I couldn’t help but wonder if his definition of the greater good matched mine. Only time would tell.
FOUR
KADE
I didn’t know what I expected from Evelyn Mowers, but it certainly was not this.
Not only was she gorgeous, which was emphasized by her outfit fitting her curves just right, but she was also intelligent. Her last question threw me off guard. It was bold and I couldn’t help but admire her confidence that came through as she spoke.
I was, by no means, a good man. You couldn’t be when you were the Don of the Italian Mafia. I killed those who wronged me or my family. However, I lived by a specific code my father and grandfather refused to follow. Following this code of ethics prevented unnecessary casualties and kept me off law enforcement's radar.
After my father died from a heart attack over a year ago, I was forced to take on his empire along with his reputation as "the Reaper." One could not get this name without being considered a monster. Although the reputation did keep my enemies in line, it also meant I acquired relationships—like the one I had with like Anthony Ricci, also known as Butcher—that I did not want any part of. WhileI had some not-so-legal businesses to fuel my empire, I refused to be involved in the skin trade, unlike Ricci.
I redirected the conversation. “How do you think your skill set would meet the needs we are looking for on a day-to-day basis?”
Evelyn thought on this a moment. “In my current position, I am responsible every day for making sure that all of our information stays secure. I work on analytics to ensure that everything remains confidential along with making sure that our clients are able to access their accounts with ease. I think my skillset would be helpful to your team as I have a significant grasp on what it takes to keep client confidentiality as a priority while also making sure that day to day processes run as smooth as possible. While you have a team, I am a one-stop shop.”
“And because you work alone, do you think you would be able to work successfully with a team?” I asked curiously.
“Absolutely. Without question. Working with a team makes it a lot easier to ensure that no mistakes are made by allowing one person to focus on one task then multiple. The benefit of my knowledge is that I could help the team in different tasks and give another set of eyes when needed. I prefer to work with others to make sure that the longevity of the company is secure.”
My eyebrows raised at Evelyn’s answer. Based on her resume and poise, there was no denying that she was exactly what I had been looking for my team. The systems she knew how to use were enough to pique my interest and now having her in front of me showed that she was professional, well spoken, and knowledgeable.
“Do you have any questions for me?” She shook her head in response. “If you were offered this position, when would you be able to start?”
A pregnant pause passed before she responded. “As soon as possible. My boss at Dominos knows that I am interviewing here, and we had previously agreed that if I were offered the position, I would be able to monitor items remotely and part time.”
“Excellent. Then I would like to invite you to the next part of this interview.” Evelyn brought her bottom lip in between her teeth.
I wondered for a brief moment what those lips would feel around my…
“What would the next step entail?” Evelyn asked, interrupting my crude thoughts.
“You would meet the team that you would be working with. See if it’s a good fit. If it is, I will speak with the team lead, Lennie, and go from there,” I explained.
Evelyn nodded in understanding.
“Before we go, I am going to have you sign this.” I moved the nondisclosure form across my desk with a pen. “As you can imagine, we deal with a lot of sensitive information. So it is imperative that that information stay here.”
“Understood.” Evelyn took the pen and signed her name after taking a moment to read over the contract. Once she was done, she slid both the contract and pen back over to me with a smile.
“Let’s meet the team.” I motioned my hand to the door. Evelyn stood up and started walking toward it. Christine was already standing near, ready to lead the way. I didn’t need my assistant to show us where to go. However, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to ‘observe’ more of the beauty that stood before me.
I was curious to see how she would react when she met the team.
“Welcome to the Hive, Ms. Mowers.” Christine motioned to the room we had walked into.
As we entered, the smell of popcorn and pizza wafted to my nostrils.
The team insisted they be in one secured room to work on problems together. Along the back wall were state-of-the-art monitors that created one large screen. Underneath the monitors was every type of tech one could dream of. One may have mistaken that this was a room for the CIA due to the equipment we had. One wall was accented with honeycomb-shaped LED lights. The light would brighten at certain times of day to ensure that the employees were getting enough vitamin D.
In the furthest right corner was Lennie, typing away on her computer with a piece of pepperoni pizza hanging out of her mouth. Her dark-brown eyes shifted to us under black-rimmed glasses. The slice of pizza slipped from her mouth onto a paper plate. Her eyes bulged, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. She must have lost track of time.
“Pizza for breakfast, Len?” I teased.
Gwen, Ollie, and Jax glanced up from their monitors when I spoke. All of them seemed to realize what time it was and began exiting out of their programs and signing out of their computers.
“Oh shoot, hi, boss!” Lennie quickly stood up and walked over to Evelyn and I. She was a short, curvy blonde with a vibrant color streak in her hair that changed daily. Today, it was bright pink, which matched her pink polo shirt. She wore dark jeans and Converse sneakers to complete the outfit. I was never a stickler for the dress code. The Hive team never had a reason to meet with clients, and I found that if they were in a comfortable environment andwearing comfortable clothes, I would get the best results from them.
