Jack walked into Jace's place and went straight into the living room where Jace was.
"Please explain to me why your front door is open when you've got people trying to kill you."

Jace looked up from his phone.
"I knew you were coming."

"Still, not safe." Jack sat down on one of the couches, "She's on her way."

"Good. Let's get this over with so I can get to work."

"By the way," Jack said, "how much do you know about your step-brother? Because you've had your hands busy since you got back and haven't had much time to get to know him."

"Asides from the fact that he's out for my blood, nothing much," Jace sighed "He's got a lot of people who work for him, and I mean outside the company he runs. A lot more who owe him."

"Dangerous people I presume."

Jace nodded.
"Businessmen by day, Mafia always. We have to start by getting those ones to back off first. He has to lose connection with those people."

Jack nodded, agreeing
"Killing his plan from the inside."

A phone rang and Jack took out his phone from his pocket and answered the call.
"Feilman?"

Silence.

"Alright, the door is open."

Jack hung up and looked at Jace,
"She's here," He said, "Do you want to make the introductions or should I?"

"She's your agent."

Ariana walked into the house of Jace Black, a duffel in one hand. She shut the door behind her then made her way towards what she hoped was the living room. Her footsteps could be heard as she approached Jack and Jace.

Her reluctant steps grew confident when she saw the Director.
"Agent Feilman, good to have you here."

Not like she had a choice.
She thought.

Ariana placed her bag next to the pillar of the wide arch leading into the living area and kitchen then walked up to him.
"Director."

Ariana hadn't shifted her gaze once to Jace but since she walked into the room, he's had his eyes on her. Ariana wore her usual all black from head to boots. She hadn't taken off her black biker jacket or her biker's gloves. Her hair was in a bun, as it always was, at the base of her head. Her face was bare, with no hint of make-up and no accessories of any kind, not even earrings.

"Agent Feilman this is Jace Black."

That was the one moment Ariana turned her gaze to meet Jace's gaze and he blinked, caught off guard at how green her eyes were.

"Jace, Agent Feilman."

Ariana gave Jace a curt nod in acknowledgement and he return it, nothing was said or needed to be said.

"Well, I'll leave you both to your jobs," Jack said to them both, "See you later, Jace."

"Thanks, Jack."

Jack nodded as he walked past Ariana and away from the both of them smiling to himself, hoping one of them would help the other in some way. Jace needed something to do with his life other than run the company and as much as Jack wanted his friend safe, the hit on him had presented an opportunity Jack couldn't pass up. As for Ariana, he'd been keeping a close eye on all his agents since he became Director. The files on her and the way he'd seen how she drove herself was too familiar. Putting those two together would be solving two problems with one opportunity.

Jack left Jace's place with a smile so big and a hopeful soul.

Back inside, Jace's attention was back on his phone but all the while still aware of Ariana's movements. Ariana's gaze shifted to different corners of the house from where she stood, taking note of any exits that could be an entrance from people who were after him.

Jace took his eyes off his phone and walked up to her as he tucked it into the inner breast pocket of his dark suit jacket. He stopped a few feet away from her and put his hands in his pocket. Ariana was well aware he was standing right in front of her and as her head was turned to the side, she shifted her gaze to meet his before turning her head, looking right at him.

"I don't like the idea of being followed." Jace said, "It irks me."

And I don't want to be here, but I am.
Ariana thought.

"We all have to do things we're not comfortable with."

Jace smiled,

Ariana was silent for a breath.
"Looks like."

Before Jace could suggest leaving, Ariana turned her gaze to the floor to ceiling sliding door that led out to the lanai and the pool.
"Would that be a problem?"

"It's bulletproof."

"Great." She said quickly, "Where can I put my bag?"

Ariana walked towards the pillar where she kept her bag and picked it up.

"Follow me." Jace walked towards her the room he'd had prepared for her.

Heading towards the kitchen, he turned to the right where the staircase was. He turned left before the stairs heading down a short hallway, reaching the end, he pushed open the door on the left and stepped aside for her.

Ariana stepped into the large-sized room taking a short moment to take it all in before walking further inside and placing her bag at the foot-end of the bed.

"I hope this would suffice."

Ariana turned around and looked at him.
"It'll do."

She walked towards him,
"I'm guessing you have a job to get to. Shall we?"

Jace headed back down the hall while Ariana shut the door and followed closely behind him.

Jace's phone rang. He plucked it out of his pocket and picked it up.
"Black."

"Mr. Black, your eight o'clock has arrived."

"I'm on my way, Bridget."

Jace walked out of his house but stopped dead in his tracks as he could feel the hair on his neck standing. Jace sighed and turned around slowly to look at her. Ariana had stopped when he did and raised a brow when he turned around to look at her.

"I thought we already had this talk," Jace said,

Ariana was quiet as she stood in front of him, hands behind her back.

"Can we talk about personal space?"

"We can, but it won't matter."

Jace didn't want to know why but he asked anyway.
"Why is that?"

"It's not in my vocabulary." Ariana said with a straight face.

Jace slowly let out a breath.
Why did he even bother?

"Right."

Jace turned around and resumed the walk to the car that had been there on her way in. Ariana shut the door behind her and headed towards where she'd parked her bike.

"Good morning, sir." Marvis, Jace's driver greeted as he held the door open.

"Morning, Marvis," Jace greeted, "How's your morning?"

"So far so good."

Jace stopped and turned around when he heard the roar of an engine. Not just any engine. A 999 cc, 61.0 cu in, four-cylinder engine. Just the sight of the beauty, or rather beast, made him smile as he recalled a time, not too long ago when he rode.

"Agent."

Ariana looked up at him as she took her helmet that hung on the handle grip.

"Wouldn't it be better if we rode in the same vehicle?"

Ariana clenched her jaw as she thought about it for a second. She came to the conclusion that it would help with her cover as his bodyguard. Placing her helmet back on the handle grip, she leaned forward and swung her leg over the bike before walking towards the car.

"Agent, my driver Marvis. Marvis, agent Feilman would be my bodyguard for the time being."

She gave Marvis a curt nod before turning to him,
"If we're trying to keep this cover, I suggest you call me something other than Agent."

Jace looked at her and smiled when a name crossed his mind. It wasn't great but it was simple.
"Green."

Ariana raised a brow at that.
Was he serious?

"You don't like that?" Jace asked, somewhat disappointed, "I think it's great."

Jace got into the car and Marvis shut the door then walked around to get into the driver's seat while Ariana got into the passenger's seat, next to Marvis and shut the door.

"What do you suggest?" Jace asked when Marvis started the car and pulled out of the front of his house.

"Feilman, you know," Ariana looked in the rearview mirror at him, "My name."

Jace shook his head,
"Green is simpler. Feilman is a mouth full."

Also, he liked Green more, not that he was going to tell her that.

"Whatever." Ariana muttered under her breath and shifted her gaze outside the window.

For the second time that day, Jace smiled.

Truly smiled.

It had been so long since anyone or anything made him smile for real since his dad passed. His step-mom always tried putting a smile on his face, but it was a weak attempt and he mostly always faked it for her sake.

Something about his new nickname for her being a way to annoy her was somewhat pleasing. This was the first time since she'd walked into his living room that he'd gotten an actual human-like reaction out of her and he was looking forward to drawing out of her.

Jace looked down at his phone sighing, wishing he'd brought his laptop home with him the day before so he didn't have to go through his email on his phone.

"Marvis, please take the long to avoid traffic. I don't want to be late for my meeting."

"Yes sir." Marvis sped up, changing lanes and heading the long way to the company.