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I am still extremely pissed and disappointed in Kristen’s behavior earlier. I need to consider whether or not I should continue her employment. At the very least, I need to give her a different job where I won’t have to see her on a daily basis. I hadn’t noticed it before today, but I’m beginning to see Kristen has set her sights on me. I won’t risk her doing something worse to cause problems between Marley and me.
I’m not sure why Kristen would be interested in me, because I’ve seen her look at me in my chair with disgust when she thought I wasn’t paying attention. I can’t understand what hermotivations are, but I have zero interest in her. I know I behaved very unprofessionally during the phone call, but I won’t allow myself to feel guilty for making sure Kristen understands that I am with Marley…intimately. I don’t want her to have any doubt that my heart belongs to Marley.
I pause as that thought crosses my mind. My heart? It’s too soon for this level of feelings, but I can’t deny what she means to me. My heart well and truly belongs to Marley Morrison. I’ve had a strong affection for her for many months. The physical intimacy we’ve shared the last couple of days as cemented those feelings. I felt connected to her from the moment we first met, but now I know I can’t go back to just a casual acquaintance with her.
Marley sighs in her sleep. Her eyes moving rapidly under her closed lids. She’s dreaming, and I hope she’s having happy dreams. My arms tighten slightly around her. This is the most contented I’ve felt in a very long time, but I have work to do. I doubt she will sleep very well if I’m fidgeting all afternoon. I ease out from under her warm embrace, making sure I cover her up with the bedding. I dress my lower body before easing into my chair.
Once I’m back in the dining room where we’ve set up a make shift office for the day, I grab my laptop and the file on Mr. Hanson to prepare for my zoom meeting with him. I only have a few minutes to get up to speed before our appointment time. I’ve just finished reviewing the file when Rosco strolls into the room.
“Where’s Marley?” Rosco asks as he drops into a chair.
“Napping,” I reply. Rosco smirks as me when I glance up at him.
“Right.” He chuckles. “Wore her out?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” I grouse at my brother’s accurate assessment. “She is working her first shift at Jay’s tonight. She needs to be rested.” Rosco snorts.
“Then you shouldn’t have fucked her into oblivion,” Roscomumbles. He sits up straighter when my head jerks up to glare at him. “Sorry, I know it’s none of my business.”
“You’re right. It’s not your business,” I complain. “Marley is important to me. You need to understand that. She isn’t some passing fling. She’s mine, now and forever.” Rosco stares at me in disbelief, for a moment. Then he nods as I see his demeanor shift. He understands I’m serious. I mean business where she is concerned. I don’t think I’ll have any further doubt from my brothers about Marley from here on out. “Are you going to sit in on the Hanson meeting?”
“Yeah.” Rosco moves over next to me so he too can see the screen while I conduct the Zoom meeting with Hanson. I go to the meeting room and wait for Hanson to join. Our company provides bodyguards for Hanson and his employees whenever they have to travel to places of questionable stability. I’m hoping he hasn’t planned a large group trip like he did last summer. We’d had very little notice to prepare for a group of ten to head into the country of Columbia for two weeks. I warned him, then, not to pull a stunt like that again or we’d no longer be able to provide him with protection details. I hear the familiar tone on the computer to indicate Hanson has joined the meeting.
“Hello, Luke!” Mr. Hanson greets. He’s an older man with a receding hairline. His jowls flop when he speaks, and it’s very distracting. I do my best to stay focused on his eyes. “It’s so good to see you. I’m glad you could fit me in via Zoom. I hope you are well. Kristen was a little vague on the reason for needing to do this or reschedule.” I don’t offer him a detailed explanation. It’s none of his business. Instead I attempt to keep the meeting on topic.
“I’m working from out of the office, today.” I provide a tidbit of information but not reasons. “I do apologize if this has caused you any inconvenience, but a necessary one I assure you. What can I do for you?”
“I’ll be needing your bodyguard services again,” Hansonbegins. “The trip isn’t for several months, but I took your advice from last time. I’m giving you plenty of notice. The trip is scheduled for October first and will last at least four weeks, but perhaps longer. I really won’t know until we have boots on the ground, so to speak.” I think over his words. The man is in the business of going out of the U. S. to under developed third world countries in search of cheap labor. From everything I’ve gathered, he does treat his employees both here and in other countries well and pays them better than most. Still I know he’s out to make a profit as is most of the world these days.
“Where are you traveling?” I ask, this being the most important. There are many countries in Asia, South American, and Africa where cheap labor abounds. Some are safer than others and a few are an absolute no-fucking-way-in-hell would I send some of my team there.
“Columbia, again,” Hanson replies. I grimace. It’s not the worst place, but it isn’t good either. The cartels are strong there, running drugs, weapons, and sex trafficking. Americans are a high commodity target. It will be risky, especially if Hanson is going or if young females are involved. I don’t send my people into danger carelessly. Hanson knows the price won’t be cheap for a trip like this. This must be a very important project for him to come to me.
“I’ve gotten a lead on a nice estate that’ll be coming up for sale soon,” Hanson continues as if reading my thoughts. “I’m planning on purchasing the property and building a new factory. I’ll be able double production, and the profits should triple. I haven’t seen the site in person yet, hence the reason for the trip. The sale should be around the tenth. I want to go in on the first to see the property. If it’s suitable to my needs, then I’ll attempt to purchase it. If I’m successful, I’ll need extended protection while we get this factory built and up and running. If things work out the way I’m expecting, I was hoping maybe you’d be willing to train men I hire as muscle?” I stare at the man, considering his proposition. Itcould be lucrative to consider, but there’s more than money on the line. We are talking about people’s lives. I take that very seriously.
“Thank you for the advanced notice,” I reply, not committing but not refusing either. “Send over whatever information you have on the property and a list of who we’d be guarding. I’ll be able to make you a better assessment of the situation and whether or not I’ll be able to provide you the protection you need.” Hanson looks a little disappointed, but he agrees. We end the meeting after a few more minutes, discussing the trip. I turn to Rosco when the meeting is over.
“What do you think about this?” He gives me a side eye frown. I can tell he doesn’t want to take this one on.
“I’m not thrilled about it,” he answers. “If you recall, I was on his detail the last time we went to Columbia. Man, I know this is the business we are in, but I don’t look forward to going back down there. I really hope you can pick someone else for this one.” I nod. I haven’t forgotten that mission, nor the difficulties of it. Fortunately, we will have more time to prepare this go around.
“I’ll do my best to spare you,” I smirk. He rolls his eyes at my comment, knowing full well if I think it’s needed for him to be there he’ll be there.
“Any leads on Marley’s case?” Rosco asks. I shake my head, frustrated this is taking so long. I haven’t found out much of anything as of this morning, and I’m getting discouraged. What if these hackers are better equipped than I am? How will I make sure she’s safe?
“I’m still combing through footage from ATM cameras to find the bastard who’d drained money from her accounts,” I inform him. “The searches I’m running to determine where the attacks came from are taking too long. It seems everything is in slow motion,” I grumble, slamming my pen down on the dining table. “I have managed to secure her car. Although I’m considering, getting her a new one. I have it at the auto repair shop we use forall our company vehicles. John called with a list of things that need to be replaced. The car has over 200,000 miles. I doubt it will last much longer anyway. Dalton is supposed to bring the car here when the mechanic is finished with it.”
“Do you think Marley is going to let you get her a new car?” Rosco’s eyebrow is arched so high it’s hidden by the hair on his forehead.
“She will if she thinks there’s no other option.” I grin as I’m plotting. Rosco shakes his head disapprovingly.
“Man, you do not want to start out a relationship with lies between you,” Rosco counsels as if he’s a relationship expert. “Just tell her the truth. Her car is a POS, and you’re getting her a new one.”
“You think it’ll be that easy?” I inquire. “Because I’m thinking she’ll shoot me down flat. Therefore the need for deception. It’s for her own good.”
Rosco laughs out loud at my statement. “You’re probably right. And while it might be for her own good, I don’t think she’ll see it that way. Marley seems fairly independent to me. I don’t think the bossy, take charge of every situation Luke is going to work well in this case.”
Rosco might be right. I ponder on the situation for the rest of the afternoon as I try my best to get some work done before taking Marley to work. I make a Skype call to Daisy since I haven’t heard from her since they told me she’d been rescued. I’m waiting impatiently for her to answer as it rings on my end. I begin to think she isn’t going to answer when, finally, I hear the tones as the call connects.
