Latvis Security Services

by Lexie Ray

  She hadn’t seen him outside, and he seemed content to stay under the radar again. He leaned against the back wall and looked like he was trying to disappear into the wallpaper. His shoulders were broad, his hips narrow, and even his loose shirt strained to get around his highly-defined arms. Unlike the others, this man looked like he worked for a living. Oil and rust stains clung to his shirt like had had spent some time this morning working on an engine, and even from here she could make out the dozens of tiny scars that littered his calloused hands.

  His hair had been allowed to grow out, and the tips ghosted over his shoulders while his bangs shielded his face. Through the stands of warm brown, she caught glimpses of sharp, narrow eyes and just enough scruff to enclose his mouth and jaw. The second he noticed her looking, he shrugged back into the wall and turned his attention to the floor.

  “Allow me to make the introductions,” Mads said, drawing her attention back to him. “The gentleman opposite you is Jai Patel. He was a doctor in the British army. Next to you is Jamie Hardy, a former Navy SEAL. You have met, albeit briefly, Dwayne Kingston. He will insist that you call him King, but I will ask you to refrain. It makes him insufferable. And the gentleman at the end of the room is Daren Reese, my second in command.”

  Rebecca turned to look at Daren again. She caught a glimpse of his blue eyes through the shadows of his downcast face and the strands of his hair. It was only a moment before he dismissed her and returned his attention to the floor. He was the second in command? Once again, Mads recaptured her attention.

  “Gentlemen, this is Rebecca Jones, and from my understanding, she has a time sensitive problem.”

  He gestured as if giving her the floor, and she felt the sharp attention of every man in the room. They might have mastered the illusion of looking disinterested, but their focus was palpable.

  She shrugged and shuffled against the leather seat. “I don’t really know how to start. I haven’t been able to convince many other people that anything weird is going on. And it’s not like I have any proof.”

  “Ms. Jones,” Mads said. “Each man within this room is alive today because, at one point or another, he has acted on his instincts alone. We do not underestimate or easily dismiss the merit of instinct.”

  Rebecca huffed a sigh and nodded. “Okay, well, to get to the point, I think someone is following my child. Sophie just turned seven. She’s outgoing but has spent her whole life with me in the carnival circuit, so she’s by no means naive.

  “I work with the attached rodeo, and we do a circuit covering more than seven states and forty-six towns. We generally stay for three weeks at a time before moving on. So, unless someone’s part of the show, we don’t see them repeatedly. We don’t really have regulars.”

  “But you’ve noticed someone?” Jai prompted.

  “Yes. I’ve seen him in a few towns now. And there are a few more times that I can’t be sure it was him.”

  “What do you mean?” Jamie threaded his fingers together and leaned harder against the table.

  “The carnival has a haunted house, including actors in dress up. Hand to God, I can’t say it was him, but my gut tells me it was. Just the way he followed Sophie.” She shivered and nodded. “It was him.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Jamie asked.

  “I noticed about five months ago. It’s anyone’s guess how long he had been doing it before I caught on.”

  “And the places you have seen him,” Mads said. “Were these towns closely located, or do the locations span over numerous states?”

  “It’s been across three states that I know of.”

  Mads nodded as he considered the information. He leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and rested his forearms against the armrests. He looked like a king taking his throne, and Rebecca wasn’t quite sure how she was supposed to react to the superiority in the gesture.

  “That sort of determination is disconcerting.”

  “Which is why I came to you,” Rebecca said. “I tried going to the police, but there isn’t much they can do with the situation as it is. But I want it to end. I heard that this is your kind of thing. Helping people who are being stalked.”

  Mads was a hard read, and she found her eyes sliding back to Daren. Even half-hidden, it was a lot easier to read Daren’s face than to try and gather any meaning from Mads’ sharp features.

  “We will need to ask you a few questions, Ms. Jones, and I regret that not all of them will be pleasant to answer. Please know that we don’t intend any disrespect.”

  “Luckily, I’m not hiring you for your manners.”

  Mads’ lips twitched into a smile, showing humor but never displaying teeth. “Very well. We will need to know about Sophie’s father.”

  “Ben Fort,” Rebecca said. “He’s no longer in the picture.”

  Mads rose his eyebrows expectantly and she sighed.

  “Ben and I were childhood sweethearts. We graduated, got married, and had Sophie. No other real highlights. We divorced a few years back.”

  “And the reason for the separation?”

  “Ben liked the idea of being a family guy, but didn’t do too well with the reality.”

  Mads tilted his head. “He did not rise to the challenges and demands of fatherhood?”

  “He couldn’t deal with the monotony,” she said.

  It seemed like Mads thought his nod carried some great meaning. Perhaps it did, but Rebecca didn’t get it. “Is he still involved in Sophie’s life?”

  “Not so much, but it’s working for everyone. I don’t think he has anything to do with this.”

  “And what about your other relatives?” Jai asked. “Do any of them have issues with the custody arrangement?”

  “No.”

  “There’s no past boyfriends that could have a grudge?” Jamie said.

  Rebecca chuckled and turned to Prince Charming. “I’m a single mother that home schools while working a full-time job. Dating isn’t really something that happens.”

  She felt Daren looking at her and flicked her eyes up to meet his gaze. He immediately looked away and began to chew on his thumbnail.

  “Look, I’m not quite sure how you guys normally go about this, and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but I’ve talked with my boss. He’s all right with some of you taking on a few positions around the carnival.”

  “I’m glad you’re so prepared,” Mads smiled. “I would like your employer’s number to finalize those details. You mentioned you worked within the rodeo.”

  “Yeah, I’m a trick rider.”

  “And Sophie spends most of her day with you in that area?”

  “Yes. But it’s hard to keep an eye on her when I’ve got to work.”

  Mads nodded. “I would like to post a man within the rodeo itself to keep a closer eye on things.”

  “That’s going to be harder,” Rebecca laughed. “You guys can learn how to work a Ferris wheel, but you’re going to get yourselves hurt pretending to be riders.”

  Mads looked over her shoulder, obviously seeking out Daren’s attention. She twisted to watch the interaction. It didn’t take a second for Daren to notice. He met Mads’ eyes and, while still chewing on his short thumbnail, nodded.

  “Daren will be the rider,” Mads said.

  She turned back to him. “Really? Not for nothing, but there is a world of difference between trail riding and staying on an angry bronc for eight seconds.”

  Mads offered her a small, tight-lipped smile and didn’t look from her as he asked, “Can you do that, Daren?”

  “Yeah.”

  She spun back to Daren and forced him to meet her gaze. “Do you go bareback or do you need a saddle?”

  “I’m so glad King isn’t here right now,” Jamie muttered, but she ignored the interruption.

  Daren just loosely shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “Whatever needs doing.”

  It was more words than she had heard him speak so far, and she picked up on traces of a southe
rn accent. Not a drawl, but still pleasant to the ear. She pegged him for a Georgia boy.

  “When was the last time you were on a horse?”

  “Bout two weeks ago.”

  She shook her head and decided to let it go. If he couldn’t hold his own, they would know soon enough. As long as he didn’t need all of them to take him to the hospital, it should be fine.

  “Do you have any more questions for me?”

  “Many,” Mads said. “Please make yourself comfortable. Would you care for a drink?”

  Chapter Three

  Daren jumped on the first chance to get out of the room. It took a lot longer than he had thought it would, so when Mads asked him to organize a trial performance to ease Rebecca’s concerns, he had to choke down a grateful bellow. He didn’t interact with the clients, not like that. When there was something to do or someone’s face to crack, he was fine. But when there was a risk of someone breaking down into tears, he wasn’t the best choice. Not that Rebecca had cried.

  That woman had a spine of steel and didn’t shy away from showing it. She had the set goal of protecting her child and seemingly had decided that emotions were just going to get in the way of that. It was a position Daren could respect and even admire. There was no real use for sobbing and asking why bad things seemed to happen to good people. It never got a person anywhere.

  The world didn’t owe anyone anything, and it didn’t give a damn if someone thought it was fair or not. If it did, it wouldn’t have given that kind of strength to a woman who looked like her. No one needed to have that much of an advantage.

  Rebecca was a girl who seemed specifically designed for a man to get lost in. From her endless curves to her thick, raven hair and her flawless, rich brown skin and those large eyes of hers which seemed to have their own gravitational pull.

  He tightened his grip on the phone handle as his stomach twisted in a weird, fire and ice-like feeling. Was he getting sick? He’d have to get Jai to give him a check-up. Dwayne and Sophie were both scribbling manically and giggling like idiots. It was a quick distraction and one Daren was grateful for, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting back to the boardroom.

  It took longer to get everything in place than he would have thought, but he didn’t mind. It was good just to get some distance from Rebecca. But while he was stuck on hold, forced to listen to the most annoying songs in history on loop, Daren slouched into his seat and tried to keep his thoughts from wandering too far. They always found their way back to Rebecca. The woman was a damn magnet.

  Daren hadn’t heard his brother’s voice in years, but he recognized it instantly when it bubbled up from his memories, telling him all the things he already knew. That there wasn’t any point to noticing a woman like Rebecca, because she wasn’t going to notice him. That her only thoughts of him were probably what a creepy hick he was. He had never liked his brother all that much. Even when he only existed in Daren’s memories, he was a jerk.

  It took a few more phone calls, but he was able to set it all up for tomorrow. Come morning, he’d be able to do a few practice rounds on a field just outside of the city. The whole thing made him feel like a trick pony putting on a show, but the practice wouldn’t hurt, and it also wouldn’t hurt to let Rebecca know he wasn’t just all talk. She had enough to worry about. He had just put the phone back on the cradle when Sophie and Dwayne barrelled past him, a whirlwind of shrieks and hysteria. Neither of them noticed his glare or the massive mess they had created.

  Sometimes it was amazing that Dwayne didn’t topple whenever he bent over. The man was that top heavy. Seeming to defy gravity, he easily scooped the girl up and lifted her over his head. The kid squealed and giggled like a maniac as Dwayne spun in a few tight circles. The second Jamie came out from the meeting room, he had to duck to miss getting a glittered sandal to the face. Jai didn’t have to worry about it, not with the height difference between him and Dwayne. The big idiot only stopped spinning when Mads appeared. Almost sheepishly, he draped the kid over his shoulder, keeping her in place with one large arm wrapped around her still-kicking legs.

  “Cut it out,” Dwayne hissed as Sophie kept laughing. “I’m trying to look casual here. Hey, boss.”

  “Dwayne,” Mads said with a cool tint to his words. “Sophie.”

  With a flurry of giggles, she waved her slender arm. Rebecca smiled broadly as she dipped around Dwayne’s side to meet her daughter’s eyes. That unsettling too-hot, too-cold sensation flooded back into the pit of Daren’s stomach. Yeah, he definitely needed to check in with the doc.

  “Before you get all mad and wordy and passive-aggressive,” Dwayne said to Mads, “she started it.”

  “The child?” Mads said slowly.

  Dwayne nodded. “Yep.”

  “If only there had been a responsible adult present,” Jai said as Jamie tried to suppress a snicker.

  “What did Sophie do?” And how did Mads manage to sound like he was actually taking this seriously?

  “She stole my glitter pens.”

  “You’re a grown-up man,” Sophie laughed. “Why do you need glitter pens?”

  “Sometimes I just want my paperwork to be fabulous.”

  “Sophie,” Rebecca said with more warmth in her voice than Daren had thought anyone could muster. She cupped her daughter’s chin and tilted her head up before continuing. “Give the man back his pens.”

  Before the kid could whine, Dwayne lifted her above his head and roared with victory. Sophie kicked wildly, breaking into a fit of laughter when Dwayne shook her.

  “Give me the pens.”

  “Fine.” Sophie tried to pout as she pulled a few pens from her back pocket.

  “Now that this dire situation has been resolved,” Mads said, “perhaps you can put the child down. Rebecca and Sophie need to go now.”

  Dwayne grumbled but lowered the girl, snatching the cluster of pens out of her hand. Sophie crossed her small arms over her chest and stomped her foot, glaring at Dwayne until he pulled a few dollars from his pocket and quickly handed them over. Mads raised an eyebrow at the exchange and Dwayne shrugged.

  “The kid’s a card shark.”

  “You gambled with a child?” Jamie asked.

  Jai looked between them. “I’m more concerned that he lost.”

  “Of course, he did.” A hint of pride slipped into Rebecca’s words as Sophie gave her half of the money. “She plays cards like her mother.”

  Ever trying to keep on point, Mads called out across the office to get the details Daren had set up. It must have pained him. Mads clung to his manners with the locked jaw of a pit bull, but Daren wasn’t about to get up from his desk. If Rebecca had had a natural pull before, she was a damn riptide when she smiled, and Daren didn’t want to go anywhere near her.

  Keeping his focus and eyes solely on Mads, Daren gave the highlights as quickly as he could. Mads nodded, thanked him like the proper gentleman he was, and turned to Rebecca.

  “May I see you out?”

  “Sure,” Rebecca shrugged as she took Sophie’s hand.

  Daren sank down into his seat and tried as best he could to keep his computer monitor blocking his view of Rebecca. The woman needed their help, but she wasn’t likely to stay around if she noticed that one of her would-be protectors couldn’t stop staring. He had never really noticed until now just how long those elevators took to get anywhere.

  ***

  Sophie was all smiles as Rebecca drew her against her legs. It was hard to keep the now hyperactive child steady in the small space. Normally, she wouldn’t have minded. But with Mads right beside them, it seemed like she should try and keep Sophie somewhat respectable. For his part, it seemed like Mads was intent on smothering any of his annoyance and tucking it neatly behind his calm composure.

  “I don’t mean to keep beating this bush,” Rebecca said, trying to draw his attention away from Sophie repeatedly hitting all of the buttons, “but are you sure about Daren?”

  “In what regard?”
>
  “All of them.”

  Mads’ laugh was closer to a short breath. “Daren may appear unassuming, but he is highly dedicated and resilient.”

  “Sure.”

  Mads blinked and tilted his head toward her. “You have not had a chance to interact with Daren as of yet. May I reveal to you a personal quirk of his character?”

  “Shoot.”

  The elevator pinged and the door opened. Mads placed one hand out to keep the doors from closing as he focused his steely gaze onto her.

  “Daren strives to appear unremarkable and lacking. You will find, Ms. Jones, that he is neither.”

  Chapter Four

  Willow trotted down the street, pulling the strap of her leather bag higher onto her shoulder while juggling her overly-hot coffee and the paperwork she had been putting off for soon long that it could no longer be contained. The keys to the flower shop were still deep in her pocket, but she wasn’t going to even attempt to get them out until she was closer.

  She had received another letter before she had closed the night before. Still no words, nor any attached note, just an envelope with a single photograph of that same woman she didn’t know. It was the sixth one, and they had long since passed the point of coincidence. There was never any return address, and they were constantly mailed from different places, but they were undoubtedly from the same sender. She didn’t know why she was getting the letters, but there was only one person in her life who could be sending them.

  As the years had stretched out, Willow had let herself believe that she might have somehow slipped away from his awareness. That perhaps he had lost interest in tormenting her. Maybe it had been a stupid thought. He wasn’t the type of man that just walked away and let go. Not once he had decided someone was his plaything. It was enough to make her feel physically ill to think that he had found her again, but it was not all that surprising. He had always been charming and resourceful. It probably hadn’t even taken him long.