Just The Right Black

Prologue

Jace ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at his phone that sat on top of his desk. He let out a sigh as he pushed away from his chair behind his home office desk and began to pace.

He'd been debating this call for the past couple of days after ignoring his situation for so long.

Screw it.
Jace snatched his phone from his desk and dialled the already saved number.

"Jack, it's me." Jace said as soon as his friend picked up his call.

"Jace, everything alright?" Jack was worried as soon as he registered Jace's tone.

"I need your help."

His dad passed a few months ago leaving him the chain of companies and one of them to his step-brother, Mark. Mark hadn't been very pleased at the reading of the will despite the other assets and large sum of money dad left for him, still, that wasn't enough. He wanted it all and the only way Mark could get it all was to get rid of him.

Over the past couple of months, since the reading of the will, Jace had been attacked quite a number of times and with his military training, he'd managed to escape every single one of them.

At first, he thought it was an accident, the second time, a coincidence and after the third, he was certain he was being targeted. Jace put two and two together and although he hadn't initiated any investigation, his only suspect was Mark. Ever since the attacks started, he hadn't stopped looking over his shoulder which was proving to be a handful since he now had companies to run and a lot of people's livelihood on the line.

Jace knew he needed someone who would alleviate most of his worry so he could run the company smoothly and maybe put it back on top as well as have Jack begin an investigation on the matter. He needed at least one night of good rest to function at work properly.

Jack was a friend of the family; both their fathers had been friends. Jack was in the army before he became the Assistant Director of the FBI and just recently, the director. Now he needed Jack's help to get rid of the threat.

"Wow," Jack said.

Jace was silent after telling Jack everything from the first attack to the last one a couple of days ago.

"Why didn't you tell me when it all started?"

"I thought I could handle it," Jace said, "But it's a lot, with the company and..."

"I understand," Jack said, "And I'd have loved to be the one to oversee this myself but I'm heading a really important case. But I will have someone with you as soon as possible."

"And you trust this person?"

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't. She's one of the best agents."

"I don't need an agent, Jack. I need a bodyguard."

"Your bodyguard, that would be her cover," Jack said, "Trust me."

Jace let out a breath as his mind wandered for a bit.

He trusted Jack with his life and that was saying a lot because he didn't trust a lot of people. That list was short and Jack was at the top.

Jace nodded even though he knew Jack couldn't see him.
"Alright." Jace finally agreed with him, "Keep the briefing limited. Just things that are vital and nothing else."

"Copy." Jack said, "You're being targeted and you need protection, every other thing is irrelevant."

Jace smiled at how much Jack knew him. How much they knew each other. Jack was more than a brother and definitely more than Mark could or would ever be, legally or not.

"I owe you."

"You owe me nothing, man." Jack said, "I'll begin an investigation and keep you posted."

"Ok."

"Don't get yourself killed."

"Ditto."

They hung up and Jace fell into his seat sighing heavily as most of the weight left him, having finally let someone in on what's been happening.

The next couple of weeks or months, depending on how long it would take to get rid of the threat, would be a complete nightmare.

He deeply disliked being guarded, having someone following him every second of every day when he was capable of protecting himself.

He and Jack had enlisted together and were shipped off to different locations before training. It was not until Jace returned after being honourably discharged that he saw Jack again, that was over a year ago. Jack had been medically discharged two years after he enlisted after he completed two tours. He was unable to do any fieldwork when he rejoined civilian life, hence management; where there was little to no fieldwork involved.

When he returned a year ago, he was met with not just his dad but his step-mother and step-brother where he'd left them nine years ago. Before he'd left, he couldn't entertain the thought of another woman other than his mother in the house and he hadn't had much time to get to know them, so they were still strangers of sort. But then after returning, he'd seen the way Charlotte cared for his dad and how she made his dad go from worried and frustrated to happy and laughing the next.

That was all he needed to know about her.

As for Mark, well, he was barely at home and barely at the office when Jace took point on running things next to his dad, as per his dad's request. But then suddenly, a month before his dad died, Mark was around all the time. That made him question the 'natural cause' of his dad's death.

Jace let out a soft and slow breath, letting everything off his shoulders.

Soon, as Jack had said, he would have someone who would take overlooking over his shoulder so he could worry about the rest.

He might not be certain of anything in his life at that moment but he was certain of one thing; if Jack said she was the best, then she was the best.

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Hey guys,

So, you'll notice in the upcoming days that some early chapter(s) would be in the third person and some in the first. The third-person chapters from the beginning are edited but the ones that are towards the end of this story aren't.

There might still be a few errors even after I've edited but hopefully something you can help with by dropping a comment.

Thank you all so much for your patience and support.

Love,

Jane Lanett.

xo