5. CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE
B rody
I shut the bedroom door behind me and draw in a calming breath.
Of all the people Callum could refer to me, he brought the sassiest woman to ever walk the planet. Ivy Ross. What an infuriating woman. The long, dark brown waves paired with dark green eyes that draw you in and keep you staring is a clever disguise. That stunning exterior hides a lioness within that’d eat you up, no crumbs left.
My first instinct was to reject them as clients. The guys would never know about it. And we can work on finding actual clients that respect what we do. I just can’t see how I could coexist with her and not blow my brains out. But protocol must be followed. I have no doubt the guys would reject them after they hear what went down. Unfortunately for Callum and Iris, they have that spitfire ruining their show.
I march toward the conference room Cliff lent us and open the door. The breathtaking view eases my boiling temper for one small moment. My mentor should be renting out this space for a good chunk of change every week, but he’s giving it to us for free.
Because he believes in us.
I can’t allow a little tiff to get in the way of business. I’m going to put aside my gripe with Ivy Ross and allow the guys to make an unbiased decision.
“There he is.” Nick grins at me. “How’s Mr. Punctual doing?”
I side-eye him. “I got held up for a good reason.” My gaze shifts left and falls on the woman standing opposite Nick and Zane. “Sera Bellerose?”
Her smile grows wider and she steps forward to take my hand in a firm shake. She’s way shorter than I am and is that purple in her hair? “Yes, sir. Nice to meet you once again.”
“Not sir. Just Brody.” I don’t need reminders of what I left behind. “What are you doing standing there?”
“I just came in.” She shrugs. “And I’m guessing, Mr. Yates and Mr. Everett don’t know who I am yet.”
“Guess which of us is Everett?” Nick winks.
We all ignore him.
“Yes, of course.” I usher her forward. “Nick, Zane, this is Sera. She’s our receptionist. Sera, Nick, and Zane.”
“It’s lovely to meet you both.” She gives them a wide smile.
Nick returns it while Zane’s face clouds over.
I settle into the chair opposite them, hands clasped before me.
“You should write a report and title it ‘My Reason for Being Late on the First Day,’” Nick says.
“Callum, my old buddy from the military, met me this morning in the lobby. He was coming to see me.”
“Sweet. When’s the get-together?”
I eyeball Nick, which makes him laugh. “It wasn’t a social call. He had two women with him and he needs us to take them on as clients.”
This time, their eyes light up with interest.
“Let’s do it.”
Zane and I turn to Nick.
He shrugs. “What? Whatever it is, I know we’ll be able to handle it.”
“Tell us the details of the case first,” Zane says.
I reiterate all that Callum told me. Zane grabs a notebook to jot down the details. He taps his pockets, probably in search of a pen. A moment later, Sera appears beside him, extending a ballpoint.
“Was anything left at their apartment to identify the invaders?” Nick’s investigative mind is working even before I’m done speaking.
“Callum didn’t mention that. But the police are looking through the building’s security cameras to see if anyone stands out.” I continue. “Aside from that, we have to consider the kind of clients we’re taking on.”
“It doesn’t matter that Iris is high profile,” Zane says. “I think we can handle it. We will put in measures to control who comes in contact with her.”
“That’s not what I meant. Her sister, Ivy, is tagging along with her.”
“And…” Nick prompts.
“Didn’t you hear what I said about her doubting us?”
“Yeah, no. I don’t think her concerns are meant to offend. She must just be worried about her sister’s welfare,” Nick says.
“That doesn’t give her an excuse to be a smart mouth!”
The guys blink at me. Fuck. I let that one get away from me. I just need them to understand how problematic she is.
“You know what? Let’s forget that,” I tell them. “Let’s focus on the case itself.”
“So we have two suspects at this time,” Nick says. “The disgruntled fan and the thieving father.”
“Why the father?” I ask.
“Trashing the home seems quite personal,” Zane says. “Since nothing was taken, that means they were after the ladies. And who feels more entitled to a child than their parent? Especially one like Mr. Ross.”
“Or an obsessed fan,” Zane adds.
“I see,” I mutter.
Just then, the aroma of brewed coffee fills the room. Sera arrives at the table with a tray. On it are three mugs with steam rising from them.
“I don’t know how you all like your coffee, so there’s the creamer and sugar.” She places it down dutifully and makes herself scarce again.
Nick and I nod a thank you in her direction while Zane keeps his gaze glued to his notes.
“Sweet!” Nick cheers. He’s the first to pour himself a heavy dose of cream and multiple sugar cubes. My teeth ache watching him.
I’m next in with only a cube of sugar and a little creamer. Time passes before Zane snags up the last cup. He takes it black.
“I don’t know what we did to get such a high-profile client—”
“We haven’t signed off on that yet.”
“—but it’s a definite yes from me.” Nick goes right on, ignoring me.
“I agree. This is one of the better leads we have,” Zane says.
“It’s like you both just didn’t hear the part about the psycho sister.”
“Oh, we did.” Nick narrows his eyes at me. “That sounds like a you problem.”
My jaw drops. “I make great first impressions. People like me. She has a problem.”
Zane and Nick share a glance.
I hate that they’re secretly communicating in my presence. I only missed the first hour of our work day and now I’m the outsider.
“Spit it out!” I grouch.
“Well, you’re kind of a man-sized pain in the lower extremities,” Zane says.
A choked sound comes from behind us. I glance over my shoulder to catch Sera covering her mouth and coughing.
I refocus on Zane.
“The only reason no one tells you is because they’re afraid of you.”
My lips flatten into a thin line. That’s not fear. It’s respect. I’d say that, but this is not my crowd today.
“I guess it’s unusual for someone to call you out on your bullshit, and that’s why you’re acting up.” Nick picks nonexistent lint off his jacket and flicks it my way. I flinch even though I know there’s nothing there. “I think this is going to be good for you. I can’t wait to watch Miss Ivy ruffle your big boy feathers.”
Zane huffs. That’s as close to a laugh as he gets.
I look between them. “First of all, fuck you both. Secondly, we’re doing this and I will show you that Ivy doesn’t affect me at all.”
“Okay, big guy.” Nick winks.
“I will guard the sisters and keep them safe. You and Zane would investigate the matter and find out who’s after them. Nick, the person who broke into their home is all yours. It’s a good thing the Denver PD is willing to assist. It should make your job easier. Zane, come up with a plan for tracking Luke Ross’s spending wherever that may be. A greedy man like that won’t steal such large sums to save it.”
“And you, try not to fight with our client. We need those five-star ratings, you know.” Nick lifts a fist to Zane and he fist bumps it.
These two are becoming fast buddies and I’ll never get a say in.
I press out a confident smile. “Sure thing. I excel at keeping the peace.”
Nick grimaces. “Don’t ever do that smile again. You look like a gorilla holding back a poop.”
“After Ivy, you’re my least favorite person this morning.”
He grins. “But still a favorite, hmm?”
Nick is unflappable and it irks me sometimes.
“So we officially have our first client,” Zane says. “We can tell our moms what we’re doing now.”
Nick sobers up real quick. “That is true. My mom’s going to be so thrilled.”
My mom, too. The thought lightens me up a bit. She worried about me for a moment there. When I left the military, she wondered what I’d do. But I always have a plan. And I lucked out with the best buds and business partners to make it happen.
“Mine’s going to tell me to be careful,” Zane muses.
“Yeah. Like she doesn’t realize you’re the one people should be careful of. You can expose anyone’s darkest secrets with a few clicks of buttons.”
“It’s not that simple,” he tells Nick.
“You make it look simple.” Nick grabs him by the shoulder and ruffles his hair, leaving him looking sullen.
He fixes his hair and nods toward the other end of the room. “What are we going to do about her?”
I glance at Sera who looks hopefully in our direction. “What about her?”
“I don’t know.” A muscle ticks in his jaw. “She’s unusual.”
“She’s also good. I think she did a great job today, despite having no formal orientation.” Zane’s face falls. What about her has him all worked up? Don’t know. Don’t care. “Find her a place to set up a computer and a phone.”
“Why me?” Zane frowns.
“Why not you?” I leave the table. “I’ll inform Callum and the Ross sisters of our decision.”
Even though I’m not too excited to be meeting the older one again. Hopefully, she’s cooled off and won’t give me any trouble.
I’m walking down the hallway when I spot Ivy. My feet grind to a stop. She’s a tall woman with nice proportions and a stunning face. I’d be a liar if I claimed I didn’t, for a second there, notice her. I’m also mildly ashamed to admit her stubbornness adds to her allure. But I’m smart enough to know that thinking about her that way is asking for trouble. Which she is. Big time.
What is she doing standing in the hallway anyway? I take a step forward and the full picture comes into frame.
She’s speaking to Cliff.