Beck Read online

  BECK

  Toye Lawson Brown

  Kindle Version

  Copyright © TLB Publishing 2019

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design: Taria Reed Digital Artist (www.TariaReed.net)

  Edited by: Arran McNicol

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  I acknowledge God as the head of my life and without him, I wouldn’t be able to do what I enjoy. Second, I would like to acknowledge my family for giving me strength and support to keep me going when I want to quit at times. No dream is worth having if you aren’t willing to put in the effort. My family enforces my efforts. I must not forget my team of beta readers. They are fantastic, and I would be lost without them. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  DISCLAMER

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for the buyer’s personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold, uploaded via the internet, copied, printed, or redistributed without the written permission of the publisher or author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Contents

  BECK

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Epilogue

  Other Novels by Toye Lawson Brown

  Connect With Toye Lawson Brown

  About The Author

  Chapter One

  Beck

  I sat at my post at Walter Vista Estates II, home to mega-rich residents. It was the largest gated community I’d ever seen and could be classified as a small township. From eight in the evening until eight in the morning, I protected them while they ate dinner and slept soundly through the night.

  Walter Vista Estates was on a prime piece of real estate bordering Lake Erie. Each home had a great view of it, with a dock for watercraft and a patch of beach to use privately from other beachgoers. Twenty homes made up the community. I shouldn’t call them just houses; they were mini-mansions. The sprawling estates were large, and GDB Security handled the entire compound.

  Not a lot happened in this neighborhood. The mornings consisted of signing in the dog walkers who cared for the privileged pets these people were too busy to walk; directing delivery trucks from high-end grocery stores to the homes where the wives who were home all day, yet couldn’t find time between the garden and book club meetings to shop; and keeping track which days the lawn care and sanitation companies came to keep the yards and streets pristine.

  I’d been employed at GDB for eight months. I was part of the security force that protected private businesses and residential communities. I planned to move into the bodyguard sector when there was an opening. My degree in criminal justice and status as a former police officer met their qualifications.

  But, training for new bodyguards wasn’t scheduled to begin for another six months. So for now, I was happy doing this. It wasn’t the usual security guard duties, where I walked around with a flashlight and checked doors. I wore a utility belt equipped with a gun, Taser, and other devices needed to keep the harmful elements out. Plus, I was a martial arts expert and used that to defuse a situation if necessary.

  Anyhow, GDB pretty much policed this little community. When a resident needed help, they called me instead of the local police.

  I was sort of like a college campus police officer with authority to arrest and defend. Most of the training GDB had put me through, I’d done in the police academy. At thirty-three, my career as a Chicago police officer was short-lived, and apparently over. I had my reasons for leaving, and Cleveland was my home now.

  The rain came down in sheets outside the window of the guardhouse. This was an excellent place to be with the weather the way it was. I had the comforts of home with a comfortable chair, a state-of-the-art command center, and enough coffee to last through the night. All that was missing was a television.

  Also missing in my new town was family and friends. I worked odd hours, so making friends was hard. Plus, I didn’t get close to people so they could ask questions about why I’d left the police force after five years. That was something I didn’t care to talk about.

  The silent alarm at one of the homes on the north side went off on the console. If the homeowner didn’t call within five minutes to cancel the alert, I had to check it out. This was the Parker home. Dr. Parker and his wife were out of the country. There should be no one there.

  Not waiting for a call, I pulled on my raincoat and headed outside. It never failed. The alarms only went off if the eye of a thunderstorm was overhead, like now, or it was snowing like hell.

  I drove to the house that was in distress. The windshield wipers were going full speed, and I still had a hard time making out the road. Without flashing the overhead lights, I pulled a couple of driveways short of the house and saw a person on the front porch working with the door. He was pushing his weight on the door, attempting to enter the premises.

  “Hey!” I yelled.

  The person turned to look at me, jumped the banister, and took off running in the dark. It was a foot chase through the wet streets and into the partial woods that separated the backyards of the houses. If the man kept running, he’d be at the bank of the lake. There was nowhere to run after that, unless he had a boat waiting as a getaway vehicle.

  My boots helped with the wet terrain, but the raincoat slowed me down. After pitching it, I continued to chase the man, tackling him in the soggy sand.

  The storm raged around us as we fought. The assailant was strong, pinning me down, trying to get my gun from the holster, but I was stronger. Using my combat skills, I was able to flip the man and render him totally disabled with a sleeper hold.

  Once I got him cuffed, I called for backup. The local police would have to book the suspect into their jail; GDB did not have a facility to hold suspects.

  “Was he the only suspect?” the police officer asked.

  I moved my wet hair from my face. “He was the only one I saw that ran. I’ll check out the residence to make sure no one entered the premises.”

  “Go ahead and do that; we’ll stick around in case you need help.”

  I walked up on the front porch of the house. The light was on, and a woman stood at the door. She appeared sh
aken. Although I was in uniform, my clothes were soaked and dirty from the fight.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I said, pointing to my badge. “I’m Beck Pavlov with GDB Security. First, are you okay? Is anyone else in the home with you?”

  She shook her head. “No. I heard something rattling the door. At first, I thought it was rain and wind. But when I looked out the window and saw a man wearing a dark hoodie, standing on the porch, I hit the alarm.”

  “He’s in custody. I caught him by the lake, and the police are taking him to jail. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here? The Parkers are out of the country and they didn’t say anyone would be staying here in their absence.”

  A flash of angry lightning scorched the night sky. She jumped. “Please come inside. I have a fear of thunderstorms.”

  I stepped inside the grand foyer of the home. It was magnificent, decked out in beige marble floors and maple that made up the front door and the banisters leading up to the second floor.

  I’d never been inside any of the houses but suspected they were great just from the outside. I didn’t move away from the door, considering how dirty and wet I was.

  “I’m sorry about the mess. If you get me a mop, I’ll clean it up.”

  She clutched the black silk robe around her waist. “Don’t worry about it; I’ll get it later. I’m just glad you’re here. Dr. Jonathan Parker is my father. He and his wife knew I would be staying here until my condo was finished. They probably forgot to let you know. I’m Abbie.”

  She reached her hand out to me. I looked for a dry place on my pants to wipe my dirty ones, but—there wasn’t one. “My hands are wet and filthy. I’m sorry to do this to you, Ms. Parker, but you’ll need to call your parents so I can verify you’re supposed to be here.”

  “Oh, sure. I have to get my phone.”

  I watched her walk away. She was attractive and did not favor Dr. Parker at all. Her black hair was swept up in a curly bun. Her slender figure clung to the robe that stopped at her thighs. Toned brown legs were bare and shapely, and her feet were in black, furry slippers. She was around my age if not a tad younger.

  There was a knock at the door. I turned around and saw the police officer I had been dealing with standing at the glass screen. I opened the door for him.

  “Everything okay here?” he asked.

  I nodded. “A female is here. She claims to be the daughter of the homeowners. I have her calling them so I can verify it.”

  The young woman returned to the foyer carrying a towel and a phone. “My father is on the phone ready to do a video chat, Mr. Pavlov, and I bought you a towel to dry off,” she said, handing me both.

  After verifying the woman was indeed Dr. Parker’s daughter, the police officer left with the suspect. I stayed put when Dr. Parker, who was the chief surgeon at a local hospital, asked me to standby.

  “Beck, I have a favor to ask.”

  “What can I do for you, sir?”

  “I need you to stay the night with Abbie. I don’t want her there alone.”

  “Dr. Parker, I’m the only one on duty tonight. I can’t leave the post unmanned.”

  “I have a call into Davonte Hawkins to have you reassigned to protect my daughter. He should be calling you shortly.”

  My brow rose. “Excuse me, sir? You want me to protect your daughter? I’m not a bodyguard for GDB, but a security guard. They will need to assign a bodyguard if that’s your request.”

  “No. I know you and only trust you around my daughter. Please, Beck. If someone is targeting me, I don’t want my daughter hurt.”

  My phone buzzed. Surprised it still worked, I fished it from my pocket. “Can you hold on a minute, Dr. Parker? I have a call coming in from the office.”

  “Have Abbie call me back after you’re done with Mr. Hawkins. I’m at dinner with my wife in Dubai and don’t want to leave her alone with people she doesn’t know.”

  He hung up as I answered Davonte. I took the call on the porch and away from Abbie.

  “I’m here, Davonte.” I was on a first-name basis with everyone at the office. They felt the informality would put everyone at ease.

  “Beck, you’re aware of the change for Dr. Parker?”

  “Yes, but I’m not a bodyguard. Do you want me to treat her as a special police escort?”

  “As of now, you are a bodyguard. In the morning, bring Ms. Parker to the office so we can assess the situation and get the paperwork in order. Gio will need to upgrade your status and get you the proper credentials.”

  “I didn’t plan any of this happening, especially tonight.”

  “Shit changes in a heartbeat at GDB. With your background in law enforcement, the transition will be easy for you. I’m sending in a replacement for you tonight. He’ll meet you at the house. Fill him in, then you’re to stay at the Parker house until further notice. Beck, wherever Ms. Parker goes from now on, you go. Do you understand? Do not let her out of your sight.”

  “I got it,” I said. “Davonte, can you have my replacement bring me dry clothes? During the fight, mine got ruined.”

  “I’m on it. You’ll have a chance to go home and pack while Ms. Parker is in the office. Talk to you in the morning”.

  “Roger.” I hung up and went inside the house.

  Ms. Parker was on her knees with wads of paper towels in her hand, cleaning up the mess my wet shoes and clothes had made on the marble floor. I rushed over to her.

  “Let me do that. I made the mess,” I said.

  “I got it,” she said, standing. “I’m sure my dad has hired people to come in and clean, but I’m used to picking up after myself.”

  “I made the mess, not you,” I said, and took the wad of paper towels from her hand. I wiped up the sand and dirt until the floor was spotless. “There, all done.”

  She was leaning against the banister, dark eyes pinned on me. “Thank you. I can get you a robe if you want to change out of those wet clothes. That can’t be comfortable, and there is a bathroom right there.”

  The only saving grace to the wet clothes was that it was warm outside. So the rain didn’t chill me to the bone. I grinned. “That would be great, if it isn’t too much trouble. Another guard should be here shortly with dry clothes for me. So don’t be scared if the doorbell rings.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. “Great. I’m just glad you’re here. I heard things in other rooms. I didn’t want to roam around this big house by myself after that guy tried to break in. Do you know if there have been any break-ins lately?”

  I shook my head. “Not since I’ve been on the job. We’ll get this straightened out soon enough, Ms. Parker. For now, I’m at your beck and call; no pun intended.”

  She smiled, brightening her dark eyes. “I’m glad to have you on the job. And please call me Abbie. I’ll get that robe for you.”

  Two hours later, I had briefed my replacement and given him the incident report to file, and Abbie had given me a tour of the house that made my apartment seem the size of a shoebox.

  She offered me a bedroom across the hall from hers. I refused it for tonight and opted to stay downstairs, since the incident still had me on edge. I needed to be able to hear what was going on outside, and my body was on a schedule to stay awake until morning; it was nearly two, and I wasn’t sleepy—a little achy from the fight but not tired enough to sleep.

  My sleeping pattern was on a different clock. I would get home by nine, take a shower, eat a light breakfast, go to bed, and be up by two in the afternoon to get on with my day. I would have to reprogram my sleeping schedule to fit Ms. Parker’s.

  I had settled in on the sofa with my iPad to read the notes Davonte sent when Abbie came into the room carrying a tray.

  “I bought you a coffee and a snack. I hope you like cinnamon rolls,” Abbie said, putting the tray on the table.

  Putting the iPad on the cushion next to me, I sat up. “Love them, thank you.”

  She poured coffee in each mug. “You’re welcome. Cream and sugar, or d
o you drink it black, like most cops?”

  Her grin was teasing, but it struck a tiny nerve with me. The perceptions people had about police officers were usually off the scale. We were seen as the enemy until we came to the rescue.

  “I take cream and sugar,” I replied, even though I did drink it straight. “Why are you still up at this hour?”

  “I couldn’t sleep. I guess my energy is too high after what happened. I hope I’m not disturbing whatever you’re doing.”

  “No. Just reading emails from work.” I took the coffee, and then the large piece of the belt-busting pastry that she’d put on a fancy-looking plate. I made a rule not to eat fattening food after a certain hour, but I was starving and had left my dinner at the guardhouse.

  Staying in shape for the job was a requirement, and I worked out daily, since I was into playing sports and staying active. Staying in top physical condition had always been a priority for me. I didn’t follow a strict diet, just watched what I ate. I went lighter on carbs, heavier on proteins, and ate desserts in moderation.

  She sat back in the over-sized chair. It was so plush and pillow-soft that it almost swallowed her. “Let me know if I am a pest. I’m sure I can find something to do.”

  “You should get some sleep. I have to take you to headquarters so you can fill out paperwork and meet with my bosses.”

  “I’m too amped up,” she said, and took a sip of coffee. “All I need is coffee to double my anxiety.”

  “Right.” I took a bite of the cinnamon roll. “This is good. Where did you get them?”

  “I made them myself. I’m glad you like it.”

  “Wow. I don’t think I’ve had any that taste this good.” I wasn’t lying.

  The pastry was soft and buttery, with just the right amount of icing on the outside. It was delicious.

  I took another bite, almost finishing it. I hadn’t realized I’d eaten most of the thing. “You should make these to sell or something.”

  “Right.” She placed her mug and half-eaten cinnamon roll on the tray. “I’m so full that I think I can sleep now. What about you?”