Redek Read online

  Table of Contents

  1: Redek

  2: Maddie

  3: Redek

  4: Maddie

  5: Redek

  6: Redek

  7: Maddie

  8: Redek

  9: Maddie

  10: Redek

  11: Maddie

  12: Redek

  13: Maddie

  14: Redek

  15: Maddie

  16: Redek

  17: Maddie

  18: Redek

  19: Maddie

  20: Redek

  Epilogue: Redek

  Epilogue: Maddie

  Redek

  A Barbarian Bodyguards Romance

  Isadora Hart

  Copyright © 2018 Isadora Hart

  All Rights Reserved.

  This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.

  No part of this publication may be reported or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher.

  Cover designed by Kasmit Covers.

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  Contents

  1: Redek

  2: Maddie

  3: Redek

  4: Maddie

  5: Redek

  6: Redek

  7: Maddie

  8: Redek

  9: Maddie

  10: Redek

  11: Maddie

  12: Redek

  13: Maddie

  14: Redek

  15: Maddie

  16: Redek

  17: Maddie

  18: Redek

  19: Maddie

  20: Redek

  Epilogue: Redek

  Epilogue: Maddie

  1.

  REDEK

  Redek walked through his new home cataloging every window and door he saw and creating a mental map of the house. The opulence didn’t register. He wasn’t interested in expensive vases or the wall of photos depicting his new boss with high-powered people. He was interested in ways assassins could get into the house, and ways he could escape with a charge if it came to that.

  “Is there any special etiquette I should know about before I meet him?” he asked the housekeeper, who was taking him to the office of Mr. Marshall, his new employer.

  “Oh no, sir. He’s not formal like that,” the portly older woman said. “He’s a wonderful man. He does such good work, you know.”

  Redek did know. He’d spent the past two weeks reading every piece of information he could get on Damien Marshall. The philanthropist and businessman was heavily involved in several charities, but Redek hadn’t found any hands-on work. It was all photo opportunities at charity auctions and giving away checks that were only a sliver of his enormous wealth. His money came from the stock market. He was a financial whiz, and had multiplied his already enormous inheritance many times over.

  They reached a deep red wooden door, and the housekeeper knocked on the door before bowing and walking away.

  It opened after a few moments, and Mr. Marshall greeted him. He was older than he looked in photos, with defined wrinkles beneath his eyes and obviously dyed black hair. “You must be Redek,” he said, extending his hand. “Come in, come in.”

  “Mr. Marshall,” Redek replied, stepping inside and allowing the door to be closed behind him. The office was huge, with a large desk in the middle made from the same wood as the door and completely bare except for a computer. The back wall was a single pane of glass that gave a view out over his estate. A large metal fence was just visible in the distance.

  “Please, call me Damien. Take a seat. We have a lot to talk about.”

  Redek knew better than to argue, even though he preferred to stand. “Thank you, Damien.”

  “Now, I know the details were vague when we spoke on the phone, but this is a very personal job and I couldn’t disclose it until we met in person.”

  Suytov Security would have sent Redek there to guard a piece of fruit with the amount of money Damien had offered them. All Redek had been told before he was sent to the estate was that Damien Marshall had need of a bodyguard, and he was going to be that bodyguard.

  “Of course. I understand the importance of confidentiality.”

  “Good. Good. I’m glad to hear it. Now, if you look out of the window you should be able to see a small house in the distance. Just the top of it, anyway. Its roof is peeking out above the trees, there.” Damien spoke like he was nervous and overcompensating, but Redek wasn’t buying it. Nothing in his body language suggested nerves. He was completely confident, shoulders back and holding eye contact longer than was really polite. “That’s where my ward lives.”

  “I see.” That was something he hadn’t come across in his research.

  Damien paused, watching his face. Redek knew he wasn’t giving anything away. He’d been a bodyguard for fifteen years, and controlling his expression was the first lesson.

  “I want you to be her bodyguard,” Damien continued. “Her name is Maddie. Her parents were murdered and she received death threats, too. She can’t leave this estate. She would be in danger. I want you to stay with her and make sure she stays here, and that no one gets to her.”

  Redek was pleasantly surprised. So he was here to be a babysitter. That would be a nice change of pace. It was too long since he’d had a vacation. “I would be honored to be the bodyguard of your ward.”

  Damien waved him off, lip curling. “I’m not interested in formalities,” he repeated. “I want to know that you’ll look after her.”

  “I’ll keep her safe.” Redek softened his expression.

  Damien perked up, and went back to his act. “Excellent. Well, excellent. Come on, I’ll take you to meet her and explain some more rules on the way. Tell you more about the staff. There’s always a lot to cover when someone first starts.”

  Redek followed behind Damien and gave one ear to the history of the estate he was being given, the rest of his concentration dedicated to building on his mental map. He couldn’t work out Damien’s game. He decided it probably wasn’t designed for him, it must be an act he used in business. Redek had never understood the games people in power played.

  He had his role and he stuck to it. He was there to be a shadow, not to get involved.

  Maddie’s house was smaller than he’d expected, at least compared to the manor. It was only a little bigger than the apartment he had back on Suytov, and couldn’t have had more than a couple of rooms on each floor.

  Damien knocked on the door.

  He heard a bang from the other side, a “Fuck!” and then the door swung open. A petite girl wearing pajamas with penguins on—despite it being the middle of summer—stood in the doorway. Her shorts were painfully short, and her shirt’s V-neck didn’t leave much to the imagination. Redek averted his gaze from her. “Damien!” she said, beaming. “It’s been ages since you’ve visited.”

  She was older than Redek had been expecting. He’d thought it would be a kid locked away in a house in the garden being given a babysitter, not an adult.

  “Hello, Maddie,” he said, not making a move to touch her in any way.

  Maddie’s big blue eyes turned to him. She looked him up and down without shame, gaze lingering on his biceps. It took a surprising amount of control not to react. “Who’s this?”

  “This is your new bodyguard.”

  She stuck her hand out and gave him a wide smile. “I’m Maddie.”

  He shook it. “Redek.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She opened the door wider. “I assume you’re both coming in.”

  Damien nodded and they filed into the living room
of the house. It was completely bare. The walls were a sterile white with no marks, and it had two three-seater couches even though he suspected she was the only one who lived there.

  Redek took his post against the wall in between the window and the door, covering both obvious entry points while his clients sat on a couch.

  Maddie raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you just going to stand there?”

  “Unless you’d prefer me to stand elsewhere.”

  “I’d prefer you to sit down like a normal human being.”

  “I’m not a human being.”

  She scowled at him, nose scrunching up. "I'd prefer you to sit down like a normal person."

  He glanced to Damien, who was smiling. Redek didn't buy the expression, it was too strained. "Of course, sit down. This won't be a job where you need to be completely alert at all times. There's almost no chance anyone should be able to get through my security, but I’m not willing to risk having her left alone. You're the last bastion of our defense."

  Redek nodded and took a seat on the couch opposite the pair, sitting straight and not relaxing.

  Damien went on to give a big spiel about how Maddie lived in the house by herself, and that she wasn't a child and she wasn't to treat him like a maid. He explained the daily routine, and about his freedom within the position. He could have one day a week off and was permitted to customize his room within the house however he wanted. If he needed any home comforts then he just need tell Damien, and he'd see what he could do.

  The whole time Damien spoke, Maddie was appraising Redek with her gaze. He'd never met someone so honest and upfront in her intentions. She wore everything she was thinking on her face. There was curiosity in her roaming gaze, and appreciation in the way she lingered on his arms and lips.

  It was making him hot under the collar.

  She was gorgeous—short blonde curls that she kept tucked behind her ears, and messy bangs. Big blue eyes beneath long lashes. Curves for days.

  If they'd been in a bar and he'd seen her looking at him like that, he wouldn't have thought twice before approaching her.

  Now, though, he was struggling not to get a hard-on in front of his new boss.

  This had never happened to him before, and it was making it hard to sit still.

  "Did you have any questions?" Damien asked, and Redek had to struggle to recall all the information he'd just had dumped on him. He needed to ask a question to prove he'd been listening, to show his attentiveness.

  To make sure Damien didn't realize Redek had been thinking about what his ward's lips would feel like on his cock for the past five minutes.

  "You mentioned my room. Would it be possible to look around the house? I like to know all possible entry points."

  "Of course!" he stood up. "Maddie, show your new guard around. In fact, you go ahead and make sure your room is clean, I just want to settle a few final details."

  Maddie nodded her dismissal. She didn't look happy about it, but there was no hesitation in her compliance.

  "Suytov's reputation is the reason I've gone to them for a guardian for my ward. It is imperative that this relationship remains professional only."

  Redek opened his mouth to assure Damien he was a professional, even if his mind had been in the gutter minutes ago.

  Damien held up his hand. "There's no need to look so outraged, it's just something I need to mention, for my own peace of mind. I've seen your work history, and I know you're at the top of your field. But I don't want any personal relationships to form here. No friendships."

  He thought it was a strange request. There was no harm in friendships, especially to a girl who was cooped away in this house at the bottom of a garden with no company. He didn't protest though. "I understand," he said. "Our relationship will be strictly professional."

  "Good, good." Damien shook Redek's hand. "I have to go and get back to work. Maddie can show you around the house, and she has a direct line to me if you need anything or have any more questions. Your bags have been brought to your room already. She might be a bit intense at first, but she’ll calm down. Just keep your distance when you’re around the house."

  "Thank you, Damien."

  "Maddie!" his boss called up the stairs. "Come and show your new bodyguard around."

  He left before Maddie could come back downstairs, and Redek was left feeling like he was suffocating.

  She'd calm down with her explicit looks, and he'd calm down in his reactions to her. They'd settle into a routine, and this job would be just as easy as the last ones.

  No problem.

  2.

  MADDIE

  Maddie couldn't stop looking at him.

  She'd never seen anyone as gorgeous as Redek. He was stunning in an effortless way. Strong jawline and chiseled cheekbones. Dark, intense eyes that caused a shiver to run down her spine when he met her gaze. His muscles were enormous.

  He was cold, though. There was nothing on his face. Like a statue.

  She immediately set a goal to crack it.

  She wanted to see what he looked like when he smiled.

  She hurried back down the stairs and was pleased to see Damien had left. He had always been good to her, but he was overbearing and too protective. She was glad to be left alone with her new guard.

  "Hey," she said, wondering if she should have changed from her pajamas into something more attractive. She didn't think for a second she was going to get anything romantic from him—she knew Suytov Security’s reputation, she’d seen information about them on the Net before—but it didn't hurt to try and get him to at least look at her. "You wanted to look around?"

  "Please."

  "Well, this is the living room. Kitchen through there. I cook most of my own food, but I understand if you want to get something sent down from the kitchens. I'm not a great cook."

  "I'll try it before I pass judgment." It should have been a joke, but his voice was just as toneless as before. He stuck his head into the kitchen, but didn't go in.

  "Your room is through this way. You'll be staying on the first floor. My room is upstairs."

  His room was as horribly plain as the rest of the house. White walls and cream bedsheets. The staff had brought his bags down earlier, and it hadn't looked like enough for someone to move in with. Just two plain duffel bags sitting on the center of his bed.

  She watched from the doorway as he walked around and peered out of his window. They shared the same view; she was in the room directly above. It looked into the forest, and was gorgeous at this time of year. Wildflowers bloomed and the trees were thick with green leaves.

  "What do you think?" she asked.

  She always felt like her room was quite big, but this one was swamped by Redek. She hoped the bed wasn't too short for him. He must have been over seven feet tall.

  "It's very nice."

  "That didn't sound sarcastic at all."

  "Really, I meant it."

  She groaned. "Are you going to be so formal the entire time? You do know we're going to have to spend every day for the rest of my life together."

  His lip quirked, but that was the most she got from him. "I'm here to do my job."

  "There's not much to do. Nothing happens here, and I'm not allowed out of the compound." She longed to see the outside world, but as she'd grown up, she'd stopped asking for it. When she grew out of her bratty teenage stage and realized how much Damien had done to help her, she’d stopped pestering him about taking her out to see the universe. He'd be devastated if he lost her. They were like father and daughter.

  "What happened to your last bodyguard?" he asked.

  Maddie's face fell. "He retired."

  She'd never had a great relationship with Kassan. He'd been an older man stuck in his ways and they'd butted heads over what Maddie was and wasn't allowed to do daily. They'd had camaraderie, though. She was used to him. She missed having him around the house, just as someone to talk to. He might have been stuck in his ways, but at least he'd had feelings. Her new
guard might as well have been a robot.

  "I see. And he stayed here, too?"

  "Yes."

  "Can you show me upstairs?"

  She walked up the stairs first, perfectly aware that her shorts were a bit too short to cover everything, and enjoyed the shiver of exhilaration that crept up her spine.

  She'd never been around someone attractive before. She'd spent hours reading romance novels, reading forums about relationships and people and sex, but she'd never felt any of this around someone real.

  It was intoxicating, even knowing that nothing would happen and he probably hadn't even noticed that the edge of her panties were on show.

  "My bedroom." She opened the door a bit too enthusiastically, and it dislodged a stack of tablets on top of a dresser, which toppled toward her. "Shit," she put her hands up, but nothing hit them.

  Redek had swooped in and caught the falling pile of electronics. His arm brushed against hers, and she cursed her long sleeves. "Okay?" he checked, giving her a quick once-over.

  It should have been clinical, but somehow it wasn't. His gaze lingered just a little too long on the hint of cleavage she had on show. "Thanks," she said, helping him rebalance them. "My room is always a pigsty."

  "No kidding," he muttered, looking at her cluttered floor, desk and bedside table.

  Her room was the only one in the whole house that didn't look like it belonged in a hotel.

  "You're good with tech?" he asked.

  She beamed at the question. "I've always loved computers. I'm a natural, too. I came here when I was six, but I could already do more with them than anyone in his company. It's just luck, really. I'm just good at them."

  It was what kept her sane while locked in the house, too. She knew Redek would have noticed that every room they went into had a camera mounted on the wall that sent video and audio feed straight to Damien's computer in the main house. The only rooms that didn't were the bathrooms. She was watched every second.

  The only other place he couldn't see was her computer. She'd set up her desk so that the screen wasn't visible by the cameras, and it meant she had free rein to do whatever she wanted on there. Online chatrooms were her favorite. She had friends, even if she'd never spoken to them with her voice, seen their faces, or touched them. There were people out there that knew her dreams and her fears and she knew the dreams and fears of others.