Prologue
“We could really use your help, Kurt. You and Warner know so much about security systems, monitoring and securing large venues, and my brothers and I trust you guys. We’ve been friends forever,” Jack Spencer said to Kurt Dawn as they stood by the bar.
Kurt looked around the place, then back toward Jack. Jack wondered what his friend was thinking.
“You really don’t need such high-tech security here, Jack. Some of the basic systems will do, and during business hours, you need reliable security staff. You know this already. You and Danny have a great system that your employees already know,” Kurt replied as he looked back down at his beer.
His friend was down as usual. He and his brother Warner were retired government men. They did some mercenary work amongst other things that they never shared. Jack had a feeling it was weighing its toll on them and they wanted out. Maybe convincing them to run his whole security here at Spencer’s would be a motivator?
“The place is going to be a lot bigger now, Kurt. You know as well as I do that a bigger place brings in people from all over. I’ve got Max on my ass about security being of the highest standards, and to be honest, it’s overwhelming. Marlena’s helping out a bunch, too, but to be honest, we haven’t exactly been able to spend the quality time we need to be spending together because we’re all stressed out. When Danny and I think about running security besides everything else like the orders, the staff, training a manager, it’s just too much to have to worry about security. If you and Warner were interested, it would give us peace of mind. We trust you. There are some shady characters out there.”
Kurt nodded his head as he looked around the place again.
“Warner is out of town on business. Let me talk to him when he gets back at the end of the week. We’re supposed to be retired, but that really hasn’t happened. Sometimes I think we’re busier than ever.”
“This could be a good change for you guys. Plus your brother Taylor wouldn’t be so on edge when the two of you are away on ‘business’ as you like to call it.”
Kurt raised one of his eyebrows at Jack.
“Li
sten, I’m not prying. I respect that your jobs are secretive and that they’re very dangerous. I know Taylor’s been itching to settle down and maybe start a family.”
“We all are on the same page with that. But transitioning to civilians, ending our government careers for good, is a heavy decision and a huge step.”
“We’ll pay you both a great salary, so you’ll have income,” Jack added.
Kurt gave him a look.
“You know money isn’t a problem for us, right?” he replied. Jack nodded his head and gave a smirk. He knew damn well that money wasn’t a problem for the Dawn men. Whatever they did for a living, they made a lot of money. But no one would even notice. They dressed casual all the time, looking intense, hard, and ready for action and a fight more often than not. They were big men, physically fit, and capable of things Jack didn’t even want to imagine.
“Think of the money as fun cash. You know when the three of you take a woman out on a date and go on vacation and shit. Which we’ll have to work out. If you take the job,” Jack added.
This time Kurt smirked.
“We’ll see. Let me mull it over and talk with Warner. Our services are needed in a lot of places other than Chance.”
“Well I for one and happy about that. Don’t need any trouble coming this way.”
“You’re right, but things are changing, Jack. Even the small towns can get tainted by crime, violence, and unsuspecting people like a lot of the residents in Chance. I, for one, don’t want any of them to become victims. And I understand Max’s concerns. Even if Warner and I don’t take the positions we’ll help you out. You know, train your manager of security and make sure they have their shit together.”
“Fair enough. But I hope you two accept our offer. We need you and more importantly, we trust you.”
* * * *
Kurt sat at the bar thinking about Jack’s offer. He turned down a few women who approached him tonight, looking for a good time. He wasn’t interested. Hadn’t been interested in even easing the ache he had. He knew exactly why. Taylor was feeling it, but he got to see Mercedes on a daily basis at work. Then again, that was probably torture. Then of course Warner was being the most resistant to even admitting he was interested in Mercedes. So what did he do? He took the next private job and shipped off to Cuba for a few weeks.
Kurt shook his head. Apparently he wasn’t the smartest. He should have taken a trip away, too. But then he’d worry about Mercedes. It wasn’t even really because she was in danger or needed the protection. It was the fact that he liked protecting her. He liked being close to her and smelling her perfume or that delicious shampoo that was all Mercedes.
Fuck me.
He tried to force the thoughts from his head and looked around at the crowd of people. He was pretty damn good at reading people, watching them and determining what their next moves were. His gut instincts were his greatest survival tool over the years. He never second-guessed it.
He watched several people, finding them not quite suspicious but perhaps up to no good. One particular guy, about six feet tall and stocky, kept looking around the room, as if he were making sure security weren’t nearby. Sure enough, the son of a bitch pulled out a baggie with drugs and exchanged it with some woman as she passed by, pretended to bump into him, and hand over the money. It was quick, but it was sloppy. Kurt looked at the one bouncer who was nearby and sure enough he hadn’t seen a thing. That was what Jack and Danny were going to need here. Security that could break up fights, control crowds, and escort drunks from the building and into cabs. They needed men who were trained for this kind of stuff. Trained to stop drugs from destroying an establishment.
As he continued to look around he caught sight of a guy lifting his cell phone and appeared to be taking pictures but he couldn’t be sure. Kurt saw what the guy took a picture of. Harmless? Three young women, early twenties, all dolled up, wearing short, tight dresses and waving at a group of older men nearby. He glanced back toward the guy who’d been taking the pictures and he was gone. That was quick, he thought and then heard his name and felt the hand on his shoulder.
“There you are. I was looking for you,” Taylor said as he took a seat by the bar. The bartender immediately placed down a Bud Light and Taylor took a long guzzle.
“Bad day at work?” Kurt asked and took a sip from the new bottle of beer that the bartender placed down in front of him, too.
His brother gave him that look as if he automatically knew what Taylor meant. Then it hit him. Mercedes.
He held Taylor’s gaze as he took a sip of beer. Taylor looked around them and then leaned over the bar a little. He wondered why today upset his brother. Had some guy asked her out? Had she accepted? Was she feeling okay? He felt sick. This was getting worse. He put on an expressionless face and took a sip from his beer and waited for his brother to update him.
“I heard her on the phone today. That sweet, sexy voice of hers being so nice to everyone. Then when I walked up to her desk to see if she had some forms ready for me she was direct and short. ‘Deputy Dawn, I will put them in your mailbox the moment I complete them. I’m on the last page now,’ she said and then went right back to typing. Her phone rang and don’t you know, she answered it all sweet and calm,” Taylor said, sounding frustrated as he took another long slug of beer.
Kurt wanted to laugh but he knew Taylor was having a hard time not staking a claim on Mercedes. They needed to get to know her and she needed to get to know them, but every time Taylor tried to persuade her to go for coffee together she would decline. She was shy and she was resistant to all of them.
“Maybe I could have been a bit more calm and understanding months ago when Marlena was in trouble. I mean I yelled at her and told Mercedes that she had to listen to me or else. I was so upset. The things I saw Tony do in Marlena’s bedroom and then when he abducted her. I was scared and worried about Mercedes,” Taylor admitted.
Kurt understood. He was very angry at the time and worried about Mercedes, but he also knew he was resistant to letting down his guard and getting to know her. He rarely dated. Never found a woman to be of more interest than for sex and to ease his ache after traveling abroad and risking his life. He felt indispensable, unstoppable, inhuman at times, and then he saw Mercedes, met her, hung out with her and her friends, and things started changing. He started, too, and apparently so did his brothers.
“She understood that, Taylor. She had to understand the intensity of the situation. If not at that moment then afterwards as she heard what was left at Marlena’s cottage and then what happened in the cabin. I’m glad the guy is dead.”
“Me, too,” Taylor told him and then they both put down their empty beers.
“When is Warner going to get back? It’s been four weeks,” Taylor said.
“Beats the fuck out of me. He does what he wants. Not much can hold him down,” Kurt responded.
“He’s running away from his feelings for Mercedes. He doesn’t think he’s good enough for her,” Taylor whispered.
Kurt took a slug of his beer.
“Can’t blame him. Sometimes I feel the same way.”
“But neither of you should feel like that. You deserve to be happy. After the kind of shit you guys do for a living, this could be the opportunity to settle down and make some changes. I worry when you guys are gone on some fucking mission or whatever you call it,” Taylor told him then took a slug from the new beer the bartender just put down. He looked toward the bar, appearing uncomfortable for admitting his feelings. But Kurt could read it in his brother’s eyes. He worried that something would happen to Kurt and Warner.
“You’re assuming that Mercedes has the same feelings and would be interested in being shared by us. You’re also assuming that she as well as us will be so compatible and so into one another that she’s the one. That’s a lot of assumptions and you can’t even get her to hang out with you never mind go on a date. I’m just not sure about all the risks.”
“I hear what you’re say
ing, Kurt, and I’ve been over it in my head a thousand times at least. But I keep coming back to the same thing. The simple facts when it comes to Mercedes.”
“And what are those, bro?” Kurt asked then took a slug of beer.