Chapter 2
Matt
Iwalked into Sheppard & Sons Investigations with my head held high and my hands full.
I carried a box with nine individual coffees from Grannie’s. Ordering a box and letting people pour their own wasn’t acceptable for the ‘new guy gets the coffee’ hazing ritual at SSI. A bag with a dozen pastries hung from my arm.
John’s early morning email said to report to the conference room at nine. Jack, who was taking a couple of hours out of his paternity leave to attend, would be here.
“Morning, Eva.” I greeted the receptionist filling in during Meg’s maternity leave. “Iced mocha with extra whip, right?”
Eva Winchester wasn’t a Sheppard, but she was a relative. The youngest daughter of Mary’s oldest brother, if memory serves.
She smiled. “Thanks.” Eva unwrapped the straw and scooped up a blob of whipped cream before inserting the straw. “The J-Squad is upstairs.”
She’d taken to referring to her Uncle John and cousins as the J-Squad to save herself time when talking about the four Sheppards. I’d expected John and Jamie to shut it down, but they embraced Eva’s artistic quirkiness and ran with it.
Jay loved the nickname, so did Meg, who said she’d keep using it after her leave ended.
“Am I the last in?” I handed her the bag of pastries and nodded that she should take what she wanted.
“No, AJ and Nathan haven’t arrived yet.” She grabbed a cinnamon bun covered in sugary frosting.
Good. I didn’t want to be the last to arrive on our first day back. Especially since I had a target on my back.
Because I had a one-night stand with Madi.
She wasn’t the first. I didn’t do relationships. I wore my playboy reputation like armor, protecting my heart from the inevitable loss that came with loving someone. I’d made it my life’s mission to play the field.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that Lynn, the gorgeous woman I slept with in Spain, was none other than Madi Sheppard.
Shane’s voice echoed in my head. Be careful. When they hired you, you didn’t know about Madi, but you do now, so tread carefully.
I intended to do just that.
“Thanks.”
“Thank you,” she said around a mouthful.
I climbed the stairs to the second-floor conference room two at a time.
Madi and I did nothing wrong, no matter how much her father or brothers disapproved. We were sober, consenting adults who’d used protection and set a safe word.
The memory of Madi’s wrists wrapped in her red scarf sent all my blood south. Before reaching the glass windows of the upstairs conference room, I paused and pictured her father’s face.
Erection deflation tactics at their finest.
“Morning,” I greeted everyone as soon as I pushed the door open with my hip. “Coffee and pastries.”
“Thanks,” John said. “I’m ready for a refill.”
Almost everyone at SSI drank their coffee black, so Mary and Beth had only marked the unique cups. Jay and Cate’s both had a splash of cream. Usually we’d doctor them here, but I thought it’d be a point in my favor to have them ready to drink.
I handed the bag to John, gave Jay and Cate their drinks and sat next to Doug, intentionally avoiding the open seat next to Jack.
In the large, minimalist conference room, John always sat at the head of the table with Jamie and Jack on his immediate right and left. Today they’d mixed things up. Jamie sat on John’s right, but Jay sat on his left.
Jack sat next to Jamie. Cate sat next to Jay and Doug sat beside Cate. AJ and Nathan would fill in the other side.
“Morning,” Nathan said as he walked in.
Everyone responded.
When I handed AJ his coffee, he asked, “Trying to save your bacon?”
Leave it to AJ to call me out. I cough-laughed. “Something like that.”
When I served in the Navy, the only thing worse than sleeping with the captain’s daughter was sleeping with the admiral‘s daughter. But at SSI, I realized there was something worse than sleeping with the boss’s daughter—sleeping with the bosses’ sister.
It didn’t matter to her father and her three overprotective brothers that I wasn’t on the SSI payroll when I slept with Madi. It didn’t matter that we parted on good terms.
All three brothers warned me—touch her again and die. They didn’t use those words, but their message was loud and clear.
When they confronted me, I refused to defend my actions outside of saying that we were consenting adults and reminding them that not only had Madi given me a false name, but it happened before I signed my contract at SSI.
Shockingly, John was the least threatening of the bunch.
Once AJ settled in and Doug pulled up the video feed for Meg, John started the meeting. “Welcome back and thank you, Jack, for coming in despite being on paternity leave.”
Jack nodded, a huge smile on his face. And bigger bags under his eyes. Madi was living with them to help him and Meg with their newborn, but I doubted Jack was the kind of guy who slept while his wife and sister stayed up late with his daughter.
John addressed Meg, “We appreciate you taking a moment out of your maternity leave to attend.”
She waved. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
No one was surprised. Meg loved her job and everyone who worked at SSI. Plus, I bet a break from motherhood probably felt good.
“Thank you all for covering my unexpected extended vacation,” John said.
Everyone muttered a response, letting John know it was no problem. We were just glad he and Mary were okay after the ordeal they went through before the office holiday party. An ordeal that almost claimed their lives.
John lifted his hand to quiet the room. “We’ll be short-handed for most of the first quarter, but we’ll adjust the number and complexity of cases we accept accordingly.”
Jack had five more weeks of paternity leave, and Jamie would probably start his before Jack returned. How much overlap depended on when Emily gave birth to their twins.
“As you all know, Jay accepted the role of Chief Security Officer and will now be leading the personal protection side of SSI.” He nodded to Jay, who nodded back.
“Jay rounds out our leadership team with his unique skill-sets, and we’re excited to watch him grow in the position.”
“Thanks. I’m also handling the company training program and will send the Q1 training schedule by the end of the week.”
Jamie spoke next. “Due to a growing number of client requests, we’ve asked Doug to put together home security packages. The systems will be self-monitored, unless they hire SSI for personal protection.”
When Jamie finished, Jack said, “When we started SSI, we offered building security to keep the lights on. As we grew, we hired part-time personnel to do those jobs. We’ve accepted fewer security jobs so our part-timers could help with the personal protection jobs.
As of today, we’re no longer offering that service. ”
None of this was a surprise, as we’d been kept in the loop as the J-Squad openly discussed upcoming changes with the team, often asking for our input.
When John asked if we had any questions, we said no. He ended the meeting, dismissing us to our offices.
“Robinson, I’d like to see you in my office.”
Jay angrily invading my personal space didn’t intimidate me, but his father’s no-nonsense, calm command did. Not that I’d let anyone see it.
The morning meeting was a formality. A chance to welcome us all back and start the year as a team. I hoped my inclusion meant my job wasn’t at risk.
They included me, but I didn’t receive the same warm welcome back as AJ and Nathan.
Madi’s brothers weren’t rude, but they weren’t friendly either. Professionally polite came to mind. A far cry from the brotherhood camaraderie we’d shared prior to them learning Madi and I spent a night together.
It wasn’t like I slept with their sister just to piss them off.
Hell, I didn’t even ask for her last name, and she didn’t ask for mine.
The attraction between us had sparked fast and burned hot. Last names weren’t necessary.
Apparently, neither were real first names.
I still can’t believe Red is a Sheppard.
To say coming face-to-face with her at the SSI Christmas party was a surprise is an understatement. Once again, I recalled the moment.
I thought I was hallucinating when I turned and saw her.
Red. The wild beauty in the red scarf who’s haunted my dreams since that night in Rota, Spain.
She had to be a hallucination. No way was she standing there, staring at me like she was seeing a ghost.
I zeroed in on her perfect lips as she whispered, “Robin?”
“Lynn?” I asked, taking a hesitant step forward.
Things weren’t adding up. Why was she here?
My thoughts were interrupted when Jack stepped beside her and asked, “Who the hell is Lynn?”
Jamie had also positioned himself between us, though not directly, I could see the shock in Lynn’s gorgeous hazel eyes as we stared at each other.
The entire room had gone quiet. I sensed every set of eyes on us. I’d bet my last dollar they were watching the scene with bated breath.
Lynn blinked and her gaze traveled down to my chest. Her eyes widening even more, despite already being impossibly wide, when she saw the SSI logo on my navy blue polo. Her cheeks flushed when her eyes wandered to my hands.
Hands I’d used to explore every inch of her body.
My body’s response to seeing her was not suitable for work, so I clasped my hands in front of my zipper.
Jay got close to Lynn, staring at her with his head tilted like a confused puppy.
His voice shattered the uncomfortable silence when he said, “Holy shit! Did you sleep with Matt?”
The surprise and curiosity in his voice disappeared just before his expression turned dark, like a sky as a storm cloud rolls in.
I felt my jaw clench and my shoulders hunch as I forced my focus from Lynn to Jay. How the hell did he figure it out?
It was a stupid question. Given my erection and her blush, a person didn’t need to be a private investigator to guess.
Neither of us answered.
Why are the Sheppard brothers posturing in the space between Lynn and me?