by Autumn Reed
“Nah, he’s just a friend.”
“He doesn’t look at you like he wants to be just friends. He wanted to ask you out, and you should say yes.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? He’s hot, you’re hot.” She paused and eyed me as she assessed the situation. “Wait . . . are you dating someone, say one of the delectable members of Team Jaguar?”
I shook my head, more than ready for this conversation to end.
“So what’s the problem?”
I hesitated as I debated the best way to answer without inviting more questions and finally settled on, “It’s complicated.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Whatever. If you’re interested in Tyler, just go for it.”
After a few bites in silence, Melissa spoke again. “Since you seem to have the inside track on Team Jaguar and now Team Falcon,” she grinned, “Can I ask you something?” Uh oh.
Although I seriously wanted to say “no,” I found myself nodding instead.
“So, I kind of have this theory.”
“Okay . . .” I said, drawing the word out, dreading whatever she was going to say next.
She leaned across the small table like whatever she was about to share was the biggest secret on the planet. Melissa spoke in a lowered voice. “Don’t you ever wonder what Zenith really does?” All the time.
I kept my face blank. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve worked here long enough to think it’s more than just private security.” She waited, for what I wasn’t sure—gauging my reaction or dramatic impact perhaps.
“Mhmm.” I said, encouraging her to continue. This was the closest I had come to getting more information on how the private investigation side of things came into play.
“Have you ever noticed that some of the teams, like Team Jaguar and Team Falcon, have nicer cars than the rest of the office?” I nodded, still wondering where this was going. “And it’s kind of surprising considering how young they are. Take Ethan; he’s like twenty-one or two and drives a $60,000 car. And Scott, the leader of Team Falcon, has a condo that has to be worth a million dollars. Where are they getting the money for this stuff?”
Assuming it was a rhetorical question with a Melissa-approved answer lined up, I simply shrugged my shoulders. I knew they were paying me an above-average salary; perhaps that wasn’t the case for the rest of the Zenith employees apart from Team Jaguar and Team Falcon.
“And,” she continued, “have you heard about their secret gear room? I’ve only heard rumors, but it’s supposed to be some military-grade, kick ass high-security place with a super-tech armored car fleet. Which, if you ask me, seems like overkill for a regular private security firm.” How she had managed to spit all that out so rapidly was baffling.
“So, Sherlock, what’s your theory? Some kind of off-the-books government contractor?”
“How boring would that be?” Melissa shook her head and rolled her eyes. “No. I think they run illegal operations with a sinister bent. Like super hot mafia that look more like models than assassins.”
While I suspected there was more to Zenith than private security, I couldn’t help but giggle at her earnestness. “You’re kidding, right? You make them sound like James Bond’s evil twins or something.” Although if you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I had some pretty similar thoughts, minus the evil part. And I was still no closer to figuring out what was really going on behind the scenes.
She stared at me, dead serious. “No, Haley. And I’m pretty sure there are some cases that they take off-the-books.” I couldn’t admit to her that she was right—my dad’s case had been as far off the record as possible. But I still didn’t want to believe that the guys were involved in anything sinister.
Melissa looked down at her phone that dinged. “Shoot. We need to get back. But think about what I said; I bet you’ll start to see things that make you wonder.”
* * *
“Hiya, Mary. Ready for the meeting?” Theo’s cheerful voice broke my concentration on the report in front of me. Catching a glimpse of the time, I gasped and quickly grabbed a legal pad and pen before standing up to follow Theo.
Walking by Melissa’s empty cubicle, I sighed in relief. After her comments at lunch, I didn’t want her to see me sneaking off with Theo for a meeting with Team Jaguar. I was sure she’d have a field day with that one.
When we entered the elevator to go up to the sixth floor, I gave Theo a puzzled look. “Mary?”
He grinned, “You totally have a sassy Mary Poppins vibe going on today with your hair pulled back and that black skirt, white ruffled top, and red belt. Add a hat and I bet you’d start a new trend.”
Without thinking, I laughed and sang a couple lines of “A Spoonful of Sugar.”
Theo’s jaw dropped open then closed then opened again, imitating a fish, apparently. “Haley, what . . . how . . . why haven’t you—”
“Oh look, we’re here,” I interrupted, rushing out of the elevator and down the hall to the conference room.
I hurried into the room and took the first available seat, next to Knox.
Looking over my shoulder, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Where’s the fire, Haley?”
“Oh, you know me. I hate to be late,” I replied with a nonchalant shrug and leaned past Knox to say hello to Jackson, Ethan, and Chase.
Theo plopped into the seat on the other side of me and leaned in close, whispering, “We’re going to have a chat about that voice of yours later, Miss Poppins.”
I offered my most innocent look in response. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
Hearing unfamiliar male voices coming from the hall, I looked up to see three guys I didn’t recognize entering the room followed by one girl a few years older than me . . . and Tyler.
Oh, crap. I had forgotten that Team Falcon was working the gala as well, and I had a feeling things were about to get uncomfortable.
Unlike the rest of Team Falcon, who sat and continued talking among themselves, Tyler greeted the Jaguar guys with a pleasant “hello.” When his eyes met mine, his expression turned startled for a moment. “Oh, hey, Haley. Twice in one day; it must be my lucky day.”
Feeling my face pinken at the sudden attention from all the eyes in the room, I simply smiled back at him. Thankfully, Liam and Patrick chose that moment to make an appearance, and Liam winked at me as he slid in the seat next to Theo.
Patrick shut the door and remained standing at the front of the room. “Oh, good. You’re all here. I know that Jackson and Scott have both gone over the mission specs in detail with your separate teams. But, as you know, I always like to have a joint meeting when multiple teams are involved to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
Honestly, I was surprised that Patrick had included me in this meeting, especially with the other team in attendance. Although I was going as Liam’s date and knew more about the mission than I would have absent my connection to Gerald Douglas, Team Falcon didn’t know that. And considering the puzzled looks several of them had thrown me, I guessed they were confused by my presence.
As Patrick went over some of the more technical aspects of the teams’ responsibilities, I couldn’t help but take a closer look at Team Falcon. For once, Melissa hadn’t exaggerated one bit. Holy hotness, indeed. Of course, I was partial to my guys, but the Falcon guys definitely gave them a run for their money.
Hearing my name, my attention snapped back to the front. “Haley will be attending the gala as Liam’s date.” At Patrick’s words, I forced myself to stare straight ahead and not watch for reactions—including Tyler’s—to Patrick’s use of “date.” He continued, “Theo will be posing as Kara’s escort for the evening. Those four get to have fun and wear costumes, but the rest of you need to be in black suits, white dress shirts, and black ties. Even if you’re assigned to the control room, you should be prepared to work the party, if needed. Chase is off the hook since he’s running tech from the suite.”
“Excuse me, Patrick,” one of the m
embers of Team Falcon spoke up. Between his sandy brown hair, square jaw line, and striking blue eyes, he was classically handsome with a rugged twist. “No offense to Haley,” his attention turned to me, “but why is she here? We all know that Liam always takes a date to these events, but it’s usually some clueless socialite. And now we have an administrative assistant in our confidential mission meeting? What—”
“Cool it, Scott,” Jackson interrupted. Although he was reclining comfortably in his chair, I’d never seen his expression so severe. “We’re just covering the basics in this meeting, and as a Zenith employee, Haley is under a strict NDA. You have nothing to worry about.”
Scott smirked. “So it has nothing to do with the fact that’s she’s dating Liam, or is she shacking up with Theo and Knox? I can’t keep track.”
Shocked by his statement, I swallowed my gasp and watched Knox rise to his feet with extreme slowness. He leaned over the table, his figure imposing and his face ferocious. “I suggest you stop there, Burke. You know that I refuse to be involved in the ridiculous rivalry between our teams. But, if you continue to speak about Haley in that way, you will regret it.”
Patrick cleared his throat. “Look, Scott, I should have notified you that Haley would be attending today’s meeting. But I approved Jackson’s request, and I stand by that. If you have anything else to say on the issue, please make an appointment with my assistant.”
Never in my life had I wished so fervently to disappear. I could feel all the eyes in the room trained on me, some in curiosity or annoyance, perhaps, others in concern. I kept my head down and stared at my fingernails, suddenly the most fascinating sight in the world. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that Knox was still frozen in place; what he was waiting for, I didn’t know.
“Haley,” at the sound of Scott’s voice saying my name, I hesitantly looked up. “I apologize. My comments were uncalled for.”
Wholly unable to speak in that moment, I simply nodded.
Knox finally sat back down but crossed his arms over his chest, and I could have sworn I heard his teeth grinding.
While Patrick went over the list of public figures who were expected to attend the gala, I found myself scrutinizing Scott’s reaction to my presence. Honestly, everything they’d discussed so far was pretty mundane. What sensitive information was he so concerned about me hearing? Or was Patrick purposely sticking to the unclassified stuff while I was in the room? There had to be more going on than met the eye, but I couldn’t make sense of it. Running security at a charity gala didn’t seem particularly mafia-like, but maybe there was something to Melissa’s outrageous theory. Who knew what kind of illicit activities the Zenith teams could be running behind the scenes of the legitimate company. Ugh, Haley, stop being paranoid.
Wait, did Patrick just list Bill Gates? Holy crap!
Patrick continued talking while my mind chewed on that detail. “So, everyone has the schedule and should know their role. Hunter, can you coordinate gear and ensure everything is accounted for at the end of the night?”
“No problem.”
“Any further questions before we wrap up?” Patrick asked the room.
One of the Team Falcon guys raised his hand and Patrick nodded at him, indicating he should speak. “Yes, Logan?”
A lean, but definitely fit, guy with dark brown hair and olive skin spoke. Despite his five o’clock shadow and dark eyebrows, he looked pretty young.
“How will credit work for this assignment since we’re combining two full teams?” Credit?
Patrick tapped his fingers on the table. “Same as usual. Please remember,” Patrick said, glancing around the room, “that for this event, you are one team. There is no Team Falcon or Team Jaguar, simply Zenith.”
Everyone nodded, but even I could sense the coiled tension in the room.
“Yes, Scott?” Patrick said, turning slightly to face Scott.
“Have you determined the chain of decision?”
Patrick nodded. “Yes, thank you for reminding me. Jackson will have final say. And on that note, I think we’re finished,” Patrick said, as he rose from his seat. The room erupted into conversation while most of Team Falcon filed out of the room.
“Haley, may I speak to you for a second?” I looked up to see Tyler watching me with worry in his eyes. Oh, geez. Could this day get any more awkward?
“Of course.”
He glanced at Jackson and Knox before saying quietly, “I’m sorry about what Scott said. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“Thanks, Tyler. But, it’s fine, really.” I forced a small smile.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you around.”
Once Tyler had left the room, I looked up to see all of the Jaguar guys staring at me. Desperate to get their attention away from the embarrassment surrounding me, I said, “So, who’s up for Taco Tuesday next week?”
Jazzed Up
“Oh, Haley,” Theo sang out, waving a flyer in the air as he entered the living room.
I could hear the paper fluttering but studiously ignored him, pretending extreme absorption in my latest book. Not that it wasn’t an interesting read, but I knew what Theo wanted, and I wasn’t sure I was willing to agree.
“You don’t seriously think you can ignore me, right?” Theo said, as he plopped down on the couch next to me.
I felt a smirk threatening to betray me, but I held firm and remained focused on the book. A moment later, I snuck a peek at Theo and found him acting disinterested, smiling to himself and humming a tune. Sometimes he was just too cute for his own good. Strike that, for my own good. Theo could talk me into almost anything.
Theo leaned closer to me, lightly nudging me in the shoulder with his own. “Whatcha reading, pumpkin?”
Smiling, I held up the front of the book for his inspection and continued to read, or at least pretend to, while he scanned the cover.
“Ahh, yes. What an interesting read Guns, Germs, and Steel is,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “That must be another one of Jackson’s picks.”
I nodded and closed the cover, knowing full well Theo had no intention of leaving me alone. “What’s up?”
“You know my friend Drew, the one you met last Friday outside Madame Walska’s?”
“Yeah . . .” Oh, I knew Drew, and I knew where this was headed.
“His band is playing at that jazz club tonight, and I want you to go with me.”
I twisted a piece of hair between my fingers as I pursed my lips and remained silent.
“Come on, you need to let loose. And it will be fun, I promise.” He inclined his head and looked up at me, his hazel-green eyes wide. “Pretty please?”
After a moment’s pause, I finally relented. “Okay.” I didn’t have a legitimate reason not to. Plus, I knew if I didn’t go, Theo couldn’t either since he had to babysit me tonight. I loved spending time with the guys, but I hated the thought constantly lingering in the back of my mind that they only hung out with me because they had to.
Theo practically jumped off the couch but then groaned, grabbing his side lightly. “Argh, I can’t wait until my fracking injury is healed.”
“Only a few more days, right?” I asked hopefully.
“Yeah, it’s just uncomfortable; the skin is tight. Fortunately, I should be all better by the gala.”
I got up from the couch, glancing at the clock in the kitchen.
“Can you be ready in an hour?” Theo asked.
I laughed as I headed down the hall to my bedroom. “Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Once I reached my room, I pulled out the laptop and opened my email. Jessica had been pestering me for more information, pictures even, on the guys while sharing tidbits from her own life. Ever the boy-crazy friend, she had included links to YouTube videos with hair and makeup tips “just in case.”
I smiled to myself as I opened the links from her latest email. I loved one of the loose updos she had sent and hoped I wasn’t being overly-ambitious. While scanning my
limited clothing options, my phone buzzed on my nightstand, alerting me of an incoming text message. I set my outfit on the bed before swiping the screen to read the message.
Liam: What are you up to tonight?
Me: Getting ready. Theo’s dragging me to a jazz club.
Liam: The one in Santa Cruz?
Me: I think so. His friend Drew invited us to hear his band play.
Liam: What time are you going?
Me: Heading out in an hour or so.
Liam didn’t respond again, so I started getting ready, wondering if he had gotten busy or just didn’t have any more to say.
After washing my face and applying moisturizer, I dug through the makeup I had picked up on my last shopping trip. When I found the black eyeliner, I shrugged. Tonight was as good as any to attempt it. Leaning close to the mirror, I carefully drew a line along the edge of my upper lashes before tracing the lower water line. I added a heavy coat of black mascara and then stood back to inspect myself.
I had to admit that I was pretty pleased with the results. My eyes looked more piercing and the eyeliner created an illusion of even longer and thicker lashes. I grabbed a hair band and bobby pins before heading back to my room.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the full length mirror, I had the laptop to one side and my hair supplies to the other. I watched the video twice before attempting it myself. When I was finally finished, I was surprised by how close it looked to the example in the video. My hair was shiny and mostly swept back, with several loose curls hanging near my face. It was romantic and seductive all at once, and the dangly earrings I selected drew attention to my collarbone and neck.
I stood in front of the mirror, studying my reflection. Tight black jeans, a fitted black V-neck top, and black heels—my outfit was still the simple, classic style that I favored, but it was sexier than normal. And my hair and makeup were definitely stepping out for me, especially with the dark berry lipstick I dabbed on my lips. I honestly wasn’t sure whether I had selected this look to blend in or stand out.
Since I had no clue what people wore to jazz clubs, I began to wonder if I would look silly when Theo knocked on my door.
