Chapter 2 #2
He recalled a time when he and Christian had snuck into the prince’s old home to find something they needed and had been caught.
When Christian had asked about family, Brett had lied to his face and said he had none.
That he had nothing to live for. Both were true, but also untrue.
He had family that he wanted nothing to do with, so he preferred to pretend they didn’t exist. And though he didn’t like to think about it, he had something to live for.
Even if it was to ensure the man found happiness with someone worthy of him.
Which wasn’t Brett.
“Boss?” As if his mind had conjured him, Felix stood before him, his forehead creased. “Everything okay?”
He blinked at him, trying to push everything aside, forget about future problems and concentrate on the present.
Licking his lips, he said, “Yeah. Sorry. I’m more tired than I thought today.
” He put the phone face down and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Is everything in place for the sweep-through for Christian’s birthday? ”
“Yes. Dominic, Randall and Robert will check out the space tomorrow to ensure the preparations are ready to go on the day. I have put a time in your calendar for your walk-through the day before, and Kendal has asked if they can come with you to see how it all works.”
The king’s partner—well, one of them, anyway—was determined and eager to learn everything they could about the way the different areas of royalty worked, both the royal side and the non-royal side.
Brett was more than happy to entertain them because they were shrewd and intelligent, often offering constructive ideas for making things better and more streamlined.
“Accept their offer, and thank you for arranging that.”
Felix shrugged. “I know you like to check through spaces when big events like that are happening. I will be on hand, too, to ensure we get any changes done as soon as possible.”
And that was why Felix was his right-hand man. He was able to anticipate Brett’s requirements and put them into place without him needing to ask for them. God help them all if Felix ever decided to work somewhere else.
“Have we been sent any more potential recruits?” he asked instead of ruminating on that nauseating thought.
Felix lifted the tablet that he held in his hand and pressed the screen. “Robyn has sent over six CVs for you to look at, but her exact words were, ‘If you don’t find someone within this lot, I’m all out.’”
“Wonderful.” Brett shook his head. “It’s almost as if the world doesn’t want us to replace Foster and Carl.”
Felix gave a sad smile. “It wasn’t a surprise that Carl left when Foster was killed. They were husbands, after all.”
“I’m never doing that again,” Brett muttered.
“Anyone in a relationship with another guard will not go on the same duty. I know it wasn’t the case in this situation, but if either of them had been given an ultimatum for either their protectee or their husband, I wouldn’t be able to say which they would’ve chosen.
And I can’t put that imbalance in the roster.
I need people I can be certain I can rely on.
” And didn’t he feel shitty saying that?
He knew he had been able to rely on Foster and Carl, but it only took a split second to falter.
He glanced at Felix, who was staring at the tablet but not doing anything on it. “Send me the CVs. I’ll look them over.”
Felix blinked and nodded, hitting the screen a few times. “Done.”
“Thanks. At this rate, we’ll be employing Christian, Patrick and Damon to be bodyguards.”
Felix chuckled, lightening the mood. “And wouldn’t they love it?”
Brett cracked a rare smile, finding it from deep inside. “They would.” He shook his head. “Damn idiots.”
“I’ll tell them you said that.” Felix turned and wandered away.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Felix glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. “Wouldn’t I?”
For a split second, he faltered, but then he shook his head. “You wouldn’t.”
“You know me far too well.”
Brett settled in his creaky chair and dragged the laptop in front of him. He had enough work to last him several weeks, and only a few hours to do it. If he could just find some damn decent guards, it would make his life so much easier.
Several hours later, after requesting Robyn send back a few CVs he’d previously declined so he could take a second look, he had chosen four people for interviews.
He wasn’t particularly excited about any of them, but they might surprise him.
Unlikely, but possible. He booked them in for the following week and sent requests to Dominic and Felix to join him.
It might be overkill, but Brett didn’t trust himself right then.
He wanted the best of the best, but he might have to decide on the best of the mediocre.
A coffee cup landed in front of him, and he glanced up at Dominic. “Thanks.”
“You looked like you needed one.”
“Don’t I always?”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Dominic sipped his drink. “What’s wrong?”
Brett sighed. Dominic was the closest to what Brett did with him being Lead Security Officer for King Andrew’s guards, but Brett was Head of Security over the whole damn thing. If anyone could understand even a fraction of his frustration, it would be Dominic.
“No one’s good enough,” he said, gulping the hot liquid. It was the good stuff, too.
Dominic nodded. “No one will be. We have to take them as they are and mould them into what we need.”
“We don’t have time.”
“We don’t have a choice. On one hand, we have inexperienced guards learning the right way to do things from us, and on the other hand, we haven’t enough guards. Both are crappy choices, but I’d prefer more of us in place. As I’m sure you would.”
He had a point, and Brett agreed. It was a completely shit choice, but bodies in place were easier to manhandle into the right place.
“Maybe you should take over my job.”
Dominic waved his hands in front of him. “Not a chance in hell.”
Brett cracked a smile. “I don’t know anyone crazy enough to do this job.”
“Except you.” Dominic raised his eyebrows.
“Stupid, more like.”
“I don’t know. I think crazy fits.” Dominic grinned, and Brett still marvelled at the change in him since he’d met and started a relationship with Randall.
They were perfect for each other, and everyone could see it.
If Brett had the time, he might’ve been envious of their relationship, but he didn’t have time for anything other than work. Maybe when he retired.
“We all have to be at least a little crazy to work here. How else would we put up with the Sutcliffes?”
Dominic threw his head back and laughed, long and loud. “And don’t they know it.” He settled down again, taking a drink. “Have you ever thought about asking for help?”
Brett snorted. “I wouldn’t know what I could pass on to someone else and what I couldn’t right now. Everything is so intermingled and cross-wired and dependent on each other, it just wouldn’t work.”
“And thinking along those lines, any luck finding a common thread amongst what’s been going on this past year?”
Brett wasn’t sure why he was keeping his thoughts to himself, and he almost opened his mouth and spewed it out. But something was telling him it wasn’t the right time. What, he had no idea. But he always listened, even if he couldn’t explain the reasoning behind it.
“Nothing really. There are potential links, as we all know, but nothing concrete has come to light about them. We can see similarities and possible crossovers between people, but unless we have hard evidence, we can’t prove anything.”
Dominic sighed. “I hate waiting for something bad to happen. It feels…” He shook his head.
“I get it. I really do. But there’s not much else we can do right now. We keep digging. We keep observing. We keep our eyes open, and hopefully, whoever is doing this messes up and we get them before something happens.”
“To you or Felix, you mean.”
Brett met Dominic’s gaze and nodded. “If the one common link we found is right, then yes. When something happens to me or Felix, we’ll know their next step.”
And wasn’t that a wonderful thought.
****