Grrrr. The man never gave up. "Louie didn't seem that dangerous to me. He was downright wimpy when I hit him with those belts. And you fought him with a broken mannequin. For a villain, he was rather easy to beat."
"It was not easy! It only appeared that way because I am the best swordsman in all of Europe."
Flaw number two: overinflated ego. Though she had to cut him some slack. She'd never met a man yet who didn't suffer from that problem. "Maybe y'all still do swordfights in Europe, but here in Texas, we use guns. If I'd been packing, Louie would be on his way to the morgue."
Jean-Luc's brows drew together in a fierce scowl. "Are you saying you can fight him better than I?"
"I've got more faith in my shotgun than any man, that's for sure."
"But I'm trying to save you!"
"I'm already saved. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. Now unlock that door and set me free, brother."
His eyes widened with a look of exasperation. "I cannot let you go until you agree to let me protect you."
"You'll be waiting a long time 'cause I don't need you."
"Ungrateful woman."
"Arrogant man." Her heart raced. Good Lord, this was just as exciting as the time she'd slammed a pie into her ex-husband's face. Even better, actually. The pie had been an act of desperation, tainted with the sad knowledge that her marriage was a failure. This—this was a glorious declaration of independence. She'd never felt stronger or more fearless. Whipping Louie with those belts had made her feel like Wonder Woman, and she liked it.
"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Echarpe. And I appreciate your offer of employment, but under the circumstances, I feel it's best for us not to see each other again." Heather turned, quite proud of her little speech, and marched toward the door. The muttered curses behind her made her smile.
"If you'll just unlock the—"
The door suddenly burst open, and a crowd of people swarmed into the room.
"About time," Jean-Luc grumbled.
A kilted Scotsman shut the door and leaned against it. The stern look on his face and the long sword in his hand meant business. Heather's dignified exit was ruined. More than ruined. She was trapped. Somehow, Jean-Luc Echarpe had managed to call in backup.Flaw number three: he was more than stubborn. The man was relentless.
He introduced her to his friends, but she barely paid attention. This was too damned frustrating.
She'd fought too hard to learn how to take care of herself and her daughter, Bethany. Letting a man protect her felt like a giant step backward.
Yet she had to admit he'd seemed very charming at first. She'd been so flattered that he found her attractive. She'd certainly found him attractive before his Napoleon complex had kicked in. He'd offered her the job of her dreams. Chances like that didn't come along often, so she'd be crazy to pass it up. Was she overreacting because he pushed the wrong buttons? He was overbearing, but he'd lost two girlfriends. His desperation was understandable.
The guy wanted to be a hero. Was that so bad?
But what did she know about him? If you judged a man by his friends, Jean-Luc would be caring and loyal. That was how his friends appeared. There was a tall, serious man named Roman Dragon-something with his blond wife and baby boy. There was another guy named Gregori who grinned a lot. The two Scotsmen were both named MacKay. Brothers, maybe. The one named Robby was still guarding the door. The other one, Angus, was married to a beautiful brunette named Emma. Come to think of it, they were all exceptionally good-looking.
"Are you models?" Heather asked as the men hustled Jean-Luc across the room, leaving her with the women and baby.
Shanna laughed as she jiggled the baby in her arms. "No way. I'm a dentist. My husband's the owner of Romatech Industries, and Gregori's one of his VPs. Angus is CEO of MacKay Security and Investigation."
"Oh." Heather glanced at the door. Robby was still guarding it. She wasn't going anywhere for a while.
Emma smiled at her. "You fought very well."
"Thanks." Since she was trapped, Heather figured she might as well fish for more information.
"What do y'all know about Louie?"
Shanna shifted the plump toddler to her hip. "It's a sad story. Jean-Luc has been plagued with him for a long time."
"Angus explained a bit while we were coming downstairs," Emma continued with a slight British accent. "Lui has murdered two of Jean-Luc's girlfriends from the past."
"I'm not a girlfriend," Heather muttered. "I only met Mr. Echarpe tonight."
"It doesn't matter," Emma said. "As long as Lui thinks you two are involved, you will be a target."
"I can understand your reluctance to accept Jean-Luc's protection," Shanna admitted. "I was once in a similar situation where Roman had to protect me. That was before we were married."
Heather glanced at the men, huddled across the room and whispering urgently to one another.
They were a handsome bunch, but still, there was something different about them, something she couldn't quite put a finger on.
"It took me a while to get to know Roman and trust him," Shanna continued. "I understand your reluctance to trust a stranger, but I've known Jean-Luc for two years now, and he's a totally trustworthy guy. Sweet as can be. He's always watched out for Roman and me."
"He came to my rescue, too," Emma added. "He's the best swordsman in all of Europe."
"So I heard." Heather sighed. His friends were laying it on thick. She glanced at Jean-Luc. She had no doubt he was a capable guy. He had the body of an athlete, and she'd seen how quick and resourceful he was in action. His elegant tuxedo didn't conceal his aura of strength and danger. It just made him look more like James Bond. And James Bond always got the pretty girl in the end. Her heart constricted in her chest. God help her, she wanted to be that pretty girl.
Flaw number four: too gorgeous for his own good.
"He's a handsome man, don't you think?" Shanna whispered.
Heather jumped. Shoot, she'd been caught ogling him.
Emma gave her a knowing smile. Even the baby on Shanna's hip snickered along with his mom.
"Okay, so he's good-looking. That doesn't mean I need his help," Heather protested. "I can take care of myself."
Emma's smile faded. "You don't understand how terrible Lui is."
"The guy ran away as soon as he was outnumbered. He's not so tough."
Emma lowered her voice. "Locked doors cannot stop him. He has the ability to enter your house whenever he chooses. You would never hear him. He could appear behind you at any moment. Before you knew what was happening, your throat would be sliced in two."
Heather gulped and fought an urge to look over her shoulder. Dammit, they were starting to scare her. Her voice began to rise. "He can't be that bad. It's not like the guy can actually vanish or appear at will. You make him sound like some kind of supernatural creature of the night!" Her loud words echoed in a suddenly quiet room.
The circle of men all turned to stare at her. Heather's face heated with a blush. Even in the classroom at Guadalupe High, she didn't get this kind of undivided attention.
The silence stretched while the men exchanged glances. Emma and Shanna looked at each other, then laughed. The toddler squealed and waved his arms toward Heather.
"He wants you to hold him." Shanna thrust him into Heather's arms.
The baby grabbed a handful of Heather's hair, and it brought back pleasant memories of Bethany's infancy. Heather smiled at the little boy's chubby red cheeks and bright blue eyes.
"He's adorable. What's his name?"
"Constantine," Shanna answered. "I heard you have a daughter?"
Heather could see where this was going. They'd use her daughter to ratchet up the guilt and make her accept Jean-Luc's offer. "She's four years old. And I can protect us both. I inherited a shotgun from my father."