Page 147 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
Kade
Isit at Roman's old desk, the leather chair still holding the imprint of my friend and mentor.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of tying up loose ends and getting back to some semblance of normalcy. We've ensured Alina's contact and his family are safe, dealt with the traitorous informant, and now it's time to focus on the legitimate side of our business.
A stack of security requests sits before me, each one a reminder of the delicate balance we maintain between our covert operations and our public face. I thumb through them, assigning tasks to various team members and employees.
One request catches my eye—CEO of the Winchester Foundation needs a security detail. For a moment, I consider assigning one of our core team members. Thehigh-profile nature of the client makes it think I might want to keep it in-house.
No,I remind myself.This is exactly the kind of routine job we need to delegate. Keep the team focused on our real mission.
I pull up the employee roster on my computer, scanning for someone with the right combination of skills and discretion. My finger hovers over the name "Jacob Reeves"—ex-military, solid performance reviews, and just the right level of experience for this kind of assignment.
As I type up the assignment, my mind drifts to Alina. She's adapted to our world with an ease that both impresses and worries me. I push the thought aside, refocusing on the task at hand.
"Knock knock." Jax's voice pulls me from my thoughts. He leans against the doorframe, a knowing smirk on his face. "You look like you're a million miles away, boss."
I lean back in my chair, stretching muscles stiff from hours of desk work. "Just sorting through the day-to-day. What's up?"
Jax saunters in, dropping into a chair across from me. "Got those reports you wanted on the tech company's financials. Looks like there might be something there, but it's buried deep."
I nod, my interest piqued. "Good work. Have Cole take a look, see if he can dig anything else up."
"Will do." Jax pauses, his expression turning serious. "How are you holding up? With everything that's happened…" His voice drifts off.
I feel my jaw tighten involuntarily. "I'm fine. We've got work to do."
Jax holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just checking in. You know we've got your back, right?"
"I know," I say, softening my tone slightly. "Thanks, Jax."
As he leaves, I turn back to the pile of work on my desk. There's always more to do, more threats to neutralize, more innocents to protect. But for now, we focus on maintaining our cover, on being the security company everyone thinks we are.
I pick up the phone, dialing the number for Jacob Reeves. It's time to brief him on his new assignment - keeping Margaret Winchester safe.
I hang up after briefing Jacob on the Winchester assignment, then take a deep breath. Time to shift gears.
"Team meeting in five," I announce over the intercom. My heart rate picks up slightly at the thought of seeing Alina again. I push the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.
As the team files in, I notice Alina's eyes linger on me for a moment before she takes her seat. I keep my expression neutral, all business.
"We've got some shadow contracts to vet," I begin, passing out folders. "Jax, I need you on standby for potential extractions. There's a high-risk target in Bogotá we might need to move quickly."
Jax grins, cracking his knuckles. "Fast and furious. Got it."
"Cole, I want you analyzing the intel on this tech mogul. Something's not adding up with his security requests."
Cole nods, already flipping through the file with laser focus.
"Damian, we've got a delicate situation in Dubai. Possible double agent feeding information to multiple parties. I need options for containment or elimination."
Damian's eyes gleam with dark anticipation. "Consider it handled."
I turn to Alina last, steeling myself. "I want you reviewing these financial records. Look for any patterns that might connect to human trafficking operations."
She raises an eyebrow. "And the assassination? Are we just glossing over that?"
The room goes silent. I meet her gaze steadily. "We take those contracts very carefully, Alina. Only when the target poses a clear danger to innocent lives."
