AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey Carter, it’s Ben. I know you were planning on returning from your trip tomorrow, but I need you to get here as soon as possible. We have a meeting with a client in six hours, and the job starts as soon as the meeting is over. I rented a charter for you that leaves in an hour from Denison Municipal. Can you get there in time?”
Thankfully, I have been living out of my suitcase, and with a quick zip of my bags and lockup of the house, I can be on my way in minutes. I look at my watch and sigh. “That’s going to be cutting it close. If you’re willing to go through all this trouble, this must be a fairly prominent client.”
“Not prominent, but important. You’ll be working with Patrick and Savannah on this job, but I’ve assigned you as the team lead since you were specifically requested for this assignment.”
“I’m on my way.” I swap the call over to the hands-free device when I get in the car. “What do you want me to do about my rental vehicle?”
“I’ll take care of that for you. A driver will be waiting for you at JFK airport and bringing you straight here. No time to waste,” Ben tells me with a sense of urgency.
“Copy all.” With that, Ben hangs up, and I speed toward the airport.
I spend the half-hour drive trying to figure out the best way to declare my love for Leanna, unsure if I should ask her out on a date or just lay my cards on the table when I get home. I guess it doesn’t matter since it looks like it will have to wait.
First, I have a job to do.
Five and a half hours later, I’m riding up the elevator to the top floor of our office building, heading toward the conference room where I’ll meet with Ben, Ethan, and the client. On my way, I’m stopped in the hallway by Amelia.
“Hey, Carter. Good luck with your assignment. Something tells me you’re going to need it,” she says with a wink.
If it wasn’t for her wink, I might be concerned. Regardless, I am curious and hope she’ll give me the inside scoop.
“What am I going to be walking into? Do you know who the client is?” I ask.
“I do, and you won’t be walking into anything you can’t handle. This assignment is perfect for you, and the client couldn’t be in better hands.”
“So, you aren’t going to tell me who it is?” I ask, chuckling.
“What’s the fun in that? I’ll escort you in just so I can see your face,” she says, looping her arm in mine and grinning broadly.
“Now I’m scared,” I joke.
“There’s nothing to be scared about…I don’t think,” she says hesitantly. Then, squaring her shoulders, she adds, “In fact, I have a really good feeling about this one.”
“Are you doing your matchmaking thing again?” I tease.
“When am I not? You might have decided not to be my client anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my eye out for potential matches. However, I don’t believe you need my services. My gut says you already found your match, and you know as well as anybody that my gut is never wrong.”
I give her a warm smile. “That’s true.” When I don’t elaborate, she turns, stops us in front of the conference room doors, and stares me straight in the eyes. Once she sees what she’s looking for, she says, “Good. It’s about time.”
Amelia opens the door and announces our presence by shouting, “Look who I found loitering in the hallway?”
I roll my eyes at her lack of professionalism, but I can understand why when I see all the faces staring back at me. This isn’t just a client; it’s the entire Arbaroa family. I scan the room, my breath hitching when my eyes lock with Leanna’s.
“What’s going on?” I ask, wondering if this is some kind of setup or another one of Amelia’s matchmaking schemes. When I glance over in Amelia’s direction, she shakes her head, silently answering my unasked question. Apparently, she has nothing to do with this.
“Please, have a seat,” Ethan says. I do as he says, taking the only seat available on the opposite side of Leanna.
“Thank you for getting here on such short notice. As you can see,” he says, gesturing to everyone, “there was a reason I called you. While you were back home, a string of events occurred that warrants additional protection for one of the members of the Arbaroa family. They requested that you be the added protection.”
“We couldn’t think of anyone we trusted more to protect Leanna than you, Carter. You’re more than just a roommate and a friend. You’re family to us,” Nicholas says. As the patriarch, his words and trust mean a lot to me.
“Leanna, would you like to explain what has happened to warrant a protection detail?” Ethan asks.
“I don’t think I need one, but everyone else seems to disagree. A few punctured tires and dead flowers do not mean my life is being threatened,” she says, not meeting my eyes.
“Oh, it’s more than that!” Daphne loudly exclaims. Turning to me, she says, “As you know, Leanna has been subtly threatened by Mark Jenkins and your ex-fiancée, Melissa.” My eyes widen at the last part.
“Melissa threatened you?” I ask, directing my question at Leanna.
