Page 22 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

He smiled widely. “You misunderstand. If you are happy here, I will move to join you. I shall have to get used to my new home. It’s far different from Italy.”

11

Two Weeks Before & Half a World Away, in Italy

The private investigator sat impatiently, waiting for the head honcho to call him in. He was tired from the long international flight, followed by the car ride that led to the villa in the Italian countryside. He wasn’t often pulled in to speak with the main boss, though in his line of work, he found himself constantly boarding planes and adopting new personas.

Several months prior to this moment, he had been called in to investigate a shady individual named Forrest Coswell. The best way to get to know someone is to work with them, and so, when Forrest needed a PI, ours was Johnny-on-the-spot.

A beeping on his phone shook his thoughts. He glanced down to see a text had just come in.

JENNINGS:Read the report and forwarded it to Julio. Good work.

The man rubbed his face,knowing he should be thrilled at such words of praise, and he was. It was only that he had a feeling of dangling on the precipice on something far grander than he could even imagine. With a sigh, he texted Jennings back.

JACKSON:Thanks Boss, on location, will inform you of the next mission.

“Jackson?”A thin, beautiful woman with dark hair and a kind smile approached him, “Thank you for your patience. Mr. Cerone will see you now.”

Jackson followed the beauty down the marble hallway and into a large library.

“Thank you, Isabel, that will be all.”

Jackson turned to see Julio Cerone seated at a rich mahogany desk. He was surrounded by opulence, yet he seemed perfectly at ease with the loaded pistol in his hands.

“Well,” Julio’s eyes were intent, and his words clipped.

Jackson had served as a sniper for a special forces unit for over ten years. A bullet to the shoulder and some torn tendons in his knee had earned him a medical discharge. But it didn’t negate the fact he was wickedly good at killing people.

Once back stateside, it was difficult to find work that fit his particular skills. Indeed, it had been something of a godsend when his buddy and comrade in arms, Brian Williams, had started a private investigation service, and Jackson went to work for him.

One of their clients, Will Jennings, was a retired paid mercenary. Jackson didn’t know a whole lot about Jennings, other than he was deadly and had ties to the Mafia. All he knew was that there were occasions when he needed a PI, and because of the delicate nature of his work, Brian often put Jackson on the case.

These past few months had been something of a tangle. Brian and Jackson were shocked when Jennings contacted them about Sutton Landry, now Sutton Williams. Brian had immediately been defensive, considering she was his new sister-in-law.

But as things began to unravel, they learned that Elliot Brand had contacted Jennings as a personal favor to look into the case. Apparently, Elliot’s wife and Sutton were close friends, and because of that, they were concerned.

Jackson never did discover the relationship between Brand and Jennings. It seemed odd that the billionaire mogul would be in a position to call in a favor from one of the most dangerous men in the world.

However, it was Jennings that suggested Jackson work for Forrest to infiltrate his organization. And it had worked like a charm. Only Brian knew of his involvement there, and as far as Jackson was concerned, the case was closed.

Until the summons to Julio Cerone’s villa. Jennings had said it was nothing to worry about, but that was easy for Jennings to say. He was the Italian mobster’s cousin or nephew, something of the sort. Of course, he wouldn’t be concerned.

“What would you like to know, sir?” Jackson forced his voice to remain steady.

Julio eyed the younger man, and Jackson felt his heart thundering in his chest. The weapon in Cerone’s hands was set aside and replaced with a folder, out of which several photographs were presented to Jackson.

“This woman,” Julio pointed to a curvy blonde in a deputy's uniform. “Do you know her?”

Jackson did indeed know the woman; he had worked with her for several years.

“That is Natalie Jones. She works for Brian Williams at the PI firm. She is completely trustworthy, sir.”

Julio’s brow raised, “On that, we shall agree to disagree. Where is the woman now?”

Jackson felt a shiver of unease race up his spine, “Is she in trouble?”

Julio stared at the man, his clear gray eyes taking in the young PI. What could he possibly know about the world, about life?

---