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Chapter One
LILY
“Areyoubored?”Sandraasks, clinging to my arm.
We’ve been sitting in this waiting room for an hour and a half already, looking at the tips of each other’s shoes.
Sandra’s patience is stretched, but that’s nothing new. Sandra has been my music manager for over a year, and she is the closest thing to a best friend I’ve found since moving to New York.
“I’m okay.” I pat her hand and smile. “Your brother is a busy man, I bet.”
We’re at Black Wolf Security Services, a well renowned personal security firm, owned by none other than Sandra’s older brother, Brody.
She had talked about her brother and what he does ever since she booked my first music gig, kidding about the day when I would be big enough of a singer to hire a bodyguard.
Well, apparently, that time has come.
She had always said it jokingly, but the situation we are in now is far from funny.
Trying to distract myself, I let my thoughts drift to my life before New York. Born and raised in a small town in Vermont, I had been writing music and singing for as long as I can remember. My mom likes to take credit saying it must have been because she sang to me before I was born.
Either way, I made it big on social media. My channels and subscribers took off and by the time I graduated college with a music degree, Sandra had found me and offered to be my manager.
The only caveat was I’d have to move to New York. I did so in a heartbeat, and thankfully my parents have been very supportive. I haven’t told them what’s been going on lately though. I don’t want them to worry.
I notice the receptionist answers yet another call and Sandra and I both look her way, hopeful that this time, we will be let in.
Granting our wishes, she directs her words at us, “Mr. Garrison is in the parking lot. He’ll be with you in a moment.”
“Parking lot?!” Sandra jumps up, taking immediate offense at the woman’s words. “I thought he was with a client!”
“I just said he would be a minute,” the receptionist replies, perfectly calm.
Sandra heads over, to tell the lady off I bet, but I grab her hand and hold her back. Luckily, as promised, the front door opens.
I am immediately caught off guard because Brody looksso much betterthan I expected. Sandra had been going on and one about how old he was, but he looked to be mid-thirties, which was way younger than I had imagined.
Since he’s a former Navy SEAL and now head of a personal security firm, I expected him to look good butdang. He is well over six feet tall and has the body of a UFC fighter. His muscles are bulging and giving that tailored gray suit a run for its money.
“Hey.” I shiver when he speaks, his voice deep and husky as he greets Sandra with a hug. They share the same dark hair, but his eyes are green, bright and alert.
“How have you been?”
“Waiting for so long I thought I was going to sprout roots!” Sandra yelps, her face bright with exasperation, her brown eyes wide.
And just like that, she takes a deep breath and literally shakes it off. Her complexion changes as she turns to me, a bit calmer now.
“Oh Brody, this is Lily Rockwell, my client.”
We look at each other. He has the hint of a smile on his lips, and I’m instantly a deer caught in the headlights.
He offers me his hand.
“Hello, I’m Brody,” but it rings on deaf ears once I feel the strength of his hand against mine, my hand completely disappearing into his.
“Hi…” I can feel an idiotic smile plastered onto my face.
“Sorry to keep you both waiting. I came all the way down from Manhattan, and traffic is especially bad getting down to New York now.”
