Mercy's Angels Box Set (80 page)

It had been almost two weeks since Annie, Eli, and I had returned from the visit with Phillip. I had come home to a mountain of work, which had kept me almost sequestered to the office that entire time, but tomorrow night, I was taking off the uniform and having a rare night of relaxation and celebration. I was taking Annie on our first date. Mercy’s Fundraiser Ball was an annual event, usually held around Christmas, but due to unforeseen circumstances, last year’s event had been postponed and was finally being held tomorrow night. I had tried to peek inside the bag Annie had returned from the shops with after Eli’s visit with his father, but the garment inside had been wrapped in tissue paper, ruining any chances I had of getting a glimpse of the dress I had asked her to buy for herself. Apparently, it would complement the silver tie she had bought for me. Silver. My mind ran away with images of shimmering silver fabric clinging to Annie’s petite figure. I was so impatient to get through the next twenty-four hours I found my knee bouncing with an erratic edginess. Because of the fundraiser, the entire Montgomery’s Security team was back in Claymont, all promising to attend in a show of support. It was rare to have the entire team assembled in one place, so I took advantage of the gift and organized a staff meeting.

Braiden had arrived home from his overseas vacation this morning and was looking a little tired and jaded, but had still come straight from the airport to the office. As half owner of the business, it was important to have him present. He was currently sitting quietly to my side, his arms crossed over his chest as he silently watched over our employees. My gaze drifted over the group before me and I realized they were more than that, more than employees, they were part of a team, soldiers to the core. There was no clocking in or out; they were always ready to go at the drop of a hat, always prepared to give their life for a complete stranger. As far as I was concerned, they were fucking heroes.

Gabrielle Mendoza, the only female on our team so far, sat with ex-Navy SEAL, Larz O’Donnell. Gabbie was a former officer of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit until her husband of six months was killed in a drunk driving accident. At that point, she quit and began working for independent companies, like ours. She was a gorgeous Spanish woman who was strong enough to fit into a male dominated career. Daniel ‘Bomber’ Jones sat to her other side, a toothpick hanging from his smiling lips. Bomber, to some extent, reminded me of my friend, Charlie Cole. With his easygoing humor and never-ending banter, you had but only two options with the man, hit him or laugh, and the fact he was one of the best bomb experts I had ever met, I went with the latter. Drew King sat quietly to the back of the room, his big body somehow folded into a ridiculously small, fragile looking foldout chair. His head was shaved military short, and he had a jagged scar on one side of his face giving him an air of menace. He knew how to handle himself on the streets and wasn’t scared to get his hands bloody, but as intimidating as he looked, he was far more placid than you would expect. He worked at Mercy’s Shelter often, which I had initially thought would be a bad idea. I assumed his overwhelming presence would frighten the women, but Drew’s careful, quiet approach to the abused souls who crossed that threshold had more of a calming influence. I also think the women found some measure of safety in having him around. The fact he rarely went anywhere without his tiny terrier, Max, also helped melt a little of the threatening look the man carried so well. Parker Evans was your typical, all-American hero with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a smile that dropped panties faster than a virgin on prom night. No one would suspect that the easygoing man was an expert con artist. There also wasn’t a lock that the man couldn’t pick. Bomber, Drew, and Parker had all been former employees of Alexander Toropov, Braiden’s stepfather, who also happened to be Russian Mafia. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would have ex-mafia contractors working for a private security organization. Each one of them had been verified by Braiden himself, a man of loyalty and scruples. Unlike most crime lords, Alexander Toropov actually had some principles. He only hired the best, the most trustworthy, and people with actual ethics. He had no desire to have an empire full of impulsive hotheads. Anyone who was employed by Alexander was placed on a contract, and once that contract was fulfilled, they were given the option to stay or go. There weren’t many organizations like Alexander’s who actually let their employees walk away so easily. The fact Alexander was a man with a conscience and had damn reasonable business ethics meant very few walked away, and those who did, did so quietly. They would never betray Alexander; the fact he would have them buried alive in a concrete bunker if they did also helped ensure their continued loyalty. So, the three men who had come from Toropov were looking for a new career, one where they could use their acquired skills to do something worthy, something different. That’s how they all ended up here. Sam sat to my side, tapping away on the screen of an Android tablet. Even though his attention seemed elsewhere, I knew he would hear every word I had to say.

My gaze fell on the calendar on the wall by my door, and I shook my head. I had moved the damn thing into the staff kitchen so many times I had lost count, but it kept mysteriously reappearing on my wall. Staring at not just half naked men, but half naked male friends of mine was not my idea of comfortable viewing. Currently, Bomber, Mr. March, grinned down at me, completely naked with a ‘KABOOM’ sign covering his groin and a toothpick hanging from his smiling lips. Bomber noticed the direction of my gaze, and his smile broadened.

“Only three more months and we get to stare at your naked ass all day long,” he laughed.

“I had fatigues on,” I said a little defensively. The girls had tried to persuade me to lose them, but I won.

“Cargos only, Boss, and they sit dangerously low on your hips and give a nice view of that magic V you wear so well,” Gabbie purred. She was teasing, but it got a very obvious reaction from Bomber who narrowed his gaze at her in almost jealous scrutiny. You would have to be blind to miss the sexual chemistry between those two. Apparently, Gabbie was blind, or at least had selective vision. When it came to Bomber’s sexual advances, as long as it was playful, she was ready to give back as good as he gave it. Any time she even scented more serious attention, she backed off and quite literally disappeared for anything from a few days to a week or longer.

“You do know Rebecca and Ella are already planning a women of Mercy’s calendar for next year?” I asked Gabbie. Her smile faltered for all but a moment before a seductive grin replaced the teasing one.

“You wanna see me half dressed in my fatigues, Boss?”

“I know I’d like to see you out of them,” Bomber replied, causing the other men in the room to groan at his attempt to redirect Gabbie’s attention back to him. And, predictably, Gabbie blushed and turned her furious ire his way.

“Hombre típico, siempre pensando con su polla,” Gabbie began ranting, which only caused Bomber’s grin to widen.

“You’re only going to get me hard talking to me like that.” Gabbie’s lips closed and she forced herself to remain quiet. “I do love that shade on your cheeks, sweets.”

“You really wanna die, don’t you, boy,” Larz chuckled from Gabbie’s other side.

Deciding now was a good time to change the direction of the conversation, I cleared my throat. “Thank you all for meeting on such short notice, it’s not very often we all find ourselves in the same town, let alone the same country. I expect to see all of you tomorrow night. Gabbie and Larz, you have a flight out immediately after the event so be sure to stash a change of clothes in your overnight bag.” Montgomery Securities had been approached for a missing persons job in Pamplona, Spain. Obviously with Gabbie’s heritage, she was perfect for the job. The fact that our intel had the job possibly moving offshore meant Larz’s expertise as an ex-Navy SEAL would also come in handy. The two soldiers before me nodded with serious expressions. All playful banter had been dropped like a dead weight as the team slipped effortlessly into work mode. The teasing would resume like it had never stopped as soon as the meeting was over, though. That’s what I loved about this team; they knew when to drop the jokes and did so without me having to ask. The fact that in this line of work, in our respective careers, we had seen and done some equally disturbing things; that we could all still joke and laugh at all was a miracle. “The week after next I’ll be traveling to a convention in Paris where I hope to secure another two team members. If that falls through, we might all find ourselves a little busy for the rest of the year. You’ll all put in a few back-to-back jobs, even me and Braiden.”

“Who apparently can’t handle the jet-setting lifestyle,” murmured Parker with a smile. I glanced to my right in time to see Braiden raise a questionable finger.

“I’m listening,” he mumbled. The dark rings under his eyes told me his jet lag was kicking in. He needed a few hours’ sleep and would be back in tip-top shape like the pro he was.

“Alright, Parker and Drew, Sam emailed you an itinerary this morning. You have security detail in Vegas, some one-hit wonder, gangster wanna-be who’s been targeted with death threats. It’s his twenty-first birthday and he wants a week in Vegas, so Mom and Dad have paid for security for him and his friends while they’re there. You’ll need to coordinate with his current security team. I’ve been told that consists of only two bodyguards, and they will allow you boys to take lead for the week.”

“Babysitting a poser who still suckles from a silver pacifier, awesome,” grumbled Drew.

“All I heard is Vegas for a week,” Parker smiled and leveled out his fist, which Drew reluctantly bumped with his own.

“Bomber, I’ve got a list of businesses that we used the AVCOR security system on. AVCOR has reported defects in the thirteen hundred series. We haven’t used that particular one, but I just want to be sure that everything we’ve got out there is operating at a hundred percent.” Bomber gave me a small nod. “Sam is working on a new program for tracing cyber-attacks. If it’s as good as he promises, we’ll be going global with it by the end of the year.”

“Sounds like you doubt me, Boss,” Sam chuckled.

“Not at all. I just don’t understand you,” I admitted with a smile. “Come to me when it’s finished and tell me it works, that’s all I need.” I glanced back at the small assembled team. “Anyone got anything they want to get off their chest before I send you all home to get some beauty sleep for tomorrow night?”

“I was hoping you might allow me to do a little background digging into Lola, Boss,” came Drew’s deep, rumbling voice. I wasn’t the only one who was surprised with the mention of Lola.

“Do you have a good reason to go behind a friend’s back and dig around in her personal life?”

Lola worked for Rebecca, and she had slipped into the girl’s circle of friendship with ease. She was an unusual girl, quiet, reserved, a bit of a loner, but that didn’t give cause to go snooping.

“I caught a peek at a letter she was reading yesterday.” My sharp gaze caused the giant man to raise his eyes defiantly. “I wasn’t prying. I was helping Rebecca move some stuff around. Lola was at the counter, whatever she was reading had her undivided attention. She didn’t even realize I was standing in front of her. I didn’t see what was written in the letter, but the NYPI insignia on the top corner was familiar.” That seemed to settle the doubting murmurs in the room. New York Private Investigators was a large firm, one of the largest, and they came with a hefty price tag. If Lola was using them, she would have been spending every cent she earned and then some for their services. When she had Montgomery Securities at her obvious disposal, I could only assume she wanted to keep whatever was going on private.

“I’ve got an old friend who does some work for them sometimes,” Sam said from beside me. “I can ask a few questions without raising suspicion.”

“As long as you can keep it quiet. If Lola has need to use a PI and she prefers to outsource, that’s her prerogative; it doesn’t warrant us snooping around.”

“She’s skittish, and she lives her life looking over her shoulder. When I interrupted her from reading that letter yesterday, she was pale. She looked scared. She lives like a woman who’s afraid of someone. If it were Annie, you wouldn’t let it go unchecked,” Drew said defiantly.

I couldn’t believe he had gone there, and I had no doubt the angry glare I now pierced him with said everything I wanted to say in that moment.

“We would never leave a woman in trouble to fend for herself, Drew, especially one of our own, but there is a fine line between investigating to help someone and investigating out of mere curiosity,” Braiden said. “Lola is safe here in Claymont; she knows that, and for the most part, she appears happy and unperturbed. She does seem like a woman with a past, but everyone is entitled to a little history. It’s not our place to go digging around because we feel some misplaced need to protect her. She is obviously doing a decent job of taking care of herself.” His gaze had been fixed on the floor in front of him, but now he looked up and directly at the defiant Drew. Braiden’s intense gaze could make the strongest man squirm uncomfortably. Drew didn’t move, didn’t even so much as blink. “In saying that, maybe we could get the girls to talk to her, see if they can get her to open up, and in the meantime, Sam can discreetly ask his friend at NYPI, but we should go slowly and carefully. We don’t want to offend Lola by digging around in her personal business.” As usual, Braiden spoke with the calm, calculated voice that no one dared to oppose. Braiden didn’t say a lot and when he did it was always with an impact that left people nodding in agreement. Well, mostly. Jaxon Carter and Charlie Cole seemed determined to mock the man every chance they got in an effort to crack his icy composure. It rarely worked and more often than not Braiden turned their game around on them and came out the victor. “We’ll all keep an eye on Lola to make sure she stays safe,” Braiden added. I knew my cousin would be personally invested in such a task. It was less than twelve months ago that Braiden had literally carried Emily Donovan from the arms of sexual slavery. Em carried an ocean of scars on her body and on her soul, and Braiden helped her fight those demons daily. Living with the two of them had opened my eyes to the layers of damage that had been done to Emily. Subjugated, dominated, and humiliated, Emily was a walking poster child for the reason Montgomery Securities existed. I glanced to Drew who seemed mollified with Braiden’s reasoning.