Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
L ater, at Supreme, Chelsey might’ve been monitoring the front desk, but her mind was still on Parker. They had a lot going on these days and it all played on loop through her brain, forcing her to think about everything but work.
This morning had been interesting, to say the least. The sex was amazing as usual, but there were moments since leaving home that Parker’s nightmare overshadowed those memories. Did it mean anything that the dream had recurred? Maybe all the work he’d been doing on the Destroy Wolf project was starting to get to him.
The last few weeks, Parker had been busy at Supreme while also working with Rock, Angelo, and Kamora to make sure everything was on schedule in taking down Wolf. His days started early, and they sometimes ran late into the night. Was it all stressing him out? Or had something happened to trigger the dream?
Chelsey wasn’t sure, but she was worried. Mainly because of how the nightmare was making him behave. Parker was normally the most laid-back, fearless person she knew, but he told her he was afraid that something would happen to her. As if the dream would come true.
Before leaving home, she tried telling him that it was just his subconscious messing with him, but he didn’t believe her. He’d even had the nerve to tell her that he wanted to put security on her.
That still pissed her off, and she shot that idea down. How crazy would it look for her—a person providing others with protection—to have a security detail on her?
Nope. She could take care of herself, and that’s what she told him. But what started as a simple conversation had turned into a major disagreement.
“What’s on your mind?” Kenton asked, interrupting her thoughts. He was sitting next to her at the front desk. “You’ve been spacing out for the last ten minutes.”
“I’m still mad at you,” she said, though she was over his freak-out weeks ago regarding her and Parker’s relationship.
Kenton shrugged. “It’s not the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. It comes with the territory as a big brother. So what did Parker do to piss you off?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you talking about? He hasn’t done anything.”
“Oh, I figured your brooding had something to do with him.”
Chelsey debated on whether to tell him about Parker’s dream. Kenton could be a pain, but he was a good listener. Still, she didn’t like the idea of discussing her and Parker’s personal business.
Then again, her brother had experienced his share of nightmares. They’d started after one of his FBI assignments ended with the death of his confidential informant, as well as his partner. Kenton had almost died that day, too, and it took years of therapy for him to get his life back on track. He’d probably understand Parker’s frame of mind better than anyone. Maybe…
Her cell phone, that was sitting on the long receptionist desk vibrated, and she glanced at the screen. It was a text message.
Parker: I’m sorry, baby. I worry about you, but I know you can take care of yourself.
Chelsey placed her hand on her chest. God, she loved this man. Even though he was afraid for her life, he was trusting that she knew what was best for herself.
She sent back a quick text.
Chelsey: I forgive you, and I love you.
Parker: I love you more. TTYL
She grinned at the five heart-eyes emojis he added on the end of the message. Her big strong, manly-man sending emojis was too cute. Especially because he only sent them because she loved stuff like that.
“I guess you two made up,” Kenton said dryly as he rocked in his chair next to her.
Chelsey laughed. “Whatever.” She shoved her phone into her pants pocket.
“But seriously, despite how I acted, I’m happy for you and Parker. He's one of the good ones, and I know he’ll treat you right.”
Chelsey’s heart melted at her brother’s kind words, and she hugged him. “Thanks, bro. That means a lot coming from you.”
In their family she and Kenton were the closest in age. Growing up, he’d been her best friend, her confidant, and her protector. So his opinion meant everything to her.
“That doesn’t mean that I won’t kick his ass if he hurts you.”
Chelsey laughed and playfully punched him in the arm. “See, you had to go and mess up a beautiful moment with threats. But just so you know, if you lay a hand on him again, you’ll have to deal with me.”
“ Ohhh , I’m so scared.” He mock-shivered. “You always did think you were all that and could beat up somebody.”
A loud beeping sounded interrupted their banter.
“Is that a camera sensor?”
“Yep.” Kenton rolled his chair forward to look at the large monitor.
It showed six different areas of the exterior of the building. A man and a woman stood outside at the main entrance, appearing to be arguing. When Kenton pressed a couple of keys on the keyboard, he activated the camera’s audio.
“Are you sure about this?” the woman asked. “What if they think I don’t need security?”
“Well, you do, and we need to convince them to take your case. So come on,” the man snapped.
“We like to get a good look at people before we let them in,” Kenton said. “We normally keep the volume off during the day because it picks up traffic and people walking by.”
Supreme was located on a side street, and the building and parking lot took up the block. The only other structure was the huge warehouse across the street that was being renovated.
The guy outside reached for the handle and tried to push the door open, only to realize it was locked. “What the hell? They’re supposed to be open.”
“We never unlock the door until they push the buzzer. I’m sure they’ll notice it in a minute,” Kenton said. “That gives us a chance to take still shots of people who look suspicious.”
Chelsey nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Just an extra safety precaution. We might provide personal security, but the well-being of our people come first. Which is why Egypt and Hamilton are so thorough with vetting potential clients. We might agree to take on those who come to us for help, but not without knowing what we’re getting ourselves into.”
Though it was mentioned in the training Chelsey had gone through, Kenton went on to tell her that there were times when a simple protection assignment could turn into so much more.
Through offering security to clients, Supreme had assisted law enforcement numerous times with catching criminals; everything from stalkers to drug dealers and a host of other miscreants. Supreme provided way more than just basic security.
“I’d say that guy looks suspicious wearing long sleeves, jeans, and combat boots when it’s ninety degrees outside,” Chelsey said.
Tattoos traveled up the side of the man’s neck but were mostly covered by his collar, and Chelsey didn’t miss the tats on the knuckles of his fingers. One was a black dot which usually meant he served time in prison, but there were other tats that she didn’t recognize.
The high-definition quality of Supreme’s cameras was impressive, so much so that she could almost count the number of freckles on the woman’s fair skin. As the lady paced in front of the building, Chelsey took in her short sundress and sandals, which were more fitting for the hot weather than the guy’s attire.
“She looks anxious,” Chelsey said, but that could easily be caused by whatever situation she was in. “If we’re suspicious of them, do we still let them in?”
“Yep, because one or both could be in trouble and really need our services. I already took a couple of pictures of them, and emailed them to Egypt.”
“And this is why Hamilton insist that armed security monitor the front desk,” she muttered it more to herself, but Kenton confirmed it.
They both stood before he unlocked the door and let them in.
When the couple stepped in, Chelsey said, “Welcome to Supreme Security. Can we help you?”
“Yes. My sister needs protection,” the guy said as they slowly approached the desk. They didn’t look related, but there were plenty of siblings in the world who didn’t look alike.
The man glanced around, seeming to take in every inch of the large open space. To the right was a waiting room of sorts that held sofas and upholstered chairs. A comfortable area that wasn’t often used, except for by employees.
Previously, the main floor was an open space. Visitors used to be able to see down the long hallway behind the main desk. But recently, a wall and a locked door had been added to keep the reception area confined.
The main hallway, behind the wall, included several conference rooms, bathrooms, as well as the kitchen that was toward the back of the building. Though there had never been a problem with anyone trying to force their way into Supreme, the wall was an extra precaution.
“Your names?” Kenton asked.
“I’m James White and she’s Debby.”
“All right, Mr. and Miss White. I’m Kenton and this is Chelsey. Do you have an appointment?”
“No,” James said. “Does she need an appointment to get protection?”
Kenton explained Supreme’s process, including the fact that an appointment was preferred, but under emergency circumstances they accepted walk-ins.
Chelsey watched their two visitors carefully. James carried himself confidently. As for Debby, the way she wrung her hands together and shuffled from one foot to the other, her nerves were getting the best of her. Chelsey wasn’t sure why she was this anxious or why she needed security, but her brother seemed more than capable of protecting her. By the looks of him, he could handle himself and wouldn’t take shit from anyone.
Though she didn’t like to judge, he looked a bit thuggish.
Maybe a gang member?
During her time as a cop, she’d encountered plenty of them, enough to recognize their edginess, their cockiness, their energy. She had also learned to identify gang tattoos, but because this guy’s body was covered by his clothing, there weren’t any visible signs of an affiliation.
Still, she wondered.
“Why are you staring at us like that?” the woman snapped as she narrowed her eyes at Chelsey.
“Like what?” Chelsey asked calmly.
“Like you don’t believe I need protection!”
Though surprised by the woman’s outburst, Chelsey remained calm. “What do you mean, I don’t believe you? I have no idea what threat there is to you, because you haven’t given details of why you’re here.”
“Debby,” her brother said, a warning note in his tone.
His sister straightened. “I’m sorry. I’m—I’m on edge,” she sputtered, her words tumbling over each other. “My ex threatened to kill me.”
“I understand,” Chelsey replied.
Deep down, she sensed these two were up to something. But what?
She grabbed the electronic tablet from the desk to gather information from them. “We don’t take threats lightly. Have you gone to the police and reported him?”
“They’re not going to do anything. That’s why we came here,” James said. “I want someone watching her back whenever I can’t.”
Chelsey nodded. “Okay, Debby, I’ll need some information from you. Then I’ll set you up with an appointment to meet with an intake specialist.”
While she talked with Debby, Kenton chatted with James.
“How’d you hear about Supreme?” Chelsey heard Kenton ask.
“My cousin, Sean, recommended you guys. He said y’all do good work, and he said to request Parker Wilcox.”
Every cell inside of Chelsey went on high alert. Not because it wasn’t uncommon for people to request a particular security specialist, but because of who they requested.
“We appreciate when other clients refer our services. When did your cousin use Supreme?” Kenton asked.
“Actually, he didn’t use y’all. Someone he knows used the service. I don’t know the guy’s name.”
“When you get a chance, check with Sean to get the name,” Kenton said, then turned his attention to Debby. She looked even more nervous than she had when they first arrived. “We offer a discount to clients who refer us to their friends, and you’d also get a discount if we take on your case.”
“ If? What do you mean, if?” James snapped. “If someone is threatening her, I’d think you’d automatically offer her protection.”
“Not automatically,” Kenton said as he moved from around the desk, towering over both visitors. It was a power move since the guy was getting a bit testy. “Our intake person will get some details about your sister, about the threat, and then they’ll decide if her case is one we can take on.”
James shook his head. “Nah, nah. She can just talk to Parker Wilcox since he’d be the one protecting her.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Chelsey chimed in. “Based on what comes of the interview with Debby, our intake person will determine what type of protection she needs and what security specialist to assign to her. That will be dependent on the threat, as well as who Supreme has available for the assignment.”
James glanced at Debby, who was looking at him and nibbling on her lower lip. It was as if they were having some private conversation with their eyes. Neither said a word, which only made Chelsey more suspicious of their motives.
“If you guys want to set up an appointment, I can do that, but first I’ll need to see your IDs,” she said.
“You know what? I don’t want to do this,” Debby said, backing away. Her movements abrupt, she turned and rushed toward the door.
“Debby, wait!” James called out. When his sister left without stopping, he turned to Kenton. “Let me talk to her. She’s just scared.”
Yeah, she’s scared of something…but what? Chelsey thought.
James backed his way to the door, while saying, “If we decide to move forward, we’ll be in touch.”
“No problem,” Kenton said, and they watched the two leave.
Chelsey folded her arms across her chest. “Was that normal?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Nope, and I’m glad we have photos of them.” Kenton moved back around the desk. “We’ll check out the information you gathered from Debby , if that’s even her name. If she doesn’t check out, we’ll run facial recognition on the two of them.”
“Good.” Chelsey tapped her fingers on the desk as thoughts and various scenarios ran rapid through her mind. “There was something about them… The way they were behaving had my bullshit meter going crazy. I also didn’t like the way they dropped Parker’s name.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too. We get referrals all the time, and occasionally people request a specific person. However, that’s usually after a security member has been on their detail.”
Chelsey nodded. “I want to know who they are and why they were really here.”
More importantly, she needed to know what they wanted with Parker.