“Tell them Deac referred you. They’ll give you their best,” he said.
“I thought you said I was right up their alley? Would they not give me their best to begin with?”
“They would. But there’s a particular contractor they employ who’s miles above the rest. Tell them Deac sent you, and they’ll be sure to put them on your detail. Immediately.”
“Then, I’ll tell them just that,” I said. “Thank you for your suggestion.”
“Anything to help, sir. Anything to help.”
Chapter 1
Derek
One Week Later
SITTING AT MY DESK, I started in on another mound of electronic paperwork. The well-placed phone call with Deacon’s reference had me on the line with someone who struck me as the type of person who didn’t do much customer service interaction with their security company. Instead of informing the man on the other end of the line what was going on, he explained to me that his most efficient bodyguard would be put on my case within the next week. There was no need to brief him over the phone, for security reasons, and that was that.
The phone call was short, sweet, and to the point.
That was a week ago, and now I sat waiting for the new guy—the best of the best—to show up. I was sent over a brief file of the man that would be guarding me until I no longer needed it. Sam Williams was his name, and he was more than qualified for this position. An Army veteran with an expertise in firearms, close quarters combat, and psychological warfare, he’d left the military to work with a private military contractor and did very impressive things with that firm. Hostage rescue, terrorist takedowns, and employed privately to help the finest FBI teams hunt down psychopaths. This man was a beast, and the more I read about his file, the more intrigued I became. The guy was good at what he did.
After a brief stint with taking down a child sex trafficking ring in Columbia, Sam Williams moved to the security business. And his record was still impressive. Sam had never lost track of a client, never been fired. But the most important thing was that Sam had a perfect record.
None of Sam’s clients had ever been killed.
Deacon wasn’t kidding when he said the best of the best would be protecting me, and it made me curious as to the two’s connection. Was this a military buddy of Deacon’s? Or did they meet in the security business? Had they worked together on the same case, protecting the same person and forging some sort of bond? I never made it a point to get into the personal lives of those I employed. It kept things less messy that way if someone fucked up and needed to be fired.
But this connection, I was curious about.
The phone rang at my desk as I set the folder down. I picked it up and braced myself, ready for whatever company bullshit sat on the other end of the line. Even though my life was being threatened and people were somehow remotely breeching my compound, shit went on at work. Everything from office drama to a rise in stock price to clients who were unhappy with whatever product it was they thought they had purchased, it all stirred up something that needed my firm, demanding touch.
But instead, I found Griggs’ voice on the other end of the phone.
“Mr. Steele.”
“Griggs. How can I help you?”
“The bodyguard’s coming today. Have you read the file?” he asked.
“Yes. And I have to say, I’m very intrigued as to how Deacon knows someone like this. Any theories? Postulations? Hypothesis?”
“Probably from his Army days. That’s how Deac knows everyone.”
I chuckled. Most likely true. “Good to know. Now, I want you to make sure you can work with this new company. The last thing I need is the old crashing with the new while my life hangs in the balance.”
“Are you calling me old, sir?” he asked.
I could never tell when Griggs was being serious or joking. Then again, I wasn’t entirely sure the guy had ever made a joke in his life. “Fine. How about we call it, the antique and the modern. Sound fair?”
“Makes me sound like an ancient teapot. Either way, point taken. I’ve already been communicating with the company in order to coordinate the arrival of the new bodyguard. You know, maximum safety issues and all of that.”
“You do your job the best I’ve ever seen, Griggs. I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t. With an issue like this, you shouldn't trust anyone.”
“That mean you’re the one threatening me?” I asked. Again couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking.
“No, sir. It means you need to stay on yo