Running from a dark past, Fight and Protect tells the story of a blossoming romance between Andrea, a woman seeking a brighter future, and Jordan, a man whose experience as a security guard will prove vital in protecting this new-found relationship.
Chapter One
Andy
I am brave. I am loved. I am enough.
I repeat the mantra five more times, adding an extra one in this morning. I take a deep breath and try to slow down my racing heart.
“Everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to go in, and you’re going to kick some ass.” The mental pep talk does nothing to slow my racing heart down though.
I smooth down the front of my navy-blue dress, ensuring the sleeves cover the ink on my arms. I take one last look in the mirror, making sure I hadn’t screwed up my hair or make up in the last ten minutes of my panic attack.
My long, blonde hair was still in its messy but cute ponytail, with wisps of hair framing my face. My light green eyes are outlined in kohl, with just the right amount of smudging to give me a sultry look without trying too hard. It is a job interview after all.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my heart once more. Go in, kick ass, and get out. Simple enough.
Hands close around my neck, restricting any oxygen from getting in. My hands claw at my attacker, scratching and hitting until the pressure releases and he lets go. Life floods my lungs, and I take huge gulps of air. I look up just in time to see a fist flying toward my face. I throw my hands up to block but it’s too late.
A gasp rips out of me, sweat trickling down the back of my neck. My hand shoots out to grip the edge of my dresser to hold myself upright. My heart is galloping, and my lungs feel like they’re on fire.
I can’t lose my shit right now, but my brain decides this is the perfect opportunity to have flashbacks. Fuck. Me.
Taking one last look at the mirror, I straighten my spine and make my way out of my bedroom and toward the front door. I grab my purse, keys, and resume, just in case, and head down to my car. I plug in the address to Ashford LLC. in downtown Boston and head toward what I hope to be my saving grace.
Twenty minutes later, I’m parked around the corner from the building and headed inside, aiming straight for the reception desk. The only person working the desk is an older, plump woman who looks to be in her sixties. Her eyes flick up to mine, and she greets me with a kind and warm smile.
“Hello, dear. How can I help you?”
“Hello, ma’am. I have an interview with Mr. Ashford.”
Her eyes widen with delight. “Oh, wonderful!” She stands from her seat and rounds her desk. “Just follow this hallway here to the elevators on the right side. You’ll be going to the twentieth floor. You’ll be greeted by Angela, and she will take you straight to Mr. Ashford. Good luck, dear! He’s such a wonderful man.” She pats my arm and resumes her seat, dismissing me.
I follow her directions and head up the elevator to the twentieth floor. A beautiful Latina woman is standing in front of the doors when they open, her red lips pulled up in a stiff smile.
“Miss Monroe?” she asks. I nod my head. “Come with me.” She starts walking toward the other end of the floor, no indication needed for me to follow her. People are milling around, drinking coffee, and talking about their plans for the weekend. The environment seems relaxed and inviting. Huh, must be a pretty laid-back boss then.
I almost run into Angela, not realizing that we have stopped in front of a large mahogany door. She rapidly knocks and waits till a disgruntled ‘come in’ responds. Opening the door, she motions me inside. “Miss Monroe for you, Mr. Ashford.”
“Thank you, Angela. That’ll be all.” She nods her head and closes the door. I turn my gaze upon the famous Gabriel Ashford and am met with a pair of ice-blue eyes.
Gabriel is absolutely gorgeous. Dark brown hair, styled in that perfect messy way, with light tan skin. He’s tall, probably 6'1", with a lean and toned body hiding underneath his three-piece Gucci suit. Not a flaw anywhere in sight. He’s perfect. Too perfect.
He motions for me to take a seat. “Miss Monroe, do you know who I am?”
“Yes, sir. You attended Yale and graduated with a 4.2 GPA, majoring in business, finance, and marketing at the ripe age of twenty-two. You started off at a small-time development company until a year later when you were running the whole company. But running it wasn’t enough, you wanted a piece of your own. So, you ventured off and created your own company, Ashford LLC, and have become one of the best development and investment companies in the state of Massachusetts. You’re determined, ambitious, and very cunning.” I clear my throat and set my gaze on him.
He cocks an eyebrow, looking impressed with my knowledge of him. Not many people would take the time to research the companies they go to interview for. It takes too much time, and everybody is lazy nowadays. They just hope to go in and walk out with the job. I need this job, and I’ll do everything that I can to make sure I’m the best person for it.
Gabriel picks up the paper sitting on his desk, scanning it over. “You went to school for business management, excelling in marketing. Your professors had some glowing recommendations about you, although your drop in GPA and various classes say otherwise.”
Um, what?
He stares at me, waiting for a reaction. Well, today isn’t his lucky day. I take a deep breath, schooling my features. “What I can assume happens to many other students in college, life happened to get in the way of my studies, and I had to adapt to the changes. My grades may have dropped for a time, but I made sure to work harder and make up for the discrepancy and surpass it.”
His eyes flash down at the paper again. “What are your goals?”
“Could you be a little more specific, sir?”
“Your goals. In life. What are they?” He leans back in his chair, his icy eyes on me.
“My goal has always been to make a difference. Change is constant, both good and bad. I hope to one day be the driving force of good change and help those who not only want that but depend on it.”
The corner of his mouth tilts up slightly in a smirk. He folds his hands and places them in his lap.
“Miss Monroe. As you’ve mentioned before, I am driven, focused, and hell-bent on maintaining a successful career—not only for my clients but for myself as well. I throw myself into this job, day and night, and make sacrifices that normal day to day people would never dream of. I had no life in college, being so focused on succeeding because my life depended on it. I need people who are able to make those same sacrifices. Something that I believe is not in your realm of capability.”
What the actual fuck?
Fight and Protect is available now in paperback.
