Chapter 2

      Friday morning, Joi’s efforts in reaching out to her business contacts paid off in the form of a phone call to the office. She smiled through the entire call, and by the time she hung up with the man on the other end, she was pretty sure she’d found the perfect opportunity to get Citadel operating in the black again.

      She called out for Karen, who was working in her office next door.

      “We only have a few hours to pull together a proposal.”

      Karen’s brow hitched, her face reflecting her confusion. “A proposal for what?”

      “I just spoke to a Mr. Roosevelt Hunter, the branch manager at Royal Bank and Trust. They’re looking for a new security contractor, and apparently someone recommended us.”

      Karen’s confusion melted into a smile. “Great. But why don’t we have more time to get the proposal together?”

      Joi shrugged. “Mr. Hunter says they’re on a tight deadline to make a choice, and that if we could make our pitch this afternoon, it would give us a major advantage.”

      “What time is your appointment?”

      “Two o’clock.” Joi noted her business partner’s emphasis of the word your. Karen was many things: fashionable, organized and extremely intelligent. She was also pretty shy, which meant she never accompanied Joi to things like this. Karen much preferred to be left alone with her computer.

      Leaning against the door frame, Karen spoke again. “Gather your stuff and meet me in the conference room.”

      Karen disappeared, and Joi got up and began to gather the supplies they would need. When she had everything tucked into the wheeled caddy she kept by her desk, she took it down the short hallway to the small conference room at the end.

      The black lacquer table centering the room seated six people. Each of the four corners held a live fern in a wicker planter. Vertical blinds covered the tall windows on one side of the room.

      Karen was already seated at one end of the table when Joi walked in. “When are we going to hang some pictures or something in here?”

      Joi glanced at the blank, aqua-hued wall opposite the window. Sliding into her seat next to Karen, she shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought the bright-colored paint was decoration enough.”

      A few moments later, they laid their paper and pens out on the table, and began the process of drawing up a proposal. As they conversed about what they would offer Royal, Joi took notes in a small notebook, while Karen typed away at the keys of her laptop.

      As morning turned into afternoon, Karen finished the proposal, and hit Send to print the document via the office’s wireless printer. After Joi retrieved it, she deposited the papers into a navy-and-yellow folder with the Citadel logo emblazoned on the front of it. “This is it, Karen. This is the winning bid on that bank contract.”

      Karen stood, stretching her arms over her head. “I hope you’re right. Can we break for lunch now?”

      Glancing at her phone, Joi nodded. “We need to. It’s a quarter after twelve, and I gotta have time to eat, freshen up and drive over to the bank before my appointment.”

      Karen moved past her. “I’ll hang out here and order in. Go on and grab lunch, then go knock ’em dead.”

      “Thanks, Karen.” Joi spent a few minutes making sure she had everything she’d need for the afternoon, then departed.

      A little over an hour later, she pulled her black single-cab pickup truck bearing the Citadel logo into a space behind Royal Bank and Trust. She’d stopped in the restroom of the diner she’d had lunch in to change. Forgoing her usual uniform, she’d chosen a pair of gray wool trousers and a matching blazer, paired with a bright red blouse. As she exited her truck and faced the chilly November wind, she was grateful for the warmth of the outfit. Moving across the lot as quickly as she could in her high-heeled red leather booties, she entered the building with the proposal tucked beneath her arm.

      She looked around the interior of the bank, familiarizing herself with the layout. Knowing the lay of the land would be the first step in protecting the bank’s assets. She took a few moments to walk the perimeter of the space. The bank’s lobby was reasonably large, considering the size of the building as it appeared from the outside. It was also pretty typical of a bank. A central desk staffed by three tellers at separate windows, a set of tall tables to the left side of the entrance stocked with forms and pens, and a waiting area to the right. A glass wall separated a corridor from the open lobby, accessed by a set of double doors. In the corridor were two small offices belonging to the bank’s branch manager and loan officer, according to the signs on the doors.

      Joi wandered over to the narrow hallway beyond the offices, to where she assumed the vault was located. Just as she approached the round metal disk-shaped door, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

      Joi whirled around, poised to act.

      A chocolate-skinned man of average height stood there. Apparently he sensed her agitation, because he took a large step back as he spoke. “I’m Roosevelt Hunter. Are you Ms. Lewis?”

      She relaxed her stance right away. “Yes, I am.” She stuck her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hunter. Sorry about that.”

      Roosevelt offered a smile. “It’s fine. Impressive reflexes, Ms. Lewis.”

      Inside she was mortified, but outwardly she smiled. “Thank you.”

      “Mr. Alvarez is ready to see you.”

      Joi followed the branch manager as he led her farther down the hallway she’d been exploring. Turning a corner they came to a sizable office. The glass-paned door to the office stood open.

      With a nod to Mr. Hunter, Joi stepped inside the office, with her free hand extended. “Good afternoon, Mr. Alvarez. I’m...”

      The dark-haired man seated behind the desk looked up. His bronzed face held eyes that were dark, assessing and familiar.

      Fixing her with a piercing gaze, he stood to his full height and cut her off midsentence. “I know who you are.”

      * * *

      Marco stared at the woman standing in front of his desk, torn between disbelief and irritation. Could the woman who’d abandoned his friend Ernesto at the altar really be there, in his office?

      “I, um. I...” she stammered, as if she were still attempting to identify herself.

      He folded his arms over his chest, taking in the sight of her shapely, smartly dressed form. “Like I said, I know who you are. Why are you here, Joi?”

      She seemed to recover her professional demeanor then. She tucked her shoulders back and stood tall. “It’s two o’clock. I am the owner of Citadel Security, and we have an appointment.”

      “Is that so?” He felt his brow furrow. If someone in full makeup and a clown suit had shown up for the appointment, he would have been less surprised.

      “Yes, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to make my presentation.” She handed him a dark blue folder. When he opened it, he found several pages of neatly typed facts and figures.

      His eyes drifted from the carefully prepared report and back to her face. Her earlier discomfort had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but confidence.