“Cine and I are business partners. Period.”
Robert took the seat directly across from Meeks’s desk. “Which is why you were willing to walk away from a multimillion-dollar client? Because there was a remote possibility that Francine could be in danger?”
“Francine is the CEO of this company—an organization with a stellar worldwide reputation, which we all have worked hard for,” he said, stabbing his index finger into his desk. “This was a role she was groomed and destined for. Hell, she’s wanted it her whole life. She has no business working cases in the damn field. Didn’t we learn that lesson last year when she was almost shot by that irate husband we helped put away?” he yelled at his friend. “Or how about two months ago when she did get shot?” He threw up his hands. “She could have died, for Christ’s sake.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t, and working cases is her choice...not yours,” he said, pointing at his friend. “Francine has been following in her father’s footsteps since she was a kid. Do you remember telling me that? We both know she’s more than qualified. Her and her sisters’ years of martial arts training from not only their father, but from several experts in the field, set them apart from most. They’re double black belts. Hell, Francine’s better at handling herself and a weapon—any type of weapon too, gun, knife, crossbow—than some of the men we have walking around here,” Robert said as he ran the back of his hand along his jawline. “Shit, if that asshole didn’t get the jump on her, she wouldn’t have gotten shot.”
Meeks stood and turned to stare out his windows. “Being better than some of the men around here didn’t stop her from getting shot now, did it? She could have died, man.”
“So this is about your personal feelings for Francine, and not her abilities as an agent or her position with the company?”
Meeks glared at Robert over his shoulder.
“Because if it is,” Robert tilted his head slightly, raised his eyebrows and pointed at him, “you ought to remember that danger is something we all face regularly. In fact, we all happily signed up for it, and Francine was the most eager of us all—a fact that we all knew from the first day she started working in the field five years ago.”
“Yeah, I remember,” Meeks mumbled, returning to his desk. “She was determined to show everyone that she was just as good as the men,” he admitted grudgingly. “Turns out she was better than most of them, too.”
Robert threw back his head and laughed. “We had to rethink our stance on a number of things, and she challenged us every step of the way. Remember when she insisted that everyone learn the ‘art,’” he said, using air quotes to emphasize his point. “...of handling knives and bows and arrows?”
“Yeah, or when they both had all the men learn some form of martial arts because they thought that boxing shouldn’t be the only hand-to-hand defense they knew.” Meeks smiled as he remembered Big Bob trying to master the roundhouse kick. He was surprised just how well the large man had handled that three-hundred-pound body of his.
“There’s not one thing she and Farrah can’t do. You do realize that Francine is the reason why the team is as strong as it is today, right?”
“I know. I just...” Meeks’s mind drifted for a moment.
Robert studied his friend before saying, “You know what happened with Jasmine wasn’t your fault—or Francine for that matter...right? You surround yourself with a lot of strong women, and you can’t blame yourself when they put themselves in harm’s way and end up getting hurt. You can’t protect them from themselves.”
“Don’t go there,” Meeks warned. The last thing he wanted was to be reminded how he’d let his relationship with Jasmine blind him to her reckless ambition, something he swore he’d never let happen again. “This has nothing to do with Jasmine. With regard to Cine, I’d be just as concerned about any of our agents if they acted as recklessly as she did last night,” he protested, all the while knowing his argument held no weight.
“Reckless? According to the debrief summary she did an excellent job—especially under the circumstances,” Robert countered.
“And hurt herself in the process, too,” Meeks shot back. “Not to mention, she had no backup.”
Robert stood and headed for the door. “Damn, man. It was a party! She had plenty of backup on the scene. Everyone wore those new alert watches that you insist we all needed.” He cracked open the door but gave a parting shot. “Our teams are the best at what they do, and they always have each other’s backs, especially when it comes to working with the Blake sisters. And working with Cine in particular, you always have to be on point.”
“Enough already, I get it. You think she’s a superhero,” Meeks said with a slight curve of his lips.
“Be careful. You don’t want to feel the wrath of those Blake women,” Robert said, giving his friend a half smile.
“Like you did with Farrah two months ago when she accused you of honing in on the Boyd case?” Meeks questioned.
“Exactly like that, especially since I wasn’t honing in on anything, remember? You sent me to Vegas to keep an eye on her just to prevent Francine from having to go do it. Man, was Farrah pissed.” Robert ran the back of his hand across his face.
“I wouldn’t put it exactly like that,” Meeks said, defending his choice to send Robert to Las Vegas so Francine wouldn’t feel the need to go. “I never did find out what happened between you two while you were there.”
“She didn’t need or want my help, but we got the job done anyway, and that’s all that matters. Besides, you know what they say. What happens in Vegas...” Robert laughed as he left Meeks’s office.
Meeks knew his friend was right. The Blake women had been trained by their father, former army ranger Frank Blake, and by all accounts, he was the best in the business. He’d been determined to build the best security organization in the country. He had every intention of making sure his girls were prepared to take over and ensure his legacy when the time was right. Still, Meeks knew firsthand that no matter how well you’d been trained and groomed, accidents happened and there were some things that were beyond your control. He would be damned if he let something happen to Francine Blake.
Francine walked into her office with Farrah right behind her. She now held the corner office that had once been occupied by their father. It was as large as the living room in her apartment and full of happy memories captured in the many photographs plastered on every wall between expensive works of art. The oval-shaped mahogany-wood-and-glass-topped desk that she’d designed and made herself sat in the center of the room atop a rich, earth-toned Persian rug that spoke more to Francine’s style than the desk that had previously been used by their father.
While Francine may have hated her father’s old desk, she loved his soft leather wingback chair and matching sofa, so they both stayed. But the possession of her father’s that Francine prized the most was his massive book collection, a collection which was full of original works and first editions, along with several technical books that she reached for daily.
“Can you believe Meeks? Making this whole new client thing about me...about my being shot?” Francine complained as she began pacing the floor of her office. “Like I’m some helpless child that needs her hand held. What, I’m suddenly too fragile to handle myself? I did my time in the shrink’s chair after the shooting, at Dad’s insistence, mind you, and I’ve had no lingering effects. I was cleared to return to work. I don’t need Meeks trying to tell me what to do, too.”
Farrah smiled and sat quietly on the sofa.
“I