Born to Be Wilde Read online

  Born to Be Wilde

  Janelle Denison

  Ex-marine turned security specialist Joel Wilde thrives on the high-wire thrills that come with his job. And he isn't about to give all that up to settle down-not even with a sexy woman like Lora Marshall. Which means that while he's protecting her from a violent gang, he'll need to set a few ground rules to keep things professional. Good thing he's always been a rule-breaker at heart.

  Janelle Denison

  Born to Be Wilde

  The eighth book in the Wilde series, 2007

  Dear Readers,

  The wait for Joel Wilde's story is finally over! Here he is, tough and lean and breathtakingly sexy. Thanks to all of you who've written to me asking for his story, and for hanging in there while I wrote it. I hope it's everything you've anticipated, and much more.

  Joel is the last of the Wilde family. In past books, he's always come off as casual and laid back, and for the most part he is. He's served in the Marines, has seen and done things he'd rather forget, and just wants to live a simple, uncomplicated life as a bachelor. His main focus is his job as a security specialist, and when an old friend calls in a favor, Joel finds himself in way over his head with a woman who is sensual, determined, and has no qualms about discovering just who Joel really is beneath all that rough and tough military façade.

  This story took many unexpected turns for me, especially with Joel's character. He was far more complex than he'd let on in previous books, and he had deeper emotional issues that explained so much about the life he'd chosen and why he swore he was better off being single and on his own. But Lora Marshall, the woman he'd promised to protect, refuses to let him be a slave to his past and to those fears that keep him from committing to any one person.

  For those of you who might be reading about the Wilde family for the first time, I hope you enjoy this story enough to want to read about the rest of the Wilde gang. So far, there are seven stories in all, and those books can still be found at your favorite online book source, or at your local bookstore.

  While the members of the Wilde gang have all found their happily ever afters, the wild and sexy fun doesn't stop here with Joel! In Born to Be Wilde you'll get to meet three of Joel's good friends, Ben, Jon, and Kevin, all ex-marines who now work for the same security firm, Elite Security Specialists. Each one of these men will be getting his own story, as well. Right now, I'm working on Ben's story, and Wild for Him is scheduled for release in summer 2008. I hope you'll find these friends of Joel's as fun and charming as I have.

  For now, enjoy Joel and Lora's story, and be sure to visit my website at www.janelledenison.com to read more about the Wilde series, check out my upcoming releases, and enter my monthly giveaway contest. I also blog weekly at www.plotmonkeys.com, so please come and join the fun!

  (http://www.plotmonkeys.com)

  Happy Reading!

  Janelle Denison

  Chapter One

  "I need your help."

  Startled by the desperate request drifting through the phone line, Joel Wilde's fingers tightened around the cordless receiver pressed to his ear. It had been one helluva long time since he'd heard that voice, but he recognized it instantly. A friend. A comrade. The man who'd literally saved his life.

  "Zach?" he asked incredulously.

  "Yeah, buddy, it's me." Zach Marshall's forced chuckle fell flat. "It's been a while, huh?"

  More than four years, to be exact, Joel thought as he sat down on one of the bar stools in his kitchen. As marines they'd been assigned to the same Force Reconnaissance unit, and after serving their country for four and six years respectively, they'd both opted not to reenlist. Their last mission in Baghdad had been harrowing, and one that neither of them had been eager to repeat. In fact, most of the men who'd been a part of that assignment had walked away with either physical or emotional scars. And for some, both.

  Joel was a man who'd always thrived on risk and adventure, but his tour of duty in Iraq had been much more than he'd ever bargained for. After watching good men die and nearly losing his own life, as well, Joel had wanted nothing more than to join the real world again and live a normal life, free from strict rules, from relentless, rigorous missions, and from being responsible for other men's lives.

  He'd tried to keep in touch with Zach over the years, but Zach was a wanderer, always seeking action and adventure. He was a good guy at heart, but he was also a drinker and a gambler and usually found trouble instead. Which brought Joel back to the reason behind his friend's call.

  "What's going on, Zach?" Joel was compelled to ask, but dreaded the answer.

  "I'm in trouble. Big trouble." Zach's voice cracked with the faintest hint of despair. "I owe a bookie a shit-load of money that I don't have."

  Joel wasn't surprised, just disappointed that his friend hadn't changed his ways. Obviously Zach hadn't learned his lesson after one of their comrades, Bruno, had beaten the crap out of him when Zach had neglected to pay up the five hundred bucks he'd lost to the big, burly marine during a poker game.

  Joel blew out a rough stream of breath. "How much?"

  A noticeable pause ensued before Zach finally answered. "Over fifty grand."

  Joel's mind reeled with disbelief, and a ripe curse escaped his lips before he could stop it. "Jesus, Zach, I don't have that kind of cash to give you."

  "I know, and I swear I'm not asking you for it," Zach tried to assure him. "But this situation involves more than just me. Remember my sister, Lora?"

  They'd never met personally, but Joel did, indeed, remember bits and pieces about Lora Marshall. Zach had openly shared the amusing letters his sister had written to him on a weekly basis, and the occasional picture she'd sometimes include along with the correspondence.

  It had been a very long time since Joel had seen any of those photos, or even thought of Lora Marshall, but as he closed his eyes her features easily filled his mind. She'd possessed a lovely face with soft, pretty features, which was framed by rich, shoulder-length brown hair that looked shiny and silky to the touch. In a bleak, war-filled existence, he recalled being drawn to her laughing, inviting blue eyes, and a smile that was both sweet and sensual in an understated way.

  Joel's gut clenched at the thought of Zach putting her life in jeopardy somehow. "What does your sister have to do with any of this?"

  "I need you to make sure she's protected," Zach said on a quick rush of breath. "These people I'm dealing with… they might be looking for her."

  Joel jammed his fingers through his too-long hair and frowned, not liking the direction this conversation was taking. "And why would they be looking for Lora?"

  The silence that followed was deafening.

  "Dammit, Zach," he bit out harshly, his own anger rising swiftly to the surface. "You can't just drop something like this on me and not tell me what the hell is going on. If your sister's life is at risk, in any way at all, I need details, all of them, in order to keep her safe."

  "Okay, I'll tell you everything you need to know." Zach's tone was more subdued now. "Just promise me that no matter what, you'll look after her until I get this mess taken care of. She doesn't have anyone else, and I need to know that she's in good hands. You're the only one I trust to keep her safe from any harm."

  Joel absently rubbed a hand over his jean-clad thigh, right where a puckered scar resided-an ugly, glaring reminder of how Zach had once risked his own life to save Joel's during a covert mission. Joel owed him, and while Zach hadn't come right out and said as much, Joel was certain that his friend was counting on that return favor now.

  Keeping an eye on Zach's sister was the least Joel could do. "You have my word that I'll take care of her," he promised, then reached for the pad of paper and pen on the counter in front o
f him. "Now tell me why your sister's life is in danger."

  Zach exhaled a long, deep breath, obviously stalling a few extra seconds. "The guy I owe the money to is demanding payment, which I don't have. Not yet anyways. I just need more time to get it."

  Joel highly doubted that extra time would help Zach's situation in any way. Most likely, he'd use any respite to chase good money after bad in hopes of striking it rich in a bet based more on luck than skill. And that rarely paid off. After all, gambling cities were built on losers, not winners.

  "How much time?" he asked Zach.

  "A few weeks at the most. And in the meantime, the reason why I need you to watch Lora is because I did something incredibly stupid."

  A noticeable pause ensued, and Joel waited not-so-patiently for his friend to continue, which Zach eventually did.

  "Right before I enlisted in the Marines, my sister took out life insurance policies on both of us worth one hundred grand, just so we'd have something if anything should happen to either one of us, since we have no other family. It's a prepaid policy and it doesn't expire until we each turn thirty, and that's still another eight months away for Lora."

  Joel swore beneath his breath. Certain he knew just how Zach had used that life insurance policy, his stomach cramped with a sense of apprehension, followed by a swift kick of anger. "Go on."

  "I used the life insurance policy on Lora as collateral against the loan I took from a guy named Lanny Mendoza," Zach reluctantly explained, confirming Joel's suspicions. "I was desperate, and I honestly never thought he'd need to use that policy, but after a streak of bad luck, I've discovered just how ruthless Mendoza and his gang of men can be. His thugs beat the shit out of me and broke my arm and nose, and now they're threatening to go after Lora if I don't pay up, and soon."

  Because with Lora dead, Zach could collect on that life insurance policy to pay back his loan, with interest. It was a chilling thought. While Joel was furious that his friend would drag his own sister into his sordid dealings, at least Zach was doing what he could to ensure that his sister was protected.

  "I'm really afraid for Lora's safety," Zach said, his anxious tone backing up his fears. "You know I wouldn't ask you to do this if I had any other choice."

  "Yeah, I know." Joel tapped the end of his pen on the notepad. "Where can I find your sister?"

  "About four years ago she moved from Springfield to Chicago. She's living in a small one-bedroom apartment by herself."

  Joel jotted down the name of the complex Zach gave to him, along with Lora's home phone number, surprised to learn that she'd moved clear across the state and lived so close to him. Especially since he distinctly remembered from one of the letters she'd written to Zach during their time in the service that her boyfriend had proposed, and she'd accepted. So why was she living alone?

  Curious, Joel said, "I thought she was engaged to get married."

  "She left the jerk two years ago." Zach didn't offer details, and Joel didn't ask for them, since that personal information wasn't pertinent to the case. "She works full time during the day at the St. Claire Hotel as a masseuse and part time at night at The Electric Blue. Her best friend, Sydney, owns the place, and it's relatively new. Have you heard of it?"

  "Yeah. Actually, I've been there…" Joel's voice trailed off as a sense of recognition washed over him. It had been months ago that he and his friends had gone to The Electric Blue to check out Chicago's hottest new bar, but what he remembered most about that night was how distracted he'd been by one of the bar waitresses that had looked so familiar to him. Not to mention the awareness that had been evident between the two of them at first glance.

  At the time, he couldn't place where he'd seen her before. Now, as Joel thought back to the pictures Zach had shared with him of his sister, he knew. The woman he'd been intrigued by and attracted to had been Lora Marshall.

  What a small world it was.

  "Hey, Joel. Are you okay?"

  Zach's urgent tone pulled Joel back to the present. "Yeah, I'm fine."

  "Look, I don't have much more time before I need to get off the phone," Zach said. "If I can't get the money, Mendoza's guys will probably come looking for Lora in about a week, which gives you plenty of time to insinuate yourself in her life in an inconspicuous way."

  "In an inconspicuous way?" Joel repeated, not bothering to hide his irritation over Zach's suggestion. "What's wrong with the straightforward approach? Just tell her the truth and that I'll be around to protect her until you get your shit together?"

  Silence reigned on the other end of the phone line, and Joel imagined that he'd made Zach cringe with his honest expression of the situation. Tough shit, he thought, and shoved his fingers once again through his hair in growing agitation. Zach had gotten himself into this mess, and Joel wasn't about to make any of this easy on him. His friend needed someone to give him a reality check about his addictions and how they were affecting not only his life, but now his sister's.

  Finally, Zach spoke. "I know I royally fucked up, and I'm the worst kind of bastard for doing what I did. But I love my sister, and if you tell her the truth…"

  Zach's voice cracked with raw emotion, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "This isn't the first time I've gotten myself into this kind of trouble, and if Lora finds out what I've done with her insurance policy, I'm afraid she'll never forgive me. Or worse, she'll disown me as her brother. She's the only family I've got, Joel."

  The other man's sincere appeal struck Joel right where he was most susceptible, because family was one of the most important things in his life. The support. The camaraderie. And knowing you could count on someone for anything. His brothers and sister were close, along with their cousins, so Joel could understand why his friend didn't want to risk his relationship with his sister.

  "Whatever you do, please promise me you won't tell her what I've done," Zach pleaded.

  Blatantly deceiving someone went against Joel's character, yet there were many times when his profession as a security agent required him to take on a new or different persona in order to do his job. This case would have to be no different, because Joel knew he wouldn't, and couldn't, turn down his friend's request.

  Resigned, Joel rubbed a hand along the stubble on his jaw. "I'll do it," he finally said.

  "Thank you." The relief and gratitude in Zach's voice was palpable. "I owe you, buddy."

  "You don't owe me anything." Especially since Zach had saved his ass in Baghdad. In comparison, this was a small favor to grant. "But I do need a promise from you in return."

  "Anything," Zach said willingly. "Anything at all."

  Joel stated the one thing weighing heavily on his mind. "You need professional help, Zach. You're out of control. When you start gambling with other people's lives, you've gone too far."

  "I know." Zach turned somber. "I swear I'll put myself into a rehab program once this is over."

  "I'm going to hold you to that." If there was one good thing that came out of this disaster, it would be finally getting Zach's life straightened out.

  "Hey, I heard you went into business with Jon, Kevin, and Ben," Zach said, changing the subject for a moment. "Some kind of security firm, right?"

  "Yeah, Elite Security Specialists," Joel said of the company he'd started with three of his fellow ex-marines and good friends. "We're doing pretty well."

  "That's great to hear," Zach replied sincerely. "I know it's been years, but I've missed hanging out with you guys."

  The melancholy in Zach's voice was unmistakable, and Joel couldn't help but wonder how lonely the past years must have been for his friend. He wondered, too, if Zach was still desperately trying to escape the horrors they'd lived through in the war.

  Once their term in the Marines had ended, he and Zach had spent two weeks together living it up and trying to forget what they'd endured. They'd caroused and partied with a bevy of willing women, and made up for all the wild, frivolous fun they'd missed out on during their time in Iraq. Then
they'd gone their separate ways. Zach had driven off to Atlantic City with his wallet filled with the savings he'd accumulated during his time in the service, and Joel headed back to Chicago, where he'd grown up, to figure out what he was going to do with his life now that he was no longer a part of the United States Marine Corps.

  He'd spent nearly two years doing oddball jobs before going into business with three fellow ex-marines as security agents. They'd formed ESS Group, and were hired to do everything from setting up security at venues and special events to protecting high-profile clients to undercover work when it was warranted. In just a few years' time, the company was well on its way to becoming one of Chicago's top security firms.

  Joel had managed to make a life for himself outside of the service with a job he enjoyed. Unfortunately, Zach hadn't been able to put his time in the Marines behind him and was still living like a nomad.

  "You know where to find us, Zach," Joel said, extending an invitation he hoped his friend would someday accept. "By the way, where are you?"

  "I'd rather not say. The less you know right now, the better."

  "Fair enough," Joel conceded. "Is there a way I can at least get a hold of you if I need to?"

  "My cell phone." Zach gave him the number, and Joel added it to his notes on the pad of paper.

  "I've got to go," Zach said reluctantly. "Semper Fi, Wilde Man."

  Joel couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. It had been a long time since he'd heard the nickname the guys had given him in the service. "Semper fi." Always faithful. And that code applied to his fellow marine and friend.

  "GOD, he's so hot, I'm about to melt into a puddle right here and now."

  Lora Marshall smiled in amusement at her co-worker Monique as they waited at the end of the bar for their drink orders. Sydney, Lora's best friend and the owner of The Electric Blue, stood on the other side of the mahogany and brass bar, mixing an array of cocktails and popping the caps off chilled beer bottles with an ease and rhythm that came from years of experience. Despite how busy Sydney was, she didn't stop from joining in on the conversation.