HeroRising Read Online Free PDF Page A

cop?” Man, the criminals must piss their pants
when he closed in on them.
    “No. I am sorry, that was the wrong word. I look out for
threats and eliminate them.”
    “For the government or a company?”
    “Not for government.”
    “Oh, so you’re like a bodyguard?”
    “Yes?” he replied with that little up-note as if he were not
sure that was the correct answer.
    She folded her arms. “So if you’re a bodyguard, why are you
not with your employer right now?”
    “I am on vacation. Or was. Please, come with me.”
    A free place to crash? Tempting. Tempting. “I don’t want to
be a burden.”
    “You won’t be. Believe me, Prin—Amaryllis will enjoy hosting
you.”
    Now it was Ari’s turn to ruminate while sipping her water
and pushing the last of the French fries to and fro. Bale was still a stranger
and he wanted to take her to stay with other strangers. If this were a movie,
she’d be screaming at the screen for the heroine to run away, so why was she
seriously contemplating accepting his proposition?
    Duh, maybe because she was out of options and her cash was
running low. Unless she wanted to live on the streets for a while, she was
going to have to find a low-cost, meaning free, way into town. If only she
could be one hundred percent positive he was being truthful.
    Her gaze landed on her smartphone. Oh-ho. Maybe there was a
way.
    “I will go with you, if you answer a few questions.”
    Tension snapped his spine straight and his eyes narrowed.
“What questions?”
    “Hey, you’re the one asking me to trust you. Before I climb
back onto that motorcycle, I want a few answers.”
    His lips tightened, but he begrudgingly nodded.
    “Good. What’s your last name?”
    His eyes widened. “What?”
    Oh God. This was not a good start. “What is your last name?”
    “I do not go by one.”
    “But you must have one. I know people from Norway usually
have a last name, unless you’re Bjork, and I think she’s Swedish.”
    “I—uh.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked to the walls,
tables, everywhere else but at her.
    Was he seriously not going to tell her?
    As she opened her mouth to tell him no way, he answered with
a softly spoken, “Llanos.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “My name is Bale…Llanos.”
    “Is that with one L or two?” she asked, pulling up
the web browser on the phone.
    “Two.”
    Bale Llanos. Hmmm. Interesting. Especially the way the
syllables rolled around her tongue. Damn, why couldn’t he have a non-sexy last
name, like Smith or Steenburgen?
    Good news, not a single thing came up in a web search with
his name. Not even anything close to his name. Bad news, not a single thing
came up in a web search with his name. So, the man knew how to keep a low
profile.
    “Who is your employer?”
    “Are you asking for their names?”
    “No, their tax ID numbers. Of course their names, silly.”
    He drew a deep breath and answered just as softly as he had
given his name. “Amaryllis Kilsgaard.”
    “Is she someone famous?”
    The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Back home, yes.”
    Ping. A hit.
    “She owns a restaurant? Tutala? I’ve heard of that place.
That’s cool.” She scrolled past the listings of five-star reviews and went to
the photo gallery to check out his mysterious employer.
    Figures. Of course he’d be hired to guard a beautiful woman
with long black hair, lavender eyes and more curves than the St. Louis Arch.
Hey, what was this?
    “Who’s this guy?” She pointed to a photo of the woman with a
man standing next to her with a possessive arm around her shoulder. “He’s hot.”
    Bale frowned. “That is her husband, Lucian.”
    “Seriously?” Way to go, girlfriend. A successful restaurant
and surrounded by two incredibly gorgeous guys? The woman was doing something
right. “So, what kind of trouble does she get into in order to have you two
guys watching out for her?”
    “None, because we watch out for her.”
    Ari smiled and went back to look for more