“I will,” I reply, my eyes meeting Sterling’s as he studies me.
“I trust you, Denver,” Sterling says, pinning me with a cool blue gaze.
“I know, Boss. I won’t let you down.”
He nods, then his face softens. “Now that business is out of the way, I wanted to discuss something else.”
“You’re hiring the rest of us out to Sinclair’s model friends to be their bodyguards?” Jenson quips, having made a speedy recovery from his winding.
Sterling chuckles. “They’d eat you alive, Boy.”
Jenson drops back in his seat, defeated. “And I’d hand them the fork to do it… Can’t blame a guy for wishing, though, hey?”
We chuckle, and the mood in the room lifts.
“It’s about the wedding,” Sterling continues. “Hallie and I have chosen Cape Town. And I know you’re all expecting to be there.”
I glance over at Killian and Jenson’s matching frowns. They’ve spent a lot of time in Cape Town searching for answers over why Sterling’s yacht caught on fire that day. I know they’ve made friends there and were looking forward to a work trip taking them back there since Sterling called off their hunt, saying it was time to move on and accept there might not be any answers to find.
“But…” Sterling spreads his palms. “I don’t want you there as our family’s security team.”
Jenson shifts in his seat and I swear if he tries to say anything stupid, I’ll shut him up in a nano second. Sterling has been nothing but good to us since we came to work for him. He does things no normal boss ever would.
“… I want you there as our family.”
My attention turns to him, and his eyes are waiting for me, twinkling.
“You’ve all worked with us for years, especially you, Denver. You’re family as much as if we shared blood. So you’ll be there as guests. We’ll get other guys in to cover the security.”
I nod. “I’ll handle it. I know the best guys. I’ll give them a call.”
“Good.” He stands. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pregnant fiancée and my granddaughter to take for an early dinner before they both get tired.”
“And I’ve got a call to make,” Sullivan clips, rising from his chair, typing into his phone.
“And I…” Mal looks at their retreating backs as they leave the room. “I’m going to check in on the team at Seasons, see how the re-model is going.” He sighs wearily and stands.
He takes care of the diamond and gemstone imports from Africa, meaning he spends a lot of time away from home. But ever since the fire at Seasons he’s stayed in New York. I think the whole family has felt the need to be close together.
“I’ll give you a ride,” I say, standing and gathering up my laptop. Killian and Jenson have assured me it’s all fine, and Sterling is there every day. But I still want to make sure they’re doing it as well and as fast as they can.
I owe it to Sterling.
Seasons is also on route to Sinclair’s place. She said she was staying in today after her workout this morning because she wanted to relax after yesterday’s runway show. But I want to check in on her, see if she needs anything.
My phone buzzes with an incoming text. The screen fills with an image that instantly makes my heart melt.
“You must be proud of her. Look at that smile,” Mal says, looking at the picture.
“I am.” I admire the light brown braids in her hair, framing her cheeks. She’s grown since I last saw her and held her in my arms, smelled the sweet strawberry scent of her hair.
“How old is she now?” Mal asks.
“Six,” I reply. “Dixie’s six.”
8
SINCLAIR
