Chapter 3
Chapter Three
T he moment the door closed behind Chelsey, Parker turned and punched the air with so much force, it was a wonder he didn’t throw out his shoulder. Dammit! This situation with Chelsey was worse than he thought. It was going to take some serious groveling to get back into her good graces, and even that might not be enough.
His cell phone buzzed and for a second, he thought it might be her calling him. He pulled the device from his pants pocket and disappointment settled in. It wasn’t her, but why the heck would he think it would be? She was the most stubborn woman in the world. No way would she be calling him for any reason anytime soon.
“Yeah,” Parker growled into the phone, unable to keep the anger from his voice.
“You all right, man? I can stop Chelsey from leaving the building if you want,” Laz, his friend and coworker, said. Parker’s frustration spiked. “Or are you afraid she might actually kick your ass? I could totally see that.”
Parker hung up the phone and then approached the closest camera in the hallway, which was to his right, less than four feet away hanging near the ceiling. He lifted his middle finger and knew his buddy was falling out laughing. No doubt the jerk had listened to most, if not all, of the conversation.
Lazarus Dimas, who they all called Laz, was a former Atlanta PD detective who often skated on the line between right and wrong. He was also one of Parker’s best friends who didn’t miss anything. Though Parker hadn’t been forthcoming about his relationship with Chelsey, Laz somehow found out. All he’d said was— Kenton’s going to kick your ass if or when he finds out , but I’ve got your back .
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. What the hell had he been thinking confronting her in a hallway at Supreme? There were cameras everywhere. Thankfully, it was Laz who was monitoring them today and not one of the new guys or worse—Kenton, Chelsey’s brother and one of Parker’s best friends and coworker.
At some point, Parker would talk to him, but first he had to win Chelsey back.
Damn, I should’ve waited to talk to her .
Now he’d made a bad situation worse. He could’ve waited, gone by her house, and begged her to listen to him.
He growled under his breath, and when he glanced down the hall, Mason was standing near his suite of offices with his hands on his hips.
Ahh hell. This day just keeps getting better.
“In my office. Now!” Mason snapped before disappearing.
As Parker walked back, he debated on how much to tell his boss. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t have to say anything about Chelsey. Maybe Mason hadn’t noticed the tension vibrating between them.
Yeah right. The guys of Supreme weren’t the best of the best for no reason. Not much got by them. Whether they chose to acknowledge a situation was another story.
Parker reentered the office, surprised to see Hamilton Crosby sitting in one of the guest chairs. Dressed in a double-breasted suit, he always looked as if he was heading to a meeting. Which he probably was.
Hamilton, or as most of them referred to him, Ham, was a managing partner, and he and Mason shared some of the same duties. He was normally over the hiring of the security specialist, as well as interviewing potential clients. Lately, though, with how fast the company was growing, he, Mason, and Egypt had been sharing various roles.
“Close the door,” Mason ordered. Parker did as he was told and had barely taken a step before Mason said, “What’s up with you and Chelsey?”
Parker dropped into the seat. “It’s complicated,” he said after a few minutes.
“Well, un-complicate it,” Hamilton said, “Because in two weeks she’ll be working here full-time. We’re not saying you have to confirm or deny that you two are in a relationship. We don’t want any drama around here.”
Parker didn’t either. All he wanted was Chelsey back in his life, and he’d do whatever necessary to make that a reality. If he got her back…no, when he got her back, he wanted them to take their relationship public. For various reasons, not many knew they’d been seeing each other.
Hamilton stood with a file folder in hand. “I only stopped in here to get a signature from Mason, but I couldn’t help but notice that you and Chelsey were in a heated discussion. We don’t have a non-fraternizing rule here, and I’d like to keep it that way. But if you two bring drama here, we’re going to have a problem.”
“Understood,” Parker said, glad that he nor Mason pressed for details on his relationship with Chelsey.
After Hamilton said his goodbyes and left, Mason said, “Now, let’s discuss you getting back out in the field.”
“Good. When can I start?” Parker asked, glad for the change of subject and more than ready to get back to field work.
This morning, he’d been prepared to walk away from the life he had created over the last four years. Not anymore. He was staying and planning to fight to get Chelsey back, while also getting back to the job he loved. He was born to protect people, and Supreme gave him the opportunity to work alongside some great guys. Parker knew he couldn’t walk away from that.
“I want you, Laz, and Ashton to provide security for Jeff Hawkins. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of him, but he’s the CEO of an international ecommerce company. He’s hired Supreme to provide personal security while he attends a fundraiser.”
“Did he say why he needs security?”
“Yeah, he’s received a few threats due to approving the layoff of over 7000 employees a few months ago. He doesn’t expect any trouble Saturday night, but he wants to be on the safe side.”
Parker had heard of the guy shortly after moving to Atlanta. Hawkins had been considered one of Atlanta’s most eligible bachelors, but in recent months, he’d had quite a bit of bad press. A serial dater, it sounded like he was the love-them-and-leave-them type, and women around the world were dragging his name through the mud.
“Hamilton and Egypt vetted him,” Mason continued, “but Ham said the guy is a pompous know-it-all and might not follow protocols. Just so you know, he’s been warned that you guys will leave him to fend for himself if he does anything to put either of you in danger.”
Parker nodded. It always amazed him that people wanted protection, but they weren’t always willing to do what they were told. Not even if it was for their own good.
They talked a few minutes longer with Mason giving him the details about the job. At the moment, Parker didn’t care what assignment he got, he was just glad to get off of desk duty.
Now, if only he could fix the mess with Chelsey. Then his life would be back on track.
He’d think of something. He always did.