Ruthless, An Option Zero Novel

A country in peril.
Two broken hearts.
One brutal lie.

Having been betrayed in the worst way possible, Eve Wells doesn’t find trust easy to give. But if there’s one person she can trust with everything, it’s her OZ partner, Gideon Wright. He is her one true confidant and knows everything about her. They would never lie to each other. When disaster strikes, her body isn’t the only thing broken. The truth is revealed, and she’s devastated to learn everything she believed about him was a lie.

For over a decade, Gideon has been living on borrowed time. He had known that once Eve discovered the truth, nothing would ever be the same. But he had made an oath, one he would die before he would betray. He never planned on falling in love with her. She was his to protect but not to love. They couldn’t be together, not in the way he wanted. Now that everything’s out in the open, they must forge a new path. Mending Eve’s broken heart won’t be easy, but he won’t give up. He’ll do whatever it takes to earn back her trust.

Something wicked is headed their way. Something neither of them could have anticipated. If they fight separately, they will lose. If they join together, they’ll win, but the aftermath could eviscerate all they had before.

Some things are worth fighting for, and some things are worth dying for. After all the heartbreak and deception, Eve and Gideon must find that one true thing that’s worth living for before it’s too late.

Chapter One

Twelve Years ago
US Embassy
Paris, France

“Come on, Lina. Tell me. Please? Please? Pretty please?”

Blushing like a schoolgirl, Lina Wellingsley flashed her friend a sassy grin. For the last half hour, Shelby had been trying to get her to spill her big secret. One that she had been keeping to herself for almost three weeks. Having any kind of secret was such a unique experience for her that she had wanted to keep it to herself just a little while longer. From the time she was born, her entire life had been under scrutiny. Secrets had been few and far between.

And this secret was just so special. She was having her very first grown-up romance. Okay, well, maybe not exactly a romance. They hadn’t even had a real date. But in her twenty-one years, this was the first time she had been so attracted to anyone. Usually, her dates were chosen for her, and she appeared with him at a function and then rarely saw him again. It was the way of her world. Yes, it was old-fashioned to the point of being archaic, but it wasn’t something she had ever given a lot of thought to. But now that she was out on her own, she realized how very confining her world really was. She wanted a private life, a life where she didn’t have a litany of people who approved or disapproved of her choices. She wanted to be normal. This was a definite step in the right direction.

“Come on, Lina. You know I won’t tell anyone.”

That was true. She and Shelby Greene had become fast friends the instant they’d met last year. Other than her family, there was no one she trusted more. They were also roommates and co-workers, so there was very little that Shelby didn’t know about her already. With her strawberry-blond hair, beautiful smile, and spattering of freckles on her face, Shelby had endeared herself to Lina from the first hello. She had a calm but outgoing personality and was the perfect accompaniment to Lina’s shy awkwardness.

“I know you won’t tell. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve felt this way. I guess I just want to hang on to it a little longer.”

“Can you at least tell me where you met him?”

Since she never went anywhere alone, that was a loaded question. With the exception of when she was at work and had a little more privacy, her two bodyguards, Herbert and Francois, were with her at all times. At work, they stayed outside the embassy, parked close by in case they needed to get to her quickly. And while she appreciated their protection, she knew they reported everything to her father. If she were to start dating someone, he would be the first to know.

She glanced around the empty break room. They might be alone here, but anyone passing by would see them and might overhear. She leaned closer to Shelby and whispered, “He works here…at the embassy.”

Shelby’s pretty face scrunched up in confusion. “Seriously? I haven’t seen you talking to anyone in particular.”

Should she tell Shelby about the cellphone he’d given her? Since they couldn’t be seen together without speculation, he had gifted her with a phone so they could text each other. So far, their conversations had been about getting to know each other. Favorite colors, movies, books, all the silly and fun things one might learn on a first or second date.

He was more than aware of what their appearance in public would mean. She wasn’t the only one under scrutiny. His father was also a high-profile person. The paparazzi would have a field day if they knew they were seeing each other. At some point, they’d have to make it public, but for right now, keeping it a secret worked for them both.

“We haven’t really had a chance to be alone like that. You know what would happen if we’re seen together.”

“Yeah.” Shelby grimaced in sympathy.

The whole world knew Lina worked here. When she had first arrived in Paris and started working at the embassy, it had been all over the news. Thankfully, the media had eventually gone on to other, more important things, and she did her best to live a low-profile existence. She wanted to do good work, make a difference in the world. To be taken seriously. Too many people believed she’d gotten her aide position because of who she was. And though she knew it had given her an opening others might not have had, that didn’t mean she didn’t work hard or that she couldn’t make a valuable contribution. She had degrees in both international relations and foreign policy, spoke four languages, and was a serious student of the geopolitical climate of today.

Despite who her family was, she had insisted on being treated just like any other employee. She believed she had proven herself, but there were still many who considered her a celebrity with no real value. Since she had a stubborn soul, those kinds of opinions just made her work all the harder.

“I’ve never seen you like this, Lina. You’re blushing, and your eyes are sparkling like blue diamonds. You’re practically glowing.”

There was a tinge of hurt in Shelby’s face, and Lina quickly pulled herself out of her head. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friend. Shelby had been so supportive of her and had never once treated her differently than she did anyone else. Even though they came from tremendously different backgrounds, they had so much in common that their differences had never mattered. It was something Lina sincerely appreciated.

“Okay, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out.”

Shelby’s light green eyes went wide at the warning, but she nodded and said solemnly, “I promise.”

“It’s Dirk Bennett,” she whispered.

Shelby jerked back, gasping. “The ambassador? Good heavens, Lina! He’s an old man—at least forty-five!”

Lina swallowed a snort. “Not him, silly. Dirk Jr. His son.”

“Oh.” She blew out a relieved sigh. Then as it hit her, her eyes went wide. “Ohhhhh. He’s cute!”

Lina grinned in delight. “I know! And he’s so charming and sweet.”

“So how did it start? Who made the first move? Have you kissed him yet? Where do you see him? What’s he like?”

“We sat next to each other at the summit in Switzerland last month. It was just so dry and boring, and I couldn’t stop yawning. He noticed and sent me silly notes to keep me awake. Then we sat at the same table for dinner and got to talking.”

“How did Francois and Herbert not see you with him?”

“Because it was completely innocent. I mean, it’s not like we made out at the table or anything. We just chatted. And then he walked me to my hotel room.”

“With Francois and Herbert right behind you.”

Lina rolled her eyes. “Of course. Where else would they be?” It wasn’t like she disliked her bodyguards. They were sweet and more like family than just guards, since they’d been guarding her for much of her life, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t like some privacy to just be a normal girl who liked a normal guy.

“But if there’s a romance, surely you two have been alone together.”

Lina could feel her face heat up with a blush. “Only briefly. We’ve managed a few minutes here and there.”

“Annnnnd?”

“And we kissed for a bit.”

“Was it nice?”

“Very.”

“What’s he like?”

“He’s funny and sweet. Super smart. I mean, like, brilliant.”

“And the fact that he’s incredibly handsome doesn’t hurt.”

“No, it does not. That’s not the reason I like him…but…” She smiled, remembering how she had gazed up at him and wondered how anyone so good-looking could be interested in a plain girl like her. Admittedly, she had some good qualities. Nice hair, good skin, pretty blue eyes, and a pleasant personality. She’d always been on the thin side but had gained a little weight over the last couple of years and had finally started filling out a bit.

But then there was her nose. She had inherited her father’s nose, and while it looked fine on him and her brothers, on her face, it was an eyesore. Long, narrow, pointed, with the slightest upward tilt at the end.

She had mentioned the possibility of plastic surgery to her father numerous times, but he was adamantly opposed to such a thing. He said her nose was the mark of the Wellingsley family, and she should be proud of it. While she was proud of her lineage, she couldn’t help but wish she’d inherited a more attractive feature.

Dirk didn’t seem to mind the size of her nose, but she had vaguely mentioned her desire for a different look, and he had been supportive of her having surgery. He’d told her that if she wasn’t happy with herself, it should be her choice to change and no one else’s. He had even sent her a few photos of different kinds of noses he thought would look good on her.

Her old insecurity had reared its ugly head, and she couldn’t help but ask if he didn’t like the way she looked. He had assured her that wasn’t the case, that he thought she was beautiful just the way she was. He’d told her he was only trying to be supportive.

Still, when she went home for a visit in a few weeks, she was going to discuss the possibility with her father again. Maybe she could get her brothers on board to change his mind. Though Nicolas and Alexandre were older than she was and often treated her more like a child than an adult, they held a lot of sway with their father. If it hadn’t been for them, he likely wouldn’t even have agreed to allow her to work at the embassy. So, if she could get at least one of them on board for a nose job, perhaps the outcome of her request would be different this time.

Her feelings for Dirk made her want to look prettier for him. He had even made a few suggestions regarding her clothes and makeup, too. Nothing major, but she had taken his suggestions to heart. The last few weeks, she had put extra effort into looking her best. With her background, it had always been important to appear well put together and poised on all occasions. But she had done that because it was expected. Now she did it because she wanted to please someone else. Dirk had told her more than once how attractive he thought she was, which made her tingle all over, pleased that she pleased him.

“So will you and he ever be able to date?” Shelby asked.

“We hope so. I mean, it’s not like we’re that different. Both of us have family expectations, and we’re used to being in the public eye. But, for right now at least, having the press around is the last thing we want. If they get wind of it, we’ll be followed everywhere, and they’ll come up with all sorts of ridiculous stories about us. We just want to be able to be two people who find each other attractive and want to get to know each other better.”

“Hence the not telling anyone yet.”

“Exactly.”

“So how are you going to do that? Be alone together, I mean. Neither of you have regular, ordinary lives where you can just go and be alone.”

This was where it would get tricky. She was going to ask a huge favor of her friend, and she wasn’t sure how it would be received.

“I was wondering if you could—”

A loud, popping noise in the background halted her question. She frowned at Shelby. “What was that?”

An odd expression came over Shelby’s face as she went to her feet. “Get in the hall closet and stay there, Lina.”

“What?” Lina jumped up, her heart hammering. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I need you to get in the closet, and don’t come out until I come back for you.”

“No. If something bad is happening, you need to come with me. Security will protect us.”

Lina swallowed a gasp when, instead of agreeing, Shelby lifted one side of her dress, revealing a gun holster strapped to her leg that held a small pistol. Pulling the gun from the holster, she said sternly, “Do as I say, Lina. Go. Now.”

The knowledge that her friend wasn’t the woman she’d claimed to be was a secondary shock she would have to deal with later. With the sounds of shouts coming closer and closer and people running down the hallways screaming, it was obvious the embassy was under attack.

An explosion sounded, rocking the floor beneath their feet. Screams of pain and terror surrounded them.

“Go, Lina,” Shelby said. “I’ve got this.”

“But I don’t—”

The blast of a gun and the jerk of Shelby’s body told her it was too late. Shelby managed to turn and fire her weapon twice. Then, with a hoarse whisper, she said, “I’m so sorry, Lina,” before she dropped to the floor.

“No!” Lina knelt on the floor, her mind screaming in horror as she searched for Shelby’s pulse with a trembling hand. There wasn’t one.

This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t! Shelby’s pretty green eyes were empty, her face slack and expressionless. “Shelby, no! Please, no!”

“You!”

Lina jerked her head up. A masked man stood before her, pointing a rifle at her. “Come with me,” he snapped.

Her entire body trembling, Lina stood and shook her head. “No.” She had wanted to shout the word, but it had come out more of a whisper.

Instead of giving her the order again, the man strode to her and raised the rifle higher. Knowing this was it, that this was the moment she would die, she closed her eyes and thought of her family. She saw her papa’s and her brothers’ faces, felt their love surround her.

Pain pierced the side of her head, and she dropped to the floor. As her eyes fluttered closed, the last thing she saw was Shelby’s blank, lifeless face.