The Bodyguard (book 2)

Luca Jones had been declared brain-dead six months ago.

The official statement had been brief, cold, and carefully worded.

Following a tragic accident involving the Jones family, Luca Jones remains in critical condition under constant medical supervision. His parents, Jonathan and Rosalie Jones, are likewise hospitalized. The Jones Group asks for privacy during this difficult time.

The public believed Luca lay unconscious in a private hospital wing, unable to speak or move, while the future of the Jones empire hung in the balance.

That was exactly what Luca wanted them to believe.

In truth, he had been moved before dawn on the fourth day after the crash. His recovery continued in the secured west wing of the Jones family mansion, a sprawling estate hidden behind gates, surveillance systems, and acres of private land outside Chicago.

The house was supposed to be untouchable.

Luca no longer believed such a place existed.

Someone had tampered with his family's car.

Someone had known the route his parents were taking.

Someone had arranged for surveillance footage to vanish.

And someone had nearly succeeded in killing all three members of the Jones family.

Luca had survived with fractured ribs, a concussion, and a deep anger he could not seem to shake. He had moved his parents to a private facility with extra guards. They were still trapped in comas that the doctors could not explain.

He sat in his wheelchair in the study adjoining his private suite, staring at the garden outside. Not really seeing anything while his mind ran through the last six months, going through every detail.

A laptop sat open on the desk, filled with reports from lawyers, hospital representatives, and Jones Group executives who had begun to circle the company like vultures.

They believed the Jones heir was gone.

They had no idea Luca was reading every message.

A quiet knock sounded at the door.

Luca did not move. "Come in."

The door opened, and his assistant stepped inside.

Maya Bennett had worked beside Luca for seven years. She had handled board meetings, mergers, impossible schedules, family crises, and Luca's relentlessly demanding expectations without ever losing her composure.

Tonight, though, she sounded slightly tense. "The person you've been waiting for has arrived."

His attention sharpened instantly.

The Onyx Star.

His maternal grandfather had mentioned the secret society only once, years ago. Mr. William owned a huge security company and had worked with them at one point. According to him, the Star had connections in every world that mattered—business, politics, intelligence, private security, and crime.

If a person had enough money, power, or secrets, the Star could find them.

If a person needed protection from someone powerful enough to erase evidence and stage a fatal accident, the Star could provide it.

Luca had used one of his grandfather's hidden contacts five days ago. He had spent ten million asking for one of their best. He was desperate and willing to pay any price if it would help him uncover the truth.

"Bring him in," Luca turned his wheelchair.

Maya's mouth twitched, almost like she was trying not to smile.

"That may not be exactly what you're expecting."

Before Luca could ask what she meant, Maya stepped aside.

A woman entered the room.

For a moment, Luca simply stared.

She looked nothing like the strong competent man he had envisioned.

A former soldier, perhaps. An older man with a scarred face, a weapon beneath his jacket, and the kind of presence that made threats think twice.

Not a delicate pretty flower.

She wore a light pink summer dress that fell just below her knees, the fabric light and soft against her figure. Thin straps rested over her shoulders. Her heels clicked gently against the polished hardwood floor as she crossed the threshold.

She carried a small cream-colored handbag at her side.

No visible weapon.

No tactical clothing.

No hard expression, except for her piercing blue eyes. They moved cautiously around the room. While she assessed the surroundings, he was assessing her.

Her long black hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, slightly covering her elegant neck. Her big doe eyes made her seem sweet and approachable. And her lips. Her perfectly shaped lips. They lifted slightly at the corners as if she was enjoying herself.

Beautiful.

Soft.

Harmless.

Except, she looked certain, as though the sheer size of the mansion did not intimidate her.

Luca's gaze traveled over her before he could stop himself. But just as quickly, he schooled his face.

This could not be right.

Maya cleared her throat. "Mr. Jones, this is Fiona."

The woman offered him a small, polite smile and his heart skipped a beat, surprising him.

He had met many attractive women in his life. In his world, beautiful women were a common commodity. Nothing special.

But Fiona. There was something about her that distracted him.

"Fiona," Luca repeated as his gaze lingered on her lips a second too long.

She nodded. "Hello, Mr. Jones."

Her voice was gentle.

Too gentle.

Luca looked toward Maya calmly. "This has to be a mistake."

Maya folded her hands in front of her. "She said the Onyx Star sent her."

"I did not ask who said what." His gaze returned to the woman. "I asked whether there’s been a mistake."

Fiona's face remained unreadable.

Then her eyes met his again, and something in them changed.

It was subtle. So subtle that Maya did not appear to notice.

Fiona's expression turned sharper. Colder.

Like the gleam of a knife hidden under silk.

"No mistake," Fiona said quietly. "I am who they sent." She eyed the so-called brain-dead heir with interest.

Luca wanted to rise from his chair, to intimidate her, to make her cower under his towering height.

But he remained seated. He had to maintain his act before he could fully trust her.

"You're supposed to be my bodyguard?" he asked evenly. He knew not to judge a book by its cover but he couldn't shake the doubt.

"Yes."

"You don't look like a bodyguard."

Fiona glanced down at herself, as if seeing her dress for the first time. "I'll keep that in mind."

Maya's expression tightened, but Luca caught the faint humor in Fiona's voice.

He crossed his arms, almost amused.

"You came to a secured mansion wearing a dress and heels."

"I came through the front door," she answered easily. "It seemed more polite."

Luca stared at her.

Fiona gave him another small smile. "Besides, no one expects a woman in a summer dress to be armed."

His gaze dropped to her handbag.

Fiona's fingers curled around its strap.

"Are you?" he asked cautiously. "Armed?"

"Enough." Her soft expression did not change.

The answer settled into the room.

Maya looked from Luca to Fiona, suddenly less amused. If Fiona wanted to kill Luca, she could simply kill him right now.

Luca studied the woman more carefully.

The dress was too feminine, the heels too delicate, the handbag too small. Everything about her had been designed to make people underestimate her.

But Luca knew better than to trust appearances now.

The people who had tried to kill his family had made the accident look ordinary.

A woman who looked harmless could be the most dangerous person in the room.

"What is your last name?" Luca asked.

"Fiona is enough." She answered without hesitation.

"That was not my question."

"No," she agreed softly. "It wasn't."

Luca's jaw tightened.

Maya shifted uneasily near the door. "Mr. Jones, should I arrange something to drink?"

"No," Fiona said immediately.

Maya blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"No staff should enter this room until I inspect the security system."

Luca let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it.

"You have been here for less than ten minutes."

"I understand your grandfather's security system is impressive. I don't doubt it. But I do doubt the people who manage it."

The room went still. She had done her homework. She had researched him and his family before taking the job.

Luca's eyes narrowed. "There are only a few people who know of my actual condition."

Fiona reached into her handbag.

Instead of makeup or a wallet, she withdrew a slim black phone-like device. She tapped the screen and placed it on the desk in front of him.

A floor plan of the mansion illuminated the display.

Several points along the outer perimeter glowed red.

"There are blind spots in your eastern security corridor," she explained. "Your rear gate can be overridden remotely, and the camera covering the staff entrance has been looping the same five minutes of footage for at least forty-three minutes."

Maya stared at the screen.

"That's impossible," she whispered.

"It is unlikely," Fiona corrected. "Not impossible."

Luca picked up the device.

The map was detailed enough to show the private halls surrounding his suite, the security station near the west wing, and even the underground tunnel connecting the estate to a private garage.

Information that should not have been easy to access.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"I made it."

"You made it?" He tried to hide the shock from his voice.

"Yesterday, while I was getting to know my client."

Luca looked up sharply.

Fiona's innocent expression had returned, but he could see it now.

The disguise.

The soft voice.

The pretty dress.

The careful way she held her shoulders as though she needed protection.

It was all an act.

Or most of it was.

She knew the system was compromised before she entered. His eyes turned to Maya, "Get it fixed right away."

"On it." Maya left immediately.

Fiona's expression changed again.

The helpless woman vanished.

Her gaze swept toward the closed door, focused and alert.

Luca's fingers curled into tight fists.

He was a man everyone believed was dead in every way that mattered.

His parents lay unconscious in hospital beds.

His company was being picked apart by executives who smiled for cameras while they waited to see whether the Jones family would ever recover.

And now a stranger in a pink summer dress stood in his private study telling him that his home was not safe.

"What exactly are your qualifications?" he asked quietly.

Fiona moved farther into the room, her heels making soft clicks on the floor.

"I keep people alive."

"That isn't an answer."

"It is the only one you need."

Luca's jaw clenched. "You think you can protect me?"

Fiona stopped a few feet away from him.

She looked small beside the grand fireplace and towering bookshelves. Her hands rested lightly at her sides. Her expression was almost shy. Another act?

“I know I can." The confidence in her voice made Luca look at her again.

Really look.

She did not look like a trained killer.

She looked like someone who belonged in sunlight, laughing at a garden party, holding flowers in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other.

But the stillness in her body told a different story.

She was balanced, ready.

Watching every opening.

Listening for every sound.

The only thing that looked strong about her was her toned arms.

"Let's have a test." Luca decided.

A/N October 6, 2026

After 7 years, I've decided to finally write the sequel to "The Bodyguard" :) Hope you guys like it!