Finally looking around, I see it’s crowded for a Wednesday night. “Why’s this place hopping?”

“No idea. I was going to ask Jim, but he isn’t at the bar tonight,” Delilah says, drinking her beer.

We know most of the guys who work here, but there’s a new one behind the counter tonight. Lincoln’s is normally pretty chill, and it’s nice for winding down after work. I love clubs, and I love to dance. I don’t get to do it as much as I used to, now that I work so much, but crowds don’t bother me. Most weekdays, however, I stay away from clubs and stick to the dive bars.

We order food and play pool for an hour until Delilah wants to call it a night. The place is packed now, and I have to admit that my curiosity is piqued. Before I can find out why, Delilah pulls me out into the night and waves us down a cab.

By the time the cab drops me off and I make it into my apartment, I’ve pushed all thoughts of it aside. I barely have enough time to strip off my clothes before I’ve fallen face first into my bed.

CHAPTER 2

Royce

“Next we’ll visit the head of security and you’ll meet Pandora Justice. She runs the department, and I’m sure she’ll help you with any questions you have,” Henry Osbourne says as he leads me from his conference room to the elevator.

We’ve been in meetings for the past week, going over what he sees as the future of the company and where he thinks there’s the greatest need for my expertise. I’ve met with board members and heads of every branch to try to supply him with the data he needs.

Henry has a great head for business, and the company is his first priority. It’s unusual for someone around thirty to be driven by something other than money. But from what I’ve been able to assess, we both have very similar backgrounds. This was his father’s company, and he’s taken over. Now he wants to see it thrive under his control.

I’ve enjoyed working with him and discussing ideas for a better future. We’ve got a plan laid out, and now it’s on to smaller department changes that could benefit everyone above and below in staffing.

Almost everyone I met came to the boardroom, but this time we’re going directly to the security floor. It’s different from what I’ve seen this week, but I’m curious to see the it.

“Is there a boardroom in security we can use?” Better to start with a question and see where that gets me. We step onto the elevator, and Henry hits the button.

He straightens his dark blue suit and brushes his hair out of his face. “Pandora likes things her way,” he says, and lets out a sigh.

That’s definitely not the answer I was expecting. It surprises me that he goes from confident and assured to almost nervous as the elevator doors open and we step off.