Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)(6)

Jeremy grunted. “That’s the problem with these FBI hires.”

“So we’re keeping him?”

Jeremy nodded.

They made their way along the running trail and O-course. Set among the towering East Texas pines, the course had been modeled after the SEAL obstacle course at Coronado. The pinnacle in terms of height and effort was a seventy-foot cargo net, which a couple of new recruits were clawing their way up right now. They wore olive-green BDUs to differentiate themselves from real Wolfe agents, who wore all black.

Erik reviewed this afternoon’s session, making a mental list of the areas where Hayes needed work. Any team they deployed on a job was only as good as its weakest member, and new hires either had to get up to speed or get out.

“I’ll spend some time with him,” Erik said. “We can burn through some mags on the range, see if I can pinpoint his problem.”

“Good. I’ll give Liam the heads-up.”

Erik walked into the clearing as a silver 5-series BMW sped by, leaving a cloud of red dust in its wake. It curved along the dirt road and pulled up to the sprawling log cabin that served as their business headquarters. A man climbed out from behind the wheel. Average height, medium build. From his Ray-Bans and his suit, Erik pegged him for a corporate executive. Then the passenger door opened, and a woman slid from the car.

Erik halted. Her long red hair caught the sunlight as she turned around. She wore tight black jeans and a silky white shirt, and she had a big leather purse slung over her shoulder. She was several inches taller than the guy with her, partly because of her mile-high heels.

“Who is that?” Erik looked at Jeremy.

“No idea.”

They got all kinds of VIPs at the compound. Pop stars, politicians, athletes. Some of their clients were just ordinary rich people who’d picked up an enemy along the way and decided they needed protection. Judging from their looks, this couple fell into the last category. They mounted the steps to the building, peeling off their shades as they went inside.

“Yo, Erik.”

He turned to see Tony Lopez jogging up the trail. In a black T-shirt and tactical pants, he was dressed just like Erik, only he wasn’t sporting a layer of dirt and soot.

“The chief wants you in his office,” Tony said.

“Now?”

“Yeah, ASAP.”

Erik’s gaze narrowed. “This have to do with the five-series that just pulled in?”

“You got it.”

“Know who they are?”

He smiled. “I hear they’re a couple of hotshots from Dallas.”

“Shit.”

“Think they’re attorneys,” he added.

“Shit.”

Tony grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. “Better you than me, bro.”





THEY WAITED a good ten minutes before Liam Wolfe met them in the lobby of his office, which was nothing like Brynn had expected. The building looked like it was made of Lincoln Logs, and a huge stone fireplace dominated the lobby. After reading that Wolfe Security was one of the top personal security firms in the country, Brynn had expected something slick and modern, not what could have been a hunting lodge tucked deep within the piney woods.

The CEO wasn’t what she’d expected, either. Brynn had spent way too much time last night surfing around and only managed to find one photograph of Liam Wolfe, a paparazzi shot of him helping some young starlet into a limo. The picture didn’t begin to do him justice, probably because he wore sunglasses that concealed his striking green eyes. They were sharp eyes. Warrior eyes. Brynn had read that the man was some sort of special ops badass, but it turned out you actually had to see him in person and shake his hand to get the full impact.

“Nice place you have here,” Ross quipped as Liam led them down a hallway. “Was that a firing range we heard on the way in?”

“It was.”

“Sweet,” Ross said, and Brynn tried not to roll her eyes. Her partner wasn’t exactly a gun enthusiast. But he was probably trying to fit in at what was obviously a boys’ club.

Brynn followed Ross into a conference room and stopped short. Five men stood around the table, each one more ripped than the last. Some had military haircuts, some had scruffy beards, but all wore the same black commando-style clothing.

Liam made introductions, and everyone nodded. The silence stretched out, and Brynn realized they were waiting for her to sit down.

So she did.

The conference room had modern furnishings, including a long glass conference table and black leather chairs. A giant LCD screen dominated the far wall. Pulling a legal pad from her bag, Brynn smiled and glanced around the table, trying to project more confidence than she felt.

“Thank you, Mr. Wolfe, for agreeing to meet us here this afternoon,” she said.

He nodded. “Typically, we go to the client’s home base, but we’re happy to accommodate you.”

Ross shot Brynn a questioning look that she pretended not to see. She hadn’t told him that coming out here was her idea, not Reggie’s. She was trying to get ahead of a situation that was rapidly spinning out of her control. Despite three intense debates, Brynn hadn’t persuaded her boss to ditch the bodyguard plan. She’d resigned herself to the fact that these men had been hired, but she was here to negotiate terms. As always, the devil was in the details.