Page 3 of Inescapable Gravity

Evander didn't reply, but the look he sent Marius was good enough. They had made a connection and Marius was sure that Evander was worth his salt.

"All right." Alex turned his head to meet the eyes of everyone in the group. "I've got dinner set up in the other room and while we eat, I'll give you more details about the training and the types of jobs that I expect we'll see."

Alex turned to leave and then stopped just short of the hallway. When he turned around, everyone was standing.

He did another once over around the group and smiled. "I know you gentlemen are good at soldiering. I'm glad you clean up just as well. I picked all of you for your talents as soldiers as well as your ability to fit into society."

Marius held back an instinctual grimace.

Some people thought that society meant something classy. Even upscale.

While people who had money certainly liked to show it off and pretend to have class as well. He'd been to villages that didn't even have clean water or access to medical care that had better people than he'd grown up with in 'High Society.'

Cotillion didn't mean shit when someone's life was on the line. He'd seen both sides of the world and was more than prepared to face the evil that came from having the world at someone's fingertips.

Entitlement bred evil faster than those who were grateful to wake up every morning.

For a moment, Marius wondered if he'd be able to protect someone he didn't like.

Well, he told himself, we'll just have to find that out. Won't we?

* * *

Blackwood Enterprises

When he went to meet with Bartholomew Blackwood, he showed up early. A little more than a half an hour early.

The lobby of Blackwood Enterprises was on the floor just under the penthouse in the Blackwood building. A moderately sized sky scraper by world standards, it was impressive in its neck of the woods, the island of New York City.

The interior was lit by the sun outside, the tinted glass brought the world inside and probably did wonders with the electricity bill.

Good for Mister Blackwood.

There was precious little information in the portfolio that Marius had been given. Starting date, of course.

Not to mention the amount that he'd be paid as well as how much money Big Sky Bodyguards stood to earn.

Impressive.

Stupidly impressive.

He would have stayed for the meeting regardless of the wait when he was still sitting on the leather coach in the waiting area nearly an hour past the time for his appointment.

Marius kept his gaze moving easily around the room, finding that waiting in the air-conditioned comfort of the finely appointed office space was so much easier than some of the hellish places that he'd served in.

And given the discreet movement of the cameras he was able to see, he was being watched.

Evaluated.

He'd had worse before.

And didn't really care for it or about it.

He was being paid to be patient and observant and-

"Mr. Goddard?"

Ready for anything.

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