Zach popped another antacid into his mouth. This was exactly the kind of shit that had nearly tanked the agency. Regulars took a particular liking to one of their workers and stole them away along with the fees they’d been paying the firm directly. They’d lost good men and reliable income because their contracts hadn’t incorporated the proper penalty fees.
Oh, yeah. They’d suffered a sharp learning curve that first year of business, but things had gotten better, much better, once they’d found their stride. They’d hired a whip smart manager to run the business side of things while they’d focused on getting the job done. Then bam. Things had started to go to hell in a handbasket again.
Zach had taken himself out of the field after what had happened in Kirkwood. Then Gillian, their business manager slash receptionist, had gotten pregnant and left them to be a stay-at-home mom. A national chain had moved into their turf, specializing in cyber security along with traditional private investigations, and Collins Security Firm had started losing business. Too much business.
The few savings Zach had from his time on TV had already gone into purchasing vehicles and equipment. If he couldn’t somehow turn things around, and soon, they’d have to close the doors in three months, tops.
His attention swung back to Kellan. Sleeping with a client? The ex-cop should know better. It was career suicide. Eventually the actress would get tired of sleeping with him and fire his ass. Then where would he be?
“Does she understand we can sue her for hiring you away from us? It’s in her contract, and yours.” Zach reached into the bottom desk drawer where he kept his most important documents, including copies of the contracts with all of the firm’s highest-paying clients. As soon as the drawer opened, his gaze fell on a file labeled DYLAN at the front. All it held was the birthday card he’d bought years ago but was too much of a coward to mail to his little brother—not that he even knew his brother’s address anymore.
Another reminder of what an epic failure Zach was.
“Sue her?” Kellan sounded surprised. His face lost its color. “Are you gonna fire me?”
Zach was tempted, but he needed the asshole on staff too damn much. “I assumed you were quitting to take the job with your girlfriend. What would be the point of firing you?”
Shoving his brother’s folder out of mind, he checked the actress’s contract to make sure it was still valid for a while yet. Luckily, it was. Even if she broke it now, the agency would still get paid for another four months, plus a penalty fee. But then?
They were screwed. They needed to convince Kellan to stick around so she would, too.
Kellan shook his head. “I don’t know what to do. I never thought I’d—” His words fell short as he turned and paced toward the opposite wall. Hands on his hips, he turned and faced the desk again. “I’m sorry, Zach.”
“I think we need to revisit this conversation when Brian can be here, don’t you? Dammit, Kellan.” Zach pushed a hand through his hair. “I don’t need this right now. Go do your job, and get out of my sight. We’ll talk about this later.”
Kellan hesitated, as if he wanted to stay and finish it now, but he must have sensed it wasn’t a good time to push his luck. The office door shut behind the tall blond man, and Zach picked up his phone.
Instead of Brian’s deep voice, a familiar feminine one answered his call. “Zachary! Oh, thank goodness. I was trying to find you in his contacts,” Hannah said, and then in a calm voice informed him she was driving to the hospital with his partner passed out cold in the seat beside her. “Can you please check on his wife to make certain she’s taken care of? Her water broke about ten minutes ago, and this guy is in no condition to go get her.”
When Zach reached the hospital, Brian was waiting—in a wheelchair, no less—in a room with his wife, Jenny. Their newest client was nowhere in sight.
“The nurses told me Hannah left after they got me conscious,” Brian muttered. “Damn, I owe that woman. Bigtime.”
Zach tried calling the number for her he’d programmed into his phone earlier. She sent him to voicemail. Shit. This wasn’t their day for retaining customers, was it?
“Maybe you could head over and check on her,” Brian said. “Apologize for me.”
Any other time, and he would have already been on his way. “No way, man. I’ve been looking forward to this. I want to be here when your kid is born. I’ll go see Hannah later.”
“At least see if Kellan can go keep an eye on her place in the meantime. Tell him to be discreet.” Brian rubbed his forehead. “There was someone following her earlier. A black car. Tinted windows. Georgia license plate, but I didn’t make the numbers.”
Zach swore beneath his breath and punched in Kellan’s number. His conversation with their next-in-charge was short and to the point. If Kellan didn’t want to be sued for breach of contract, he’d get to Hannah’s place pronto.
“Park across the street. Keep an eye on her house. I’ll be there later. You see anything suspicious, call me. Got it?”
Three hours later, Brian’s daughter was born, and damn if Zach didn’t feel a swell of pride, looking at the tiny infant for the first time.
An unfamiliar emotion puffed out his chest when he peeked in on the nursery with Brian and saw little Jessica kicking her tiny feet against a pink blanket. He’d never been a kid kind of person, but he had a feeling that little squirt was gonna own his heart.
“Now that I know Jenny’s fine and the baby’s here, I need to get back over to Hannah’s place,” Brian said as they stood there. “I didn’t tell her about the car following her.” Brian rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s not safe, and I owe her. I need to get back over there and—”
“You’re not leaving this hospital.” Zach pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his contacts. Kellan was due to bodyguard his actress girlfriend at a charity event tonight. What freelancers did they know? Who was available? “I’ll put someone else on her.”
“Who?” Brian held up his hands. “We’re stretched too damn thin as it is.” His glance strayed back to the crib that cradled his kid. “You should do it.” Before Zach could manage a response, Brian stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Look, man, it’s been six months. It’s time for you to get back in the game.”
“Not a good idea.” Zach leaned in close. “Let’s face it. I’m a better actor than a P.I. We don’t need another screw up like what happened the last time I handled a job.”
Brian scrunched his face in either disgust or disagreement. Maybe both. “You were an actor for fifteen minutes on some stupid reality show hardly anyone remembers. That’s behind you. What’s bringing this up now?”
Fifteen minutes? That barb stung. The Psychic Detective had lasted three seasons before Zach’s conscience had gotten the best of him and he’d quit. The so-called psychic who’d replaced him hadn’t lasted more than a year before viewership had dropped and the show had been cancelled.
People had liked him, dammit.
Zach opened his mouth to argue that perhaps if they’d taken advantage of that fact a little more, the firm wouldn’t be in such a mess now, but he censored himself. The only time he and Brian had ever come to blows had been over Zach’s television con. Brian had beat the shit out of Zach when he’d finished his tour of duty, returned to the states, and discovered Zach had been pretending to be psychic by using his eerie ability to pick up on the details others missed. Never mind his reasons for doing it. Brian hadn’t cared.
Zach clenched his jaw and said nothing. Just looked at his