“It will do them some good to be audited and assessed. It will be our job to offer recommendations for improvement.”
Roxxy nodded and followed her father to the front desk of the hotel.
Her father, a former member of the US Army, was a retired veteran who’d begun a company off of an idea he’d had. Logistics Intelligence Services was born a little over twenty years ago. He’d built their company from the ground up. Now it boasted a stellar reputation in which law enforcement agencies could trust.
Roxxy was excited to be in the city. She didn’t come too often. She currently lived with her parents on the family farm that was located an hour and a half away. While here on their assignment, they would be staying in town at a hotel.
“Hello, and welcome. How may I help you?” the desk clerk asked with a smile. He was a handsome man with perfect white teeth.
“Hello, I have two rooms reserved. Last name Sutton,” Roxxy announced. She leaned against the desk. Her gaze dropped down to his name badge—Ryan.
“I’ll be happy to help. Let me bring up the reservation,” Ryan said. His fingers flew across the keyboard. “I will need your driver’s license and a credit card.”
“Two rooms, huh.” Her father chuckled. He pulled out his wallet and handed the requested items to Ryan. “You’re too cool to share a room with your dear old dad?”
Roxxy rolled her eyes. Her father always acted like he was insulted when she didn’t want to share a room with him.
“Dad…” She sighed and turned to him. She loved her father dearly, but they worked together and lived together. She needed a little space, even if it was a hotel room while they were in town. “We go through this every single trip. You know I like to have a room to myself just to unwind and have some me time.”
“We’re in the city. It’s not safe for a woman to stay alone,” her father stressed.
Roxxy couldn’t hold back her snort. She had a beautiful piece strapped to her thigh, and her suitcase held a few of her favorite guns.
She wasn’t worried at all.
“Dad, I will be fine.” She smiled to soften the rejection. “If it makes you feel better, you’re still in the same hotel, and you taught me well.”
His lips pressed firmly together while he returned her stare. “I don’t like it.”
“Here’s your room keys” Ryan interrupted the father-daughter stare off.
Earl focused his attention to the hotel clerk to finish their check-in.
Roxxy breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew how stubborn her father was, this wouldn’t be the last time she would hear this. No matter how well he’d trained her, she would always be his baby girl.
While growing up, Roxxy was the apple in her father’s eye. She was the one he taught how to use a gun at the age of six. Not only had she learned to ride horses, work the farm, and get her school lessons, but she’d learned how to handle a weapon. By the age of ten, she was a sharpshooter. He’d instilled training in her as if she were one of his soldiers. By the time she was sixteen, she could easily hang with one of the many law enforcers who used their training facilities to enhance their infiltrating teams.
In reality, Roxxy didn’t need protection, but in Earl Sutton’s eyes, she was that young Roxxy in pigtails.
“Let’s go, Roxxy.” Her father turned away from the desk.
Roxxy threw a smile to Ryan and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. She pulled it behind her while she followed her father toward the bank of elevators.
They were the first to arrive in Columbia, which was the norm. She and her father usually met with the administration and squad leaders first to go over what would be expected and everything they would need to perform a full assessment. The rest of the team would arrive a day later and join them.
“Sergeant MacArthur was telling me their tryouts are tomorrow. I figured it would be good for me to attend.” Roxxy stepped into the elevator.
Her father entered behind her and hit their two floors.
He ignored her statement. “Why are we on two separate floors?” He handed her the keycard for her suite.
“Well, you always want just a standard room.” She coughed. Her father was extremely frugal and never wanted to spend extra money when he deemed it not necessary. “I have a suite.”
“You and your mother.” He shook his head. His features softened, and he turned to her. “You are growing to be more like your mother.”
“She always says I’m more like you.” Roxxy gave an unladylike snort. Here she was, twenty-eight years old, and they were acting as if she were that sixteen-year-old girl.
The elevator dinged, signaling her father’s floor.
“Have a good night, sweetie. Call if you need me.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
She melted.
She’d admit it.
She was a daddy’s girl.
“Goodnight, Daddy.” She smiled as he exited the car. The door closed, sealing her off from the world. She patiently focused on the numbers lighting up with each passing floor.
Roxxy couldn’t help but spoil herself here and there.
She exited the elevator on the top floor and walked down the hall. Finding her room, she entered it and shut the door behind her.
For safe measure, she flipped the latch to lock.
“Now, this is what I’m talking about.” She sighed, her gaze roaming the room. It was a luxury suite with a living area decorated with the finest. She strolled through it, tossed her messenger bag on the couch, and went into the private sleeping quarters. A king bed was the star of the show. The blanket was turned down, and a little piece of chocolate was resting on the pillow. The thick comforter called to her.
