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CHAPTER1
Ryan
The black ball comes out of nowhere, a blur in my peripheral vision. In one fluid, subconscious motion, my hand rises, and it smacks my palm. Beyond my monitor, Trevor grins.
“Solid reaction time.” Trevor, my business partner, former SEAL team member, and closest friend, plops down in my office chair.
“Can you cover an interview for me this morning?”
“What time?”
“Nine thirty. Rusty Callaway. Stella has his file. If I can meet with him once my meeting wraps, I will.”
Stella is Arrow’s HR director, and Trevor’s soon-to-be wife. They aren’t yet engaged, but I’ve never seen Trevor so serious about a woman. Mentally, he’s committed for life. They say when a man loves a woman, he’ll do anything for her. Well, Trevor killed to protect her. In my book, that’s as committed as it gets.
On my monitor, a small window in the upper right corner shows a view of the entrance to Arrow’s reception area. A couple enters and approaches the desk.
“Who’s that?” Trevor asks.
“My nine o’clock. Jack Sullivan. An old Naval Academy classmate. Flew up from San Diego.”
“Who’s the woman?”
The dark-haired woman standing beside him is tall, nearly as tall as Jack, and he’s a little over six feet. Her long hair falls midway down her back. There’s a briefcase hanging off her shoulder, and the strap sinks into her shoulder pad, something that is noticeable from the bird's-eye of view of our security camera.
“I assume his wife. He invited me to his wedding ages ago, but I couldn’t get leave. Never met her.” She’s wearing a shapeless black pants suit. “Could also be his colleague.”
“What’s the meeting about?”
“He needs our services.” I tap my fingers as Tabitha Patel, our receptionist and highly skilled gatekeeper, verifies their licenses. “Needed to meet as soon as possible.”
In my office closet, I store extra suits, ties, and workout clothes. I thumb through my options and select a navy suit coat. Jack’s wearing a tie, but I don’t bother with one.
Trevor studies the screen. “What’s he do?”
“He’s CEO for Sullivan Arms, the gun manufacturer.”
“I own one of their handguns. What’s he need?”
“Didn’t say. Said Arrow Security came highly recommended. Checked out our site and recognized me. Said he needs complete discretion.”
“Rich guy. Guns. Interesting. If he didn’t have his wife with him, I’d bet on a ransom hanging over his head Ashley Madison style.” Ashley Madison is a site that married individuals seeking a discreet relationship use. We had a high-profile client a couple of years ago reach out to us to identify someone hacking the system and threatening select wealthy users.
“That’s not Sullivan’s style. He’s good people.” Trevor questions my judgment with one lift of his eyebrow and a cocky smirk.
Rumors swirled around Jack Sullivan back in the day. Because of his wealth, cadets observed his every move. He qualified as a celebrity in our ranks. But I never saw any sign he let it go to his head. If anything, he worked harder than the rest of us.
Everyone believed once he finished his time with the Navy, he’d leave the military to run his family’s company. One quick internet search after his call showed me he’d done just that. According to the latestForbeslist, his net worth looms near the billion threshold.
The woman glances up and looks directly into the camera. Dark eyebrows arch over observant eyes.
“His wife’s hot.” While I agree with Trevor’s assessment, I am much more intrigued by the reason for an urgent visit.
“You want to stay for the meeting? Until nine thirty?”
“Nah. I’ll head down and get Callaway’s file from Stella. Shout if you need me.” Trevor pauses and taps the doorframe. “Maybe he just needs a security detail?”
“We shall see.” There’s no point in guessing. He’s in the elevator.
