Secured Sevenfold

Matt’s POV
I had received the call from Joseph and it got me worried.
“We need to talk, I’m in trouble and I need help. You owe me something... for old times’ sake”
He had said and immediately I tried to find some time for him.
Joseph was family, he and my father had been friends since childhood and he seemed more like and uncle to me.
So when he asked for help, how could I refuse him.
He told me to visit him in his office alone. He told me he was at his office at home, so I took my car and drove over to the house.
I was thinking about possibilities what could have happened that made him call me and call in a favor.
I debated to talk to my father about it, but I didn’t have to drag him into this, maybe it wasn’t not as bad as it seemed.

I was greeted by his housekeeper which also had a worried look on her face. “Matthew, nice to see you. Mr. Thompkinson is waiting for you in his office.”
“Thank you, Mary. I know the way.” I told her with a hopefully reassuring smile.
She nodded and went back to her desk.
When I entered Joseph’s office I found the old man pacing the room, he looked pale and he had dark circles underneath his eyes.
That made me aware that the situation must be more serious than I thought.
“Joe?” I asked carefully and he flinched, then turned to face me.
“Matt, it’s you. Thank god.” He sighed in relief putting a hand to his heart.
“What is going on? Why did you call me, what happened?” I tried to get all the questions out at once.
“I.. this whole.. I mean…” Joe looked around, his eyes moving quickly never stopping, what was wrong with him I have never seen him like that before.
“Joe, calm down. Let’s sit… then you can tell me what the call was about. You said you needed help, tell me why?” I said carefully.
Joe nodded getting behind his desk and sat down. “Where do I start… I don’t know where to start.. I made a mistake, Matt. I made a huge mistake… I should be the one to blame, not them.. never them!” He said but he didn’t make sense, what was he talking about?

“What mistake?” I asked him and waited patiently for his reply but nothing came.
I sighed “Joe, you can tell me. I need to know what is going on if I should help you.”
“I shouldn’t drag you into this, Matt… If you father would know this, he would… but I have no other choice… what else am I supposed to do now?” He was confusing me more and more.
I walked around the desk and grabbed Joe’s chair I leaned closer to stare into his eyes, they were red and swollen, he hadn’t slept much and if I was sure he must have been crying.
“Joe, tell me what mistake did you make? And how can I help you?” I tried again and this time I seemed to reach him.

Joe leaned back in his chair and began to tell me the story of his deal with ‘Mr. Smith’, I knew that this name was too average to be real, but I guess it was just a synonym for something else.
“So 2 of his thugs came to my office, and I received a call from him. He gave me 2 more days until I have to get him the money. I don’t have that much money, how could I… they fooled me.” Joe’s breathing quickened and I had to calm him down.
“What else did they say?” I asked him and sat back on the desk but never leaving Joe out of my eyes.
“I can’t tell you more, Matt… You know too much, but I had to tell you this, because you need to know what you are up against…”He swallowed thickly “You need to make sure nothing happens to my girls.” I frowned, I forgot that he had daughters, I remember meeting them when we were little, they were younger than me, but I didn’t see them afterwards anymore.
“You mean they would go after your girls?” I asked him and frowned.
“Yes, they will. I need you to guard them, Matt. I need you to have someone be around them 24/7. They need protection.” Joe seemed to think more clearly now.
“Joe, we are a security company, we are not babysitters. I totally understand your concern, but I don’t think that they will go after your girls.” I shook my head.

“Matt, I am not asking you as some guy, wanting to have a look at his princesses. I am asking you as a friend. I am calling in a favor from you, my girls are in danger. I need you! And I need your best men, to watch out for my girls. I want them to be around them, day and night. I want them secured, Matt. I can’t be there for them, I will leave the country and try to get the guys off of their track, but I need you to tell me they are safe with you. I need you as my friend, you are like a son to me Matt. Tell me you will do it!” Joe begged and yes he was family, how could I say no?!
“I don’t think that it’s necessary but-” I tried again but Joe shook his head, he searched around on his desk and held out two pictures.
“Jacky, they made this picture and threaten me, this is a fresh shot, only a day ago maybe? And this is Josephine, she was leaving her office also just a day ago. They held them out to me and pointed out, they watched them, knew where they were going… they threatened my girls, Matt! Help me!” Joe begged and I nodded.
“I will talk to my boys and will get them secured and bodyguard, don’t worry Joe, we will help you. Nothing will happen to them, let me talk to my boys, make a plan and I will call you when everything is settled.”
Joe nodded and seemed relieved.
“Thank you, son. I wouldn’t know what else to do, they are everything I got, you have to keep them safe.”

Jacky’s POV
The sound of my neighbor playing some loud music woke me up. It was 6 pm and I was bummed I slept the whole day. My sleeping pattern was fucked up due to all the clubbing of the past few days and I really needed to go back to normal, or at least a little.
Now I was up, I would go home early, maybe talk with my dad a little before we would have dinner. He had sounded serious this morning and I couldn’t shake the feeling he was worrying about something, why else would he call me that early, almost forcing me to come to dinner that night?
I got up, took a quick shower and picked out a dress. I wasn’t too fond of dresses, but I knew my dad loved to see me in one, so I wore one. I got some new art to show anyhow, my dad wasn’t a fan, but he could appreciate a job well done and this job was very well done, he would like it.

The moment I pulled up on the driveway, I could just see a tall man get in a black SUV and drive off, letting the horn sound shortly and my dad waved at him, standing in the doorway.
“Pumpkin! You are already here!” He hugged me close and guided me inside
“Who was that, leaving just now?”
“Oh, that was the Sanders boy. You might remember him? Matthew?”
I thought for a bit, I can remember the old Sanders, but his son, not so much. I saw my dad look at me closely for a moment and then shrug it off.
“Apparently not” he smiled at me as he guided me into the library “I see you got some new decorations? It’s such a shame you scar your skin like that, but I’m happy you choose talented people to do so, it looks clean and precise”
I had to laugh at my dad’s reaction, he did this every single time I got a new tattoo. We sat down and talked for a while over drinks, I was hoping he would tell me himself, but didn’t seem he would ever start the conversation. I put my glass down and looked at my father.
“Daddy, why did you ask me to be here tonight?”
“Can’t an old man just enjoy the company of his beautiful daughter?”
“Don’t lie to me, I know there’s something wrong, I’m not a child anymore”
“Then stop behaving like one...” He sounded annoyed for a moment, but then regained himself and continued “I will tell you why you are here when your sister gets here”

I sighed deeply, that would kill the mood like nothing else, my sister being here. I opened my mouth to protest, but my father cut me off
“Don’t say something bad about your sister. You should work together, do things, you are sisters!”
“Joe doesn’t want to be my sister”
“Maybe you should stop shortening her name to Joe, you know she hates it”
“Maybe she should remove the stick out of her ass, I hate that”

“Oh thanks Jack, and then you still wonder why I don’t want to hang out with you anymore” My sister stood in the doorway, all business, no fun, I didn’t hear her come in at all. Shit.
“See you got someone to maim your body a little bit more?”
I mocked her by repeating what she said, until my dad cut me off
“Good, now you’re both here, we should go and eat” My father got up out of his chair, kissed Joe’s cheek and put his hand on her back, waiting for me to join him at his other side. I grabbed his hand and entwined my fingers with his. I might be 27, but I still loved it when my daddy held me.

The tension at the table was almost touchable. We were eating our dinner in silence, until Joe broke it, with the one question I wanted an answer to, too.
“Daddy, why are we here? You sounded urgent this morning?”
My dad put down his cutlery and took his napkin to wipe his mouth
“Yes, well, I have to leave the country for a little while, business deal” he said, shortly. I didn’t know what the fuss was about, he went away often and we never had to come to dinner beforehand.
“How long are you going and where to?” I asked, looking at his reaction closely.
“I can’t tell yet”
I raised my brows and I could see that Joe was questioning this too
“Okay, pardon my language, but cut the crap! This is all a little too weird and evasive for me. Why don’t you start telling what is really going on, we’re not little kids anymore” Joe cut right to the chase, I guess that came with the territory of being the vice president of a multimillion dollar company, never having any time.
My dad hesitated and I knew that the thing he would be telling us now would be a lot closer to the truth than everything he said about the issue earlier.
“Okay, I have to get out of the country for a while, I can’t tell you why, the less you know, the better. I asked someone to take care of you girls, keep an eye on you while I’m gone”
“What? Like shadow us or something? Lure in the dark, like a stalker?” I knew my tone wasn’t all serious, but I really didn’t think my dad was. His face told differently though, so I shut my mouth.
“No, not like a stalker. I arranged for you girls to have protection 24/7. A bodyguard will move in with you and go with you where ever you go, they will do so until I get back”
I looked at my sister and she must have reflected the look I had on my face, stunned and full of disbelieve
“You can’t be serious” I replied
“I can’t work with a stranger constantly working over my shoulder” Joe complained.
“I don’t care what you girls think of it, this is happening, whether you like it or not, I want you girls safe while I’m gone, so this is it” We both opened our mouths to protest “No discussion, this is the end of it!” He voice sounded firm and I know this was the dad that bear no contradiction, the dad that wanted his orders to be followed, the dad I wasn’t too crazy about.
My dad pushed his chair back and got up from the table, he walked for the door and looked back at us one more time
“You will meet your protectors tomorrow at 8. I will text you the meeting point tomorrow”
With that he left the room, leaving Joe and I amazed and speechless.

Notes

Oh you guys! So many comments, thank you for the warm welcome back!
The first few chapters are mostly introduction, but there will be a lot of fun after, we promise ;-)

Next chapter we willl be at Secured Sevenfold HQ :-)