I take a long look at the clothes and the wad of cash Ben gave me and consider what else I could do with the cash. With a wide, proud smile, I say, “Ben said to bill him for it all.”
“Oh, okay. Lucky woman. Ben.” She hums his name. “So tall, dark, and handsome is your type?” I shrug, and she laughs. “I don’t know why I asked that. He’s every woman’s type. I don’t know whether it’s his blue eyes, his lean, muscular body, or his amazing ass?” she rambles, staring off into the distance. She finally returns back to me. “Oh sorry, but whenever he winks at me, my legs become weak, and I can hardly walk. I tell you, if I wasn’t married — but I am. Darling, you better come back and let me live through you and tell me how this underwear works out for him. I’ll be sure to take care of you if you do.” She smiles. “Details. I want details. I’ve been dying to know,” she says with a sigh.
I start to protest the idea of Ben and me together, but what do I care? Somebody else can pay for this crap. I’ll save the cash for a nice meal and a bed I can sleep in without the extra crawling guests.
The cash treats me well, an actual hotel with a shower and a bed I can sink into. I’m only able to sleep for a few hours before a noise wakes me. The hotel balcony overlooks the street where people are arguing over a parking spot. I haven’t had a chance to take in my old home since being back or appreciate the opportunity that’s in front of me. If all goes well, in a few months, I will be walking away from this with a new life and revenge.
Before starting my new job, I rifle through the massive stash of recently acquired fashions, and go in search of an old friend. I haven’t seen him in years, not since I was arrested and sent directly to the military. The last I heard, he was working for some business near the old ice cream shop. I don’t want it to be obvious that I am looking for him in case he’s not alone. He wasn’t seeing anyone serious when I left, but knowing Cole, his relationship status could change in a blink of an eye. He never had trouble finding a girlfriend, and I doubt his abilities have changed. Cole Shepherd was my high school boyfriend, a guy that was too charismatic and popular to be bothered with the girl who didn’t like to be in the spotlight. I was his excitement behind the scenes, but Cole was meant to be with the head cheerleader, the prom queen, and anyone else that was boring as hell. I enjoyed knowing he preferred me and spent time with me when everyone else went home. I was fine not being noticed or at his side for the big events, and I was fine being his side girl because, no matter what anyone else thought, I knew better.
We were in the same foster home until he turned fourteen and was taken in by his grandparents, who felt he was old enough to help rather than be a bother. He was a good kid who obeyed every order from his elders except when it came to me. When our foster mother would punish me, forcing me to sleep in the closet, he would sneak in and stay with me so I wouldn’t be alone. I hated that closet, but I was in love from the moment he sat down, took my hand, and let me sleep next to him. He had been attractive since birth, and he only grew better looking with every year that passed. He was my first kiss, my first sexual experience, my first everything, and I was his. I would have done anything for him, including letting go so he could be with someone better suited. He just kept coming back to me. Now, maybe with this new opportunity, I can finally be the woman that is good enough for him.
“Laila?!” Cole yells from across the street. I can’t hold back my smile. He runs up to me, hugging me as if he has been looking forward to this moment as much as I have. “What are you doing here? I thought you were sent off to the military, to be all you can be.”
“Yeah, that didn’t work out so well, so here I am.” I shrug my shoulders and grin. He shakes his head, looking at me with a knowing expression. “Don’t worry. I have a great opportunity ahead of me.”
“Well good, so does that mean you’re here to stay?”
“Looks that way,” I say happily.
“That news makes my day.” He smiles, looking over me as he always did, like I’m his. “I have to get back to work, but can I give you a call so we can get together—talk, dinner, and some reminiscing?”
“I would love to.” I take his phone, typing in my number and giving him a quick hug before watching him jog away.
“I’m calling you tonight! I missed you!” Cole yells from across the street.
“I missed you too,” I whisper.
When I walk up to the estate, I notice Luca walking out from the main house. Luca looks as though he could be the quarterback for a pro team. He’s tall and athletic with a soothing, charming smile and dimples that would melt any woman’s heart. When he sees me, he runs out to meet me at the gate, instantly searching for something. “What are you looking for?” I ask, looking around myself.
“Where’s your car?” I shake my head with no reasonable, verbal answer to give. I hope that doesn’t change my job status. “Seriously, did they just drop you from a plane with nothing but the clothes on your back? You must have really pissed some people off.”
Yeah, pretty much. “They gave me twenty bucks, minus taxes of course.” Luca laughs, surprisingly appreciative of my sense of humor. The fact that he is nearly perfect to look at only makes it unfair that he also seems to have a likable personality.
“I think I’m going to really enjoy working with you, Laila. We could use some laughs. It’s been kind of boring around here lately. By the way, Titus prefers his security team to refer to him simply as Titus. We are his closest advisors, and first names make it personal, more like a family than a job. At least that’s what he believes. We are the only ones allowed to do it, which makes us special to him.”
“How long have you been working for Mercier—I mean Titus?” I ask as he paces in front of me to open the door. “I wouldn’t think such a gentleman would be doing a job like this. You seem more like a …”
“College boy? I was until I blew my knee and lost my scholarship. Ben helped me get the job. He was hired first, right after he got back…” Luca seems to stop midsentence, not offering any additional information. He changes his initial direction and leads me into the security office rather than deeper into the main house. “This is the main office, for all the cameras. You can see everything from here. The two men watching over the cameras turn briefly to nod at me. “This is Jack and George. They are the day team here. Guys, say hello to Laila, our new security team member.”
“New? Then I guess she’s here for her badge,” Jack says, getting up and motioning for me to follow him. They snap a quick picture and take a second to prepare my badge. Jack starts to hand it to me but pulls back. “We charge a small fee for this,” he says, looking me over with trouble in his eyes.
I tense. “Oh yeah? What kind of fee?”
Luca places his hand on my back and snatches the badge from Jack’s hand. “Careful messing with this one, boys. I’m sure you’ve heard about this badass. She will destroy you as a man and then steal your car.” Luca smiles, reminding me of someone I used to know who was just as tempting, someone I took up with more than once.
As Luca points out all the areas of the estate on the cameras, I think back to Cole. What would he think of me being here? Cole Shepherd was my only friend, and I have been madly in love with him since the day we met. He was determined to be someone, determined to do the right thing, I didn’t share his feelings or his goals. No matter how hard we tried to go in opposite directions, we couldn’t stay away from each other.
“Are you listening to me?” Luca asks, stepping back into my focus.
“No,” I say honestly.
“Well, at least you’re honest. Since you’re not listening, I guess now would be a good time to get you set up with your gear. We are going to be leaving in about an hour to assist Titus in some meetings. Follow me.” He leads me through the house while I take notice of every door and every camera. One door is open, and I’m able to see Titus sitting at his desk just inside. I pause when he looks up at me. “Hey Badass, you might actually want a gun for this job bec
ause your enemies will have many.” I jump to attention at the mention of a weapon. Luca scans his identification badge and opens a door into a room with images of buildings on every wall. Chairs and tables are organized perfectly distant from each other. A full kitchen and bar sit at the farthest wall. Luca scans his badge again, and a door adjacent to the bar clicks open.
We step inside, and motion activated lights bring the room to life. The walls are illuminated, revealing an armory with weapons of every multitude and magnitude. “This is the security team room and weapons room. We are the only ones, besides Titus, who have access.” Luca pushes a button that opens another wall within the weapons room. Nothing more than a closet with a computer sitting inside. “This is the main computer. Ben will get you an access key. You slide your key in here, and it will automatically power up and greet you. Your access key will only enable you to fill out your timesheet and make notes about your day. Nathan wants to know who you saw and what you did all day, just in case someone is not bright enough to realize someone they talked to was actually an enemy. It’s stupid, but it makes him less paranoid, so make sure you give detailed notes. We are also in charge of making sure every weapon is accounted for and cleaned at the end of each day. Being the newbie, you are in charge of cleaning and taking inventory at the end of your shift until the next newbie starts. Blame Nathan for that. He just made that rule this morning. He doesn’t like you much.”
Exploring the stock, I snarl at the sound of Nathan’s name. “I don’t like him much.”
“None of us do, but he is supposed to be next in line behind Titus and, therefore, dictates who lives and dies around here. I wouldn’t do much more to get on his bad side if I were you.” Luca looks at me, waiting for me to nod in agreement before handing me a gun. “Use this tablet, sign here, and report the number of the weapon here. We are careful to catalog every weapon for the security team. It’s protection against anyone going rogue and bringing Titus into an unwanted legal issue.”
More like he wants to know before the police, so he can deal with the person and the weapon himself.
CHAPTER 5
Laila
My first full day, Titus visits some business associates, has a few laughs, and introduces his new female security member. He enjoys flaunting me around like a show piece no one else can have. I don’t care for being his new toy, but for now, I oblige. I even agree to take on a few opposing security members for fun. Titus’s fun, not mine. My first day on the job seems to be primarily for Titus’s amusement and nothing more.
Luca is at my side throughout the day, talking me through and easing my tension whenever necessary. I am so pissed off as we near the end of the day that Luca feels the need to joke around with me to loosen me up. He reads people well and quickly figures out how to get me laughing. He talks about the last fight with one of Cochran’s specialists. Joseph Cochran is an ally, meaning he considers himself an equal to Titus. Titus considers him disposable. He has no problem risking the relationship by having me fight Cochran’s best man.
Luca vibrates as his excitement increases. “I can’t wait to tell Ben about you taking on Daniel. Daniel and Ben hate each other, for good reason. Daniel is always bragging he’s better than Ben, but not once has he agreed to take him on. He knows better. I can’t believe he finally agreed to test you.” Luca nudges me with a laugh. “Did you see his eyes when you took his gun right out of his hand and hit him with it?” Luca laughs so hard that the other three with us begin laughing with him.
“That was the funniest thing I have ever seen, Laila. I would pay good money to see that again, and again for that matter,” Gus says, mocking Daniel’s expression like a cartoon character. I can’t help myself and begin laughing with them. “What a dumbass. I wonder if Cochran keeps him or tosses him now?”
“Titus handed her a thousand dollars at the end, he enjoyed it so much. Even Nathan nearly smiled.”
“Yeah, but I noticed Titus didn’t offer her the twenty-five thou he bet Cochran on her. You easily won him a hundred grand today. Games. That man always likes games.”
Their enjoyment draws me in and makes me feel a part of them, a good sign for achieving my goal and finding Noah. At the end of my shift, I take in everyone’s guns and catalog them before starting the cleaning process. I move through them as quick as possible, disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling at an expert pace. At least the military taught me something of value. The electronic lock shifts, and someone enters to find his weapon for the next shift.
“How was your first day?” Ben asks, leaning around me to grab a special piece with his name on it.
“It was fine,” I answer, stepping away when the scent of him becomes too pleasurable. I assume he will get what he needs and leave, but instead, it becomes a game for him. The more I avoid him, the more he tries to get in my way. I reach to grab a gun, and he reaches to try and grab the same one. I step back and wait impatiently until he seems to give up on his stupid game. His watchful eye is not nearly as uncomfortable as his ease around me. I have never met a man so arrogant in my life. He’s waiting for me to look his way, but I am not about to give him what he wants. “You can go ahead. I don’t need you watching me all day. I am sure Titus has something better for you to do, GQ.”
“No, actually. I am free to watch whomever I want.”
I spin around with a quick draw of my blade. “Well you’re going to stop watching me right now.” His cocky smile emerges with more confidence than I expected. Toying with the blade in my hand, he slowly walks toward me. “Don’t test me, Ben.”
“Oh, so you do know my name. It’s about time we finally got to know each other.”
“You’re not that charming, and I am not at all interested.”
“Why not? I’m a good looking guy, got a job, a nice place to live. Most would consider me quite a catch.” His breath heats my cheek as I push my fist into his chest.
“Actually, I find you to be all wrong for me.” I may still have a lot to learn about Ben, but I have a feeling his brother’s name will shake him out of his sex-determined expression. “Now Luca, on the other hand, seems way more my type.” Ben backs up, shaking his head.
“Luca? My brother?”
“Oh, that’s right. He is, isn’t he? Wow, you are so different, it’s easy to forget. He’s handsome and intelligent, and you’re—well, just wrong.” Ben holds onto his smile, looking me over with delight.
“You know what, Laila?” I lean back against the wall, feeling proud of myself for disarming him, but he slides in over me. I look up into his steel blue eyes and carefully exhale against his lips. “You’re right about me.”
“I am?” I ask, a tingling sensation erupting all over my body.
“Yeah.” His soft, wet lips graze my cheek while my hand relaxes and enjoys his taut chest. “You let me know, though, when you need some wrong in your life because I’ve got plenty of wrong for you, Laila.”
A majority of my first week is spent entertaining Titus and his friends like a tricked out show pony. I know he enjoys the games, but I think he also enjoys testing me, seeing how far he can push me. I impress him, he grows bored, and I am soon standing around, watching his back like everyone else. Just when I think I am being forgotten, my schedule is updated to include the weekend of festivities. I am encouraged by the jump in responsibility, hoping it gets me that much closer to finishing this mission.
Titus has kept me busy, and I haven’t had much time to look around the estate since being hired. With Titus locked in his office on a conference call and several other security personnel posted outside the door, I take the opportunity to wander around, familiarizing myself with the grounds. I have no clearance to access anything of real value. The computer in the weapons room seems to be my only gateway.
I walk in to gear up for the weekend and find Ben working on the computer. Before I say anything, I notice he has access to everything. He’s higher up than I thought. “What are you doing here? We are supposed to have opposite
schedules.” He quickly closes out the system and along with it, information about Titus’s secret contacts.
“Not this weekend, Tiger. Your boyfriend has plans with another girl, so I’m taking his place. Is that alright with you?”
“Sure, GQ. I can deal with it if you can.”
“It’s Ben.”
“And it’s Laila.”
“Yeah, but Tiger seems so much more fitting,” he says, enjoying my frustration a little too much.
Nathan walks in and looks us both over with disgust. “I just found out the bitch is going tonight too. Ben, please do whatever it is you do to keep her entertained so I don’t have to deal with her shit.”
“Assign someone else to her,” Ben insists.
“No. Titus has a special guest coming, so I need everyone to be focused, not distracted by her insanity. We have extra security in place at the doors and corners of the club. With Jolie there, who knows what bullshit will happen.” Nathan looks over at me and forces a smile. “Please, please, do not get on my nerves tonight, or I will shoot you. I am not in a good mood.”
“Oh good, because I was afraid this might be your good mood,” I spat before I can stop myself. Nathan finds no humor in my comment and focuses hard on me. For a second, I think he’s going to kill me just for annoying him, and I ready myself for what may be coming.
Ben quickly puts his arm around my shoulders and leans in with a giant smile. “Nah, Nate hasn’t been in a good mood since other people came into his life. You know, since birth.”
“You,” Nathans says, pointing to Ben, “…not another word the rest of the night. Not one word. And not a word from you either, beauty queen I have had enough of all of you. Constant pains in my ass,” he grumbles as he leaves the room.