Gray Wolf Security: Back Home

by Glenna Sinclair

  She was virtuous, my mother. How absolutely boring her life must be!

  I liked men and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Why else would I choose the Marines over all the other things I could have done after high school? College was boring—more classes I would have had figured out in the first week! Traveling in Europe had its merits, the reality of my father cutting me off financially as soon as I boarded the plane a bonus, but all that traveling, moving from place to place on an almost daily basis, seemed a little tedious. I could have started a business, invested in a friend’s idea, or gone to work at any number of places. But none of those ideas excited me as much as living in a war zone with a bunch of testosterone-soaked men.

  And it had been fun. Some parts of it, anyway.

  I discovered that I really like the idea of fighting for a cause; I just didn’t want to be an oncologist like my mother or a defense attorney like my father. I wanted to fight in the trenches, do something that really mattered. The military was ideal for that until I got myself into a little trouble with a commanding officer over a little picture his wife may or may not have received from my email account.

  If there was one thing I really couldn’t stand, it was a liar. If he hadn’t lied to me…

  Private security was a close second to the military, though my parents didn’t want to hear that. When they learned I was leaving the Marines, they started planning on my valiant return and my acceptance to half a dozen prestigious universities. I thought my dad would have a massive heart attack when I told him about Gray Wolf.

  But it was my life, right? I had a right to live it the way I wanted. And I wanted to be on the beach, as far from their privileged life as possible.

  I wanted simplicity in my life. I wanted a dry place to lay my head, a job that included an adrenaline rush from time to time, and a warm body to curl up against whenever I wanted it. That was it. I didn’t need money and social standing and a career. The fact that my parents didn’t get it was no skin off my nose.

  Who could ask for more than sunshine on their face, sand between their toes, and the soft crashing of waves against the shore?

  I was nearly back to my house, my feet moving slower to prolong my time on the beach, when my cellphone began to ring. I dug it out of my pocket, seriously considering ignoring it, when I saw the call was coming from Joss Matthews’ personal cell.

  My heart skipped in excitement. Did she have an assignment for me?

  They said we should expect a week or more of down time before we began receiving assignments. It’d only been a full twenty-four hours since my return from Wyoming. But why else would she be calling?

  “This is Shaw Knolls,” I said into the phone, trying to remind myself not to bark the words as I’d become accustomed to doing in the Marines.

  “Shaw? I was wondering if you’d be willing to take a case for me today? I know we promised more time before one, but…”

  ***

  Joss’s office was small and cozy, not really what I’d expected. With her reputation, I thought it would be bigger, filled with souvenirs of her career. I don’t know what I thought those souvenirs would be, but I didn’t expect a small space with just pictures of her kids on her desk like some executive with no imagination or real personal life.

  Joss herself wasn’t quite what I expected, either. I was hired by Ash Grayson, so this was my first meeting with Joss. Her reputation far preceded her, but she was just this little, tiny slip of a woman, as small as a twelve-year old-boy. Pretty and fair, but tiny. I was expecting some big, hulking woman, a woman who could strike fear in a man’s heart with just a glance. Joss was not that.

  Neither was her companion.

  “This is Audra Johnson,” Joss said during the introductions. “She’s an operative here. In fact, she’s just coming off a case that is related to the one I’d like to put you on.”

  I inclined my head. “Nice to meet you.”

  Audra winced as she took a seat. I found myself wondering what her injury was and if it’d been sustained during the case she’d just come off of. She was pretty. Dark skinned, dark eyes, and perfect caramel colored eyes. She had an exotic look to her, the kind I’d admired in the women who populated the Afghan villages I’d spent so much time in during my service.

  Not that I wasn’t attractive. I was taller than Joss, but still considered petite at five foot four. My hair was almost the same shade of honey gold as Joss’s, maybe slightly darker, and I had blue eyes with a strong hint of green. My mother taught me at an early age how to apply makeup to best highlight my looks and how to dress to complement my body style. While makeup wasn’t something I wore much anymore, I did appreciate and still employ the style tips she’d drilled into me. I knew I was what some people might consider beautiful, but my beauty didn’t matter to me beyond the attention it garnered from men. That was the only attention I truly enjoyed.

  Joss sat behind her desk and leaned forward as she looked me over. She reminded me of a child pretending to be the principal of the school. But the expression on her face was completely serious.

  “I don’t know how much you know about Gray Wolf’s background, but we have a history with a man named Jack Mahoney and the criminal organization he ran before he was arrested last year.”

  I nodded. “I read about it.”

  Joss sat back a little. “Audra was working a case in which former members of the Mahoney Cartel were continuing to run a sex trafficking deal out of a gentleman’s club downtown. Thanks to information she was able to provide, we executed a raid that resulted in the arrests of a dozen of those men, pretty much destroying their little faction. However, those men were released from jail several days ago while awaiting trial.”

  “And this new case…?”

  “The wife of one of these men initiated divorce proceedings against her husband while he was in prison. She’s now concerned that he’ll come looking for her.” Joss’ mouth turned down at the corner. “He has a history of violence and she’s scared he’ll hurt her.”

  “You want me to babysit someone’s wife?”

  Audra made a sound. I glanced at her, catching the look of disgust on her face.

  “She’s got as much right to feel safe as anyone else.”

  “Of course,” I said, inclining my head. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  Joss looked from Audra to me, her eyes slightly narrowed. “The target is currently living in a hotel in Pacific Palisades. We’ve arranged for you to stay in the room across the hall. There have already been cameras set up, connected to a monitoring system in your room. All you’ll need to do, really, is keep an eye on her, accompany her to the pool or shopping or wherever she goes during the day.”

  It sounded absolutely boring to me—babysitting a rich, snotty woman was not my cup of tea. But I forced an interested look on my face to rid Joss of that expression of distrust she was wearing. I didn’t want to lose this job before I’d even begun. This was my chance to show what an asset I could be to the company. I just wished it wasn’t such a lame case.

  “It’ll be at least two weeks before the divorce is finalized. After that, we’ve agreed to help the target leave the state.”

  “I’ll stay with her that whole time?”

  Joss sat back a little and studied my face. “At least the two weeks. Probably the time it takes to help her get settled elsewhere.”

  A month babysitting some rich bitch who could probably afford a dozen bodyguards. Not my idea of fun and definitely not what I expected from Gray Wolf, but if that was what they wanted me to do…

  I don’t know what I was expecting. Only the wealthy could afford a service like one that Gray Wolf Security could provide, but I guess I was hoping for something more gallant rather than stepping back into the world I grew up in.

  “I guess I’ll go home and pack a bag.”

  I could feel both women watching me as I left the room. They didn’t trust me. A part of me realized that I shouldn’t be surprised by that. They didn’
t know me.

  I would prove myself. They’d be blown away by how well I protected this woman, I would make sure of it.

  Chapter 4

  Malik

  “The third floor requires two maids, not three. Marissa, you need to stay on your own floor and allow these ladies to do their own work.”

  Marissa blushed, clearly unhappy at being called out in the middle of the morning staff meeting, but she nodded.

  “Gentlemen, you will need to be quicker about collecting the trash from the maid’s closets. It’s been piling up, making it impossible to close the doors. If we can’t close the doors, the guests become aware and they don’t appreciate it. Understand?”

  The two Hispanic men whose sole purpose was to collect trash throughout the hotel both nodded eagerly even though they probably only understood half of what I’d said.

  I looked around the room, trying to recall what else was on my list for this meeting. My eyes fell on the three men who were charged with waxing and buffing the floors every night.

  “Good work on the lobby last night, gentlemen,” I said, offering a little nod in their direction.

  One, a man old enough to be my father, smiled brightly, clearly pleased with the compliment. The others, however, likely didn’t understand what I was saying, either. One was Russian and the other Hispanic, both legal immigrants to this great country who had yet to learn more than a passing comprehension of the language.

  Welcome to the greatest country in the world!

  “Alright. Get to work.”

  I stepped into my office as they began to murmur behind me, a few words of displeasure reaching my ears, but not many. Most of the housekeeping staff appeared to be fairly happy here at the Overton Vista Hotel. I wasn’t vain enough to take all the credit for that fact, but I did accept some. After all, my management skills were what kept things running smoothly and a lack of drama was shown to keep most employees happy in their chosen field.

  I was about to take a seat behind my desk when someone knocked on the doorframe. Louisa, a shy Latina, was standing just inside the door in her simple maid’s uniform.

  “What can I do for you, Louisa?”

  She was staring so hard at the floor that I almost walked around my desk to see if I’d spilled something there. But then her eyes slowly came up to mine, catching my gaze for a second and then falling back down.

  “Suite 1004.”

  “Yes?”

  “The lady staying there…she won’t let me go inside to clean.”

  “No? How long has she been staying with us?”

  “Just since Wednesday. But I haven’t been able to clean in there for two days.”

  I frowned, trying to imagine all the reasons someone might not want us to clean their room. They were all dark, bizarre reasons.

  “You’ve explained that it’s our policy to clean the suites every day.”

  “I have.”

  “Did you explain that you only want to refresh the linens and straighten up the bathroom?”

  “I did. But she said she was okay with me just handing over some towels.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not good enough. We have a standard at this hotel.”

  “I know. But what do I do if she won’t let me inside?”

  “Try again today. If she continues to refuse, I’ll go up myself.”

  Louisa paled. She was one of our best employees down here in housekeeping. She didn’t like the idea of her manager having to take control of a difficult situation. It would look bad when she came up for a promotion.

  I walked over to her and touched her shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry about it, Louisa. Some of these guests think they can do whatever they want in our hotel. It’s our job to set them straight about that.” I stepped back and returned to the far side of my desk. “This is no reflection upon you.”

  The girl bowed her head like she was offering a gesture of respect and backed out of the room. I watched her go, slightly amused by the sight. It reminded me of the people my father often surrounded himself by. And then I caught myself, realized I was almost envious. That was not something I ever wanted to be.

  This was my job. My future. That was my past.

  It was time to focus.

  ***

  They were sitting by the pool, vague smiles on their lips as they watched my crew clean up the remains of a buffet that had been set out early this morning for members of a conference that was being held here at the hotel. They were beautiful by any means. One was blond, the other a redhead with the most interesting shade of golden red hair. The redhead was tall, her body lacking the feminine curves the other flaunted in her white bathing suit. But she had a certain femininity of her own, that boyish sort of slenderness that many men found alluring. My tastes moved more in the direction of the blonde, however. I enjoyed the sight of those curves, the breasts that were more than a wine glass full, the hips that were wide enough to offer something of a handle in intimate moments. Despite her generous curves, however, she was clearly fit, the kind of woman who was not unaccustomed to a good workout in a proper gym rather than one of these feel-good, meditation sort of gyms.

  I straightened my stance when the blonde caught me watching, clasping my hands behind my back as I turned my attention to the cleaning crew. They were nearly finished and really didn’t need my supervision, but walking away in that moment would have confirmed to the blonde that I’d allowed myself to get lost in the vision of her. My pride wouldn’t allow that.

  “Make sure you make the kitchen aware of the leftovers that are coming back.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Only then did I turn and walk away. Even as I did, however, I could feel the blonde’s eyes on me. Then laughter alerted me to the fact that she and her companion had followed me back into the hotel’s lobby.

  “Excuse me,” a highly feminine voice called.

  I turned and forced a smile. “May I help you, ladies?”

  The redhead giggled like a child, but the blonde met my gaze, her own bold and confident, her eyes moving slowly over the length of me in such a way that I was glad I’d made sure my suit was well pressed this morning.

  “Could you have someone send a bottle of gin up to my room?”

  “Which room would that be?”

  The redhead smiled brightly. “Suite 1003.”

  I inclined my head, realizing these ladies were one of our VIP guests. The suites on the tenth floor were reserved for only the best clients, the ones who brought money into the hotel in a meaningful way. My eyes raked over the redhead and I decided she was likely the daughter or child bride of someone of great means, a world-renowned businessman or someone with connections to Hollywood. But the blonde…she puzzled me a little. She clearly was no stranger to wealth, but she didn’t seem like the poor little rich girls I’d seen too often walking these corridors.

  “I’ll have someone bring that right up,” I assured her with a polite nod.

  The redhead’s smile brightened as she brushed past me as she continued her journey to the elevators. The blonde didn’t move immediately. Instead, she continued to study me, interest clear and unashamed in her eyes.

  “I apologize,” she said, her voice low and soft, but filled with some sort of authority that appealed to me. “My friend is not versed in basic courtesies.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “It is. You’re just too polite to say so.”

  I’d never been spoken to quite like that by a woman of her stature. I wasn’t sure how to respond. But, apparently, I didn’t need to respond. She smiled kindly and walked away, catching up to her friend just as the elevator door opened.

  I watched them disappear behind the golden doors, my curiosity more than piqued. I’d never been interested in anyone affiliated with the hotel. I had my small circle of friends outside of this place and that was good enough for me. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying on the part of the female guests. I’d had quite a few come on to me, but the kind of women who cou
ld afford to stay in this place—especially those who stayed on the tenth floor—held no fascination for me.

  But this woman did. I looked forward to running into her again, as much as I knew that could prove to be a problem for my nice, ordered life. There was just something about her…

  Chapter 5

  Shaw

  I curled up in the easy chair that I’d pulled into the little dining alcove and snacked on dried apples while I watched Alison sleep off the party she’d thrown for herself last night. That bottle of gin had just been the first. The woman held her liquor better than I ever could. Watching her drink alone all night had been kind of depressing to be honest. There were half a dozen times when I almost went over there and tried to convince her to put the booze away, but then I remembered I wasn’t her keeper, just her bodyguard. It was a distinction she’d been quick to make the first time we met.

  She was safe last night from any outside dangers. Who was I to protect her from her inner demons?

  Besides, it’d be a much easier day if I didn’t have to follow her down to the pool or watch her spend thousands of dollars on nonsense items on Rodeo Drive.

  There was a tap on the door and I wanted to scream. These damn maids just wouldn’t take no for a fucking answer!

  I got up and dropped my apples in the chair before marching to the door. I yanked it open and found myself staring at the same dark haired maid who’d been knocking on my door since I moved in four days ago.

  “I told you, I don’t need my room cleaned.”

  “It is our policy—”

  “I don’t really care about your policy. I’m not an unclean person. The room does not need to be cleaned every day.”

  “It hasn’t been cleaned in three days. My boss would like to know if there’s an issue.”

  “Tell your boss that I’m paying for the right to use this room and I will use it as I please. If one of you knocks on the door again to clean my room, I will lodge a complaint with management.”