Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel A Bodyguard Paranormal Romance K. LeBlanc Want to always stay in the loop and hear about my new releases and sales? Make sure you sign up for my newsletter. Copyright © 2023 K. LeBlanc All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information-storage-and-retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover Design: Cover Couture bookcovercouture.com Editor: Anne Victory www.victoryediting.com Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Epilogue Dear Reader Acknowledgments About the Author Also by K. LeBlanc For Ryan who pushed me into the arms of Sierra and Nathaniel, encouraged me to write what I wanted, and is always happy to break the rules with me. Love worked in ways that defied understanding. It was more powerful than loss. More powerful than grief. Even more powerful than death. And in the end, love would always win. —Claire Kingsley, His Heart One Sierra I looked up from my book as Kylie plunked a coffee on the table in front of me. “Peppermint latte with almond milk,” she said, sliding into the seat across from me. Unlike me, she had a shift this afternoon and wasn’t just hanging out at Fountain of Youth because she didn’t feel like being home. “Why do I have a feeling this is a bribe and I shouldn’t touch that coffee unless I want to sell my soul?” She sighed. “So you know that guy from the party last weekend? Andy? Well, he has to babysit for his sister and he asked me to help.” I raised my eyebrows. “That’s his idea of asking you on a date? You get to take care of his sister’s kid?” She continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “But it’s Saturday afternoon, and I’m on the schedule, so…” I knew it. “So the coffee is a bribe. You want me to take your shift on Saturday.” “Please, Sierra. Please, please, please.” She folded her hands in front of her chest for emphasis. Kylie had the worst taste in men of anyone I knew. Chances were she could do way better than this Andy, but there was also almost no chance she’d believe that right now. She never did until after the situation was already out of hand. “I really like him.” She nudged the coffee closer to me. “I’ll also buy you lunch for a week.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She couldn’t afford to buy my lunches. Not with her student loans coming due. She needed every penny she could save, and that meant she really shouldn’t be giving up her shifts. “How about this,” I said, opening my eyes. “I’ll take your shift on Saturday, but you have to take mine tomorrow as soon as you get out of class. If you’re a minute late, the deal is off.” I wrapped my hand around the coffee mug and raised my eyebrows. Making her switch shifts with me was more about her getting enough hours in than it was about me wanting the time off. I liked being in the café and didn’t mind picking up extra time here. But since Kylie paid half the rent and utilities for the apartment we shared, I had a vested interest in making sure she worked enough and was on top of her bills. “Deal.” Kylie grinned at me, and I hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be another horrible life choice for her. “Remember, he’s not moving in, you’re not giving him a key, and he’s not coming over until he’s been okayed by Sev, Joanna, and me.” Yes, I know exactly how that sounded, but it was a condition I’d needed before I could agree to get a place with Kylie. I didn’t want to take out a restraining order and have to change the locks every time she broke up with another crazy person she’d once thought could be the one. “I remember. Thank you, Sierra. You’re the best.” She jumped up from her chair and headed back to the counter. I waited until she was gone before sending off a text to my cousin, also known as Kylie’s ex-boyfriend and the reason I’d met her in the first place. Me: I may need you to do another background check soon. Aiden: *eye roll emoji* You need a new roommate. Me: Not going to happen. She needs me. Aiden: Yeah, I know. I love you for watching out for her. I’ve got your back. Just let me know what you need. Aiden really had loved Kylie at one point, but they’d fallen apart sometime shortly after he finished at the police academy. And when I say “fell apart,” I mean they crashed and burned so hard we didn’t know if they’d ever speak to each other again. Kylie had come a long way from rock bottom, and Aiden had traveled a long road toward forgiveness. I was proud of both of them. I tucked my phone back in my pocket and returned my attention to my novel. Hours slipped by while I read and generally avoided my empty apartment. People came and went, filling the café with the sounds of general chatter and silverware scraping against plates. Fountain of Youth was one of a number of places I