Chapter 1

One

Roc

Irubbed a hand over the bunched muscles in my neck as I pushed back from the desk, my chair rolling across the black, hardwood floors and slowing to a stop before the wheels bumped into the glass wall. I didn’t need to crane my sore neck to know that the sun had set long ago. I didn’t need to twist around to know that the lights from Los Angeles were flickering behind me. I didn’t need to peer out the glass wall of my home office to realize that another day had come and gone without me leaving my enclave high up Mulholland Drive. But I did.

With a groan and a loud exhale, I stood and braced my hands on the glass. The view never got old, even if I didn’t enjoy venturing into the city that provided it.

“City of Angels,” I said, with a rumbling laugh. As beautiful as the city lights might be, I knew enough of the dark side to shake my head. There were few angels in LA.

Scraping a hand through the dark, shaggy hair that fell to my shoulders, I padded on bare feet from my office to the kitchen. “But there’s no shortage of monsters.”

This made me chuckle again, since I was one of the inhuman creatures who’d integrated with society and become more human than monster. Sometimes I wondered if I’d assimilated too well and lost too many of my orc ways, especially since I wasn’t a pureblood.

I caught a glimpse of my olive-green skin in the reflection of the glass oven door as I headed for the refrigerator. Nope, I still looked like a three-quarter orc, and no amount of stylish, black clothing, or expensive cologne, would change that.

I yanked open the stainless-steel fridge door and grabbed a green juice from the top shelf. At least I didn’t crave blood like the vamps. Orcs—especially ones mixed with humans, like me—had been accepted better than most monsters. It helped that we were known for impressive physical strength, which meant we were in high demand in construction work and in the military.

My top lip curled, catching for a moment on one of the small tusks that poked up from my bottom lip. The thought of joining one of the orc construction teams had never appealed to me, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t as strong as the purebloods. Well, maybe I wasn’t, but my less-burly build meant I was quicker and had faster reflexes, both traits that came in handy in my line of work.

My office phone trilled as I twisted off the cap from the juice bottle and took a glug. I checked my watch. Who was calling so late?

I ignored it as I swept my hair up into a man bun and started for my bedroom, unbuttoning my shirt as I went. The office line stopped ringing, but I barely had a chance to enjoy the silence before the phone in my pocket started to vibrate.

“Orc’s blood,” I cursed, as I retrieved my phone and left my shirt hanging open. I didn’t check the number before answering it. Only clients had my cell number, so if someone was calling, it was important. “Orc, Inc. Security. This is Roc.”

“Roc!” The voice on the other end released a long sigh. “Sorry to bother you after hours, old friend.”

My mouth gaped. Not a client. “Jack?”

“I know it’s been a while, but you know how crazy life gets.”

I was too startled to reply. Jack might not have been a client of my personal security firm, but he had every reason to know my number. He was the one responsible for giving me my big break into providing orc security details for Hollywood celebrities. We’d both been young and new in LA, fast friends in a faster town. He’d become a talent agent and risen quickly in the ranks, while I’d struggled to find my place. That is, until Jack had recommended me as a bodyguard for one of his clients. One client had turned into many, until I had a staff of orcs providing security details for both the famous and infamous in Tinseltown and a business more successful than my most audacious dreams.

“It has been a while,” I managed to say, as I pivoted away from my bedroom door. It had, in fact, been years since I’d heard from Jack directly. He’d gotten married, inherited step-kids, had more kids of his own, and drifted away from guys’ nights out and casual hangs after work. I’d become more and more focused on my business until it was the smog-filled air I lived and breathed.

“That’s my fault.” Jack exhaled, and I could almost hear him rubbing a hand across his forehead like he used to do so often. “Between taking care of clients and my family, I dropped the ball.”

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No apologies needed.” Then it struck me that he must have a reason for calling me after so long and so late. “Is everything okay? Hallie and the kids are okay?”

“Everyone’s fine, although the kids aren’t such little kids anymore.” He barked out a pained laugh. “That’s actually why I’m calling, Roc. I need a favor.”

The worry in his voice made my spine straighten as I walked slowly back down the hallway. “Anything for you, Jack. You know that. I owe you everything.”

“You don’t owe me a thing.” His voice was stern. “You earned your success. I just gave you a push in the right direction.”

I knew we could argue all night, and Jack still wouldn’t take the credit we both knew was his due. It didn’t matter. Jack was my oldest friend, and I would never let him down. “Tell me what you need.”

“I need you to be a personal bodyguard for a new actress. She’s flying to a location shoot, and I want you to go with her.”

I dragged one hand down the sides of my short beard as I passed through the kitchen. “You mean one of my guys, right? I don’t do personal details anymore. It’s a young orc’s game.”

Jack let out a bark of laughter. “You’re younger than me, and I do not consider myself old. Besides, orcs age slower than humans and live longer.”

I stole a look at my waist, which was no longer a washboard of muscles. Shifting from field work to managing my business from behind a desk had some definite drawbacks. “Of course, I’ll do it if this is what you want, but why do you want me? I have a fleet of orc bodyguards who are the best in the business.”

“I believe you, and I know your guys are the best. My talent agency still only uses Orc, Inc.”

“Then it isn’t my orcs. It’s this actress.” I walked toward my office. “You said she was new, so how much scrutiny could she be attracting?”

“She’s on a hit TV show, and as the show’s villain, she’s been getting some unwanted attention.”

I strode through the door of my office and took in the 180-degree view of the city lights spread out in front of me, a good reminder that Jack was a big part of why I had such a nice house with such a spectacular view. “Then maybe we should put a team on her.”

“No team. I was barely able to convince her to have a single bodyguard for this trip. She isn’t crazy about the security the studio has provided her so far—not your guys, clearly—and says they stifle her freedom. She hoped this location shoot would be a break from the LA spotlight and is not happy that I’m insisting on a bodyguard.”

Clients who hated how security hampered their lives weren’t new to me. It was one of the many reasons I’d stopped taking on personal assignments. Catering to the unreasonable whims of pampered starlets and cocky billionaires had taken its toll, as had trying to keep clients safe while they complained about the intrusive fans who had made them rich.

I sighed. “Your client isn’t going to make this easy on me, is she?”

“She’s not my client, Roc. The actress you’ll be protecting is my daughter.”

I squeezed my eyes closed. Fuck me.