“Enzo Vinci as private security. Never would have believed it. When did you grow a pair of balls?” Julian asked, slapping Enzo on the shoulder.
“Trying to get into the Navy kicked my ass. I was embarrassed when I couldn’t cut it and decided to follow my old man’s advice and go to college. I bulked up, hooked up with the girls, got a degree in Kinesiology but never could get rid of that pesky desire to be a hero, you know. Can you believe I decided to try my hand at the military again? Glutton for punishment, I guess. Joined the marines, made it through basic, but it was rough. I pulled out of that after two years, but I was stationed in Africa and fell in love with this fucking place. Decided not to go back to the Bronx and bounced around. Spent some time in Johannesburg and Lagos before deciding to settle in Nairobi. What brings you here?” Enzo asked, beckoning for him to sit on the couch.
Julian followed Enzo into the waiting room and eased down onto the arm of the sofa. “My girlfriend.”
“Hot damn! You caught the same bug I did. What do they say? Once you go black, you never go back?” Enzo roared with laughter.
Julian cringed. The fact that he and Mena were an interracial couple had never registered as being important. They were so much more than their respective ethnicities.
“How long you been here?” Enzo asked.
“About six months,” Julian said, reflecting on his days running around taking care of various errands for Mena. When he finished his “honey do” list, he’d lounge on the couch and try to learn Swahili from watching television and news shows. A maid came to clean every week and the only real fun he had without Mena was haggling with the vendors at the local outdoor market during his weekly grocery runs.
Damn, who the fuck had he turned into?
Julian continued, “And I’ll be here for another eighteen months. Thought it was about time I got a job.”
“We’d be damn lucky to have you. This is a good operation and you already know Sunny. She’s tough, but she’s fair, spreading the work around so we all get paid well. She should be here—”
The chimes filled the air and Julian turned to look toward the door.
Sunny walked in wearing camouflage leggings, a black tank top and combat boots. Her hair was braided in rows, hanging down her back.
“I honestly didn’t expect to see you again,” Sunny said, wrapping an arm around his neck and hugging him tight. “Just in time for happy hour. Hope you brought your wallet. I need that vodka tonic right about now.”
Not exactly what Julian had in mind, but maybe a shot or four would make Sunny open to hiring him temporarily. “Is there a bar nearby?”
“Ten minute drive away,” Sunny said, grabbing Julian’s hand. She turned and looked back at Enzo. “Make yourself useful and pick up the equipment I ordered for the job you and Hakeem are doing Friday night. Where is Hakeem, anyway?”
“Probably somewhere getting laid,” Enzo laughed.
“Find him and tell him to get his ass over here tonight for the debrief or I’m taking him off this gig. This is a high profile dinner for the political elite in Kenya, protecting one of the richest families in the country. If either one of you messes this up for me, you could screw us out of future work and I’m not having that. Got it?” Sunny asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Enzo said, then saluted Sunny. “If I can’t find Hakeem though, maybe Julian wouldn’t mind stepping in and working the dinner with me. I bet he looks good in a monkey suit.”
“Montgomery?” Sunny asked, pushing Enzo toward the door. Squeezing Julian’s hand, she leaned against him. “Is that why you’re here. You want to work for me?”
“Depends. Would you hire me?” Julian asked.
Looping an arm in his, Sunny said, “No drinks for this discussion. Let’s go in my office.”
Julian followed her through the open door behind the counter and down a single hallway lined with smaller offices until they reached the end of the hall. Sunny swiped a card and opened the last door, stepping to the side to allow Julian space to enter.
Inside, the room was a tactical haven with live video feeds displayed across three monitors to the left of the desk, which was equipped with an oversized computer monitor and keyboard. A portable computer server sat in the corner of the room, next to a rack of AR-15 assault rifles and a bullet proof vest.
Sunny sat down, propped her feet up on the desk and leaned back in the chair.
“Not bad,” Julian said, dropping down in the modern, ergonomic chair across from Sunny. Her office was in stark contrast to the dilapidated furnishings of the front waiting room—modern and new, contemporary and trendy, with African violets planted in baskets placed around the room. Julian mimicked her move, leaning back in the chair and propping his feet on her desk.
He stared at her, the sensual smirk spreading across her face as she watched him, trying to read his thoughts like she’d always tried to do in the past. She hadn’t changed one bit—a sprinkle of southern charm, a dash of overt sexuality and an ego as big as the state of Georgia. For as much as he saw that reminded him of the past, there was a new confidence and refined exquisite nature that she possessed now, likely growing out of time and life experiences.
“Do you remember that weekend I flew home with you and Broman to Jacksonville? We drove over to Sarasota and hung out at that beautiful beach with gorgeous fine white sand. It was hot as hell outside, but that sand stayed cool to the touch,” Sunny said.
“Siesta Key,” Julian said, faint memories of the weekend emerging in his mind. It had been a difficult one for him, for many reasons, but he’d managed to stick it out and enjoy himself despite the circumstances.
“We had good times back then,” Sunny said, her smile fading into one more contemplative. “We were so close, like family.”
Julian laughed, “Not exactly like … family.”
