Page 4 of Finding Haven
Strangers who are hopefully attracted to me and willing to pay to see more.
2
Zack
IneverthoughtIwould be anything other than a police officer, but after Ryan’s death, I couldn’t bring myself to step foot inside another station. The sergeant put me on bereavement leave and assigned a grief counselor, whom I never saw. When my leave was over and I was expected to return to work, I handed in my resignation and never looked back.
My relationship with Tiffany had ended, which I was more than fucking thankful for, and there was no way I was ever going to return to my job with the Hartridge PD. My father had connections to the Anders family in Southern California, and all it took was him making one phone call to the right person before I was offered a job on the spot for their luxury hotel chain as head of security. With the offer in hand, I packed up everything I owned and left. I needed to get as far away from my previous life as possible.
It wasn’t until I had worked at the hotel for almost a year that I was offered a position within their secret organization. The Phoenix Legion spans worldwide but has primary headquarters in Haven Beach, where the family resides. Will and Lara Anders run the organization, but have other appointed leaders in various parts of the nation. Their children, Ace and Hailey, are each involved with both the hotel and the Legionin some capacity. While Ace takes on target assignments, Hailey has a background in nursing and emergency medical training.
In hindsight, adjusting to so many changes in such a short amount of time probably wasn’t a good idea, but all of them were necessary. The sad truth is that had I not lost my best friend that night, my life likely would’ve never changed. I would have married Tiffany and continued to suffer her abuse. We would be living in a house just far enough outside of our price range that I would be killing myself trying to make ends meet, while she played the part of the perfect little housewife.
The more time I’ve spent away from that life, the more I’ve grown to realize that none of it was ever what I wanted. I was simply doing what I thought was expected of me. My family was overjoyed when Tiffany and I announced our engagement after two years of dating, so calling things off with her felt like a betrayal to them, and it took some time before I was willing to face them again. Though I should’ve known that the distance and tension that I had been feeling were all in my head. All it took was one phone call to my older sister,Leah,to figure that out.
She had answered the phone and greeted me as though no time had passed between us and assured me that the rest of the family simply wanted to know that I was working towards living the life I wanted. As the oldest sibling, she’s always been the most level-headed, while our younger brother, Aaron, would likely never be ready to grow up. I’ve done my best to keep in touch with them while living on the West Coast, but there’s only so much I’m able to share with them about the ins and outs of my work.
Most of what I do is fairly mundane. The hotel shit is easy, but it keeps me busy when things with the Legion go quiet. Not that it’s everquiet for long; everything I do is just more behind-the-scenes and less on-the-ground. Though if Ace had any say in the matter, I know he would be dragging my ass out on missions right alongside him. I swear with each new assignment, that fucker is bugging me to join him, as if I don’t help him enough by gathering all of the intel on his targets.
He doesn’t give me a hard time when I decline, but I know he isn’t going to stop asking until I agree to join him. I only hope he isn’t holding his breath because I doubt that day will ever come. I’ve witnessed enough tragedy and injustice in my thirty years, and I don’t need to be adding to the tally. That’s why, as boring as it is, days like today where I’m holed up in my office at the Elysian, monitoring the security feed and occasionally taking a lap around the premises, are my favorite.
After all the shit I’ve dealt with, I prefer not to socialize more than necessary. I haven’t even been on a date since moving. The idea of getting to know someone, of letting them in and allowing them to see every bit of my dark and shattered soul. . . I’d rather be alone. I tried to give my heart to someone once before, and all she did was leave it tainted.
The mere thought sends a shiver down my spine as I push away from my desk and shut down my computer. The hotel’s security system will remain up and running, as always, but my computer gets locked down whenever I’m not in the office or turned off completely at the end of each day. I have too much incriminating information on the thing, not just on targets but on Legion members as well. Including every mission that’s come in since I joined, who was assigned, and how the target was handled.
I don’t track every member, just those within my district. The Phoenix Legion is a worldwide organization, and while it’s my job totrack down information for target locations and movements, I only do so for the members who live within a certain radius.
As eager as I am to get out of this office for the night and return to the comfort of my home, I take my time scanning the wall of monitors before I leave. I’ve got a team of security guards who will be present while I’m gone for the evening, but my mind and body won’t physically relax unless I do one final surveillance before calling it quits for the night. Instead of watching through the camera’s gaze, I grab my suit jacket off the back of my chair and slip it on. I adjust my sleeves and straighten my tie before running my hands down my chest, attempting to brush away any wrinkles that may have formed over the course of the day.
The hotel lobby area is fairly quiet, with just a few people hanging around in the sitting areas who are likely taking advantage of the included Wi-Fi. “Good evening, Mr. Mercer,” one of the receptionists greets as I walk past, her tone friendly but restrained. I’ve made it a point over the years to ensure that all of my relationships within the hotel remain strictly professional, despite how nice it would be to find a release without the use of my own hand. I give her a tight smile as I pass, not bothering to return the greeting. I’ve had to remind this particular receptionist on more than one occasion that I’m not looking for any kind of relationship, even a casual one.
Soft instrumental music fills my ears as I step into the restaurant and bar area of the hotel. The restaurant portion is decorated in soft creams and various shades of blue with mahogany wooden flooring. The tables are all intimately sized while a few booths line the walls for larger groups. The space was designed with a fine-dining coastal vibe in mind,but the menu still caters to families with options like burgers and a few sandwiches in addition to the more expensive items.
Large glass windows lead to a stunning view of the sun setting over the bay, the sky painted in hues of pink and orange as it slowly begins to sink over the horizon. As beautiful as the scene is, it isn’t the sunset that has captured my attention. At one of the tables is a stunning blonde woman whose facial expression is practically screaming that she’s uncomfortable. Her hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders, one side tucked behind her ear as she listens to what the man sitting across from her is saying, a tight smile spread across her face. Something about the way the guy is sitting, completely oblivious to her discomfort as his eyes predatorily rake over her body, has alarm bells sounding in my head.
It’s my job as Head of Security to make sure that our guests are safe, and right now, I’m not convinced that this woman is. Decision made, I slide into a high-backed chair at the bar and tilt my chin up in a nod at the bartender, Myles, to grab his attention. “Hey, Mercer. What can I get you?” he asks, bracing his hands on the dark wooden bartop.
“See that woman with blonde hair, sitting by the window, with the guy who looks like he’s on some kind of hunt?” I ask, gesturing in the direction with a tilt of my head.
He looks up, his eyes scanning the room before finding their target. “What about her?” He takes a moment to look her over before his eyes drag back to mine.
“How long has she been here?”
“Maybe twenty minutes.”
“Notice anything strange?” I don’t care that the question seems a little out of left field; I need to know. It’s my job to pay close attentionto all of the guests at the Elysian and ensure that everyone who steps on our premises remains safe and unharmed.
“They came in together. He’s ordered a couple of drinks, but she’s sticking with water. I’ve overheard him ask her a few times if she’s sure she doesn’t want something else.” He keeps his voice low as he speaks so as not to pick up any unwarranted attention from other customers.
The information lights fire beneath my skin, my stomach tightening at what it implies. There are no good reasons for a man to encourage a woman to drink.
“Go refill her water.” His brows furrow at my command, but he listens.
I watch as he takes a fresh pitcher of water over to their table. The woman’s smile is kind as she looks up at him and thanks him for refilling her glass, while the man she’s sitting with seems to become increasingly agitated. His jaw is set in a firm line, his posture stiff as he leans forward and seems to question her. He points at her glass of water and then at the drink menu resting on the table. She shakes her head and raises the glass of water to her lips.
“He asked again,” Mylessays when he returns to his position behind the bar. “He sounded sorta pissed.”
Don’t assume the worst. It could be nothing.
