Falling for My Bodyguard - Book cover

Falling for My Bodyguard

Anaïs Garnier

Chapter 2- Meeting Pt two

William

“Good job, team! That was a great save!” I congratulated my team, once we were in the van, on our way back from our mission. We had managed to save a family which had been taken hostage by a gang member. We were able to infiltrate the house, neutralize the assailants, and secure the hostages. It had been precise and well-executed. I didn’t expect any less from one of the best SWAT teams in Newshire.

“Thanks, boss!” they answered back, smiling widely. Looking at each of them, I was proud to be their leader. They each possessed unique skills that made this team lethal.

Once we arrived back at the station, we headed for the changing rooms to get rid of all the equipment we were carrying.

“Hey, guys! I just wanted to ask if any of you heard of a side job?” I asked while opening my locker and placing my vest in it.

Looking at their questioning faces, I elaborated on my reason.

“I’m going to renovate my apartment, so I thought a little extra cash could be nice. Make sure I don’t get into any financial problems later, you know?” Renovating could easily get expensive, and I didn’t want to risk losing all my savings because of it.

“Sorry, Huntz. I haven’t heard anything, but if I do, I’ll let you know,” answered Officer Li. Cayden Li had been on my team the longest and was the person I turned to for advice most of the time. I considered him my second in command and had been talking with the Captain to have it made official.

The others agreed to let me know as well. I wasn’t in a rush, but it would be useful to be able to make some extra bucks; the tools and material I needed weren’t cheap.

After exchanging our goodbyes, my team headed home since it was the end of our shift. I decided to hit the gym to put in one last workout before doing the same. Staying fit was quintessential to our work, but for me, training had also become a tool for me to organize my thoughts.

When I walked out of the locker room, I spotted him immediately. My brows curved in confusion at the intruder. He stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone in SWAT considered the others in this building as a family; after all, our hands were in our colleagues’ hands, in other words, we knew everyone, and he was definitely not one of us. All eyes were on him as he walked past different outlets.

We all knew who he was. James Pearson, head of one of the most successful companies and one of the wealthiest men in the city. Mr. Pearson was well respected in the city, and his story was well known. A typical born-poor-worked-hard-and-became-a-wealthy-and-influential-man story.

He was well-liked as well for his charity work and the different scholarships he had created and sponsored to help people from less fortunate families.

I couldn’t help but wonder what would bring him here to SWAT headquarters.

Mr. Pearson went to the Captain’s office where they started conversing. I shrugged my shoulders. It was none of my concern. I simply wanted to get my workout done and head home.

I was wiping the sweat off my face with a towel after working on my last outlet when Captain Woods called me to his office. I knocked and waited.

“Come in.”

“Captain?” I asked as I pushed the door open, unsure why I was called into his office.

“Sergeant Huntz. Please have a seat,” he gestured toward the chair in front of him. “I overheard earlier that you were looking to make some extra money. Is that still the case?” he questioned, shuffling through some papers on his desk.

“Yes, Sir, that is correct,” I answered, still unsure where this conversation was headed.

“Since that’s what I thought, I wanted to offer you this job that just came up. Mr. Pearson is looking for an additional bodyguard for his daughter. He’s been very on edge since the kidnappings two months ago of the Lakers’ son and the Bradley son.”

My stomach twisted as I remembered that event. I had been part of the team coordinating the extraction of one of the boys. Unfortunately, the culprits had gotten away, and the boy had suffered some injuries which would scar him for life both physically and emotionally.

“Being a bodyguard is a full-time job,” I stated, creasing my eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t see how it would fit my schedule.”

“Well, Mr. Pearson has been thoughtful enough to explain he already has a few bodyguards but wants someone to fill in some gaps. He is more than willing to adapt to our shift schedules, and the pay he mentioned is quite generous. It would be more than you would make here with overtime. Plus, we already have too many people trying to do overtime,” he admitted with a loud sigh.

Mr. Woods had always been very considerate of the people employed here. He would fight for higher salaries and honestly had our back. It didn’t always work out, but we all knew he gave it his best.

“You would mostly be working there on weekends and a few hours during the week, mostly after the girl is out of school. Mr. ... Pearson would like to have someone on temporarily for a few months. So think about it. I don’t need an answer now, but I would like to hear back from you latest tomorrow so I can offer this to others if you decide to decline,” he explained, getting back to the papers on his desk.

“Understood Captain. Thank you for the heads up.” With that, I walked out of the office, feeling more conflicted than I had in ages.

Later that evening, I was lying in bed pondering whether I should accept this job. It seemed rather straightforward, the pay was good, and the hours were flexible. The question was, did I want to deal with a spoiled rich teenager during my free time. I didn’t need the money enough to do a job that would bring me a headache each day.

I kept weighing the pros and the cons and came to the conclusion that I could survive a few months and if those months didn’t go well I could simply ask to leave rather than extend my contract, and the extra money would put my mind at ease just like my presence would put the father’s mind at ease. Win-win right?

On that thought, I finally let my eyelid fall. It had been a long day.

Walking into the office the next day, I went straight to the Captain’s office.

“Set me up,” I told him, hoping once again that accepting this job was not a mistake.

Everything was set up rather fast. By the end of the day, I was called into the office. Approaching one of the meeting rooms at our disposition, I could see various people I had never met in the past. Four were dressed entirely in black and wore an earpiece. They must be the current bodyguards, and the other was none other than Mr. ... Pearson. Taking a deep breath, I walked into their line of sight.

“Sergeant Huntz! I’m so glad you have agreed to join us!” he immediately greeted me when I walked in. He approached me his hand extended. I gratefully shook it, smiling back at the man before me.

“Thank you for the offer, Mr. ... Pearson,” I replied politely. It was my first time talking with the man. He wasn’t what I had in mind. He was very cheerful and energetic, the exact opposite of a cold and secluded CEO.

“Oh no, please call me James,” he told me before adding “My daughter, Harmoni just left to use the bathroom, but she should be back any minute. In the meantime, let me present you to your colleagues. This is Logan Dass,” he said, pointing to the man standing on his left.

“This is Benjamin Parker, and this is David Solt,” he continued his introduction. Benjamin seemed to be the youngest of the three, but his serious expression showed that this job was essential to him. I would expect nothing but the best from the entourage of Mr. ... Pearson. While he was introducing each man, they all nodded to me politely.

“I believe your Captain has already given you the information regarding this job but feel free to ask me anything that’s unclear,” he resumed, his smile never wavering.

“I will keep it in mind.” His smile was contagious and I soon felt the corner of my mouth curve upwards. This man was friendly. He didn’t look down on people because he had money and gave in no way the feeling that he thought he was superior to us. I have to admit it was quite refreshing. The few rich people I had met weren’t like this. Actually, they were quite the opposite.

“And this is Josef,” he finally said looking at the man on his right.

“Welcome to the team Huntz,” he offered with a friendly smile.

“Josef is my main bodyguard so you will be seeing him around quite often,” James explained.

As Mr. Pearson finishes his sentence, the door to the meeting room opened, revealing a young girl.

She looked to be twenty even though I knew from reading her file that she was only eighteen. I had also learned that she was quite small, 5'4, but seeing her in real life, I towered over her with my 6'2 height. Her long wavy brown hair shaped her face and emphasized the light jade-green color of her eyes. Even I couldn't deny that Harmoni Pearson was a natural beauty.

She offered me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. I reached my hand out, ready to greet her, but she simply looked down at it before looking back into my eyes and rolling her eyes. Rude!

"So that's my new jailer? I'm not impressed. Plus, another man sticking to me like glue really isn't going to change much,” she said curtly, looking straight at her father. I let my hand drop back to my side. I had clearly been right. She was a spoiled brat. I was already internally face-palming myself for having accepted this job.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when she smirked, clearly amused by what had just transpired. I guess what I missed was the malice in her eyes. Great. Just great.

"Harmoni!" her father chastised.

"It's okay James," I told him before turning to Harmoni. "She's just a child." Truth be told, I was only 23 myself, but somehow I knew these words would have an impact on her. Clearly, I was right.

She huffed and crossed her arms before slumping down on an empty seat and turning her attention out the window.

"You should deem yourself lucky that Sergeant Huntz has chosen to protect you during his free time, young lady. He is one of the youngest in his position and has already been rewarded by various titles by the mayor of this city. He deserves to be treated with respect!" he explained to her harshly.

She didn't answer or bother to look our way, pretending she didn't hear him. On my hand, I shouldn't have been surprised that Mr. Pearson did his research on me. I'm not one to talk about my achievements. Somehow it always seems like bragging when I do.

Poor James, he seemed so embarrassed by his daughter's behavior. I have to admit that this didn't look promising. I had to remind myself that it was only temporary and that I had dealt with much worse. After all, my little sister was a few years younger than her the last time I saw her, and believe me, Harmoni's attitude was nothing compared to my sister's.

My sister had run away while I was on tour with the army. The thought alone created a heavy feeling in my stomach like a hundred rocks had suddenly been dropped into it. I did my best to push the thoughts of my sister out of my mind and focus back on the situation at hand.

Harmoni didn't say anything else while we discussed a few details of my employment contract. Although, I did catch her glancing at me a few times, probably cursing me in her head. If her constant pout and glare were any indication, she wasn't fond of our new arrangement.

"Can I go now?" she finally voiced. Annoyance and boredom clear in her tone of voice.

"Almost," her dad responded. She sighed loudly and looked back out the window, crossing her arms against her chest dramatically.

Once we were done, she rushed out the door, both Benjamin and David following her closely while Logan fell into steps with me.

"She's not that bad after a while," he reassured. "She just needs some time to warm up to people.”

I nodded, not really sure what to answer. I hoped he was right. Otherwise, it would be a long four months as James had just informed me that this would be the length of the temporary period.

Additionally, he clarified that I was the one with the most experience. I had done a few bodyguarding jobs when I had just returned from tour. Still, this came to me as a surprise since Logan was older than me, but I didn't bother to question him. For this reason, he appointed me team leader. I would have a few days to get accustomed to how things worked before I would officially take on that responsibility.

The first event she would be going to was this Friday. James had mentioned that a fundraiser was organized at his company to raise money for third World countries.

With one last sigh, I went to take my things from my locker and headed home.

Tomorrow would be a new beginning. Good or bad, that still needed to be determined.

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