by Nana Malone
“What is it?”
He pulled open the safe then took out a leather-bound journal of sorts. “I believe it’s a journal.”
He handed it to me, and I was surprised how heavy it was. When I opened it, I frowned. “I don’t understand.” I flipped the pages, but they were filled with lines of symbols I didn't understand or recognize.
“In her notes, she said, ’Unlock it for me, Neela.’” He blinked up at me. “Do you know what that means?”
“I—” I stared at the symbols and willed my brain to engage, but nothing. I didn’t recognize the symbols. “I’m a cryptanalyst. I unlock and create codes for a living. Maybe that’s what she meant, but I have no frame of reference for this.”
“Well, it seems she wanted you to figure out the code.”
“I mean, maybe, but without knowing what it is, it’ll be next to impossible.”
“Yet, she left it to you.”
"I guess she did.” I slipped the journal into my bag as my mind tried to work out what the hell Willa had been up to.
“There is one more thing.”
“Oh?”
He sat back and ran a hand through his too curly white hair, making it look even more crazed and making him resemble more of a mad scientist than a respected lawyer. "As you know, I'm her lawyer. And now that she's passed, I'm no longer bound by attorney-client privilege. You will be the eventual trustee of Mayzie’s trust. Willa was extremely wealthy. How she got that wealth, while not quite illegal, occasionally meant questionable people were in her life."
What was he talking about?
"Questionable?"
He sighed. " Willa was very wealthy. And by extension, her daughter is very wealthy. I would suggest you hire security. There is already staff at the Cross Oak house in Nob Hill. But I would suggest someone you can personally vet. If you like, I can send you a list of options.”
“Security? Like people who follow me around and stuff? That’s insane. I’m sure a good security system at the house should be enough. I think you’ll find I live a very different lifestyle than Willa did.”
I had grown up with the kind of men he was talking about and I wanted none of it.
He nodded. “I understand. All the same, please, at least consider it. For Mayzie’s sake. Her mother was constantly worried about security, and now Mayzie is a very wealthy little girl. The kidnap and ransom trade can be quite lucrative to some. You need to take precautions.”
Precautions? Who the hell did Willa do business with? The most I ever had to worry about was making sure my client was happy and figuring out if I should get a dog or not. I didn’t travel like Willa did. Or rub shoulders with anyone even remotely interesting, let alone dangerous.
“I know you mean well. Really. But the kind of work my father did necessitated constant security. He did the kind of classified stuff governments don’t even want their own people knowing about. It takes a toll on someone, living in that constant state of something bad could happen. I firmly believe that constant worry caused his heart attack. I think I’ll see how we get on first. What I really will need assistance with is finding a nanny. I assume the monthly stipend will allow me to hire someone? I run my own business, and I think at least in the early days, I’ll need to figure out how to juggle it all.”
He sighed. “Of course. I’ll approve that as separate from the stipend, though it will be more than substantial. I’ll send you recommendations for that position as well.”
Suddenly the weight of what I was agreeing to weighed on me, sitting on my chest like an anvil. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
He leaned forward then. “You can because you must. Mayzie needs you.”
Jax…
I was home. And to be honest, I wasn't sure yet how I felt about it. But it was a chance, just the chance that I needed, so I was going to take it.
And Red hadn't been lying. She had some seriously nice digs along Castle Road. Empty, but a good space. Big enough for a team. But at the moment, it was just the two of us. "So, where's everyone else?"
She turned and grinned at me. "Just get right to it, why don't you? We actually have a job. We're meeting the client later this morning. But after that I get on a plane to the States. I have a new teammate to go recruit."
"Are you going to bully them into joining this rag tag team, too?"
She lifted a delicately arched brow. "I didn't bully you. I just made you an offer you couldn't refuse. And just so we're clear, I will hold up my end of the bargain. You want back in the Guard, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens."
I gave her a brusque nod. With my duffle still slung over my shoulder, I angled my head up toward what looked like loft spaces. "Those the bedrooms up there?"
She nodded. "Yeah. It’s a combo live-work space. I'll have some men in here doing some work to make it more comfortable. There are beds in the two corner rooms. One of those is mine. You can have the other one. Since you’re first, you can have the biggest room. I don’t anticipate all of us will live here, but it’s an option if needed. Beds are being delivered for the other rooms tomorrow. And each room has a private bathroom attached, so that's helpful."
"Looks like you thought of everything."
"No, not quite everything. But I'm getting there."
I watched as she shifted on her feet. She was antsy. Wanted to get to work. I recognized the look. It was how I was too. I dropped my duffle near the massive glass table in what looked like the communal conference space or dining area. "Why don't you tell me about the job. Then I'll get settled in, and you can take off to wherever it is you need to go."
The smile she gave me was sweet, but I knew better than to be tempted by a sweet smile. "Thank God. I'm not great at small talk. Sort of direct and to the point. I didn't want this to be awkward, but I'd rather just get to work."
I chuckled. "So far it looks like we'll get along great."
She gave me a wry smile. "Sorry about haranguing you in London."
"You should be."
Her jaw fell open. "To be fair, I wasn’t exactly haranguing. You knew you wanted to take the job. You were just playing hard to get."
I slid my gaze over her. I wasn't sure if she was flirting or not. Should I flirt back?
No dumbass. No matter what, she’s your boss. And you’ve already had one messy situation.
I wasn’t going there. “So, what’s the job?”
"Bodyguard gig. Should be fairly simple and straightforward. I'm not sure how much coverage is needed, but it will likely be a two-man gig in shifts."
"Every day or for an event?"
"I know nothing. All I know is I got the referral call for us to go meet the client to check out their needs. A referral call is a referral call. There are some other gigs I have on the line, but that one seems the most pressing and promising."
I nodded. "Are you going to tell me something at least personal about you? So we're not strangers?"
"We're not strangers. I had to listen to you snore all the way on the flight across the pond. I know you mumble in your sleep and then laugh a little. And then you talk to yourself. Whatever it is you're saying to yourself, you seem self-satisfied because then you get this smug smile on your face."
I scowled at her. "I do not talk in my sleep, and I'm not smug."
"Okay, if you say so." She shrugged then. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, obviously you were a Royal Guard. What happened?"
"Not that much of a story really. After helping secure the lost princess, it was time for me to go. You know, exacerbated by the fact that my father was tied up in the conspiracy."
I winced. "Mother fucker."
"Yeah. And that's really it. I chose to leave instead of being ousted by the Council."
"I'm sorry. Blimey, mate. Certainly not your choice."
"Nope. But Sebastian and Lucas, Penny, they've all been super supportive."
I lifted both brows. "You're on a first name basis with the king?"
"Yeah, uh, his wife Penny is my best friend."
"Oh, so that's how you're going to get me back in the Guard?"
"Doesn't matter how I'm going to do it, just that I do it, right?"
She had a point there. "Fair enough.” I pointed around at the sparse but slick surroundings. “So, this. The king set you up?"
“No.” She looked around with a faint hint of a smile floating over her lips. "This I did myself. I was in Guard housing, so I never had to pay for rent, and I was just saving it. I don't have expensive tastes or hobbies. All the money I've been saving over the years went into this place. It’ll go into initial salaries. And we already have clients, so I'll be able to get us off the ground."
"You're serious about this. You're going to make this work."
"Why would you ever start anything if you weren't serious about it?"
Oh boy. I liked her already. She was still a pain in the ass, though. "So, what? You married? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Asexual?
"Not married. No boyfriend or girlfriend. And I'm very much sexual, but my entire focus is on the business right now. "
Good. She wasn’t here to fuck around. Neither was I. We were going to get along fine.
"I want to make this place like home you know? I just left a team that I loved working with. They were a family. I'd like this team to feel the same way."
I shrugged. "Okay. How do you plan on doing that?"
"Well, first things first. No matter what, monthly Sunday dinners with the whole team."
I laughed. "What, like my mum used to make us do?"
"Yeah. Exactly like that. I think it'll help us all get to know each other quickly. And we'll get to figure out personalities. Think of it as a business meeting minus any talk about work."
"Whatever floats your boat." I'd do the jobs she needed me to do, and then I'd be back in the Royal Guard, so whatever flower-child, hippie way she had of running her business wouldn't affect me for too long. "That's fine, I guess."
"What about you? What's your story? All I know is that you left the guard nine months ago. Doesn't say why."
Something told me she already knew the reason but wanted me to tell her, and she wanted to suss out if I would tell her the truth or not. "I left because my girlfriend was pregnant. She didn't want me to have a job that involved me getting shot at on occasion, so I left." Maybe she would just stop there.
"And?"
That was too good to be true. "And we went to London only for me to discover that the baby wasn't mine. And there was no going back to the Guard. There we are. All caught up."
"I'm sorry. That’s shitty."
"Yeah, it is. But you, Twinkle Toes, are going to get me back in the Guard, so you just point me in the direction of what or who I need to guard, and I'll take care of the rest."
"For what it's worth, she messed up. Anyone as determined as you to do something would have made a great father."
"Well, I guess I'll never know now."
She shrugged. "Come on, pretty boy, let's get to work.”
Jax…
Ariel wasn't kidding. She was starting fresh. While there was money for inventory like guns and surveillance equipment, we were light in inventory. We needed it shipped fast.
We spent the better part of the afternoon going through that. Then she had me speak to some mysterious friend of hers from New York, except the guy was a bit like me. Matthias something or other, he worked for a security firm in New York. They had some ridiculous tech on their hands. Earpieces that could barely be seen, bulletproof vests that were as thin as clothing, GPS trackers that could essentially be swallowed. Basically, they had access to the highest-grade military shit. The kind of shit that most of the world thought was science fiction.
The Royal Army and the Royal Guard were well kitted out. They had the latest in tech equipment, but even they didn't have stuff like this. We put in an order. Ariel had the funds, so that made things easy, but we still had to go through it all. When we were done, I had the night off. The following morning, we were supposed to head to one of our first assignments. Ariel had given me a couple of personnel files she wanted me to look over too. See everyone's strengths and weaknesses, where we could utilize everyone the best.
She had some guy coming in, Trace Lawson. His name was familiar, but I didn't know him. I still wasn't sure where I knew him from, but I'd look over his resume anyway. In the meantime, I might as well let the troops know I was back. When I texted Roone, he answered right away. "
Me: Pub?
Roone: You back?
Me: Yep, just today.
Roone: Yeah, in an hour?
Me: Yep. Usual table?
Roone: Yeah, mate.
Roone and I had developed a short hand working together. He'd been on the former prince's personal service for a long damn time. We'd all been on that rotation, those of us with exemplary test scores and excellent military service. We were all in rotation on the royal family themselves. Much like the American Secret Service, I suppose.
For the most part, Royal Guards were used for the royal family, no matter the level and distance to the throne, and members of the Regents Council. There were also Intelligence Guards, Palace Security, Diplomatic Guards, it went on and on. The most elite were Intelligence and Personal Guard for the royals. You pretty much wrote your own ticket at that point if you were so lucky as to be assigned those duties.
A couple of hours later, I borrowed one of the six SUV's in the garage. Ariel said they were for all of our use. I'd probably eventually get my own, but for now, the company SUV would suffice.
Parking was easy enough to find at the pub. I still slid into one of the spots hidden in the alley where I’d always parked. It was as if no one else on the island knew they were there.
That's because you had to have been drinking there for a long damn time to know about them. There'd been a fancy new parking lot built next to the pub four years ago. Only the locals knew about these spots. Even then, most locals had graduated to more flashy pubs. But I liked this one. The Horse and Boar reminded me of pubs in London.
When I walked in through the back door, I spotted Roone immediately. He was at our old spot. The one where many of the Guards drank. And he’d already ordered two Guinness. Good man.
He grinned when he lifted his head and saw me. "Jax. Still a good-looking devil, I see."
"Ah, you flatter me. Careful now I'll get a swelled head. Now what will that pretty thing of yours say?"
Roone grinned. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
I laughed. "Well, I only know from pictures. It's not like I've met her."
He winced. "Yeah, it was all kind of sudden. When we were in London I was undercover, so I couldn't exactly call. Then everything happened a bit fast. I didn't know you'd be back."
I waved my hand. "Nah, don't worry, just givin' you shit. I would love to meet the lost princess. From what I've seen in pictures, she's stunning."
The man was literally vibrating with light. He was so damn happy.
He shook his head. "Who'd have thought it?"
I laughed. "I know, right? You were the perpetual bachelor. I was the one careening toward love and family as quickly as possible."
He winced. "How are you doing?"
"Mate. I’m just gonna enjoy my pint and catch up with an old friend. We are not talking about her."
He shrugged. "All right, fair enough. But I mean, it is a valid question."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine. Not gonna lie, it stung a bit. Especially that she was a complete slag and made me walk away from my family. But I'm over it. Besides, you, mate, may have given me a way back."
Roone nodded slowly. "Hopefully it's a way back. Ariel and I will do our best. But you just focus on that job, let us worry about the rest. We'll have to get around the Council, and that's the tricky part."
"Look, I know. Your girl, Ariel, she already warned me it'd be a tough sell. I get it."
"How is that going? You getting on with her okay
?"
I rolled my eyes. "Mate, she is a colossal pain in the ass."
Roone grinned. "I know, right? She's bossy. Thinks she should be in charge of everything."
I nodded enthusiastically. "Jesus Christ, she's persistent."
I thought back to the day that she was outside my flat banging to be let in at 6:00am.
He chuckled into his Guinness. "Oh, I know. She's a right pain in the ass. But she's good. Smarter than you. Smarter than everyone, basically, and she knows it. But she's a good partner. She's loyal. She’ll do what it takes. Cover your ass no matter what. If you get into any trouble, she's the one you want on your team."
I studied him. "You almost sound like you love her."
He shrugged. "Yeah, I do. She's family."
"And the Princess isn't at all jealous?"
His brow burrowed. "Of Ariel? No. They're actually friends. Ariel was undercover with me."
"Oh, I didn’t really know that, I guess."
"Yeah, it was a tough gig. Couldn't tell the princess a thing. We had to come out two pronged. She got to play good cop, I was bad cop."
"Yeah, obviously bad cop worked out."
"Yeah, but it almost didn't. Imagine calling my best mate having to tell him I got his sister killed."
I winced. "All turned out right?"
He shrugged and drained the rest of his beer. I was barely half done with mine. "Yeah it all turned out, but nothing's ever going to be the same. Everything is tense, and we're battling with the Regents Council. No one knows who to trust. When you have good people on your side, you keep them close."
I nodded slowly. "Ariel is one of the people you trust?"
He nodded. "Implicitly. She's had my life in her hands. She's had the princess's life in her hands. If she’d even hesitated, I'd be dead and so would the princess. I've been on the wrong end of a partner before. Didn't turn out well. Almost lost the prince."
I shook my head. "You know what, you have had some bad luck with assignments."
He chuckled. "Yeah, tell me about it."
"Seriously, maybe you need to retire."
