His jaw muscle twitches. “If he’s medically fine to work, I have to, and to be honest, that’s probably happening tomorrow.”
Silence entombs the room. We’re breathing dead air.
It’s not just about me. Jane and I can survive three days with Tony. This is about the team, our careers and future. We’re meeting the end of a golden era in security.
We’re losing Akara as a lead.
We have zero power in the Tri-Force. Akara was all we had, and with Tony as a decision-maker, he can transfer us. He can fine us. Suspend us and fire us for minor infractions.
Akara cuts his gaze to everyone. “You have to obey Tony. You have to respect him. He’s your lead.”
No one says a word.
I shift my glare to the wall.
Following incompetent officers into combat, ones who make a platoon two klicks off and six hours late—I’ve been that infantryman grinding his teeth and shutting the fuck up. Then getting chewed out because that officer just got reamed by the Battalion Commander.
Done it.
And I’ll shut the fuck up again, but there are officers you meet who are good. Just flat-out fucking good—and the respect comes easy. No gnawing or clenched jaw or grumbled curses.
Akara was always a better leader than me.
He still is, and to lose him is to lose the best authority the team has ever seen.
Akara runs a hand through his black hair a few times, more nervous, and we watch him grab a motorcycle backpack he threw on a chair. He unzips and pulls out folded papers. Turning back to us, he says, “You do have a choice—and I’m telling you upfront, the grass isn’t greener.”
I’m confused.
Jane smiles into another sip of coffee.
She knows.
Maximoff is also more relaxed than usual.
He knows.
While Akara passes stapled papers to each bodyguard, I whisper to Jane, “You going to tell me?”
“And spoil the ending?” She brightens. “Never.”
Akara stops at me and hands me a thick, stapled stack. “It’s you and me.” Banks will tell anyone that his best friend is Akara, but he’ll also say that he knows he’s not Akara’s best friend.
Because I’m Akara’s ride-or-die.
I have trouble calling Akara anything other than my closest friend. Truth is, I don’t like assuming anyone wants me to be their best friend.
But I feel like he’s mine. I’d do anything for him.
I take the papers and instantly see the typed title.
Kitsuwon Securities Inc.
This is a contract. He’s building his own private security firm.
“Yours is different,” Akara explains. “You’d be a rank above the other men, but below me.”
I flip the page. “As it should be.”
He smiles, but his lips downturn fast. And before anyone can edge in another word, he addresses all of us. “This isn’t a life jacket. It could be a sinking ship. Kitsuwon Securities will be completely separate from Price’s Triple Shield, and all the resources that we’ve built are gone. Security’s housing belongs to them. The whole temp roster we’ve grown—I don’t have. Which means we need to train new temps. You won’t have seasoned guards when you need a day off. The rumor about us being fake bodyguards and in relationships with our clients—it will definitely ramp up. Your pay will be cut, substantially, and I can’t tell you where you’ll be living yet.” He expels a tense breath. “You’ll have to bear with all the kinks of being a part of a new company.”
I’m good to go.
Oscar looks around. “Who has a pen?”
We’re all smiling.
Happiness doesn’t encapsulate what hits the air. It’s elation. Rapture.
Akara tries to restrain his smile. “Come on, guys. Think about this.”
“What’s there to think about?” Farrow asks, chewing gum casually.
“Yeah, boss. We heard all we needed to.” Donnelly slips a pen out from behind his ear.
Jane hands me a ballpoint pen and turns, so I can splay the papers against her back for a hard surface. And I sign my name on the dotted line.
I pass my brother the pen.
We’ve all joined Kitsuwon Securities in a matter of minutes.
No one hesitates.
Akara nods to us, overwhelmed. He turns his head. “Alright.” He takes a deeper breath, collecting his emotion. “You want to hear about what happens with your clients now?”
“Lay it on us, Kitsuwon,” Oscar says.
“Clients can now choose which private security to hire. Either mine or Triple Shield. But if the client is a minor, their parents will need to hire my firm.”
I process this. “What happens to Xander? He’s the only minor with an Omega bodyguard.”
Maximoff says, “I’ve already spoken to my parents, and they asked Xander which private security he’d rather use. He said Akara’s team.”
Banks bounces his head. “Right on.”
Quinn frowns. “What happens if more than seven clients request this firm? There are only seven of us.”
“That’s not an issue yet,” Akara says. “Most of the family that are protected by Alpha and Epsilon are happy with their bodyguards, and they’ll stay with them.”
“Which clients want to hire the new company?” Oscar asks.
Akara looks to Jane.
She perks up. “Moffy and I are objectively positive that Charlie, Sullivan, and Luna will opt in, besides us of course.”
Donnelly frowns. “Not Beckett?”
Jane shakes her head. “I’m unsure. Charlie thinks he’s content with O’Malley at the moment.”
“He could come around, Donnelly,” Akara says, “but until then, I have new details to assign.” He massages his palm. “So here’s the deal, since all you dumb-fucks decided to join a sinking ship, there are no Omega bodyguards over at Triple Shield. SFO is here.” He points at the floor.
My lips rise.
The men are grinning. So is Jane next to me.
“Tony can’t be a lead if there’s no Force to lead.”
Oscar claps loudly, and the other two Yale boys join in the applause.
Banks messes my hair next to me, and I say, more to him, “Christmas came late, gents.”
He cracks a smile. “I’ll take that gift.”
“Tony can rat out the twin switch to the Alpha lead all he wants,” Akara says, “but Price can’t fire Thatcher and Banks if you two don’t work for him.”
I almost laugh, in shock. This was Akara’s plan to pull me out of the twelve-foot ditch. And it worked.
More applause fills the room.
“I don’t know where Price will put Tony,” Akara continues, “but I can tell you all, here, that you’re staying with your current clients. Except for you.”
He’s looking at me.
“You have Jane.”
“I, what?” I stare hard, unblinking, not registering the fact that I could be on her detail again. I’ve punished myself for so long for screwing the team—it just didn’t feel like a position I should be given.
But I want it.
I want her.
With every fiber of my being.
Jane’s hands fly to her mouth, wide-eyed and stunned. She didn’t know. Our eyes fasten together while Akara repeats, “You’re Jane’s bodyguard.”