CHAPTER FOUR
Tia opened her eyes and took a painful breath. The floral scent of her shampoo filled her nostrils and Tia remembered where she was. She was in her shower, not in that dirty, blood-filled alley.
Her memories of the event never wavered. She knew what she saw. But—how could those thugs have disappeared into thin air? She must have been mistaken. They must have slipped past her somehow. Maybe the pain and the trauma had affected her mind and her memories.
But what she could remember very clearly was Kerry’s reaction. Kerry had lost her mind when she saw Tia at the hospital. Even Nathan couldn’t hold her back.
“I won’t let you do this, Tia,” Kerry had screamed. “I am not going to just sit by and watch you get killed! This has gone far enough. You wanted to be a cop, I let you be a cop. But I won’t let you get shot again! You were shot! You could have died! Please, just quit now. Why do you have to be a cop? There are so many jobs to choose from, jobs which won’t get you killed! I objected, but you went ahead and joined the police academy anyway. You’ve done what you wanted to do, and it’s enough. Will you listen to me, for once? Why are you so stubborn, Tia? Just quit, now!”
The raw rage and pain in her sister’s voice had cut Tia to the bone. She knew how much she had hurt Kerry by being so stubborn, but she loved her job. She’d worked so hard to get to where she was. Being a cop was hard, gritty work, but Tia was prepared to do her part.
She had been forced to stay on the sidelines and watch the world pass her by while she was sick. Now that she was well, she wanted to jump in with both feet and experience everything.
She wanted to be part of the action. She didn’t want to just sit behind a desk all day. She wanted to help people, protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.
Tia knew what she wanted, but she also knew that she was causing Kerry a lot of pain and worry. This wasn’t just about her. She couldn’t be so selfish and thoughtless.
Kerry was her big sister, and she was the best sister anyone could hope for.
It wasn’t fair to make Kerry worry for her. Kerry had been through enough.
Finally, Nathan had come up with the perfect solution. He knew that Tia loved enforcement and investigative work, so he offered her a job at his security firm. Nathan assured Kerry that Tia would receive the easiest, safest assignments and he would personally vet the clients that Tia was assigned to.
Her brother-in-law was trying to help her, and Tia appreciated everything that Nathan and Kerry had done for her. She promised herself that she wouldn’t let them down.
Her life as a cop was over. She was an employee of Chase Security Inc., now.
Tia had completed the mandatory training for new recruits at Chase Security. She would be starting on her new assignment tomorrow. She would uphold the good name and reputation of Chase Security, Inc., and make sure she was well prepared and ready for anything and everything.
So—she would conduct some research and client reconnaissance tonight.
She was to report to Treasure Hotel tomorrow morning, so tonight, she planned to check out the hotel and get a feel of the place.
Tia picked a simple black dress that was more classy than sexy from her wardrobe, and aimed the hairdryer at her wavy brown hair. She combed through her hair with her fingers and gave a crooked smile when she saw that not a single strand of her hair had fallen out.
She would never forget the sound of her own angry, horrified wail the first time she saw her hair falling out in clumps when she started her chemotherapy. Kerry had cried with her, and promised her that she would get well.
Kerry had kept her promise. She was well now.
Tia was twenty-four, and she wanted to live fully, courageously, without fear. She had to try to convince her worrywart big sister that she could take care of herself.
“Too bad I got shot,” Tia mumbled and sighed.
Tia slipped on the dress and scrutinized herself in the mirror. Her sleek black dress showed off her trim figure and toned legs. She looked good, even without makeup. She kept herself fit, and worked on her strength and speed. Any security officer who wasn’t fit and fast was more likely to get hurt or killed. She would not let her past hold her back.
“Lookin’ good,” Tia complimented her reflection. “Now let’s roll!”