The Ex Assignment (Rogue Protectors Book 1) Read online

  But he was thrilled for Kade and Yara. They deserved all the happiness after what they went through.

  “Nope. Start talking, man.”

  Kade contemplated his beer. “Let’s just say we found other shit on the congressman. Nothing to do with his predilection to underage teens, but we have damaging information that would turn off a majority of his conservative base.”

  “Who’s we?”

  “Garrison.”

  “What the fuck? Is he dragging us into his shit again?”

  “Well, not me,” Kade said. “But you definitely.”

  “Let me guess. You volunteered me?”

  “No. He said you were who he needed, and it was for your own good.”

  “Motherfucking spook,” Declan snorted. “Let me get this straight. He expects me to do his shit, no questions asked.”

  “Pretty much. Says he saved your ass, he’s collecting a favor.”

  Declan crossed his arms. “Tell me exactly what he wants and maybe … I’m gonna do it.”

  “You know we have a gig with the net streaming giant, right?”

  “Primeflix? Teaching their actors survival skills. Isn’t it for some kind of sci-fi supernatural series?”

  “You really need to watch TV or start streaming shows at least.”

  “No thanks.”

  His friend scratched his jaw. “Yara said you had movie-star good looks. Were you an actor? Wasn’t in your file.”

  “You were talking about Primeflix.”

  “Their main producer is Revenant Films.”

  Lead weighed down his chest, making it difficult to breathe. “Go on.”

  Kade eyed him closely. “You knew Peter Woodward and his daughter.”

  “Why the fuck is Garrison digging into my old files?”

  “It seems that it was buried in the Army’s special section recruitment databases.”

  Declan took another pull from the bottle. “Not doing this. Not stepping back in fuckin’ LA.”

  He looked anywhere but at Kade as uncomfortable emotions rattled around the chambers of his heart. Seconds passed and his friend stayed silent but the burn on his face from Kade’s intense stare forced him to meet his eyes. “If there’s something you want to say, say it.”

  Kade cleared his throat. “Gabrielle Woodward—you were married to her.”

  Hearing her name was like the proverbial gunshot to center mass.

  “I’m not sure if that’s a question or a statement.” Declan couldn’t help the sarcasm that crept into his tone. “I’m assuming it’s the latter. So, let’s cut this introductory bullshit and get to the point.”

  His friend exhaled heavily, a somber expression darkened over his face and suddenly, a sensation akin to panic seized Declan’s chest. “Is … is Gabby all right?”

  “Peter Woodward was found dead in his Beverly Hills mansion a week ago.”

  “And Gabby?” he pressed fiercely. “How … how is she?”

  “As far as I know, she’s fine.”

  His mouth turned dry and he swallowed with difficulty. Declan drank his beer, trying to buy himself time as he absorbed this news while wrestling with the memories that came roaring back, trying desperately to keep them in a compartment he could control. “Was he murdered?”

  “Still under investigation. Detectives working the case are trying to see if it’s more than robbery and homicide. Garrison thinks it’s related to what he’s investigating.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What is he investigating?”

  “He wouldn’t say.”

  Declan snorted a derisive laugh. “And he expects me to pack up my things and do his bidding?” He hated himself for wanting to jump on that plane to make sure his ex-wife was all right. Not that he knew where she was at the moment, but with Revenant Films as a client, Kade had a file on her for sure. “Is Gabby in danger?”

  “How much of her life did you keep up with?”

  Declan clenched his jaw and averted his gaze, not wanting his friend to see the pain in his eyes he was sure he couldn’t hide. LA took two people who meant the world to him—his sister Claire, and then Gabby.

  Draining his beer, he turned back to his friend. “Pretty much none of it after I left LA.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  Bad was an understatement. Gabby married someone else three months after the dissolution of their marriage. It showed how little he knew her, what she thought of him, how disposable and forgettable he was. From that moment on, and for his own sanity, he avoided news of her, refusing to look her up. Whatever part of his heart that was capable of love was crushed in that place, and he’d gladly exchanged it with one encased in ice.

  And now it was laughable how thin that ice was because given the suspicious nature of Peter’s death, there was no doubt Declan would never be at peace until he saw for himself that Gabby was all right.

  Call him a sucker.

  He’d been better off in ignorant bliss, which explained his avoidance of the television. But he was ignorant no more, wasn’t he?

  Damn Kade.

  And damn Garrison.

  Circumstances had left him with one reluctant choice.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” he clipped with more conviction than he was feeling. “When do I leave?”

  2

  Los Angeles

  The Goodman Law Office was rarely open on Saturdays, but Peter Woodward was a prominent client. Mr. Goodman had always dealt with the legal matters pertaining to Revenant Films—her father’s production company—and was now handling his estate.

  Aside from the attorney, Gabby was the first to arrive. This wasn’t a surprise since her ex-stepmother loved to make a grand entrance. As for her half-brother Theo, well, he was like any other entitled teen who thought the world revolved around their time.

  She sat in the waiting room, drinking the coffee she’d made from the fancy brew station in the corner. Gabby sat facing the door—a habit she’d acquired as a detective. So she fully observed the glass doors sliding open as her brother swaggered in.

  Theo Woodard, more popularly known as Theo Cole, was the seventeen-year-old star of the hit streaming series Hodgetown, a show about teenagers in a small town battling monsters from another dimension. Its fandom exploded in the second season and, from what Gabby had gathered, Theo was making as much as three million dollars for the entire third season. This didn’t include all the endorsements for cereals, drinks, or even the sneakers he wore on the show. His net worth was north of ten million.

  But all this was insignificant compared to Peter Woodward’s fortune.

  “Hey, sis.”

  Gabby ground her molars. Theo’s hazel eyes twinkled with mischief and his face bore the beginnings of a smirk. He was aware of her aversion to him and—Theo being Theo—wanted to push her buttons. He had no idea that it hurt to look at him, especially in these last three years as his baby fat melted away and he grew more and more in the likeness of … no … she wasn’t thinking of him today. She vowed Claudette’s mindfuck of the past would never affect her again.

  Trailing behind her brother was a big, muscular man with bronzed skin and golden-flecked brown eyes. She recognized Levi James— the series weapons and fight consultant. What is he doing here?

  Her brother must have read her mind. “Levi’s here for my security.”

  Gabby felt like she’d been caught flat-footed. “Have the detectives on Peter’s case mentioned you were in danger?”

  “They said something,” Theo shrugged. “Didn’t think you were interested.”

  She resisted the urge to look at the ceiling for divine intervention, leveling her gaze at her brother. “And that something?” she asked. “Is someone after you, too?”

  “Playing the concerned sister card now?”

  “You know as a relative I can’t be involved in the investigation.”

  Her brother’s reply was cut short when the doors slid open again and Theo’s mother walked in.

  Now they could be o
ne big happy family.

  Yeah, right.

  Gabby never knew why her father divorced Claudette or how he got full custody of Theo. The divorce happened quickly although the tabloids were full of speculations, like Claudette being caught in bed with a lover.

  Nothing new there. A bitter smile formed on her lips.

  “Gabby, darling.”

  Don’t darling me, you bitch. She successfully avoided her stepmother’s air-kisses—something else she hated that Claudette did all the time—and took a step toward Levi.

  “We haven’t met.” Gabby extended her arm in greeting.

  Her brother’s bodyguard shook her hand. There was a slight squeeze that sent ‘I know all about you, too’ meaning loud and clear. “Detective Woodward.”

  Gabby felt immediate confidence in the man, although she’d previously done a background check on Levi James which came up with no red flags. His Irish-Hawaiian blood was evident in his sturdy build, but she was unsure from which ancestry the thick wavy hair came.

  “The detectives said they wanted to talk to you,” Levi said, volunteering information that Theo refused.

  Gabby frowned. “Okay.”

  The investigation of Peter’s suspicious death was the domain of the Robbery and Homicide Division (RHD). Her boss specifically ordered her to stay out of the case. She had mixed feelings about sticking her nose in it, but if Peter’s death was not an isolated incident and her brother was in danger, a familial obligation compelled her to get involved.

  “After the reading of the will, fill me in on what you know without compromising the investigation.”

  “Your father requested that the initial reading be done with only the three of you.”

  Levi was asked to stay outside, and the only ones permitted in the office were Gabby, Theo, and Claudette.

  A ghost of a smile touched Gabby’s lips. Peter liked his multi-layered existence, seeing how he excised her from his life when she defied him and shunned the Hollywood life. Though she wasn’t surprised that he left her something in his will. What surprised her was Claudette. After what Peter put her through in the divorce, Gabby would think his ex-wife would spit on his grave.

  “Why is she here?” Her half-brother nodded to Claudette.

  Apparently, Theo didn’t think highly of his mother either.

  Claudette hardly winced at her son’s jab, although it could be all that surgical enhancement had frozen her face. She had her own skin care line that she marketed only to the top Hollywood spas and plastic surgeons. Her beauty was timeless, only showing the merest signs of aging through the years. Claudette flicked a curtain of platinum blond hair to the back of her shoulder at the same time she regarded her son with a brittle smile. “Theo, mon cher, what did I say about manners?”

  Theo responded in French, saying something that annoyed his mother more.

  Mr. Goodman looked imploringly at Gabby.

  She sighed. “Okay. Both of you. Can you do this family drama somewhere else, so we can get this damned will reading over with?”

  Anger flashed through Claudette’s eyes, but the only indication of her temper was in the pursing of her lips.

  “Please proceed.” Gabby gave the go ahead to the lawyer. She spied her brother slouched in his seat with his long legs stretched in front of him in a position that reminded her again of the man she’d buried in the back of her mind.

  Shaking her head to clear the cobweb of memories, she concentrated on the lawyer’s words.

  “I, Peter Woodward, a resident of Beverly Hills, California, and the United States and being of sound mind and memory…”

  The lawyer droned on with the legalese about revoking and nulling past wills and testaments. Then he mentioned his children, Gabrielle and Theo.

  “I specifically, and intentionally, and with full knowledge included Claudette Dumont in this will even though we’ve been divorced for three years and she was fully compensated and has no claim on my estate. The reasons will be stated later.”

  Mr. Goodman went on about the debt agreements and fees and taxes arising from the execution of the will.

  “My specific bequests will be the following:

  One, to my son, Theo Woodward,

  My car collection except the red Mustang which will be given to my long-time friend and managing partner, Nicholas Carter.

  My house in Malibu, Bel Air, Montouk …”

  Gabby rolled her eyes as her father basically signed all properties over to Theo.

  “If my son doesn’t survive me, all bequests will be given to Gabrielle.

  Two, to my daughter Gabby, I bequeath the house in Beverly Hills though she doesn’t give a shit about it. She will not be allowed to sell it. If she does, the money will be distributed to the charities listed in the following.”

  Gabby wondered what was her father’s motive. Did Peter think she would care if the money went to charity? It was probably the best option anyway. The lawyer went on about specific items like the charity distribution, art collection, libraries, and other assets.

  “Revenant Films will continue to be run by the board and all shares and monies due to me will be split equally between Theo and Gabrielle.”

  “Is there anything in there for me at all or did I waste a transatlantic flight from Paris?” Claudette flared.

  “Classy, Mother,” Theo drawled.

  “Why you—”

  “I’m getting to that section,” the lawyer interrupted in a louder voice than normal. The lines on his forehead more pronounced as he stared at the document before him.

  “If both my children survive me, I have a special request before bequeathing them the sum of twenty-five million dollars each. They will live together for a period of three months and spend time together as siblings. It is my deepest regret that I’ve never mended the rift within my family. It is my wish that Gabrielle will remain Theo’s guardian until he reaches eighteen. If he files for emancipation immediately after my death, the money bequeathed to him will be distributed evenly to the charities mentioned prior to this section.

  “Now, to Claudette Dumont, I bequeath the sum of eight million dollars and my apartment in Paris, France as long as she stays out of my children’s lives. She shall not interfere or try to gain custody of Theo while he has not reached legal age.”

  Mr. Goodman’s throat bobbed and he stole a glance at her father’s ex. “This is a direct quote to you Ms. Dumont.

  “Stay the fuck away from my children, Claudette. Even in my death I have ways to hunt you down if you hurt them in any way. Let them get to know each other with none of your vile manipulations. Keep your people away. I mean it.”

  Your people?

  “Did Peter amend his will recently?” Gabby asked.

  “A month ago.” Mr. Goodman’s eyes darted toward Claudette.

  Before Gabby could say anything, Theo sprung to his feet and stalked toward his mother. “Was it you? Did you have him murdered?”

  “I was in France!” Claudette exclaimed. “I have my money and my boyfriend is rich enough to buy out Peter ten times over. Eight million dollars is nice, but I don’t need it.” She sniffed. “I’ve agreed to talk to the detectives. Peter always thought someone was after him. You should talk to Nick. Your father’s been on a cocktail of medication for his heart condition and a bad back, and they’ve made him depressed and paranoid. He always had trouble distinguishing between his movies and reality.”

  Gabby’s mind was swirling at this turn of events. Live with her brother? What was their father thinking? And what was that cryptic threat against Claudette? Did Peter know he was in danger? She would request a copy of the prior will and the current one to compare the differences. Maybe robbery wasn’t the intention and just a front. She debated whether she should inform Captain Mitchell of these developments and get clearance to get involved in the case.

  “Is there anything else in the will?”

  “Yes. This one is a direct quote to both of you.”

  “Gabrie
lle, I’ve watched you struggle with what happened all those years ago. You needed your family and I’ve been selfish, thinking of my own happiness and didn’t consider your own. I tried to contact you, but you never returned my emails, calls, or texts. I hope you view Theo in a different light than me and Claudette. He’s a good kid—if not spoiled, but I hope spending time with you will teach him about the real world. Because of that, I would like for Theo to move in with you for the duration specified in this will.”

  “What?” Theo growled. “No way. You live in a dump.”

  Gabby was amused if not a tad terrified. “A dump? Have you seen my place?”

  “No. But I’m sure it’s not Beverly Hills.”

  “You’re right. But maybe that’s Peter’s best idea yet. You need a lesson in humility.”

  “Pleaaase.” He rolled his eyes. “Do you have room for Levi?”

  “Three bedrooms.” Gabby paused. “Shit. Am I agreeing to this?”

  “Do you have parking for my Ferrari?” Theo demanded.

  “I suggest you downgrade your ride if you don’t want it stripped, or worse—stolen.” She lived in a gated apartment complex, but her brother didn’t need to know that.

  For the first time since Gabby had to deal with this teen version of her brother, he was the one who was speechless. Was it petty that she derived immense satisfaction in seeing his face pale and his lazy nonchalance evaporate?

  Theo glanced at Goodman. “Is there a way to contest this?”

  “Over sleeping arrangements?” Gabby laughed.

  “I’m not finished,” Goodman interrupted.

  “By all means, please continue,” her brother muttered.

  “Theo, son, I’m proud of the success of Hodgetown, but I’m afraid you might become a child-star cliché without proper guidance. You need a lesson in humility.”

  Gabby snorted a laugh and Theo shot her a death stare.