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“I did. The gala was for a charity that helps women and children who had been rescued from human trafficking rings. The event had more RSVPs than they had expected and required additional security. Our company was already contracted for the job, and half my team was already there, but Ben and Ethan sent the other half to go down and help.”
Carter starts plating our breakfast when he continues, “I don’t know how much you know about Ethan and Amelia’s story, but the charity is near and dear to their heart. It’s run by one of the women Ben and Ethan rescued while saving Amelia from human traffickers. Shining Knight provides security pro bono for this event so that more money can go to the foundation and support the cause.”
I nod. Ethan’s wife, Amelia, runs a premier matchmaking service in New York City, and we hired her a few years ago to help our oldest sister, Callie, find love. She’s been a family friend ever since. She once shared the exciting and almost unbelievable details of her story and how she and Ethan came to be together. After listening to her talk about everything that had happened, I joked that it would make for a good book. I had no idea she would take my suggestion seriously and have a friend write a novel about it. It’s titledMatchmaking the Undercover Agent,and a copy of the book is sitting on the dresser in my bedroom.
“I’m glad you’re back. How long will you be in town for this time?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “You know how it is. We’ve been pretty busy lately, but there are five teams now, which should give us more time off between jobs. For now, I have one job scheduled tonight at a corporate event in the city and the following two days off before our team meeting on Wednesday.”
I smile. As long as he doesn’t get called into work for another last-minute job, our schedules will align perfectly for us to hang out. Maybe we can have our Friday movie night on a Tuesday.
I look at the time and realize that I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on. I scarf down my breakfast and guzzle my juice. It’s almost 7:30 in the morning, and I have to be at the station by eight. Finishing my meal in record time, I hop up from my chair and scramble to get ready.
When I enter the kitchen dressed in my uniform, I see that Carter is washing the dishes. “Thank you for breakfast,” I say, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Grabbing my backpack and keys, I bolt for the door. Instead of saying goodbye, I yell, “And thanks for doing the dishes! I owe you one!”
I’m almost down the steps of our front porch when I hear Carter shout back, “You owe me 27, Leanna! I’ve been keeping count!”
Chapter six
Carter
ShortlyafterLeannaleftfor work this morning, looking ridiculously adorable in her flustered state, I finished cleaning up and got ready for work. The drive to the conference location took two hours because of traffic on the George Washington Bridge. When I finally arrived, I met up with three members of our six-person team. Patrick, Savannah, and Jerry worked together in the FBI, along with Jessie and Roger, who are currently working a protection detail in upstate New York.
All of them, along with my boss, Ethan Knight, were an undercover and tight-knit unit in the Bureau for six years. When Ethan decided to give up his career and start a protection company with his childhood best friend, Ben Cooper, the rest of the team joined him. I’ve always felt like an outsider among them, even though they have never excluded me or done anything to make me feel that way. It’s due to my own personal insecurities and my awareness of the fact that the only reason I’m even here is because of my friendship with Ben.
I met Ben in basic training 12 years ago, and we became instant friends. Even though our jobs in the military were entirely different and took us our separate ways, we always managed to keep in touch. I left the service as soon as my four years were up to finish school and get my business degree while Ben had gone on to be an Army Ranger. I always envied the excitement of his job, but having grown up in a ramshackle of a house and living on the brink of poverty, a steady paycheck and stability were more in my speed.
Two years after I returned to civilian life, an incident occurred overseas that forced Ben to medically retire from the Army. He ended up at his father’s billion-dollar company and asked me if I’d like to be his assistant. For four years, we worked together and climbed the corporate ladder until Ben reached the top and became the CEO of Cooper’s Custom Cars. As the operations officer, my COO position was very lucrative, and I never thought in a million years that I would be willing to give it up. That is until Ben left his dad’s company and asked if I’d like to join his and Ethan’s start-up.
I said “Yes,” and that decision changed my life forever. Even though it was supposed to be a lateral move for me, holding the same title at Shining Knight, I was required to thoroughly “understand” the services we would be offering so I could talk knowledgeably to our prospective clients. I had no idea it would mean becoming a private investigator, maintaining proficiency with a gun and other weapons, and learning Krav Maga and other basic fighting techniques. The only thing is, when I started the training, I was hooked and never wanted to sit behind a desk again.
So here I am, a protection specialist instead of a corporate executive. I have zero regrets about my career choice, especially since Ben kept me at my previous salary. Now, I have the stability I need and the adventure I desire.
“Hey Carter, over here!” shouts Savannah. I see her waving her hand at me from across the grand ballroom where the event will be held. I give her a two-finger salute to indicate that I see her. Savannah is a beautiful woman with long, strawberry-blond hair, large green eyes, and porcelain smooth skin. She’s tall, lean, and fit, giving most models a run for their money. She told me once that she competed in pageants while growing up, the prize money funding her college tuition. After graduation, she vowed she would never compete again. She said it was her mother’s passion, not hers. Savannah is quirky, fun, and incredibly smart—often underestimated, which is perfect for undercover work.
I look at my watch, trying to determine if I’m late. Normally, I’m the first to arrive at a meet-up location, but this time, I’m the last.
“Don’t worry, Rookie. You’re right on time,” Jerry says, using the nickname I abhor. I’ll never tell him that because then he would only use it more often when my goal is for him to use it less. Jerry is a short and stalky guy with blonde hair that’s almost white and green eyes that can pierce you with one glare. He’s the grumpy one of the bunch and rarely smiles. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen one on him yet.
“What’s been done so far?” I ask, ready to get to work. I scan the room, immediately identifying four primary exits that lead to the mezzanine on the other side of the doors.
“Patrick is walking the perimeter right now, looking for hiding spots and vantage points for a shooter,” Jerry tells me.
“I’m about to scout out the emergency escape routes,” Savannah chimes in.
“Is there someone specific attending that we need to focus our attention toward? I don’t recall reading anything about that at our intel brief,” I say.
“No. But these guys are a bunch of Wall Street types and hedge fund managers. People tend to get upset when their money disappears and line the pockets of those like the attendees. If any of them have enemies—especially after the recent market slump—there’s a possibility there might be some blowback action. I just want to be extra prepared,” Jerry explains.
We review key details and talk with the event coordinator, Elise. While we’re chatting and finding out if there have been any changes to the itinerary or additional information not previously disclosed, a new arrival grabs my attention. I smile as Leanna’s sister, Callie, walks in with her partner, Brando. She’s Shining Knight’s lead arson investigator, and Brando is her newly-acquired, bomb-sniffing German Shepherd.
She walks up and introduces herself to Elise. “I’m Callie, the arson specialist. My dog, Brando, is trained to detect bombs and other components that can be mixed to make bombs. We’re just going to take a quick stroll and secure the location from that particular threat.”
Elise’s eyes widen. “I had no idea something like that was even a possibility. When we hired Shining Knight, I thought I was getting a couple of rent-a-cops to make the participants feel safe.”
Patrick saunters towards us, wearing a crisp, dark, tailored suit that’s our standard uniform for a job like this. “We don’t want you to justfeelsafe, Ma’am. We want you tobesafe. Shining Knight at your service,” he says in his deep, superhero voice. Patrick gives her a megawatt smile and bows with a flourish.
Elise giggles and blushes at Patrick’s display, and I have to turn my back to hide my laughter at his flirting attempts. He’s tall with a muscular physique that always has the ladies swooning. He has brown hair that looks red in the sun, rugged features, and light blue eyes. I’ve overheard Jessie and Savannah describe his eye color as aquamarine and his body like a Viking.
