involved, it always made things difficult, drawing crowds from one side of an issue or the other, causing tension and strife that was hard to maintain control of and easy to get out of hand.

Thankfully, things had gone smoothly. No one had been hurt, and my team and I, along with campus security, had been able to keep the crowds contained and safe.

I pulled open the door that led to our individual office spaces, coming to a halt when Reid poked his head out of his office.

“Good, you’re back,” he said .

A slight stiffness to his voice had me on alert. I quirked a brow at him.

He jerked his chin toward the door to my office farther down the hall. The door was closed. I narrowed my eyes on it. I usually left it open. There was no one back here but my brothers, and I had nothing to hide in there.

“There’s someone who wants to speak with you. He’s been here for the last hour.”

I frowned, throwing my gaze back to my youngest brother. “An hour? Who is it?”

Reid shrugged. “Go see for yourself. He refused to leave before he got to speak with you, though I did try to explain that you were busy.”

I inhaled a deep breath through my nose. “Did he say what he wanted, at least? This mystery visitor?”

Reid shook his head. “Nope.”

I shoved a hand through my hair, massaging the back of my aching head in the process. “All right.” I headed to my office, preparing myself for whatever, or whoever, was waiting for me inside. I paused, hand on the doorknob, and I glanced back at Reid, who was watching me from down the hall.

“How’s Lark doing?” I asked. He’d been off the past couple of days because his fiancée was sick.

A smile tugged at one side of his mouth. “She’s much better.”

“And the baby?” They were expecting their first and though I assumed everything was good, I wanted to make sure.

His green eyes softened. “Perfectly healthy. She had an appointment yesterday.”

I nodded. Good—that was good. I was worried after Reid said how sick she had been. Luckily it was just a bad stomach bug .

Then, I turned the doorknob and strode inside my office.

A man dressed in a crisp, expensive suit sat inside. His eyes narrowed as he twisted around in the chair across from my desk to inspect me.

He was clean shaven, with dark-brown hair sprinkled with strands of gray.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, forcing politeness.

That was the thing about running a business in a small town.

Even though this man had made no appointment to see me, and I had no idea what he was doing here, I always erred on the side of cautious kindness.

I extended my hand toward the man. “I’m August Ramsey. ”

The man glanced at my hand for a beat before he took it. “Tristan Hawthorn.”

At the name, I stiffened, and not only because he shared a last name with Emersyn. “The mayor?”

Tristan picked a speck of invisible dust off his lapel. “I’m surprised you know that. I haven’t been mayor of this town for a long time.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning back against my desk in front of him. “My father was fire chief for years. I remember the name.”

His eyes flicked back to mine, sharp and assessing. The look was utterly too familiar…so much like Emersyn.

“Yes, I knew Warner Ramsey well back then.” Tristan nodded.

I tilted my head to the side, studying the man. He seemed both tense and relaxed at the same time. As if he had mastered the skill of controlling his facial expressions, but not his body. His muscles were rigid in the chair, his legs crossed tight and arms too stiff to be comfortable.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Hawthorn?”

His fingers curled around the wooden chair arm. “You’re aware of the attempt on my daughter’s life. ”

He said it as fact. I had a feeling there wasn’t much that happened in this town that Tristan didn’t know about.

“Your daughter being Emersyn?”

He nodded slowly. “Word is that you were there when it happened.”

“I was.” It was my turn to nod. “She was lucky.”

His knuckles blanched. “For now.” He squeezed his eyes closed as pain flashed across his features.

It was gone in an instant before his eyelids snapped back open.

“Which is why I’m here. It’s why I waited for you.

I need you, August. I’ve had discussions with those who employ you at the college.

I’ve contacted many of your past clients, and everyone I’ve spoken to speaks highly of you.

Even your former military leaders had nothing but praise for you. ”

My head jerked back, eyes widening with surprise. “That seems…thorough.” I wasn’t sure where this was going, but this wasn’t exactly in the realm of normal for me.

Tristan raised a brow. “Yes, well, I needed to be sure.”

“Be sure of what?”

His chest expanded with a deep breath. “I want to hire you.”

I paused. “Hire me?”

“I want you to protect my daughter.”

My forehead crinkled. “Protect her? Has there been more threats against her?” My heart rate escalated at the thought.

“I think there’s been enough threats as it is. Someone shot at her. On the street. In the middle of the day.”

My jaw clenched. He had a point. “What exactly would you like me to do, Mr. Hawthorn?” Emersyn already had the best security system I had to offer .

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I want you to be her bodyguard. I want you with her at all times, keeping her safe.”

I frowned. Bodyguard. Slowly, I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t offer personal bodyguard services.” I already had enough on my plate, keeping this place running. I didn’t have time to be gone, protecting one single person while my business suffered.

“I’d be more than willing to give you a recommendation for another bodyguard.” I knew plenty of people qualified for the job. I straightened, ready to round my desk to get him contact information, but he stopped me.

“No,” he said, voice sharp. “I want you .”

My brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, but I’m not available—”

Tristan Hawthorn cut me off by leaping from his chair. He was taller than he’d seemed, almost as tall as I was. He was leaner than me, though, his arms and legs lanky compared to mine. Yet the stare he gave me was cold and piercing enough to send a shiver through anyone.

“I’m sure you can find a way to make yourself available.

” He paused, a hint of menace in his tone.

“You’ve done a good job building this business, August. But in a town this small, it would take so little to chip away at that pristine reputation.

” He cocked his head to the side, and the hair of the back of my neck rose.

“I have garnered a lot of respect in Ember Hollow. People care what I have to say. I could make things…difficult for you. If I wanted to.”

My hands fisted at my sides. “I don’t take kindly to being threatened,” I snapped between clenched teeth.

Tristan lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I don’t want to threaten you, August. But I do want your help.”

My glare pierced him as I tried to fight down the anger raging through my veins. This was not the direction I expected. “Why are you so intent on hiring me?” I was no better than any other bodyguard out there. Hell, I hadn’t been a personal bodyguard in years.

“I want the best.”

“I assure you, there are better bodyguards out there than me.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “But I’ve done extensive research on you. Plus, you’re local. You are familiar with the area and these people. You know this town better than anyone I could hire.”

That was true, but I didn’t see how this would work. But if he was serious about ruining the reputation of my company, did I really have the choice to refuse?

“How long would you expect me to work for you?” I asked.

Something like a satisfied smile flickered on his lips. “At least until the shooter is apprehended. Maybe longer. It would depend on a few factors.”

My stomach dropped. I’d led the police to all the evidence I’d found on that roof. But there was no telling how long it would take to match that evidence to a suspect.

I ran another hand through my hair. This wasn’t just another job. This would take all my focus for who knew how long.

“What do you say, August?” Mr. Hawthorn asked, brows raised.

My gaze cut to his. “I think,” I let out a hard breath, “that you haven’t left me with much of a choice.”