Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
The man chuckled. “No, Mr. Thompson, those are purely decorative. The command center in the basement will be your biggest source of information that will help you protect the resort and its inhabitants.”
Rocco’s eyebrows lifted. Hell, everyone’s did. He was clearly not the only apprehensive person in the room. What kind of protection would guests on vacation need?
“That basement is the primary reason why I purchased this building. It’s meant to be used as your home base of operations.”
Rocco sat straighter. Operations? Home base? What the hell?
“I’ve already had the basement outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, including offices, computers, a kitchen, weight room, and living space. There’s even a large-screen television. I want you six to be comfortable and have a place to both work and unwind. It would be prudent if you did not share the existence of the basement with guests. We will decide together if you wish to trust a staff member to clean this area or if you would rather take care of it yourselves to maintain its secrecy.”
Rocco was intrigued. Nervous and cautious but intrigued. What did this man have in mind?
“Back to the keys. Sadie has an envelope for each of you. In them are your keycards that access the entry points to the fifth floor and the basement. They also work to get into your rooms. However, you won’t need them after today. Mr. Taverson, I trust you can set everyone up so their thumb and finger prints will operate any of the doors on the property.”
Magnus flinched. He rubbed his chin, a frown forming on his face. “As long as you have the equipment, I can do that,” he agreed hesitantly.
“You will find you have everything you need at the present. Ask if you discover something I’ve overlooked or anything new becomes available.”
Apparently, Magnus had extensive computer talent. What other hidden talents did these men have?
Rocco cleared his throat. “Why are we in New Zealand. Everyone in this room is American, and your accent is British.”
“Ah. You noticed that. If it soothes your curiosity, I have teams such as yours in place all over the globe. There was a hole. I filled it. Now, that’s all I’m going to bore you men with for now. Grab your envelopes from Sadie. My expectations are listed inside. Instructions for the immediate future. Please take some time to get acclimated, move into your apartments, and explore the facilities. I’ll be in touch.”
Silence reigned for long seconds as the call most definitely disconnected.
“What the fuck just happened?” Hawking asked.
Chapter Three
Sadie lifted her gaze toward the conference room. She had no idea what the six men had been meeting about, but she had just given five of them their envelopes as she’d been instructed. One envelope was left. One man had not emerged from the meeting.
She knew his name was Rocco. He’d been the last to arrive. He’d also made her heart stop, and that was not a good thing. She was here for a clean start. She needed this job badly. It had come as a surprise when she’d even been hired, considering the complete lack of references she’d been able to provide.
There had been no way she could have shared anything about her previous job because she hadn’t been inclined to take the risk that her new boss would call her former place of employment to inquire about her. Instead of telling the truth, she’d told the man she’d interviewed with that she’d been sexually harassed and just wanted to put it all behind her.
Apparently, he’d bought her story, but she still had no clue why he’d hired her.
When Rocco still didn’t appear, she headed in the direction of the conference room. The other men had already collected their envelopes and headed to the top floor where their apartments were located.
Sadie had not been to the top floor. She hadn’t been invited to investigate, and snooping around this old building hadn’t felt right. Her room was located on the fourth floor. It was like a studio apartment, and she was grateful to have it.
When the new owner had included room and board and benefits with her salary, she’d felt like she’d struck gold. Traveling back and forth into town each day hadn’t appealed to her. In addition, she’d had no idea what kind of accommodations she might have found in town.
Sadie took a deep breath as she stepped into the conference room. Something about Rocco made her fidgety. He had an aura about him, a presence. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he was magnetic. And she wasn’t at all sure she should let herself get lured in.
She had no idea what the job description was for these six men or what role they played in the reopening of the resort, but she suspected they were a team with a variety of talents who had been hired to manage the property.