Callan swallows, ‘yeah’ he replies, ‘Mark Hallick, he’s a few years older than us, he was in for eight years, about to re-sign for his third time when sh*t went down. He’s good at what he does, f*cking lethal with a knife when he wants to be.’
‘Good with a gun?’ I question, pulling a notepad toward me and jotting down some bullet points.
‘Grade A man, the guy doesn’t miss, like I said, if I’m going into some sh*t, he’s the man I want on my six.’
I nod, ‘get him to come in’ I murmur, ‘and ask Gage if he can think of anyone who might want a job, we gotta get some more bodies in here.’
Callan gives me a thumbs up, standing up and grinning, ‘thanks man’ he sighs, ‘Hallick is an asset, I know he is, I just think he needs some purpose in his life again. The Army was his life, and when they kicked him out he kinda lost himself.’
I nod again, understanding exactly how this Hallick guy feels, I was a Marine, I was always a Marine and to have my life ripped away from me, left me spiralling. If my brother and Father hadn’t forced me to come to Hawthorne Security, who knows what my life would be like.
Callan leaves my office, and I push all thoughts of the possible new recruit from my mind, right now I need to work out how to stretch our small crew even thinner without risking the safety of our clients.
My phone beeps beside me hours later and I jump, dropping the piece of paper in my hand to snatch up my phone, cursing as I realise I’ve got ten minutes before Tessa gets out of college for the day. After being late that first day, and her almost getting into a stranger’s car, I set my alarm to make sure I’m on time. Seems I’ve managed to set the clock for three twenty instead of three o clock, and now I’m late.
I grab my keys and head for the door, grunting at Evelyn as she wishes me good afternoon and hurry toward the door, down the stairs to the ground floor and out into the warm afternoon air.
I break a few traffic laws, but I’m outside of the front door just as the first bodies exit the building, chattering loudly.
I tap my thumb on the steering wheel, watching the door until the familiar blonde hair of Tessa comes into view. She’s laughing with that idiot from the bistro again, his arm around her waist like he owns her. Not f*cking likely mate, not as long as I have breath in my body will you have a hope in hell with her.
Seeing my truck, she says something to the jerk, patting his chest in a familiar manner that causes jealousy to claw at my chest before breaking away and hurrying toward me.
Climbing into the truck, she drops her folder to her lap and sits back, facing me expectantly until I reach over and fasten her seatbelt, my chest untightening at the click of the metal into the housing between us.
‘Did you have a good day?’ she asks, tugging at the scarf around her neck that I realise she was wearing this morning, in fact, I think she’s been wearing it for the last few days. I’ve been so set on avoiding her since I accidentally attacked her, that I haven’t even looked at her long enough to take notice of what she’s been wearing. My stomach churns as it falls away to showcase a now yellowish-green bruise.
F*ck, I did that, guilt gnaws at me as I try to concentrate on the road, and not on the damage I did to the woman beside me. Checking my mirrors, I pull out from the curb into traffic.
‘Uh, yeah’ I manage to grunt, not totally sure why she’s talking to me all of a sudden, ‘it was OK.’
Tessa nods, smiling, ‘I had a good day too’ she replies, even though I didn’t ask, f*ck, should I have asked? I should have asked.
‘Yeah? good’ I reply tightly, why is it so hard to do something as mundane as making small talk with her?
Glancing over, I wince again as the bruise draws my attention, ‘I am sorry’ I grumble, gripping the wheel, ‘about your neck . . I didn’t mean . . ‘
She waves a hand dismissively, ‘don’t worry about it, I already told you I was fine’ she replies. ‘Accidents happen, if you had known it was me, I know you would never have hurt me, you thought I was an intruder.’
I nod weakly, not really sure how to deal with this version of the woman beside me. Last night, I hurt her physically and then with my words, and today it’s like it never happened. She made me breakfast and indulged my need to buckle her into the car. She didn’t push for details about why I have to do it either, accepting my reply that I didn’t want to talk about it. Now she’s talking to me like a friend . . . is that what she wants? To be friends?
My chest clenches at the thought, I know that is what I should be, a friend, but the thought is painful.
‘Dammit!’ I growl suddenly, making Tessa jump and turn toward me worriedly. ‘I forgot a file at work’ I sigh, ‘I was running late, are you OK if we swing back to the company and pick it up?
Tessa relaxes as she nods, ‘sure’ she agrees, ‘I’d like to see where you and Gage work.’
I nod, indicating and taking a right at the next intersection, heading back toward Hawthorne Security instead of our home.
Pulling up outside, I turn off the engine as Tessa unclips her seatbelt, placing her books on the dashboard before opening the door and climbing out.
I follow her, shutting the door and heading toward the front of the building, pushing open the door and leading her inside.
We head up the stairs to the floor that holds my father’s company and Tessa smiles widely when she see’s the gold lettering on the glass door, Hawthorne and Sons Security.
‘Your dad named it after you and Gage?’ she murmurs, reaching out to trace a finger over the lettering.
I grunt in agreement, ‘he did that before Gage and I enlisted, he always said he wanted us to join him some day.’
Tessa’s eyes widen as she turns toward me, ‘you were in the Army?’ she asks.
I shake my head, ‘Marines’ I mutter, ‘Gage and Callan were doggies’
The woman beside me giggles, ‘do they know you call them that?’ she asks teasingly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.