? 4 ?
Jay’s ass was on fire.
Who knew that a direct hit with a paintball pellet on the most padded area of his body could cause so much pain? Not that the investment banker across the boardroom table or his daughter seated beside him would ever guess he was suffering. Jay had been through hell during his years in the air force, enduring every bullet wound, broken bone, cut, burn, fight, and fall without even a whimper. But Christ. Not even the enemy had shot him in the ass. Three days later, the bruise was only getting worse.
He shifted slightly in his seat as his business partner, Elias Woods, wrapped up his presentation on J-Tech Security’s financials. Six feet five inches of solid muscle, with a body honed by hauling injured soldiers into airplanes and lifting heavy crates of medical supplies, Elias stood out among the suits no matter how hard he tried to slouch. Jay and Elias had met at a VA clinic shortly after Jay had left the service. Ex-army, Elias had been discharged after he’d been severely injured in a mortar attack. He needed work. Jay needed a partner to help him realize his dream of starting a security company staffed by veterans. By the end of the week, they had a name, a business plan, and seed capital from a generous investor.
Over the years they had expanded state-and then nationwide. With plans for an international expansion in place, they had come to investment banking firm Westwood Morgan Financial to pitch for funding. Jay had handled the sales and logistics part of the presentation, leaving Elias to handle the financials and wrap-up.
Jay checked his watch. A few more minutes and he would finally be able to stand, but dancing at Tarun’s upcoming sangeet was going to be out of the question. Would Zara be there? His mind had drifted to his gun-toting nemesis time and again over the last few days. It made no sense. He had no trouble finding women to date. So why did he keep wondering how it would feel to sink his hands into the soft curls of her hair, or to press his lips against her full, lush mouth? Was it because she had defied him at every turn? Or was it the challenge? He was used to being in control—getting what he wanted. Zara was very much her own woman, and she didn’t want him.
“Jay? Do you have anything else to add?” Thomas pulled him back to the present. Jay closed the door on thoughts of a beautiful woman racing through the forest in a barely there dress, screaming as she waved the enemy’s flag in the air.
“I think Elias summarized it well,” he said. “The global market for personal guarding services is projected to reach two hundred twenty-eight point six billion U.S. dollars by 2025, driven by growing crime rates, and the increasing security needs of high-net-worth individuals and businesses. With a solid national presence, J-Tech is well placed for international expansion with Westwood Morgan’s assistance.”
“Brittany? Any questions?” Thomas smiled at his daughter, a recent MBA grad who was now interning with her father’s bank. Tall and slim, and dressed in a black suit and white shirt, her auburn hair sleek and cut just above her shoulders, she was a female version of Thomas right down to the wide cheekbones and hazel eyes.
“What about the Triplogix lawsuit?” She’d clearly done her research and wasn’t pulling any punches.
“It’s nothing.” Jay waved a dismissive hand. “Our client Triplogix suffered a data breach. They believe someone got past our security guards and entered the building to upload a virus into their servers. We’re confident the virus came from outside the building and the people responsible hacked through their computer firewalls. We’ve got a court hearing next week. Our attorney assures us it will be dismissed before it even gets to trial.”
“That’s good to hear.” Thomas scrawled something on his notepad. “Keep us updated.”
“Of course.” He shared a quick glance with Elias, who’d spent the last few days at the client’s facility working to sort out the mess. They’d been trying to find a bank to fund their global expansion for the last six months and the damn lawsuit was making investors wary. No one wanted to hire a security company that couldn’t keep a building secure.
“So, can we count on your support?” Elias’s chair gave a relieved creak when he stood.
“It’s not just up to me.” Thomas walked them to the door with Brittany following behind. “I have to take your proposal to the board. With a strong recommendation from me, however, there shouldn’t be any resistance.”
Jay heard the message loud and clear. “Are there any other assurances you need? We’re open to suggestions. Debt refinancing . . .”