CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE

Vlad pulled his old beat-up truck to a stop at the curb in front of the big mansion. His eyes darted over the long rows of cars filling the driveway. All the lights were on and even thought the windows were up and the doors firmly closed, he could still hear the bass of some song playing from the house. His stomach rolled. The feeling of unease intensified until he felt a little sick.

With a low sigh, he picked up the papers and opened the door. His blue eyes darted around him as he walked up the stone path leading to the front door. Vlad hesitated for a few seconds before raising his arm to knock on the front door. He was certain that nobody would be able to hear him since the music was too loud, but to his surprise, the door was opened almost immediately.

A man-servant frowned at him. “May I help you sir?”

Vlad cleared his throat as he glance down to make sure that he was at the right address. “I’m here to meet Andrew Weber.”

“Right.” The servant stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. “This way sir.”

His eyes darted around his dismay. One look around and it was easy to tell that this man was used to wealth. As they walked through the living room, Vlad caught sight of dancing bodies through the French doors. Vlad only had a glance before the view was obscured by a wall.

Alan hadn’t told him much about his employer-to-be—only that the man needed someone to keep an eye on his daughter while he was away. The servant led him down a long hall before pausing in front an oak door. After knocking and waiting for five seconds, the man opened the door and stepped aside for him to enter.

Vlad hesitated before stepping into the room. His eyes darted around—searching for an exit—before taking everything else in. There were French doors that led out into the back yard. Next he focused on the occupants of the room. The man that stood behind the desk was probably in his early fifties. Dark eyes caught his before slowly trailing over him.

For a few seconds Vlad wondered what the man thought of him. He had sleeve tattoos covering both his arms. His knuckles and fingers were covered in tattoos too, along with the right side of his neck. Vlad spend most of his free time doing physical labor. He wasn’t built like a bodybuilder, but he had enough muscles to draw attention.

“Vlad De Luca?” the man behind the desk asked.

Vlad gave the man a stiff nod before stepping closer to the oak desk. He held out his hand but dropped it again after a few seconds when the man didn’t shake it. The papers wrinkled in his hand when he curled it into a fist.

“Take a seat.”

Vlad hesitated but sank down in the chair that was pointed out to him.

“Alan said that you use to be in the force,” Andrew got straight down to business.

“Yes.” Vlad cleared his throat as he leaned forward to place the papers on the desk in front of the man. “Alan said that you needed someone to look after your daughter.”

Andrew gave the papers a dismissive glance. Leaning forward, he leaned his elbows on the table and entwined his hands. His thick busy brows dipped as he continued to stare at Vlad. His eyes lingered on Vlad’s tattoos. He looked like he was disgusted.

Vlad was tempted to walk out, but he couldn’t afford to walk away. He needed this job badly, and that meant that he had to keep his mouth shut and do whatever Andrew ordered him to do. That was if Andrew decided to hire him.

“I’m a very busy man,” Andrew broke the tense silence. “I’ve made a lot of enemies. It was never a problem until recently. The threatening call I can handle, but they started sending letters threatening my daughter.” Andrew sighed. “My daughter means the world to me Mr. De Luca and if anything happens to her, I won’t spare that person who hurt her.”

“I understand, sir,” Vlad muttered softly.

“You do understand that this job will require your attention twenty-four-seven?” Andrew spoke before Vlad could utter another word. “You will guard my daughter. Day and night. She will be your priority.”

“I understand that.”

“There will be no time for fooling around with your girlfriend,” Andrew said softly.

Vlad frowned at the man. “I’m not in a relationship, Mr. Weber. My main priority will be protecting your daughter.”

“Good. Did Alan tell you that this is a live-in possession?”

“No, he never mentioned it.”

Andrew leaned back in the chair and then reached down to open a drawer to his left. He pulled out a file, placed it on the desk in front of him and then opened it. After shifting through them, he pulled out a few papers and then held it out to Vlad. He frowned as he took it.

It was a NDA. Vlad glanced up at Andrew and then down at the contract again. “You want me to sign it?”

“Yes. Sign it now and then I’ll introduce you to my daughter.”

Vlad hesitated, but in the end he took the pen from his new employer. His hand froze over the dotted line. For a few seconds he only stared down at the paper. Nobody was forcing him to sign the paper. He could decline the offer and walk away. He could find something else or figure something else out to go about living. But this was a good as it’ll get. There was no guarantee that he would find something within the next week.

“Why are you hesitating boy?” Vlad’s head snapped up. “I’m offering you a place to live while you work. You’ll be fed and your laundry will be attended to. What more do you want?”

Vlad slowly placed the pen down on the contract and leaned back in the chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and calmly watched the man. Something just wasn’t right here. His gut never steered him wrong before. What was this man hiding?

“We never discussed my payment or the days I’ll be excused from duty.”

Andrew’s face flushed red. “I’m offering you a job and—”

“It’s my right to ask those questions,” Vlad interrupted him. “You don’t expect me to follow your daughter around twenty-four-seven.”

“Guarding my daughter is a full time job. You need to be available whenever she needs you to be. To everyone else you’re her chauffeur but we would know that you’re really her bodyguard.”

He mentioned a sum that made Vlad’s eyes widen. He sat frozen as he repeated Andrew’s words in his mind. Twenty thousand a month. That was more than he needed at the moment. It was enough money to keep him over for a few years. Now any doubt of walking away was swiped from his mind. Like Alan had said; this wasn’t something he could walk away from.