Then I tip my chin up and match his gaze. “I’d rather swim with those sharks than spend another day taking orders from someone who doesn’t even notice that I exist unless his coffee is ready.”
With that, I turn and walk out. I half expect him to yell. To call after me. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past him to march after me. But he does none of that. I reach the kitchen and a moment later, I heard the door close. Not slam. Just close.
I swallow hard and head to the broom closet. The adrenaline is wearing off and I feel like I need to sit down. Not because I am afraid, I’m not. Not because I regret saying what I said, I don’t. But because out of all the things that just happened in that room, all the words that were said between us, the one and only thing that seems to be sitting at the forefront of my mind, searing itself into my memory, is the way he said my name.
Mila.
It’s a word I hear every day, obviously. Yet coming from that mouth, formed by those lips, in that voice…it’s enough to bring me to my knees. And I find myself needing to sit down for a minute.
Chapter 12
Dominic
“I’m hearinga lot of noise from Firm Stand lately. What can you tell me about that?” Eli Preston asks. He is a coordinator for our security systems. He handles everything from the guys we have on the ground to our surveillance.
Bad Wolfe Security Solutions works with everyone: government, celebrities, politicians, protecting government facilities, private properties, event buildings, and sensitive information. Our guards work on the ground, and through intelligence communications, we ensure our clients that their business stays safe. Preston’s job in all of this is keeping me informed on how smoothly our jobs are running.
“The last I heard, the Governor of California seems to think he needs a presidential entourage as he’s on the campaign trail,” I say.
Andrew chuckles. “He’s a Governor. What’s he want, a helicopter?”
“Just about,” I say. “For the right price he can have it, but I do think it’s over the top.”
“Do we have the capacity to provide that?” Preston asks.
“You tell me,” I say. Andrew and I are in the meeting room talking to Preston’s face on a screen in front of us. Andrew is doing everything from bouncing his foot to clicking a ballpoint pen, and I am about two clicks away from throwing the thing across the room. I’m not a fidgety man. I’m also not a man who is okay with other companies trying to outdo our performance by cutting corners and using big words.
Rafe Shaeffer is though.
“My only concern is Shaeffer,” Preston admits, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes. There it is. I knew we couldn’t get through a meeting without his name being brought up.
“What’s he got to do with it?” Andrew asks. “Shaeffer only works with celebrities, investors, athletes, and actors—people that can give him benefits.”
He’s not wrong. Rafe does love free Lakers tickets and standing next to Grammy nominees on the red carpet. Meanwhile, who knows what else he’s dipping his hands into when they’re not looking.
“Well, from the sounds of it, he’s taken a recent interest in governmental figures. According to the Governor’s reps, Shaeffer’s already told them he can provide sky surveillance.”
“That’s insane!” Andrew shouts, throwing his hands up and tossing the pen to the side. Thank God.
“It’s a move on the chessboard designed to distract us from what we really want. If he wants to babysit the Governor and buy him new toys, let him. We are keeping our eyes on Golden Rule.It’s a multi-billion dollar firm, and when they switch security companies, I will be damned if they choose his over ours.”
I am done with the conversation, at least as far as Preston is concerned. We shut the screen off, and I pinch the bridge of my nose with my fingers, closing my eyes to regroup.
“You’re really just going to let Rafe take over that job?”
My eyes snap open. “The man wants a goddamn helicopter, Andy. We are not dumping our resources into that. That’s exactly what Rafe wants us to do. We hand over our top-end shit, and what do we have to offer Golden Rule? Our bid needs to have the best of the best. From physical to cyber, onsite, personal, and regulatory compliance. They won’t settle for anything but top-tier controlled entry, secured server rooms, cameras, alarms, and after-hour monitoring. Eyes that are wide awake around the clock.”
“I know, I know,” he nods. “You forget I work here too. I just mean that even if we do hand over the government job so we have more resources, we are still short, aren’t we? Problematically, Rafe comes from old money.”
“And you forget that I do too,” I snap back.
“Yeah, but your money is locked up,” he says, and I could punch him for that. He seems to catch on, and his expression softens slightly. “Any movement on that?”
“If you’re asking if my loving father has agreed to hand over my inheritance so I can secure the job, no, and he doesn’t plan to. His stipulations won’t budge. That’s not who he is.”
A permanent scowl rests on my face as I drive home. That meeting didn’t go as I’d hoped. Honestly, I don’t give a shit about the government job, but I don’t like feeling like Rafe is winning. If either of us is going to pump needless resources into a job, I’d rather it was him.
I want the Golden Rule job.
