I glanced at my friend and nodded.
“You just tell us what you need done.”
I looked back up at the sky. “Thank you.”
“Seriously though, we’ve gone through the house for security and at the office but I’m thinking that you’re going to need a driver for a few weeks at least.” Brian brought up another point I didn’t want to discuss. “Joe is good holding the fort here with the kids, Ian has Jaxon, his driver but I think you need someone with you too.”
“I don’t need anyone.”
“You can’t go showing off your moves, Shorty. That’s how you get sued. Getting sued is bad,” Billy explained it to me like I was two.
If he kept up with that tone, we were going to spar. I gave Billy a dirty look and warned him.
Fucker just smirked. The wanker was an engineer in the army, his job was bomb disarming. Not a lot scared him because he was fucking crazy but then I couldn’t really judge. I’d started out as a combat medic.
We talked for another hour before Ian came home, he chuckled when he saw us. “You’re all just sprawled out on the lawn. What’s wrong with the chairs?”
“Good view of the sky and you don’t strain your neck,” Carrie told him while looking at him, turning her neck at a weird angle to do so. “What is that you’re holding?”
“Oh, well I got you girls dresses for tonight. The men’s tuxes are inside. You all need to get up and get ready. We only have a couple hours before Charlie’s retirement party.”
“How come we got an invite?” Gerrard wanted to know.
“Because you’re a lot of fun to drink with.” Charlie came outside. “Hair and makeup will be here any minute ladies, so I suggest you get a wiggle on and go have showers.”
I sighed and got up before pulling Emma and Carrie to their feet. “Come on, they will be pissed off if we’re late.”
“Late? We get dressed faster than the boys,” Carrie muttered.
“Oi, that is bullshit and you know it.” Billy acted offended, really, truly hurt by Carrie’s comment, NOT! Cheeky prick.
I went and showered then put on a robe before Ian told me that the hair and makeup was being done in the guest bedroom.
“Everything else will be on the bed.” He gave my bum a pat. “You honestly didn’t think we would leave you home tonight, did you?”
“I thought I’d talked him out of it,” I admitted and got up on my tiptoes to pull on the neck of his shirt to bring him to me for a chaste kiss.
“Mum, where you goin’?” Ryan asked wrapping his arms around my legs.
“I have to go to a special party with Ian,” I said.
“Can we come?” He peered up at me with his father’s brown eyes. He was Chris’ mini me.
“No, you’re going to have a movie night with Rita and Joe,” Ian said trying to make it sound exciting.
Ryan looked up at him. “I’m not silly Ian. Tell me the truth.”
“Well, this is a work thing Mom needs to go to. There will be lots of things like this.”
“She never had to do this before,” Ryan noted.
“Mommy hasn’t had a job like this before.” Ian smiled. “Want to come talk to Rita and see what will be for dinner while Mom gets ready?”
“Ok.” Ryan was happy with any conversation that involved food. Again, just like his father.
I went to the guestroom and a very happy stylist who introduced himself as Hans was all over me. I sat back and let him do his job.
When Emma and Carrie entered, he had his assistants looking after them.
“Can you smile please?” Emma mocked. She giggled after twenty minutes of him pulling on my hair.
I’d gone off in my own head to ignore the hair pins that were being inserted into my skull. I poked my tongue at her and then gave her the bird to which she did the same back.
Hans chuckled. “I have ladies who smile and chatter and enjoy this time being pampered. Never have I had two women act like bratty little girls.”
“You get used to it.” Carrie smirked and laughed at Emma’s and my protests. She gave us the speak to the hand gesture and grinned.
“You are as bad as these two,” Hans told Carrie who laughed.
An hour and a half later, we left the room and went to get dressed. I was quick to get on my undergarments before putting on the most stunning dark green dress I’d ever seen. It flowed over my curves accentuating everything I had. I slipped on the high heeled shoes and left the room. I wanted to see the kids before I left.
I was half way down the stairs when I heard a low whistle. I looked up.
Billy was down the bottom waiting in his tux.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Don’t shake your head Shorty, you look seriously hot right now,” Billy said.
I was going to say something sarcastic but when I looked back at him, I realized by his expression that he wasn’t joking
He looked very serious. “I think you’re going to have to get used to being best dressed.”
“I would have to agree with him,” Ian stated. “That dress looks like it was made for you.”
Billy let off another low whistle. “They might just give her a run for your money, Ian. Far out, the women in my family are hot.”
Emma and Carrie giggled. “Aww Billy, time to get yourself a woman.”
“Nah, too busy for that shit. I have you lot to look at and I don’t mind giving love to a random.”
“Looking like that Billy, you might actually pick up tonight.” Emma grinned looking him up and down.
“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t you look at me like I am some bit of man candy. Next, you’ll be sitting on my lap telling me you love me and I hate that mushy shit.” Billy backed up as we converged on him. “I mean it, stay off me, I don’t want to stink of your perfumes! Nooo…”
Charlie
I hadn’t planned on having a retirement party. But when Richard suggested it, I ran with the idea. Kate needed an introduction to the business world and this would be perfect. And having her family behind her, both sides would just make my little random that much more formidable. Not that she wasn’t already.
I hadn’t yet touched pain meds. I think it was the fact I had the best sex ever with Kate. But not just that, I felt a lot more relaxed. Now that she had officially taken over my business, I could relax more. I watched her in laws walk in and bit my lip, Emma was the hottest redhead I’d ever met.
And Carrie, with her dark brown hair hmm, beautiful.
Gerrard and Brian were hitting well above their weight class with both women but then so was I when it came to Kate.
Ian walked in without her and my heart kicked up a notch.
WHERE THE FUCK WAS SHE!
Ian smiled as he got to me. “Ryan called to tell her she looked pretty. She’s chatting with the kids. She’ll be here in a minute.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “How does she look?”
“Wait and see.” Ian grinned and ordered a scotch. “You just concentrate on having a good night.” He looked around sipping his scotch. “Big turn out.”
I nodded and swung my gaze back to the door just as Kate walked in. My jaw dropped. “Holy shit. She is beautiful.” The green of the dress matched the emerald of her eyes.
Her eyes scanned the room and they rested on me. She smiled and walked my way. She turned heads the whole way. She got to me, and Ian kissed her cheek as I kissed the other. How the press hadn’t found out I had married her, I didn’t know. I hoped they wouldn’t.
“You look ravishing.” I smiled when she blushed. “Ian, do you mind if I steal your wife away to do a bit of a meet and greet?”
Ian smiled and told us to have fun.
I moved through the crowd and spoke to some of my long-time friends and mentors and of course, my rivals. As expected, they were all business and sized her up.
She was polite and smiled but not once did she take their shit. If they said something out of line, sh
e called them on it and they would apologize. If anything, they would treat her like a lady and she would be respected as such.
Only one man pushed her and I was about to step in before she took my hand and patted it. “It’s ok Charlie. You’re retired. If I can’t handle a little douchebag like him, then I don’t deserve the job you trusted me with.” She gazed up at me and winked before she looked back at Oscar. She was no longer smiling. She was daring him. “Repeat it.” She took a step towards him. “That is, if you dare.” Another step and she was in his personal space. “I mean you did just imply…” Another step and he took a step back. “That I was a whore.” Another step, he backed up again. “So would you like the opportunity to clarify what you said or would you like to just apologize?”
She backed him up and smiled but it wasn’t a nice one. She looked downright dangerous.
I managed to keep a neutral expression.
He held up his hands. “I am sorry. I was out of line.”
Kate finally backed down with a nod. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” She looked at me and smiled. “Should we go get a drink, Charlie?”
I walked her back to the bar. “I thought you were going to go a level of crazy that I couldn’t handle.”
She grinned before stating in a sing-song voice, “That’s what you get for picking up a random.”
I laughed and put my arm around her shoulders. “Yes, I should know by now that you’re just full of surprises.”
Ben was at the bar and he looked his sister up and down. “You look nice.”
She did the same thing to him. “You do too.”
I smirked. “Have you two even spoken since Vegas?”
“Nah, you had her busy with all your stuff,” Ben stated. “I was talking to Brian before though and he was thinking about having a jam session tomorrow afternoon. I told him he wouldn’t have recovered from the hangover.”
Kate grinned. “You were feeding him doubles.”
“You were feeding me doubles.” Ben looked at his sister. “What is this fitness thing you have to do?”
Kate shrugged. “Something we do every six months to make sure we are up to the task.”
Didn’t seem like a big deal, fitness tests were done all the time.
“But this is for renewal of the contract you have with the police,” Ben clarified.
She nodded. “Yeah, we will run a few drills and stuff, no biggie.”
Ben watched his sister. “Mind if I come watch?” She smirked.
“Miss the old days or curious?”
“Curious.” He smiled.
“You know what happened to the cat don’t you?” She grinned and looked across the room. “Who is the skank all over my husband?”
I turned to see Ian politely removing Amy’s hands from him. She smiled at him and then giggled. He kept trying not to make a scene and she was insisting on having one.
Ben gave Kate the lowdown on Amy, who’d been in love with Ian for forever and a day but he couldn’t stand her.
Kate took a sip of her drink and left us to go deal with Amy.
I looked over at Ben. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with her?” I teased.
“Yeah well, I changed my mind,” Ben muttered.
“I thought you said she was nothing but trouble,” I continued teasing him. “Money grabbing bitch was what you called her.”
Ben glared at me. “She is trouble. She married Ian and when I told her she married a billionaire, she vomited.”
“I am glad she’ll have you. You’re her big brother. I’m sure she would love to hear about your father.”
Ben nodded. “I will show her photos and talk to her in time. I’ll let her process this all first.” He studied me. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’ve been really good. Happy to retire. I think the company is going to be in good hands.”
“I think it will be too.” Ben nodded. “She is smart. But she isn’t good at making friends.”
I laughed. “What makes you say that?”
“The consensus of the room is that she is a bitch and she’s going to run the company into the ground.”
“Well, you make sure you sit back and smirk when she proves them wrong about the latter. As for the former? She will get respected because she isn’t a pushover. She’ll be fine.”
Richard wandered over with a smirk. “Your new CEO is causing a stir with the women.”
“How so?”
“Oh, they hate her.” Richard smiled. “Yet, they’re trying to pick apart her makeup and her dress and can’t.” He chuckled. “I think you need to talk her into a photoshoot. She could literally take the business world by storm. And she sings. Hell, she could be in the movies.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “Richard, are you trying to get your paws on my little sister?”
“What are you talking about Henderson? You don’t have a sister.” Peter Hollands laughed as he walked past. “If you did, she would be as ugly as you.”
Ben watched him leave. “You know for an old man he has ears sharper than Susan, when you screw up.”
Richard laughed and glanced at him. “Might be a good idea to keep her a secret Ben, you have a lot of enemies.”
Ben nodded then looked back to where Ian was. “Who was the dumbass that invited Amy?”
Richard and I both denied it then a moment later, Amy screeched and slapped Kate straight across the face. In the heels Amy was wearing, she was close to six feet tall. She went over Kate’s shoulder with a squeal.
It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen.
Amy fought, protested and screamed. Kate just carried her out the front door in three-inch heels like it was just another day of the week. Security was with her a moment later.
The room went silent.
When Kate appeared a minute later, she was shaking her head, not even looking upset. She looked up at the crowd of faces that were solely focused on her and cocked her head to the side. “What?” She watched everything a little longer. “Back to it.” She waved her hand dismissing it.
It was a simple order and everyone turned away from her.
However, I burst into laughter.
She stopped to stare at me as her face lit up and she smiled.
Her family, my family burst into laughter as well, and the whole room followed.
Kate just shrugged and walked back to Ian who gave her a chaste kiss and checked her cheek where Amy had slapped her.
“She just carried her the fuck out of here!” Richard laughed holding his belly.
I nodded because I couldn’t answer because of my laughter.
Richard pointed at me. “You’re crying!”
I wiped my eyes as I got control of myself shaking my head. “Fucking Jackpot!”
Kate
Monday should’ve been my first day at the top of Charlie’s company but instead, I was doing my fitness test and running drills. All while, Ben, Ian, Richard and Charlie watched on. I’d shaken my head and tried to discourage it but they insisted on coming.
We went through the driving course and shooting course before we did the physical.
The physical consisted of a run and obstacle course. It was five miles all up. The obstacles were made up to test agility and strength. I got through it then went and got changed into the full tactical gear that we wore when we went into the field. Oh, and blood tests that went with full medicals before we even started. I just ignored the fact that the boys were here watching. I was glad Emma and Carrie were babysitting them.
This wasn’t a part of me that I was ready to give up. I was still fit, healthy and fast enough. We got given a brief and we’d worked out our plan of attack. This was going to be quick.
Charlie
We watched most of the day from the sidelines. It moved quickly and it was very exciting seeing Kate in the world she’d been trained in. Today, she wasn’t playing the princess. No, she was the warrior. It was now easy to see how she’d managed Amy so easily.
She
drove the car like she stole it, she went sideways around the corners. I felt glad I wasn’t in the car with her because I would have been screaming as much as the instructor had. Then the weapons. Amazing. She was just cool, calm and confident and a wicked shot. Ben muttered a couple times and I looked over at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I miss this shit.” He sighed. “I need to go to the range more often.”
I watched him for a moment longer. “There is something else.”
Ben clenched his jaw and sighed. “I think she might be better than me.”
I stared at him. “You were a fucking SEAL; how can general Army be better than you?”
Billy laughed and nodded at us. “She had a father that was SAS. He taught her to shoot.
I looked at my little random, she was humble. I glanced at her brother. He was slightly green with jealousy. Sibling rivalry. I chuckled.
She looked over at him. “I was never special forces. Don’t go getting jealous.” She smirked as she went past to get ready for whatever the hell she had to do next.
“I’m not jealous.” He got up. “Shoot again. I can beat you.”
She turned and looked at him then at Billy.
“Alright, Ben we will time you both.” Billy smirked. “Are we having a match of brother versus sister or Australian against American?”
“Australian versus American,” Ben said. “I don’t want to feel bad for beating my little sister.”
Richard teased, “I think you might like having a little sister, Ben.”
Ben shook his head as the range was set up. He checked his weapons and sighed.
It was interesting seeing him as the man he was years ago. He was competent and it was easy to see that in a shitty situation, he would be a very dangerous man.
“I really do miss this shit sometimes.”
“You shot alright on the long range, so let’s see what you got?” Kate grinned then glanced at Billy. “You got my times there?”
“You want to use them?” Billy nodded.
“If he doesn’t beat me.” She grinned.
“That’s all the motivation I need,” Ben said as Billy got behind him with the timer. He pressed it and Ben let off his shots with speed and precision.
The Vegas Random Page 23
