So, this is the first moment of professional normal I’ve had in…weeks. But as I look around, I see both familiar and unfamiliar people. Apparently, Daniil has been busy while I’ve been protecting Allora.
“I’m sure you see the new faces here today and I want to introduce you to the additions I’ve made to the team.” He looks around. “Over there is retired U.S. Marine Eric Lopez. He and his wife Delilah just bought a house in Temecula and will be joining us.”
Everyone says hello.
I know of Eric but never met him. He was part of a unit whose commanding officer, Shay Gentry, was killed in Afghanistan. Shay and I were friends. His loss was one of the toughest I experienced in the military. And now that I study some of the men in the room, I realize all three of the new additions to our team came from that unit.
“Ron Marshall and his wife Bobbi are still living in San Diego but are planning to move local once school gets out so the kids don’t have to change in the middle of the year.”
Ron nods in greeting.
“Mark Garrison and his wife Lana are actually both coming to work for Shadow Security. He’ll be on the duty roster while Lana will take over marketing and PR, help with the front desk.”
“She’s busy with the kids,” Mark says with a grin, “so this will be a part-time thing for her, but she’s a whiz at spinning any situation into a positive.”
“Which we might need if we pick up high-profile clients,” Daniil adds with a chuckle.
“Some of you already know each other,” Courtney continues, “which is great. Our plan is to create a business that operates like a family. We know that’s sometimes considered a liability in our business but the reason Daniil and I left Limaj and he walked away from his role as a working royal was because we wanted to do something different. Something meaningful in a different way.” She looks at her husband and he nods.
“That’s why we’ve offered each of you a stake in the business. We, Courtney and I, are in the position of not having to worry about money so this company is a labor of love. The rest of you, however, do need to make money. Luna is passing out a folder with information and options. I know not all of you have a chunk of money put away so that you can buy into a business like this.
“Luna has graciously allowed us to use her personal situation to show you some of the options. She filed bankruptcy a few years ago and has nothing put away. Her salary here is two hundred fifty thousand dollars, along with expenses if and when she’s out in the field, and of course, health insurance and paid time off. However, since she wants to buy into the company, we’re taking seventy-five thousand pre-tax dollars for five years.
“That’s her buy-in. At the end of five years, she will have a ten percent share in the company.” He pauses. “I’m sure you’re all doing the math. Right now, in this room, there are six of you. Rage. Grim. Eric. Luna. Mark. Ron. Chris has decided not to take us up on the offer to buy in and is going to be working with us as an independent contractor for the time being.”
I glance at Chaos but he’s staring straight ahead, not looking at anyone really.
“That’s sixty percent,” Daniil says. “The other forty will be invested in a high-yield fund for bonuses, upgrades, emergencies, and…passion projects, which we’ll get to in a bit. We do have someone else in mind who may be coming on board but he’s out of the country at the moment and will update us when possible.”
Igor.
The thought pops into my head and I feel it in my gut. After we rescued him eighteen months ago, the Russian double agent went to D.C. to debrief and heal after a harrowing experience. Then he went dark. I assumed he went undercover again; that’s what guys like him do. But on that flight back from Russia, I saw something in his eyes I’d never seen before—a look that said he was ready for a change.
Maybe this is it.
But I can ask Dan about that another time.
Right now, I’m staring at numbers, projections, goals, and…motivations.
The reasonswhywe’re doing what we’re doing.
And it’s a lot.
I don’t usually put that much thought into it. I get a job, I do it, I get paid. It’s pretty simple.
Except it’s not anymore.
Which is why I’ve been dragging my feet on buying in versus doing some version of what Chaos is doing and just taking a salary.
Ironically, me rescuing Allora and us trying to take down a sex trafficking ring is exactly the kind of thing they envisioned. But obviously, we’re not government sanctioned, so the money to fund these types of things has to come from somewhere. Silver is paying for my services at the moment but that’s just for Allora. Everything else we’re doing costs money he’s not providing.
“So, the buy-in is 375K?” Mark asks, looking at the folder in front of him.
“It’s 400,” Daniil says, “but Luna will pay the final twenty-five in year six. We just got sidetracked before I could explain that.”
“For ten percent of…what?” Mark is around forty, with intelligent eyes and a soft-spoken demeanor.
“That’s the fun part,” Courtney says.
