Do you want to see more of Mr. Nuri's POV in the future? tell me in the comments which side characters you would like to see get their own chapters!
Kerrigan sat behind Conor’s large oak desk reviewing the papers Natalie had sent over and trying to figure out what Kelan was doing to her company. Some of the decisions he was authorizing made no sense at all and she wondered if he was just agreeing to anything people asked of him, regardless of how asinine the requests might be. She was certain that if he kept up like this the board would remove him without her ever lifting a finger. There was something that kept nagging at the back of her mind but she could not figure out what the issue was. One trade he had authorized moved some of Dragon Corporation’s spice business to a third party who was then paid to move the product to Pinon Province, where it was then re-acquired by another subsidiary of Dragon Corporation. The final sale still showed a 10% profit, but the effort to achieve that seemed asinine to Kerrigan. A knock sounded at the door and she looked up to find Anna Brooks peaking around her door. “Do you have a minute?” she
Kerrigan walked out of the office suite for perhaps the last time on Saturday morning. Today, Conor was due to pick her up for their outing to the mountains north of Jinstain. She had found a cute black tennis skirt that should work well for outdoor adventuring. She had also managed to find a thin gray sun shirt the nice girl at the clothing shop had called a rashguard. She had assured Kerrigan that it would help prevent sunburn, and if they were going to be out for a few hours, she would want the extra protection. Back at the temple, Kerrigan had to worry about wind burn, chapped lips, and frostbite. Sun exposure was a prized time in the all too short summer months. The girl had insisted though that here in Jinstain, as summer came on, the risk of sunburn and heat stroke was all too real. She sat on the edge of the desk waiting for word that Conor had arrived for their outing. Evelynn walked in and smiled. “Someone looks nervous today,” she jested. “I am not! It's just a chance t
The mountainside to the right began to turn into a sheer face that towered over them as the left side fell away down to a strong moving stream below. At one point Parker looked up and pointed at the sheer rock wall. “See those small metal bits on the wall?” Kerrigan strained her eyes but noticed the metal glinting. “What are those?” “Anchors. Some of the more adventurous climbers have been out here and did everyone a favor by drilling those into the wall. Now anyone with the knowledge and skill can try to climb that wall with much more confidence. It is actually becoming a popular sport in some circles. Perhaps I can requisition some ropes and quickdraws from Colonel Eli. You two will likely need to visit an outfitter to get some proper shoes if we come back out here,” Parker explained. “You climb that? All the way up there? What if you fall?” Kerrigan asked in trepidation. “Ropes. It’s the same method we use for special operations. Of course, the stakes are much lower, and it's h
Evelynn picked out a spot on the large flat rock near Kerrigan and set down her own backpack, laid out a towel, and then glanced around for Parker before stripping off her shirt, revealing her bikini underneath. She then took a running leap and dove into the depths of the pool. “Well, that is one way to brave the cold.” Conor chuckled as Evelynn broke the surface halfway across the pond. He stood and stripped off his own shirt revealing an impressive set of abs. Kerrigan realized that since they had been training together, Conor had developed a lean, powerful build with his naturally wide shoulders and strong arms having been concealed so often beneath his business suits. “You going to join us?” Conor called to everyone else. Gabriella shook her head with a smile. “Not today, sir. I will keep an eye on the path, but you all go ahead.” Parker nodded at Gabriella in acknowledgment before stripping off his own shirt and diving in. Kerrigan hesitated for a moment, “What about this sur
“Or what? You were sticky and needed a rinse.” Parker quipped, popping another chip ladened with chicken salad. “You knew perfectly well that a dunk in cold water is not what I was after,” Evelynn said, snatching the chicken salad from Parker and taking a scoop for herself before passing it to Kerrigan. “I wasn’t done with that. As for you, if that is what you wanted, you could have just asked me back to your place AFTER work. Perhaps there I could have given you a proper shower.” Parker said straight-faced. Evelynn squirmed uncomfortably, “You know perfectly well that I am stuck in the barracks at Volkrizin. Colonel Eli doesn’t tolerate ANYTHING.” “So am I. You likely didn’t realize it as our entrance is from the other stairwell, but I am under the same roof as you, just on the other side of a wall,” Parker explained. “Wait, Conor, ALL of our guards are housed at Vokrizin? Why doesn’t Parker have a home of his own?! Colonel Eli? The other 100 or so I see around?” Kerrigan asked i
Monday morning Conor looked around the Vokrizin office before going downstairs to find Mr. Nuri. When he knocked on his office door, Mr. Nuri jumped up and came over to greet him. “What can I do for you, Mr. Brantley?” “Has a new real estate team lead been assigned to replace Anna?” Mr. Nuri considered Conor’s demeanor before saying, “Miss Brooks has a list of potential agents who are well versed in real estate law and have excellent skills that she believes will be a good fit for the main office. She informed me before she left that the three candidates would be available any time this week to meet. Should I call for them?” Conor sighed; memories of Anna’s meticulous attention to detail and ability to predict his needs flooding him. He knew, however, that her desire to head up the southern Targu office was likely more than just a location move. Too much had happened between them to simply be coworkers in the same office. “If you would, Miss Lokir and I would like to discuss some
Conor made his way back through familiar employee-only halls to Mr. Matthew’s office. When he knocked on the door, Mr. Matthews voice greeted him. “Come in!” Conor opened the door to find Mr. Matthews leaning over the shoulder of a man in his late thirties. “Ah, Conor, my boy. Come on in and meet Marcus Grady. He will be my new general manager.” “Are you not planning to be here anymore?” Conor asked. “Ah, well, my second granddaughter is due to be born next week and I really want to spend more time with them. Don’t worry. I will still be keeping an eye on Marcus here.” Conor nodded to the thin gentleman seated at the desk. Mr. Grady had short brown hair and smooth tan skin. He carried himself like a professional and had an air about him that made someone want to trust him just by looking at him. Conor held out his hand, “Mr. Grady.” Mr. Grady stood and eagerly shook Conor’s hand, “It’s great to meet you! Mr. Matthews has told me some about you. Honestly, I didn’t realize you w
The next morning, Conor found Kerrigan already waiting in the conference room with Faolan laying at her feet under the table. “Thank you for being here. I think it will be good to have your input as I try to find Anna’s replacement.” He took a seat beside her and pet Faolan between the ears before flipping open a notepad. “Of course! Besides, if we can find a good agent, perhaps I can borrow them for some of my own projects with Dragon Corporation once that whole mess is settled,” Kerrigan said. “And any you don’t pick, I might just poach,” She said teasingly. Conor shook his head, “I never know if you are my friend or my biggest competition.” Kerrigan smiled at him, “Perhaps friendly competition? Iron sharpens iron after all. Think of me as being the one you test your mettle against. I promise you this, I have no intention of harming you or Vokrizin, even if Dragon Corporation is your competition.” Conor smiled back in acknowledgment and waited patiently for Mr. Nuri, Jarad, and