Chapter 3
JACKSON
My feet hit the cold hardwood floor, and I moved through the motions that started every day. Twenty push-ups. Twenty sit-ups. A series of stretches that kept old injuries from flaring up. The routine never changed. Consistency was safety.
In the bathroom, I flicked on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness.
The mirror reflected what it always did.
My dark hair in need of a trim, stubble that needed to be shaved, and eyes that had seen too much.
Military precision still guided my movements as I shaved, showered, and dressed in under fifteen minutes, tucking my dog tags into my shirt.
My apartment was sparse but functional. No photos on the walls, no mementos cluttering surfaces. Just the essentials. A bed. A couch. A TV I rarely watched. A kitchen with exactly enough dishes for one person. The less you owned, the less that could be taken from you.
I made coffee, strong and black, while checking my phone. A text from Meredith confirmed our usual pickup time. Another from Roman about a meeting at the office. Nothing unusual there.
Breakfast was protein-heavy and consumed while standing at my kitchen counter, reviewing security updates for the day on my tablet. The Donati family business required constant vigilance, and as one of Leo's most trusted men, I never let my guard down.
By 5:30 AM, I was behind the wheel of the sleek black Audi, the engine purring as I navigated the awakening streets of Ironstone.
The city was still waking up, streetlights casting pools of yellow on mostly empty sidewalks save for a few early risers like myself.
This was my favorite time of day—before the chaos, before the noise. Just me and the road.
I pulled up before the mansion at the edge of the city that Meredith and Leo lived at exactly 6:45 AM. The guard nodded as I rolled down the window, recognizing both me and the car.
I texted Meredith that I had arrived, then waited, engine running. She was never late. Another thing I appreciated about her. Punctuality was respect.
At 7:00 AM sharp, Meredith emerged from the front door, dressed impeccably in a navy dress suitable for work, her dark hair swept up in a professional style. Leo followed behind her, his imposing figure drawing my attention momentarily before I focused back on my charge.
I stepped out of the car and opened the rear passenger door.
"Morning, Jackson." Meredith smiled as she approached, her heels clicking on the pavement. I never understood why women still wore them. They were not good footwear in an emergency. Then again, it was my job to make sure she was kept safe in any kind of emergency.
"Morning, Mrs. Donati." My response was the same every day—professional, respectful.
Leo kissed her goodbye, his eyes softening only for her before hardening again as he looked my way. "Take care of her, Graves."
It wasn't a request. It never was.
"Always, sir." I nodded. It was my duty. I wouldn't let them down.
Meredith settled into the backseat, and I closed her door before returning to the driver's seat. In the rearview mirror, I watched Leo watch us until we turned out of sight.
"Busy day ahead?" I asked.
"Some meetings." She was already checking her phone, scrolling through emails.
"Plus, we're welcoming a new hire in accounting today.
Gotta make an appearance in the office every once in a while, right?
" She flashed me a smile, and I nodded in the rearview mirror.
Meredith no longer worked in the office as much as she used to, opting to work from home and on the go.
Honestly, I wasn't even sure why she bothered to work, Leo made sure she had funds at all times.
I believed it was because she'd get bored otherwise.
Especially since Leo tended to be busy attending his own duties more often than not.
"Met anyone yet, Jackson?" Meredith asked as she gazed out the window. She'd asked me some weeks ago about my relationship status. I'd said I was married to my job.
"That's not in the cards for me." I kept my tone neutral. The less said, the better.
"Everyone deserves to find someone, Jackson. We all want to be loved by that special someone. Even if you think you don't want it."
I nodded in response, not wanting to delve into this. A relationship was not for me. I satisfied my desires with flings, but I was content on my own.
Thankfully, Meredith didn't probe any further as she began texting.
The drive to Donati Enterprises took exactly seventeen minutes in morning traffic, although we made the usual nine minute detour for Meredith to get her iced latte and donuts for the office.
I pulled into the underground parking garage, escorted Meredith to her office on the top floor, and then made my way to Roman's office on the security level.
Roman was waiting for me, his massive frame making the office chair look like doll furniture. At over fifty, he was still built like the special forces soldier he'd once been, with salt-and-pepper hair cropped close to his scalp and a face that rarely smiled in my presence.
"Graves." He nodded toward the chair across from his desk.
I took a seat, noting that we were waiting for someone else. The answer came moments later when Leo walked in, closing the door behind him.
Roman had informed me he'd be bringing Leo to work as they needed to make a stop on the way, to make an example of someone.
something Leo didn't want Meredith being privy to.
I was surprised they'd gotten it done so quickly.
Then again, Leo was like me, he liked to get things over with quickly.
To stick to schedules and not waste time.
I stood immediately, but Leo waved me back down. "Sit, Jackson. This won't take long."
Roman pushed a tablet across the desk. "New hire starting today. Elena Peters. Twenty-seven. Accounting background. Clean record, clean social media, nothing suspicious in her background check."
I flicked through the files, scanning the information. A photograph showed a young woman with dark hair and blue eyes. Pretty, in an understated way. Nothing remarkable jumped out at me.
"If everything's clean, why am I here?" I asked, looking up.
Leo leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Because clean doesn't always mean safe. We need someone watching her closely for the first few weeks. She'll eventually have access to some of our… other financials. We need to make sure she's someone we can one day trust."
"You want me to babysit an accountant?" I couldn't keep the edge from my voice. "With all due respect, sir, I'm better utilized elsewhere." Like being the bodyguard of Meredith, a woman who actually needed protection, or enacting orders of the family that required my skillset.
"This isn't a demotion, Graves," Leo said as he folded his arms. "This is a specialized assignment.
You'll still handle your regular duties with Meredith and anything else that arises that we need you for, but I need you to set up surveillance in the accounting department and keep an eye on the new hire. "
Roman cleared his throat. "She's young, moldable. Exactly what we need in the accounting team after Macey's retirement."
"Macey's retiring?" This was news to me. The older woman had been handling the books for as long as I'd been with the Donatis, and Roman had said she'd been here for a decade before that.
"End of the month," Roman confirmed. "She'll train Peters for the next week, get her up to speed."
I understood the unspoken concern. Accounting wasn't just number-crunching at Donati Enterprises. It was about knowing which numbers to report and which to bury. About understanding which questions not to ask. Macey had been loyal for decades. This new hire was an unknown quantity.
"You think she's a plant?" I asked directly.
Leo's expression remained neutral. "We don't think anything yet. That's why you're watching her."
I nodded, accepting the assignment. "What's my cover?"
"IT security upgrade," Roman said. "You'll install cameras in her office today before she arrives. After that, you'll be the point person for any technical issues she has—gives you a reason to be around the department regularly."
It wasn't the worst assignment I'd been given, but it wasn't what I'd expected for my day. Then again, today had just been security detail for Meredith, who planned to stay in the office anyway. Still, questioning orders wasn't something I planned on doing. Not anymore.
"Understood." I set the tablet down and stood. "I'll get the equipment set up immediately."
Leo pushed off from the wall. "Good. And Jackson? Don't mention this to Meredith. She handles enough of the legitimate side of things without worrying about internal security."
I nodded again. Compartmentalization was standard procedure. "Of course, sir."
Roman handed me a small case containing the surveillance equipment. "Camera feeds will route directly to your phone and to the security office. Audio too."
With that, I was dismissed. Leo left first, then Roman and I walked out together.
"This really necessary?" I asked once we were alone in the hallway.
Roman's face remained impassive. "Better safe than sorry. Last thing we need is someone from one of the other families or the feds getting into our books."
He had a point. After the near-war with the Malatesta family, tensions were still high despite the fragile peace Leo and Fiorenzo Malatesta had negotiated over a year ago. And the feds were always looking for a way in.
I made my way to the accounting department on the third floor. It was still early, the office largely empty except for the cleaning staff and a few early arrivals. The accounting department was tucked away in the back corner, a series of glass-walled offices surrounding a central workspace.
Macey was already there, organizing papers at her desk. At sixty-seven, she moved slower than she once had, but her mind was still sharp. She looked up as I entered, pushing her glasses higher on her nose.
"Jackson Graves in accounting? The world must be ending." Her dry humor hadn't faded with age.
"IT security upgrades," I explained, holding up the case. "Which office is the new hire getting?"
Macey pointed to the smallest office in the corner. "That one. Used to be storage until we cleared it out last week."
I nodded and headed toward it. The office was sparse—just a desk, computer, chair, and filing cabinet. Perfect for what I needed to do.
"So you're really leaving us?" I asked as I began setting up the first camera, disguised as a smoke detector.
Macey sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Twenty-eight years is long enough, don't you think? My grandkids are growing up, and I'm missing it."
I understood loyalty to the family, but also the pull of real family. Macey had earned her retirement. "I hadn't realized you'd been here for nearly thirty years. The Donatis are lucky to have had you so long."
"Hmph. Sweet-talking me won't get you my parking spot, Graves." But she smiled as she said it. "This new girl seems promising. Her resume is good—degree in accounting, experience at a smaller firm. Young, but that's not always bad."
"You spoke with her?" I asked, placing a second camera in the corner of the room, angled to capture the computer screen.
"Briefly, on the phone. She seemed eager, maybe a bit nervous. But that's normal. First day at a new job is always nerve-wracking." Macey watched me work with mild curiosity. "Those cameras standard procedure now? Didn't have that crap back when I started."
"You're older than the internet, remember?" I shot back, earning me a small smile. Macey was one of the few I didn't mind lowering my guard around. She was good people, as were all of them.
"Right, right." She waved a hand dismissively. "None of my business anymore. Soon I'll be just another retiree playing bingo and complaining about my back."
I finished installing the third camera, this one aimed at the door to capture anyone entering or leaving. "Somehow I doubt that."
Macey chuckled. "You're probably right. Leo already said I'm on call if they need consultation. Once in the family, always in the family."
That was the truth of it. The Donatis never really let anyone go—not those they trusted. It was both comforting and confining.
I installed the audio devices next, small enough to be virtually undetectable unless someone was specifically looking for them. One under the desk, one near the computer, one by the visitor's chair.
"She'll be here at nine," Macey said, checking her watch. "I've got her paperwork ready, security badge, all that. First week will be training with me, then she's on her own."
I finished the installation and ran a quick test on my phone. All feeds were coming through clearly. "Let me know if she does anything unusual."
Macey raised an eyebrow. "Define unusual for an accountant. We're not exactly known for our wild antics."
"You know what I mean." I folded my arms. "Questions about certain accounts. Unusual interest in specific clients. Anything that feels off."
She nodded, suddenly serious. "I've been doing this long enough to know what needs protecting, Jackson. I won't let an amateur compromise anything in my last few weeks."
I believed her. Macey had been handling the Donati books through multiple federal investigations, rival family threats, and internal restructuring. She knew which numbers were real and which were necessary fiction.
"I know you won't." I closed the now empty case. "I'll be around if you need anything. I'm the IT advisor now. I'll be on this floor."
"Playing IT now? That's a step down from your usual intimidating presence floating around when Meredith is here." Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
I shrugged. "Just following orders."
"Aren't we all?" She turned to head back to her desk. "See you around, Graves."
I left the accounting department, checking the feeds once more before heading back to my regular duties.
The cameras were working perfectly, capturing every angle of the small office.
By nine, I'd be able to see exactly what kind of person Elena Peters was and whether she posed any threat to the family.
It wasn't the assignment I'd wanted, but in this life, you did what was needed. The Donatis had given me purpose after the military, structure when I needed it most. If they needed me to watch an accountant, then that's what I'd do.
Besides, there were worse jobs than keeping an eye on a pretty new hire.