Molly entered the manor first. “Everyone is in the dining room.”
Dix followed, bracing herself for more questions than she was ready to answer. If Nova recognized her, she hadn’t done a good job of blending in. She’d have to buy some hair dye and go from blonde to brunette to hide her identity. In the meantime, she squared her shoulders and turned toward the sea of faces in front of her.
The men pushed back from the table and stood.
Molly turned to her. “Everyone, this is D. Reeves. Otherwise known as Dixie Reeves or—”
“I’ll be damned.” A woman sitting at the other end of the table stood. “Dix Reeves. Mixed Martial Arts World Champion.” The woman had long blond hair, combed straight and hanging in a soft curtain down her back. In tan slacks and a cool, white-cotton blouse, she could have been a model for one of the fashion magazines. She stepped away from her seat and rounded the table, a smile quirking the corners of her lips. “Fontaine sure knows how to pick them.” She stopped in front of Dix and held out her hand. “Nicole Steele. But my friends call me Tazer.”
Dix shook the woman’s hand, surprised at the firmness of her grip. “Sounds like an MMA call sign.”
Tazer shrugged. “Suits me. I guess you could say I earned it.” She raked her gaze over Dix. “So, you’re going to be Andrew Stratford’s bodyguard.” She let the smile spread a little wider. “Makes sense.”
Dix pulled her hand free of Tazer’s grip. “I’d like to get on to my assigned duties, if that’s possible.”
Tazer grinned. “More than possible.”
Dix glanced around at the faces all staring at her. Which one was the rich man she was supposed to protect?
Tazer chuckled. “It’s none of the men at the table. Mr. Stratford stepped out to take a call. He’ll be back in a minute. As far as I know, you start your assignment immediately.”
“In the meantime—” Molly pulled out a chair “—have a seat and a bowl of chowder. I won’t take no for an answer.”
The pretty redhead might be smiling and sunny, but Dix suspected she was as tough as the muscular men seated around the table. “Yes, ma’am.” Before she could sink into the chair, a deep, resonant voice spoke from behind her.
“I’m sorry. I need to leave. Leigha isn’t feeling well. If you could send the bodyguard over when he gets here, I’d appreciate it.”
“As a matter of fact, your bodyguard is here.” Tazer hooked Dix’s elbow and turned her around.
Dix stared at the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on. He stood half turned toward the exit, only one side of his face visible. While all the other men in the room were dressed in jeans or khaki slacks, this man wore a dark suit that appeared to be tailor-made to fit his body to perfection. His dark hair was shortly cropped, showing a bit of a wave. And those ice-blue eyes...
Then he squared off, spinning to fully face the room of people. A jagged scar ran from the edge of his jaw all the way up to the corner of his eye.
Dix drew in a sharp breath. She hadn’t expected such a magnificent man to have such a wicked scar.
His dark brows drew together into a V over his nose. “Where is he?”
“Not he,” Tazer said in a slow, deliberate voice. “She is here and ready to go to work.” She shoved Dix forward a step.
The gentleman shook his head, his eyes tapering into little more than a slit. “I don’t understand. I asked for someone who could protect me and my family.” His gaze raked over her. “I don’t need another female in my household. I need someone strong and capable of protecting Leigha.”
Her shock at the rugged scar on his face morphed into anger roiling deep in her belly. Dix let it bubble up to the surface. Yeah, she was probably overreacting, but she’d put up with more gender discrimination than most women, and had to fight and claw her way through every leg of the journey that had brought her this far. “Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I can’t defend myself, or take care of you and your family.” She planted her fists on her hips and lifted her chin. “Go ahead. Try to take me down.”
“Uh, Dix, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Nova said. “He’s the client.”
Andrew Stratford raised a hand. “It’s okay. I don’t think she’s the right person for the job. If she can prove she is, I might reconsider.” He gave her a narrow-eyed, assessing glance. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
She snorted. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re not going to hurt me.” I might hurt you, she thought, but kept the comment from coming out. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll wrinkle your suit?”
Tazer’s lips tilted upward. “Mr. Stratford, you might be biting off a little more than you can chew. My boss wouldn’t send someone who couldn’t do the job, and Dix is more than qualified. I’ve seen her dossier.”
“I can’t trust her with my family until I know she can handle the job.”
Tazer shook back her beautifully groomed hair. “Okay, but take it out in the yard. You don’t want to damage Molly’s dining room.”
Molly bit her lip. “I don’t want you to damage yourselves.”
Another man stood and clapped his hands together. “I’ve gotta see this.”
“Creed, don’t encourage them.” A sandy-blond-haired woman stood.
He shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. “You’re a nurse. If someone gets hurt, you can stop the bleeding until the ambulance gets here.”
“That’s right,” Nova said. “We have Emma. She can stabilize the loser until the ambulance gets here.”
Mr. Stratford waved a hand toward the door. “Ladies first.”
Dix fumed at his condescension, but swallowed her anger and focused on teaching this man not to judge a book by its cover, or a woman by the color of her hair or the size of her body. With her head held high, she marched through the living area and out the front door, letting it close in the man’s face.
She didn’t stop until she was standing on the ground in front of the manor.
Footsteps behind her indicated Stratford had followed her.
Before she could turn to face him, strong arms circled her, clamping her own arms to the side.
Used to facing her opponents in the MMA, the sudden attack brought back memories of being held in captivity, bound tightly, unable to fight her way out. Panic almost set in. Two years of therapy came to her rescue. She breathed in and out, forced the bad thoughts to the back of her mind and shut the door on them. Then her thoughts flashed to the best way to extricate herself from the man’s strong hold.
“If you can’t defend yourself,” he whispered against her ear, “you can’t defend me or my family.”
Dix drew in another calming breath and let her body go limp, a complete deadweight in his arms.
Stratford staggered backward.
She slipped downward, bunched her legs beneath her and planted her feet in the dirt. Then she twisted her body, taking his with hers, flinging them both to the ground.
As they fell, his grip loosened to break his fall.
Dix rolled over, grabbed his arm and jerked it up and behind his back, forcing Stratford onto his belly. She straddled his hips, sat on his back and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Sorry I wrinkled your suit, Mr. Stratford. I’m also sorry I wasted your time. And, for the record, I’m not interested in protecting