Scandalous Heroes Box Set (156 page)

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Keys Tanksley, or Tank as he liked to think of himself now, sat across from potential clients inside of their office. Meetings like this when he started his business five years ago used to knot up his stomach. Back then he equated the feeling to him being a novice and not because an ex-girlfriend’s words about him being a slacker had infiltrated his mind.

Starting his own business had been a difficult decision, but one he had to make. Besides, getting fired from every job he’d had for being too opinionated proved that only he could be his best boss. Tank took a deep breath before he did his presentation.

“Not only would my company cover your physical protection, but we can also protect your assets in the cyber world.” Tank placed folders with his company’s information in them on the table and shoved them to the man and woman sitting across from him.

The man slammed his hand on top of the sliding folder before it reached him. The woman, who reminded him of his fifth-grade teacher, allowed the folder to bounce off her protruding belly before she caught it.

As they reviewed his information, Tank filled the silence. “In this day and age, you can never be too careful in dealing with the general public.”

“We’re just a small clinic,” the woman, who had introduced herself as Gracie when Tank arrived to the office, said as she broke her concentration from his paperwork to address him. “Why would we need any kind of protection?”

“Do you offer birth control information or services?” Tank peered at the woman. When she didn’t respond, he brought his attention to the older man across from him. “Do you perform abortions? What about HIV and AIDS screenings?”

“Mr. Tanksley, this is not the eighties or nineties. No one bombs abortion clinics anymore.” The man closed his folder.

Tank took another deep breath and had to count to ten in his head before his spoke. Sometimes the first thing that came from his mouth tended to be a bit abrasive. He had to learn to curb that, although he would have thought any potential client would like a confident security owner.

“Dr. Bakker, I hate to sell my business by using scare tactics. Unfortunately, as a security company owner, I have to share some hard facts with you that can be frightening.” He cleared his throat. Damn summer colds. It dipped his voice down a lot lower than normal. He probably sounded like Batman without trying. “If you look at the third flyer in the folder I gave you, you’ll see an article about a clinic much like your own that received regular death threats. Once my company took over their security, the threats stopped. You’ll find testimonies from their employees.”

Tank sat up taller. He pulled his shirt sleeve cuffs from under his jacket to lessen the tightening. Thank goodness he had this suit custom made. With his muscular frame, he couldn’t fit most off-the-rack clothing. Ordinarily he would have worn a t-shirt and jeans. He found that his body proved to be the best billboard for his business. He wanted to look like he could keep a person or a business secure, but he wanted to be seen as a serious business owner. Appearances meant everything.

“Do you come out and do the actual security?” Gracie put her hand to the front of her neck like she wanted to hide her extra folds of skin.

Tank noticed the older woman unfastening the top button of her blouse. He gritted his teeth. He wanted her to look at him like a peer. He didn’t want to be viewed as some object to drool at or ogle.

As a BDSM dominant, he could demand that a submissive or slave he had under his control avert their stare from him. He didn’t like anyone looking at him, not since Eminence. Her brown-eyed gaze always managed to bore right through him. Since she left — no, when she ran — he had no interest in resuming another intimate relationship. The play he did at his local dungeon provided him with enough intimate contact that he almost forgot about Eminence...almost.

“I have a capable, bonded staff who I will assign to your business.” Tank put his fist to his lips before releasing a quick cough. As soon as he finished this meeting, he would have to take care of himself. “Plus, my company can offer you cyber security to keep your patients’ information private.”

After a couple of retail stores had their banking information compromised, Tank saw the natural extension to expand his business into that arena. He recognized that people would want overall security. He’d hired a great team to take care of that side of his business.

“I’d be more interested in hearing about that, Mr. Tanksley. What methods do you use to ensure a company’s security electronically?”

This time when Tank took a beat before he answered, he had good reason. He hadn’t been as well-versed in the cyber security side as he wanted. He could almost hear his employee, Rosalie, saying, “I told you so” when she offered to accompany him to this meeting.

Tank knew his business. Hell, he epitomized his business. No one could represent it better than him.

“I’ve hired the best of the best to cover cyber security. My team has worked for the government and has helped develop software needed to protect online systems. You’ll find their credentials inside your folder as well.” Tank wanted his word to hold more weight than anything else.

Gracie placed her hand on the paperwork. “That’s nice but how do they plan on building up our firewalls? How can you help block cyber intrusions?”

Keys remained quiet. He felt heat creeping up the back of his neck. He swallowed but kept his face still to prevent the clients from seeing him looking flustered. His throat tightened, scratched, and burn, and his head throbbed. He couldn’t attribute the feeling to the sickness this time.

“How can you protect against data breach, especially with our patients’ banking information?” Dr. Bakker asked.

Tank cleared his throat. “I can’t give you specifics on how my department handles that. But if you give me a chance, I can—”

“We’ll look over your information and give you a call if we’re interested.” The older man ran his hand over his thinning gray hair before he stood.

Tank recognized a brush off when he heard one. He stood and held out his hand. “I sincerely hope you consider my company. We can protect all of your assets.”

Dr. Bakker shook Tank’s hand. “It sounds good, but without knowing what every department can really do, I don’t feel comfortable in paying for your services. Your company might be better suited for covering security at a mall or a nightclub.”

The last statement caused Tank to wince. How did this guy know that his company had been hired to do security for his friend Jordyna’s new nightclub? She’d been his first client. He’d done a few small companies. The only other large customer he had had been another small medical practice. The clinic he and his company covered only hired him because of his mother.

Tank wanted to earn clients not because of his friends and family. He wanted to build his business on his own. Call it his dominant side coming out of him, or just him being stubborn. Either way, he would do things his way.

“Thank you again for your time.” Tank shook the two people’s hands before gathering his items and leaving.

As he walked toward his sport utility vehicle, his booted footfalls became heavier and heavier until by the time he’d reached his vehicle, his easy gait became a marching stomp. A good workout would calm his overheated state. For now, he would go back to his office with his tail firmly tucked between his legs, a very foreign feeling for him.

Tank loosened his noose of a necktie as he drove his SUV back to his temporary home/office. He’d set up shop in a townhouse apartment to help Jordie set up her business, otherwise he wouldn’t have come home to Virginia Beach. Except for his family, everything he would have wanted there abandoned him a long time ago.

If he knew his employee, he knew Rosalie would hit him with a barrage of questions about his meeting. As soon as he pulled up to his rented home, he took a deep breath before exiting his vehicle and going into the place that should have been his sanctuary.

As soon as he opened his door, Rosalie, with her usual colorful, large bow-adorned headband, square, black-framed glasses, and her Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers bounded up to him. She pushed her glasses up her thin nose, then crossed her feet and wrapped her arms around her body, standing like she needed to keep herself contained.

“Well?” Rosalie smiled, showing off her straight, white teeth.

Tank imagined that as a youth, Rosalie probably had to wear braces. He also assumed that her penchant for oversized glasses had more to do with necessity than fashion. The rest of her colorful ensemble, he’d allowed her express herself because she knew her damn job.

She released one of her hands in order for her to twirl her black, curly hair around her finger. He couldn’t keep her in suspense for long. If he did, Rosalie might tug chunks of her hair out in anticipation.

“I got the standard ‘Don’t call us. We’ll call you’ sendoff.” Tank threw his tie on top of a stack of packed boxes. Then he shed his jacket.

Rosalie groaned and spun around, allowing her skirt to whirl up. She marched toward his dining room area before turning back to him. “Why didn’t they want to do business with us?” Her tanned cheeks flushed with a rosy shade.

Tank feared nothing. In high school, when his coach told him to take out the opposing team’s biggest player, he’d done it. When he decided to start his own business, he’d accomplished that. Admitting to Rosalie that he should have had her in the meeting with him gave him a tiny twinge of apprehension. The way he felt right now, he didn’t want to hear an “I told you so.”

“They wanted to know about all aspects of our business.” Tank unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt as he headed to the kitchen. He needed to drink something to soothe his throat.

“What do you mean? You couldn’t answer them?” Rosalie followed him and leaned on the counter by the doorway as she watched him. “You do sound bad. You taking anything for that cold?”

“I’m not sick.” Tank filled a mug with water and threw it into the microwave.

“Sure. You just sound like Batman’s grittier older brother because you think it’s a cool sound.” Rosalie nodded.

As usual, Rosalie had him pegged. His stubbornness kept him from admitting that he’d caught something as soon as they’d gotten to town a couple of months ago. Now the cold affected his throat.

Damn Virginia. Just being in the state made him sick in every way. He couldn’t wait to leave after Jordie’s launch in a week. He’d only come back home to help Jordie and to secure more businesses.

As soon as his mug of water finished boiling, he dunked in a tea bag. He heard Rosalie snickering behind him. Tank ignored her as he poured in honey, lemon, and threw in a shot of whiskey for good measure. His grandmother would have been proud of him recreating her home remedy. He took a sip. The hot liquid soothed his throat thanks to the honey, then burned it courtesy of the whiskey. 

Rosalie leaned on the counter but kept her stare on Tank. “Anyway, so what gave the clients cause to pause?”

Tank took a sip of his tea before he answered. “They wanted to know about the other services we offer.”

“What do you mean? Why are you being so vague?” Rosalie stared at him before her eyebrows went up. “You needed me there.”

Tank moved past Rosalie to go upstairs to his bedroom. He thought he heard the pint-sized woman growling. “I went there in a suit so I didn’t look like a thug.”

“Yeah,
my
suggestion.”

“I gave them printed information on what we offer. I explained as much as I could. They should have just taken my word that we’re the best company for them.” Tank stomped up the stairs.

“You should have brought me. I could have explained our cyber suite of products. We could have had this customer.”

Tank continued toward his room when his employee’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“Damn it, Tank! Look at me!”

Tank turned around. He took one step back down toward her, which caused her to back up. “Let’s get some things straight. Don’t you ever curse at me again.”

Rosalie’s face transformed into a deep red hue all over. She took another step back as he glared at her.

“You’re my employee. Don’t you ever forget that.” In between his speech, he gritted his teeth, afraid he’ll spout something venomous to his most loyal employee.

“Yes, Sir.” Rosalie dropped her gaze.

Had Tank been at a dungeon, he would have been excited to see a reaction like this. Seeing it from his employee fanned the fires of anger in his gut. “I know what’s best for my company. I dressed in a suit. I’ve calmed my demeanor.”

Rosalie peered up at him. His expression must have been in conflict with his statement. She dropped her gaze again until he finished speaking.

“I think I represent my business well. There are more companies out there who could use what I offer. They’re not the only one out there.” He took another sip of his hot tea after making his impassioned speech.

The heat and soothing, sweet yet bitter taste eased some of the pain in his throat. After a day like today, he really could have used a good play session. Too bad he added the whiskey to his hot toddy. He never played while under the influence.

As soon as he started to head back to his bedroom to change, Rosalie broke the silence with her words. “I didn’t mean to step on your toes, Boss.”

Tank turned back to her. He allowed her to speak before he changed out of his constricting clothes.

She scanned his home. “You decided that you wanted to move your company back to D.C. I’m giving up my apartment, my family, and friends because I believe in you. I believe in this company. I don’t want my decision to be the biggest regret I’ve ever made. Let me help you.”

Tank listened to Rosalie, his employee. He had to stare into his mug of tea to keep from looking at the only trustworthy person who’d been in his life over the past year. He shouldn’t have snapped at her, but challenging him, his position, and his decisions didn’t rest well with him.

Count to ten, buddy. She’s not your enemy.

He shook his head. “We’ll be fine. I’ll protect us.” When she lowered her head, he concluded with, “I promise.”