Page 7 of In The Trenches (Owens Protective Services)

“Perfect,” he mumbled under his breath. It was clear he didn’t like his new job, but he didn’t complain any further.

“I thought you’d like that. Nobody likes to be the close protection agent, but it just so happens that you fit the bill perfectly for this next one.”

I threw folders for each of them on the table. Sinner flipped his open, but then shut it, shaking his head immediately. “No, no way.”

Great, just when I thought he would be a perfect fit for the team, he had to go stir shit up on the first job. “You got a problem with your assignment?”

“Yeah, I have a big fucking problem. Vanessa Adams? She was my last assignment at Reed Security. Let me guess, her dad just needs someone for a charity function or some bullshit.”

Okay, that was not what I was expecting. “No, he wants us to find her and bring her back. What the hell happened on your last assignment?”

“Let’s just say Victor Adams didn’t give us all the intel and one of my team members ended up in the hospital, unable to feel his legs.”

“Fuck,” Warren grumbled.

“Details,” I snapped, feeling extremely uneasy with this case now.

“We were her detail for a charity function. According to Victor, her last detail was incompetent. We were stepping in with the idea that we would take over permanently if everything went well. Someone was at the function watching her, so we got out of there, but we came under fire when leaving. Reed tried talking to Victor about it and got the feeling there was more to the story he wasn’t being told. Then he contacted us later, saying that Vanessa had run away. Reed’s been digging into him, trying to get information, but the guy has a lot of connections. Whatever he’s hiding, it’s buried deep.”

“Shit, well doesn’t that just complicate things,” I said, leaning back in my seat.

“Why is he contacting us? He lives on the east coast.”

“He said that she has friends out here and would most likely come this way.” I frowned, remembering my conversation with him. It had all been a fucking lie. If she was out here, either she ran away, or he stashed her out here and then she escaped. “Shit. Alright, Eli, start planning this out while I get Reed on the phone. The rest of you get your instructions from Eli.”

I stormed out of the conference room, hating that this guy was trying to take me for a fool. Slamming the door behind me, I stalked over to my desk and picked up the phone, dialing Sebastian Reed.

It rang five times before he finally answered. “Sebastian Reed,” he answered briskly.

“Cash Owens.”

It was silent for a moment before he cleared his throat. “The employee thief.”

“I didn’t steal Sinner. He came to me for a job.”

“Either way…What exactly can I do for you? Are you looking to raid more of my employees?”

“I’m calling about a former client of yours. Vanessa Adams.”

“Fuck,” he swore. “What’s this about?”

“Her father called me to find her. Everything checked out, so I took the job. Except, your former employee says that Adams is responsible for putting one of your men in the hospital. And I take exception to anyone that purposely endangers the lives of my men.”

“What do you need from me?”

“Information. Why is he looking for his daughter?”

“As far as I could tell, he was trying to use her for a business deal. I don’t have any details. I was working on finding out who put my man in the hospital, nearly paralyzing him, when he shut us out.”

“But she’s an innocent,” I presumed.

“All the information my men gathered from her points to her being a victim in all of this. I don’t think I have to tell you how much she would suffer if she were captured by her father and used…for whatever his plans are.”

“Understood,” I answered. “If I recover her, I can’t keep her here.”

“I can hide her,” he offered. “He wouldn’t suspect us, at least not right away.”

“Are you thinking of stashing her at a safe house? Do you have the resources for that?”

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