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The door was open, and Sam sat at her desk. A huge conference table took up half her office.
It amazed him that the petite woman oversaw so many alpha men. He wondered what kept everyone working there and how she maintained control. But then again, all he’d heard were good things about her.
He knew from Chase “Mad Dog” Maddox, who ran the Brotherhood Alliance in Haywood Lake, Sam took no prisoners and was loyal to her friends and co-workers. Not unlike being in the service where someone had your six and demanded the security force be professional. He also heard rumors she was adept at krav maga and who knew what else, plus she wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger if a rescue warranted it.
“Killian.” Sam glanced up and smiled. “Come on in.” She stood and walked around her desk, her hand extended. “Glad to have you on board.”
“Glad to be here,” said Killian, firmly shaking her hand.
She pulled out a chair at the conference table and sat. “Have a seat. We can discuss details of what you can expect working here.”
The next hour went by quickly, and Killian was even more impressed with KnightGuard Security’s work and how much time and money was given back to the community. Although Sam didn’t come right out and say it, it sounded like the employees were friends and considered each other family.
Sam asked if he had questions, which he didn’t.
“Have you found a place to live?”
He nodded.
He’d found a nice two-bedroom condo unit on the fourth floor of a newly built building close to the Riverwalk. It was the first place he’d ever bought, and the good news was he didn’t need a roommate. The salaries were quite generous at KnightGuard. Sam claimed she got the best and wanted to keep it that way.
“Great.” She nodded and glanced out the door. “I understand you know Joe Harkin. Joe hoped to show you around, but a last-minute appointment came up. I buzzed Ben Green, and he’ll be here in a minute.”
A large muscular man with streaked-blond hair and tattoos running up both arms stepped into the doorway. Sam introduced him to Ben, and the men left her office.
Killian and Ben spent an hour talking to the other employees. He followed Ben to the back of the huge warehouse to tour the training room, which impressed the hell out of him. He saw a small ring at one end, with two men sparring. Every machine someone could wish for or use was spread around. At one end of the room were lockers, showers, and a big kitchen. KnightGuard Security was an impressive operation.
Ben introduced Killian to Phil Donovan in IT. He laughed at Phil’s beanie that read, “Just Press Enter.” The IT room was small but had multiple monitors and computers. Ben confessed Phil was a damn good hacker and Sam was lucky to have him.
Killian noticed the gold wedding band on Ben’s finger. “I see you’re married,” said Killian. “Are most of the employees single or married?”
“Most are married,” Ben said. “We like to tease there’s something in the water. Every time one of our agents is sent on a job involving a woman, they fall in love.”
Killian thought about that. “So you’re saying working at KnightGuard Security is something like the love boat?”
Ben shook his head and chuckled. “No, it’s not a free-for-all. I’m just saying a few of us here met our significant other while guarding them.”
“Did you?” Killian asked.
“Yeah. My wife, Marlee, witnessed her CEO murder her boss and was on the run when I met her. It’s a funny story I might share sometime.” Ben smiled and paused. “As for Joe, and I’m not talking out of turn here, he married his high school sweetheart Claire, and they just had a baby. They lost touch with each other until Claire ran away from an abusive situation. Unknowingly, Joe was assigned to guard her. And that is what they call serendipity, my friend.”
Holy shit!
He’d known Joe for a while, and Joe never mentioned a high school sweetheart or any sweetheart. Now that he thought about it, Joe appeared happy. Marriage seemed to agree with him.
Killian took a deep breath.
He had to keep his guard up because no way in hell he was ever settling down with a woman or getting married or having kids. Killian knew he wasn’t marriage material, especially with his background.
CHAPTER THREE
The first bell rang, and Anne’s heart swelled as she heard the high-pitched voices of little people echoing down the hall. It was Friday, the start of another school day and the last day before the weekend. Teaching kindergarten was everything she hoped it would be, especially the pleasure of encouraging little minds to explore the world they lived in, and she enjoyed their successes.
She took one last look at the cheerful classroom.
The large room was thoughtfully divided into sections. There was one wall of windows letting lots of natural light. The other walls were painted bright primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. Along one wall were shelves for toys, and below were cubbies for storage.
In one section of the room, a large round blue rug decorated with colorful animals was placed in front of bookcases surrounded by beanbag chairs for the kiddos to relax and read. A few small, multicolored tables and chairs were placed around the room. Daily lessons were listed on the whiteboard. Anne smiled. The room was comfortable and designed for learning.
