Constructing the Soul

by Annabella Michaels

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Other books by Annabella Michaels

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Constructing the Soul

  Souls of Chicago Series #5

  Copyright © 2017 Annabella Michaels

  annabellamichaels.blogspot.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art provided by Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art – www.jayscoversbydesign.com

  Editing provided by Pam Ebeler of Undivided Editing – www.undividedediting.com

  Proofreading provided by Judy Zweifel of Judy’s Proofreading – www.judysproofreading.com

  Interior Design and Formatting provided by Stacey Blake of Champagne Formats – www.champagneformats.com

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original publisher only.

  This book contains sexually explicit material and is only intended for adult readers.

  Copyright and Trademark Acknowledgments

  The author acknowledges the copyright and trademarked status and trademark owners of the following trademarks and copyrights mentioned in this work of fiction:

  U.S Navy SEALs

  The Walking Dead: AMC Networks, Inc.

  Ford F-250- Ford Motor Company

  Toyota Prius- Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc.

  Jeep: FCA US, LLC

  University of Chicago

  Ariana Grande “Side to Side”: Republic Records

  Little Big Town “Girl Crush”: Capitol Nashville Interscope

  Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”: Big Machine Label Group, LLC

  Charlie Puth “One Call Away”: Atlantic Records

  Chicago Bulls

  Orange Is the New Black: Lionsgate Television, Tilted Productions, Netflix

  Forbes Magazine: Forbes, Inc.

  McDonald’s: McDonald’s Corporation

  Converse: Nike, Inc.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Other books by Annabella Michaels

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Other books by Annabella Michaels

  Souls Of Chicago Series:

  Feeding the Soul, Book 1

  Music of the Soul, Book 2

  Protecting the Soul, Book 3

  Renewing the Soul, Book 4

  To Jenn, who has shown me more love, compassion, encouragement and kindness than I ever could have hoped for. Your friendship means everything to me and I feel blessed every single day that we found each other in this big, crazy world. Also, thank you for understanding that there is no man like a Greene man.

  I parked my car outside of the building and looked up at what I was sure had been a productive manufacturing warehouse in its day, but had become nothing more than an empty shell as the years moved on. It wasn’t in the best part of Chicago either, which had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I pulled my phone from my pocket and double-checked the address that Landon had given me, just to be sure; I was definitely in the right place. Landon had mentioned that Carter and Ryan lived in one of the abandoned buildings and had fixed it up into a beautifully designed living space, but I was having trouble picturing anything beyond the broken windows and graffiti-covered walls.

  I was half an hour early for my meeting, but there was no way I was going to wander around the creepy building by myself, so I stayed in my car and locked the doors. The fact that I was even there in the first place proved that there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for Landon Greene. Not only was he my boss, but he was also my best friend. We’d met when I was working as a temp at the same agency as him. The two of us hit it off right away, quickly becoming friends and he’d confided in me that he was unhappy with his job as a talent scout. He’d wanted to not only discover up-and-coming musicians, he also wanted to take them under his wing and help them navigate their way through the music industry, so that they could reach their full potential.

  Landon had finally made the decision to start his own agency that would allow him to do the things he wanted and when he asked me if I would be interested in joining him as his office manager, I’d jumped at the chance. It was exactly the kind of job I’d been looking for and Landon was more than generous with my starting salary and benefits package. The best part however, was that I would get to continue working with Landon; who was not only a wonderful boss, but an incredible friend.

  Landon’s knack for recognizing raw talent had helped build his reputation and when he took over the management of Carter’s Creed, his business had skyrocketed. He quickly became one of the most sought-after music agents and had ended up having to hire more managers to help oversee the many bands that wanted to be signed on with his agency. Landon would never hand his brother’s band over to another manager though, so between preparing them for their second worldwide tour and wanting to spend more time with his fiancé, Micah, he had begun handing more of the responsibility over to me to help carry the load.

  Part of that responsibility included a project that was near and dear to all our hearts, Agape House. Landon’s family had always been very involved with the center for LGBTQA youth and he’d gotten me involved as soon as we’d become friends. Rylie, known to the rest of the world as Rocko, was the drummer for Carter’s Creed and had started volunteering there as part of his recovery program from drug and alcohol addiction. Rylie then told Lachlan, his fiancé and owner of Golden Entertainment Studios, about the center and Lachlan decided that he needed to check it out for himself.

  After meeting with the center’s owner, Matt, and seeing the amazing difference Agape House was making in the lives of local LGBTQA teens, Lachlan had agreed that it was a very special place indeed, but that it needed a lot of updating. Matt had explained to him that the center depended on fundraising and the kind donations of others to stay in operation and he’d admitted to Lachlan that it was often a struggle to keep their doors open from one month to the next, which unfortunately, left no funds for upkeep on the building.

  Lachlan called a meeting with the band, along with several members of the Greene family and myself, to help come up with a plan to build a new facili
ty for the center. Lachlan was going to pay for the new building, but he also wanted to set up a fund that would keep the center running for years to come without having to struggle to make ends meet. While they had enough money between all of them to fund everything themselves, they agreed that it would be better if the community were also involved in the effort, which would bring attention to the center and what it was they were doing for the youth of Chicago.

  Ryan suggested that instead of building a brand-new facility, that they look into renovating one of the old warehouses near where he and Carter lived. He pointed out that space to build was limited in the thriving city. By using one of the old warehouses they would be able to expand the center and therefore help more kids in need. Everyone agreed with Ryan’s suggestion and then they began discussing fundraising ideas that would get the community involved.

  It was also brought up that with the band preparing for another tour, the time that they could personally devote to the project would be limited. Kathy and Rick Greene had volunteered to head up the fundraising end of things, but they would need someone to oversee the building renovation, including meeting with contractors, electricians, and inspectors.

  Landon turned in my direction and said that he didn’t know anyone with better organizational skills than me, which made me preen until I realized what he was suggesting. I told him that I had far too much work to do at the office and that I wouldn’t know where to start with a project of that magnitude, but he promised to hire extra help in the office so that I could focus solely on the renovation.

  Caleb added that they’d really like the person overseeing the project to be someone who was already involved with the center and cared about what happened to it, like he knew I would. I could feel my resolve crumbling and then Landon pulled out the big guns. As my best friend, he knew that flattery was my kryptonite so he reminded me of what an important role I’d played in organizing the band’s first worldwide tour and that if I could handle that, then overseeing the Agape House project would be a piece of cake. Then he’d winked at me, making me glare at him in return. He knew he was going to get his way and I did too. Not only because of the flattery, but because I had a soft spot for the kids at the center.

  Which was how I had ended up sitting in front of a building that looked like it could be on the set of The Walking Dead and wondering if I should have brought one of Micah’s security guys along with me for protection from whatever might be lurking in the shadows. Landon had set up meetings with three different contractors and wanted me to decide which one would be best for the job. He hadn’t told me much about any of them because he said he wanted me to make my decision based off my own impression.

  A knock on the glass beside me made me scream and I clutched at my chest, attempting to keep my heart from jumping out. I turned and glared out the window, wanting to know who was responsible for trying to send me to an early grave when I was met with the most amazing pair of sea-green eyes I’d ever seen in my life. I was mesmerized by them for a few seconds, until I realized that they were also accompanied by a laughing mouth. It didn’t matter that the mouth had a full bottom lip or that the teeth were perfectly straight and it didn’t matter that the skin around it was perfectly golden. I saw red.

  Who did the guy think he was, sneaking up on me in that kind of a neighborhood and scaring the bejeezus out of me, only to turn around and laugh about it? I should’ve stayed in my car because I had no idea who he was or what he might do to me, but I was too pissed off to think logically. I narrowed my eyes, hit the unlock button, and swung my door open, making him jump back or risk getting hit.

  “What the hell? I don’t know what you’re doing in this area, but you have no business sneaking up on people and scaring them half to death,” I screeched, poking my finger into his chest. I admired the fact that his t-shirt stretched nicely over his broad chest and the hardness of his pectorals under my finger tip, but that was only because I was very good at multi-tasking. His eyes widened in surprise and he held his hands up in surrender.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you saw me pull up beside you. I’m here for our meeting,” he explained.

  His words broke through my anger and it was then that I noticed the bright red Ford F-250 truck pulled up alongside my car just as he’d said. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even seen him. I could feel my face heating up with embarrassment when I realized that I had just yelled at the man who could possibly end up being our new contractor. Please don’t let me have screwed this project up already.

  “No, I’m the one who should apologize, I should have been paying better attention and then I wouldn’t have been so surprised. Let’s start over, shall we?” I pasted my most winning smile on my face and offered him my hand to shake. “I’m Akio Forrest.”

  Luckily, he didn’t seem too upset because he smiled at me and slid his hand against mine. A tremor went through my hand and travelled up my arm when our skin made contact and I glanced up at his eyes, startled. He looked shocked and I wondered if he’d felt it too.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Akio. I’m Morgan Greene.”

  “Greene?” I asked curiously.

  His face lit up with a smile. “Yeah, Landon’s my cousin.” He chuckled when he saw the surprise on my face and his cheeks dipped into a perfect set of dimples. I swallowed hard. The man was absolutely stunning. Morgan’s eyes roamed over my face, settling on my lips and I felt my skin heat under his gaze. It was then that I realized I was still shaking his hand. I pulled away and cleared my throat.

  “Are you ready to go inside?” I turned and walked towards the building without waiting for his response. I needed a few moments to gather myself. I’d never had that kind of reaction to another person and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I grabbed the keys out of my pocket and unlocked the heavy metal door. It made a loud screeching sound as I slowly pulled it open, wary of anything that might be living in there. Lachlan had done a walkthrough of the building before deciding to purchase it, but it was my first time there.

  My eyes swept over the interior which had been stripped bare. Glass crunched under my shoes as I walked deeper into the old warehouse. Morgan let out a low whistle behind me and the sound echoed through the cavernous space. I turned to look at him, expecting him to be disgusted by what he saw, but instead he wore a look of wonder and excitement on his face. I studied him as he spun around in a slow circle, his head tilted up to take in the high ceilings and the full wall of windows.

  “This is perfect,” he said quietly and I looked around again, wondering what he saw in the rubble that I couldn’t. He turned and headed farther into the building. I shrugged my shoulders and followed along, not really wanting to get left behind in the creepy building.

  “Landon didn’t tell me I was going to be meeting his cousin,” I said as he pulled a tape measure from his belt loop and began measuring the windows. He kept his focus on his work as he answered.

  “I probably shouldn’t have said anything about it until after we discussed business, but you looked so scared out there, I just wanted to put your mind at ease. I don’t want anyone claiming that your decision to hire me was biased. I’m sure that’s why Landon didn’t mention it.”

  I felt myself bristling and I narrowed my eyes at him. “You seem awfully sure that I’m going to hire you, but I’ll have you know that I have several contractors to meet with and each of them are highly qualified. My decision will be made once I’ve met with everyone and heard what their ideas are for the center.”

  Morgan’s tape measure snapped back into place as he turned to look at me, one brow arched. “That’s exactly what you should do, but you’ll still end up hiring me,” he said smugly.

  “And what makes you so sure?” I crossed my arms over my chest and popped a hip out. My friends told me that I had the best resting bitch face around and the moment seemed to call for it so I pulled out all the stops, but my breath caught in my throat as he moved closer. He s
topped right in front of me and I was suddenly very aware of the difference between his 6’ 2” frame and my own smaller 5’ 7”.

  “I may not be the cheapest, but I promise you that I am the best man for the job.” My tongue darted out to wet my lips and his eyes caught the movement. Morgan’s voice was low when he spoke again. “No matter what the job is, I won’t stop until everyone is completely satisfied.” I felt my face heat as I caught the double meaning behind his words. His eyes raised to meet mine and he winked before turning around and continuing his work. I stood there for another moment, trying to calm my racing heart.

  I followed him around for another hour as he jotted down measurements, tapped the walls and did a number of other things that I couldn’t begin to understand the reasoning behind. Finally, he turned to me.

  “Okay, that should about do it. I’ll have plans drawn up and get back to you with my bid within the next couple of days.”

  “Sounds good,” I told him as we walked outside. “As I said, I’ve got other contractors to meet with and once I have a chance to look over all the bids, I’ll be in touch.” I locked the door and then turned to shake his hand which was warm and just rough enough to send a tingle down my spine. It was the hand of someone who worked hard for a living and I respected that.

  “It was very nice to meet you, Akio,” he said and I shivered when he squeezed my hand gently. We held on just a little longer than necessary and I felt the loss when he pulled away.

  “Nice to meet you too.” My eyes roamed over his face for just a few seconds and then I walked to my car and climbed in. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I started the engine.

  Morgan Greene was sexy, flirtatious and very cocky when it came to his skills as a contractor. It would be interesting to see what he came up with for the center and whether he could back up his words because regardless of the strange way my body responded to his, my only objective was building the best possible place for those kids. To do that, I would choose whoever was best for the job.