Page 7 of Fierce Lies
I texted Meredith that I had arrived, then waited, engine running. She was never late. Another thing I appreciated about her. Punctuality was respect.
At 7:00 AM sharp, Meredith emerged from the front door, dressed impeccably in a navy dress suitable for work, her dark hair swept up in a professional style. Leo followed behind her, his imposing figure drawing my attention momentarily before I focused back on my charge.
I stepped out of the car and opened the rear passenger door.
"Morning, Jackson." Meredith smiled as she approached, her heels clicking on the pavement. I never understood why women still wore them. They were not good footwear in an emergency. Then again, it was my job to make sure she was kept safe in any kind of emergency.
"Morning, Mrs. Donati." My response was the same every day—professional, respectful.
Leo kissed her goodbye, his eyes softening only for her before hardening again as he looked my way. "Take care of her, Graves."
It wasn't a request. It never was.
"Always, sir." I nodded. It was my duty. I wouldn't let them down.
Meredith settled into the backseat, and I closed her door before returning to the driver's seat. In the rearview mirror, I watched Leo watch us until we turned out of sight.
"Busy day ahead?" I asked.
"Some meetings." She was already checking her phone, scrolling through emails. "Plus, we're welcoming a new hire in accounting today. Gotta make an appearance in the office every once in a while, right?" She flashed me a smile, and I nodded in the rearview mirror. Meredith no longer worked in the office as much as she used to, opting to work from home and on the go. Honestly, I wasn't even sure why she bothered to work, Leo made sure she had funds at all times. I believed it was because she'd get bored otherwise. Especially since Leo tended to be busy attending his own duties more often than not.
"Met anyone yet, Jackson?" Meredith asked as she gazed out the window. She'd asked me some weeks ago about my relationship status. I'd said I was married to my job.
"That's not in the cards for me." I kept my tone neutral. The less said, the better.
"Everyone deserves to find someone, Jackson. We all want to be loved by that special someone. Even if you think you don't want it."
I nodded in response, not wanting to delve into this. A relationship was not for me. I satisfied my desires with flings, but I was content on my own.
Thankfully, Meredith didn't probe any further as she began texting.
The drive to Donati Enterprises took exactly seventeen minutes in morning traffic, although we made the usual nine minute detour for Meredith to get her iced latte and donuts for the office. I pulled into the underground parking garage, escorted Meredith to her office on the top floor, and then made my way to Roman's office on the security level.
Roman was waiting for me, his massive frame making the office chair look like doll furniture. At over fifty, he was still built like the special forces soldier he'd once been, with salt-and-pepper hair cropped close to his scalp and a face that rarely smiled in my presence.
"Graves." He nodded toward the chair across from his desk.
I took a seat, noting that we were waiting for someone else. The answer came moments later when Leo walked in, closing the door behind him.
Roman had informed me he'd be bringing Leo to work as they needed to make a stop on the way, to make an example of someone. something Leo didn't want Meredith being privy to. I was surprised they'd gotten it done so quickly. Then again, Leo was like me, he liked to get things over with quickly. To stick to schedules and not waste time.
I stood immediately, but Leo waved me back down. "Sit, Jackson. This won't take long."
Roman pushed a tablet across the desk. "New hire starting today. Elena Peters. Twenty-seven. Accounting background. Clean record, clean social media, nothing suspicious in her background check."
I flicked through the files, scanning the information. A photograph showed a young woman with dark hair and blue eyes. Pretty, in an understated way. Nothing remarkable jumped out at me.
"If everything's clean, why am I here?" I asked, looking up.
Leo leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Because clean doesn't always mean safe. We need someone watching her closely for the first few weeks. She'll eventually have access to some of our… other financials. We need to make sure she's someone we can one day trust."
"You want me to babysit an accountant?" I couldn't keep the edge from my voice. "With all due respect, sir, I'm better utilized elsewhere." Like being the bodyguard of Meredith, a woman who actually needed protection, or enacting orders of the family that required my skillset.
"This isn't a demotion, Graves," Leo said as he folded his arms. "This is a specialized assignment. You'll still handle your regular duties with Meredith and anything else that arises that we need you for, but I need you to set up surveillance in the accounting department and keep an eye on the new hire."
Roman cleared his throat. "She's young, moldable. Exactly what we need in the accounting team after Macey's retirement."
"Macey's retiring?" This was news to me. The older woman had been handling the books for as long as I'd been with the Donatis, and Roman had said she'd been here for a decade before that.
