“Jax works a lot, and he’s paying extra for full protection. Which means you will be on duty with him at all times. He has areas you can rest and stay when he’s at his hotels or in his office or apartment, he will advise you of those when you start. He travels a lot, too. When he does, you will be in an adjoining room. Any events he travels to, you will accompany him. If he asks you to join him, you will do that too. When he’s at home, he will have a room for you. You are expected to swap shifts, so you can both catch up on sleep and spend time with your families.”
“How am I to be by Delaney’s side for the first period if I’m sleeping while she’s working?” Kyle points out.
Nak almost glares at him, almost. “Delaney is not incapable, Kyle. I will have you both together as much as possible. For example, if you are with Jax at his home, you can take turns while the other sleeps, considering he will always have a space for you to be able to rest. You will be close if Delaney needs you, but she also gets the chance to prove herself on her own.”
I smirk at Kyle, who glares at me.
“Jax is a difficult man, and he doesn’t like his space being crowded, but he feels uneasy enough to want you there. When you’re at his house, you stay outside his door, or out of his line of sight. When you’re on the street, you don’t smother him. You are sworn to keep anything you see with him private, so make sure you do. His personal life is none of your business, so keep out of it.”
We both nod.
“He travels a lot, so that’s something you both need to be prepared for. This is a big job. He needs round the clock protection.”
“Do we know why?” Kyle asks.
Nak nods slightly. “I do, however I am only able to tell you so much.”
“How are we supposed to protect him if we don’t know what we’re looking out for?” Kyle mutters.
Nak shoots him a look. “All you need to know is that Jax is in a significant amount of danger. He saw something he shouldn’t have and the police are involved. There’s word that the particular people in question know that Jax was a witness and is speaking to authorities, and there’s fear they’ll come after him to make sure he doesn’t share any more information.”
My skin prickles. That’s horrible.
“That means this case is dangerous. You need to keep your eyes open. These people aren’t going to be aiming for you, so you’re relatively safe, but if they decide to come after Jax, you could be in the line of fire. You need to think ahead, think of ways you can keep him safe when he’s out in public. Are you sure you’re both up for this?”
He’s looking at me, because he knows Kyle is well and truly up for it.
“Do you think I’m ready?” I ask pointedly.
“I think you have what it takes, Laney. I need to know you believe that, too. It’s a big case, I’m throwing you right into the middle of the world you’ve fought so hard to be in. Kyle will be right there with you until we’re both sure you can handle it on your own, but I have no doubt that won’t be long.”
So really, he’s not fully trusting me the way he did with everyone else. None of them had an escort, they all got to move right into it on their own. I’m okay with that—I think.
“I’m ready,” I say, raising my chin.
He nods. “I have done a full folder up on Jaxson Shields. Read it, familiarize yourself with him—to fully understand the job, you need to know the ins and outs of his life and everyone in it. You will be paid well for this. The details of that are in the folder, also. You both start tomorrow.”
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow my hard work becomes a reality.
CHAPTER SIXThe dude is a manwhore.
I’m reading Jax’s file, and I may or may not have done a heap of Googling. From what I can see, he’s very, very rich, extremely well known, excessively popular and has a different girl on his arm each night. Well, that’s what gossip magazine articles told me anyway. They must be true. I snort and flick through the file some more, staring at pictures of the hotels, Jax’s apartment, his office, and the security systems he has in place.
Not bad but we’ve ordered better ones to be put in, for safety’s sake.
He owns twenty-three hotels across the United States. Twenty. Three. They are all hugely successful. His first one is here in Denver, which he opened about eight years ago. It took off like a rocket and he opened a chain of them. I have never been inside any of them, but I have heard they’re amazing. Not only do they boast amazing rooms, but also incredible bars and restaurants all in the same place.
Let’s not forget the expensive casinos in each. Because it’s not a hotel without a casino, right?
With a huff, I flip the folder closed and lay back on my bed. I’ve packed everything I need. I don’t know how much I’m going to see my house in the next few months, but Jed assured me he would come by often and check on things to make sure everything is fine, plus with my aunt and uncle next door, I’m sure it’ll be okay.
“Laney?”
I lift my head at the sound of Aunt Bett’s voice echoing through my apartment. I push off my bed and plod out into the living area, to see her standing, smiling at me. Aunt Bett is a tiny woman, but don’t let that fool you, she’s a pocket rocket and doesn’t take any rubbish from anyone. She’s beautiful, even now her raven black hair has little strands of grey. Her blue eyes are full of knowledge and rimmed with laughter lines.
Aunt Bett is always smiling.
“Hey, Aunt Bett,” I say, walking over and wrapping my arms around her.
“How are you, love? I haven’t heard from you in a few days.”
I pull back and smile down at her. “I got my first major case.”
Her eyes widen and she smiles. “You did?”
“Yep, it’s the one I’ve been waiting for. I’m so happy.”
Fear flashes over her face. She supports my job choice, but it scares her, I know it does. I place a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, I’m trained for this, Aunt Bett.”
“Oh, I know.” She smiles. “But it doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you.”
“I would think you were ill if you didn’t.”
He face gets even more gentle, her eyes softening and relief washing through her features. “So, tell me about this case.”
I only tell her what I can, and let her know that it’s pretty much all day every day so I might not see her and Uncle George a lot, but I promise to call every few days. She makes a cup of tea for us both as she listens, and then we both sit on my patio, staring out at the city lights.
“Are you nervous?” she asks me, sliding a cookie towards me.
I shrug. “Sure, I guess. I’m more worried I’ll do something wrong. All the training in the world can’t prepare me for the real thing. I mean, I can defend myself, but it’s knowing when a person is dangerous or not that’s getting me. The small cases I’ve done weren’t anything like this—this man needs constant protection.”
She waves a finger. “You’re going to be amazing at this. You’re the smartest girl I know. Go with your gut, it’s always right.”
“But what if it isn’t?” I question. “How will I know, if someone looks suspicious, if they’re actually a bad person?”