A Sense of Security: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 6) Read online

  “You do know that most my previous assistants haven’t been too complimentary about me. What makes you think your sister won’t find me as intolerable to work for as all of them? You and I still have to work together.”

  Eric shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. It just feels right. And she wants this job.”

  “You’ve told her about my history with past assistants?” Marcus couldn’t deny that he was intrigued on one level and thankful on another if this was, in fact, the solution to his latest personnel need.

  “Yep. When she called me on the weekend with a list of questions, I told her about it.”

  “What sort of questions?”

  “She asked about the company in general. When it was founded and what its main focus is. Even asked if we had a mission statement.”

  Marcus lifted an eyebrow at that. “Interesting. Doing a little homework?”

  “I think she wanted to be prepared if you agreed to an interview. She said she’d tried researching BlackThorpe on the internet but couldn’t find out too much that way.”

  Marcus nodded, not too surprised by that. BlackThorpe tried to fly under the radar as much as possible. People who needed them knew how to find them and paid handsomely for their services. “If she’s willing to take the time to learn about us, the least I can do is give her the time for an interview.”

  “Thanks, Marcus. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.”

  Marcus wasn’t going to hold his breath. “Would she be able to come in this afternoon to meet with me? The sooner I get someone in the position, the better.”

  “I’m pretty sure that would be fine. She doesn’t have anything else to do at the moment.”

  “Well, give her a call then let me know.”

  Eric stood and held out his hand. “Thanks for giving her a shot. Even though I’m just her half-brother, and we haven’t known each other that long, I feel responsible for her.”

  As he shook Eric’s hand, Marcus said, “All I can promise is to interview her. No guarantees on hiring her.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  As Eric walked out the door of his office, Marcus settled back in his chair, wondering how exactly Alicia had come to be in Eric’s life. Clearly, there was a history there. One that he might explore a little more if he ended up hiring her.

  He’d barely had time to start reading the latest updates on the current cases when his phone rang.

  “She can be here at one,” Eric told him when he answered.

  “Sounds good. Just have her come up to my office.”

  “Will do.”

  After ending the call with Eric, Marcus grabbed a pen from the holder on his desk and began to jot down some notes on a pad of paper. Usually he’d do an extensive background check on anyone coming to work for him, but in this case, given her connection to Eric, he didn’t feel that was as pressing. More important was her ability to do the job, so he would definitely check any employment references she gave.

  And if he could get a replacement with just one interview, he’d be very grateful for that.

  ~*~

  Having done her research, Alicia wasn’t surprised at the security she had to pass through just to park her car. Thankfully, they had been expecting her, so there was no hassle once she’d given her name.

  Alicia got out of her car then reached in to grab her leather bag that contained all the information she hoped she’d need to convince Marcus Black that she was the best person for the job. After closing the car door, she took a deep breath and tugged at the hem of the suit jacket she wore. Thankfully, the dark chocolate brown suit hadn’t suffered from the rain it had been exposed to a few days earlier. She’d paired it with a deep green blouse that she hoped was flattering with her hair and coloring.

  She hadn’t known the dress code for the females in the BlackThorpe office, but Eric had mentioned that Adrianne usually wore suits while Melanie tended to lean more to business casual. If she was required to wear a suit every day, she hoped that people didn’t realize that she was alternating between two suits all the time. At some point, once it was clear she was definitely staying with the job, she would look at buying another suit or two. At least she had a fairly wide selection of blouses to choose from.

  Turning from her car, Alicia gazed up at the multi-story building where sunlight glinted off the rows of windows. From what she understood, BlackThorpe owned the whole building, but it wasn’t the only base of operations for the company. Not wanting to be late, she walked across the cement parking lot and pulled open the large glass door and stepped inside.

  Instead of being greeted by a large open area, there was only a small room with a long counter-style desk. Behind it sat two men who looked up as she walked in. Looking more like they belonged on a shooting range than behind a desk, they both regarded her intently as she approached them.

  “Hello. I’m Alicia Leighton. I have an appointment with Marcus Black.”

  One of the men touched a screen in front of him and then looked up with a smile and nodded. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” She hesitated. “I think.”

  The other man grinned as he pressed a button. “You can take the elevator to the top floor. The receptionist there will show you to his office.”

  She heard the whoosh of doors opening and turned to see an elevator to her left. “Thank you.”

  Once inside the car, she didn’t even have to press a button before the doors closed and the elevator began to rise. Alicia took several more deep breaths and said a prayer that her nerves wouldn’t show. She wanted this job desperately. Once she’d had time to think about Eric’s suggestion that she interview for the position, it had been a challenge she wanted. Plus, she was fairly certain it would pay better than any job she’d held to date, and she could really, really use the extra money. It might even give her a chance to get into a nicer apartment.

  But first, she needed to get through the interview without messing up.

  The doors opened to reveal an area that was much more like what she’d been expecting downstairs. The thick dark gray carpet muffled her steps as she approached a desk where a woman with long light brown hair sat. She turned as Alicia came to a stop in front of her.

  “Hi. I’m Alicia Leighton. I have an appointment with Marcus Black.”

  The woman smiled, her blue eyes friendly. “Yes, he’s ready for you.” She stood up from her desk, revealing a slender figure in a pencil thin navy skirt with a loose deep pink blouse tucked into it. “Just follow me, please.”

  They approached a door that stood partially open, and the woman knocked on it then pushed it open a little wider.

  “Marcus, Alicia is here for her interview.”

  “Thanks, Kelsey.”

  The woman stepped back and motioned Alicia to enter the room. As she stepped inside, she saw Marcus get to his feet from behind a large desk. “Come on in, Alicia.”

  He walked around the desk and held out his hand to her. Alicia took it and gave a firm shake. His strength as he gripped her hand sent waves of warmth up her arm. She’d hoped that she’d imagined that same reaction when she had it at their first meeting at Eric’s wedding. His dark hair was styled and his facial hair was perfectly trimmed, but it was his piercing blue eyes that held her captive. The contrast between his eyes and his dark hair gave him a striking appearance. One that she definitely found attractive.

  “Thank you for seeing me,” Alicia said as she sank down into the chair he motioned to, clasping her hands together as if to contain the warmth of his touch.

  “Well, Eric mentioned you were out of a job, and since I was without a personal assistant, it seemed like it might be something that would work out for both of us.” A smile curved his lips but only for a second.

  She remembered that about him, too. This was not a man who smiled readily, which was fine with Alicia. His smile created a similar feeling in her as what his handshake did, so the less he smiled, the better.

  Marcus sat back in
his chair, his deep blue gaze tight on her. “So, tell me a little about your experience and why you think you might be able to fill the position here.”

  2

  Alicia had known he would ask that question, so she took a calming breath, hoping it wasn’t too noticeable, and gave him the answer she’d rehearsed over the weekend. She told him about the administrative assistant courses she had taken and gave him details about her job experience, both in California and Minneapolis. Then she handed him the letter of reference she’d received on Friday along with the contact information for her previous jobs in Minneapolis.

  She’d decided that she would leave off her California employers and only volunteer the information if asked. After all, the last employer there knew some of the circumstances regarding her leaving. She would prefer not to have that information anywhere near her life here.

  “Why did you move to Minneapolis?” Marcus asked as he looked down at her reference letter.

  Alicia had another response prepared. One that would hold minimal falsehoods. Any conclusions drawn would be helped along by her omissions or assumptions on Marcus’s part. “After I…lost my mom, I was going through her things and found out about my father—Doug McKinley—and wanted to connect with him. I just wanted to meet him, but then when I got here and made contact with him and the rest of the McKinleys, I decided that I wanted to stay since there was really nothing left for me in Calfornia.”

  “How has it been finding out about a family you didn’t know existed?”

  “It’s been good.” Alicia shifted in her chair. “The beginning was a bit challenging, but they’ve been good to me.”

  Marcus nodded. “Family relationships can be complicated even without a past.” He paused. “So how do you see being able to help me? Do you have an idea of what the job will entail?”

  “I would imagine that you will want me to handle all secretarial duties. To be aware of what you’re focused on and to give you what you need as you work. If there’s travel involved, I would be responsible for arranging flights, hotels and the like.”

  “Yes, that is all part of the job. I guess the difficult part comes with how I interact with my assistants. I don’t coddle. I expect you to be able to do your job without excuses. I accept mistakes as long as you take responsibility for them and don’t try to blame others. And I won’t sugarcoat it if I have to bring a mistake to your attention. I have a high standard of work that I want to see from my assistant.” He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his desk. “I need someone who won’t take it personally when I’m short with them. If I’m focused on something and need a file or a document, I might ask a bit more brusquely than one might expect. At least that’s what I assume I do since I’ve had more than one assistant tell me to ask nicely. I’ll try, but I make no promises, and it’s not personal if I don’t. If I do travel, there may be times I’ll take you with me, but for the most part, your job will keep you here.”

  Alicia nodded. Everything he’d said, Eric had basically already told her. She’d learned to deal with difficult people early in her life, to put aside emotions and do what needed to be done. She could do it. “I believe I can handle the job.”

  Marcus gave her a look that told her he wasn’t entirely sure about that. She knew what he saw when he looked at her. An average looking woman. A bit thinner than was considered “normal.” She’d been told she came across shy and uncertain. In fact, that was just one more thing she’d learned to do. To show the world a more timid persona even though that wasn’t really who she was. Her mother had underestimated her—had constantly told her she wouldn’t amount to anything. So even though Alicia had had a strong desire to find something she loved to do with her life, she’d hidden it from her mother. She’d saved up money and applied for scholarships in order to take administrative assistant courses. So while she wasn’t confident about much in her life, her job skills were something she took pride in.

  Marcus leaned forward, picking up a pen from his desk. He ran it through his fingers as he stared at her. “I’ll admit I have mixed feelings on this. You’ve done a good job convincing me you can handle the job itself. I’m just not sure I want Eric storming my office with accusations of not treating you right if things go south.”

  Alicia gave a quick shake of her head. “That won’t happen. I don’t have that type of relationship with Eric. If you hire me, what transpires between us on the job is between you and me.”

  Again, Marcus just stared at her, his deep blue gaze hard to read. “Okay. Here’s the deal. I’ll check your references, and if they’re good, I’ll give you a call. Then once we’ve come to an agreement on the terms of employment, we’ll have a probationary period. That way, if either of us feels it’s not working, we can end it and move on.”

  Alicia knew the probationary period would be irrelevant. Neither of them would use it. She needed the job too much to quit, and she would make herself indispensable to him. But still, she nodded. “I can agree to that.”

  “Talk with Kelsey before you leave. She’ll give you a packet of information to fill out. I’ll call you to finalize things later.”

  Hearing the dismissal in his voice, Alicia got to her feet and held out her hand. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

  Marcus stood as well and reached across the desk to once again engulf her hand in his. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Alicia could feel his gaze on her as she walked to the door and left his office. Once out of Marcus’s sight, she stopped, took a deep breath and let it out. For a moment, she allowed a smile to overtake her face. She knew it was going to be a challenge, but right then, it was one she relished.

  ~*~

  Marcus hung up the phone, not at all surprised that the reports he’d received from Alicia’s former employers had been glowing. Just the way she’d presented herself had given him the impression that she took her responsibilities seriously. Even though he’d had the uncharacteristic urge to hire her on the spot, at least this way he could say he’d done his due diligence and at least made sure she was capable of doing the job based on past experience.

  “Marcus? Got a second?”

  He looked toward the door and saw Alex standing there. “Sure. C’mon in.”

  “I hear you have a lead on another assistant,” Alex said as he sank down on the chair Alicia had occupied just a short time earlier.

  “Yes.” He tilted his head as he regarded his long-time friend and business partner. “Am I making a mistake? Hiring Eric’s sister?”

  “I wouldn’t hire her just because she’s Eric’s sister.” Alex shrugged. “But do you think she’s good for the job?

  Marcus sat back in his chair, fingers interlaced across his stomach. “Oh, I’m confident she can do the job. Her references had only good things to say about her job performance. Sounds like she is more than capable of handling the responsibilities that come with this position.”

  “So why do you think you’re making a mistake? Think Eric will come after you if you upset his sister?”

  “Strangely enough, though I initially thought she was a bit timid, I don’t think she’ll be that easily upset.” Marcus glanced at the letter of reference she’d left with him. What was it about her that made him a little nervous about hiring her? “Honestly, she seems perfect for the job. Too perfect?”

  “Well, maybe you deserve a little perfect for a change. Goodness knows you’ve had a few doozies pass through your door. You gonna do a background check on her?”

  Marcus sighed. “I feel like that would be an insult to Eric. I mean, he recommended her, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he did one on her when she first showed up. I can’t imagine he’d let anyone near his family that he wasn’t one hundred percent certain of.”

  “It’s likely. You could always ask him, I suppose. I wouldn’t blame you if you chose to skip that step given her connection to the company already.”

  Marcus nodded, still not sure if he was going to do the check or not, but at least he fel
t a little better having Alex’s understanding if he chose not to do it.

  “That’s not actually why I’m here,” Alex said. “We need to talk about the Henderson case.”

  Marcus put Alicia’s papers on the pad he’d made notes on then moved the stack to the side. Picking up another file, his mind shifted gears as quickly as he switched paperwork.

  ~*~

  Alicia set the bowl of soup she’d heated in the microwave on the small table. She sat down and looked at the screen of her laptop. No email. A glance at her phone revealed no missed calls or messages. For some reason, she’d been sure Marcus would have called her by now. Had he decided to do a background check on her and uncovered something already? She hadn’t outright lied, but he might still see an omission of details as trying to hide something.

  Which she really couldn’t deny.

  When she’d first arrived to meet Doug McKinley, she had kept certain details of her previous life to herself because it would have made the meeting more awkward and difficult. But now…now revealing those details would jeopardize relationships she’d come to value.

  Alicia hunched forward as she took a spoonful of soup from the bowl. It had been foolish to get her hopes up. Alone in her small room, she could admit that she’d really wanted to work with Marcus. Not only for the challenge of the job, but there was just…something about him. He intrigued her.

  In fact, Marcus Black might just have been the most intriguing man she’d ever met.

  Stirring her soup, Alicia stared blankly at the news program that was on the television. She didn’t relish the thought of hitting the pavement for a job, but if she didn’t hear from Marcus by the end of the day tomorrow, she’d need to. In the meantime, she’d continue to work her way through the packet of papers Kelsey had given her to fill out. She wanted to make sure she was ready to go if Marcus should call to officially offer her the job.