Jobe: Alvarez Security Series by Maryann Jordan Read Free Book Online

“And before you ask, Gabby is doing great. She settled in last night and this morning was eager to start the Microsoft Certification program, so Rose already has her in the education room with the others.”
    Sighing in relief, Mackenna smiled. “So how’s the job hunting going for you, Jenita?”
    The young woman grinned her reply. She had been at the center for over two months and was ready to graduate out into the world, standing on her own. “Well, this morning the doctor’s office where I interviewed for the receptionist position called back…and they offered me the job!”
    With a whoop of joy, Mackenna hugged her. “That’s fabulous! When do you start?”
    “I begin next Monday and I’ve been looking into the roommate sharing program you were telling me about. I figure that I will need at least a month of working and then I can transition to a shared apartment. I’ve found one that will be available next month and it’s a three bedroom apartment that I’ll be sharing with three other women. Two are sisters and they share the large master bedroom with its own bath, so I’ll have my own bedroom that will share the hall bath with just one other person.”
    The three women continued to hug as Mackenna realized what a monumental moment she was experiencing. She felt it every single time. When someone who three months ago left a gang in the middle of the night determined to change the course of their lives and was now doing just that… amazing. Absolutely, fucking amazing!
    Smiling as she stepped back, she remembered the afternoon’s appointment. “Ladies, in about an hour we’ll have some visitors. There will be someone here from a security agency to assess what we need to make sure our building and its occupants are as safe as they can be.”
    Carla nodded, admitting, “I’m glad. That car has been by again this morning. I’m worried that it may be here for Gabby.”
    A flash of anger flew through Mackenna’s eyes. “I was afraid that because she’s pregnant, it might be a problem. Those goddamn fuckers come back, I swear I’ll kick their asses!”
    “Um, I hate to bust your badass bubble, but girl? You’re not big enough to take them on and you’d be foolish to do so,” Jenita said, knowing that Mackenna had a penchant for acting on instinct at times.
    “Yeah, well, I just refuse to let them hurt her,” was the only reply. “Let’s go upstairs and make sure the rooms are ready in case the visitors need access to the whole building.” With that, the three women headed out of the kitchen.
    *
    The Alvarez Security men drove down the street toward their destination in two of the company SUVs. Eyes peeled, they each expertly surveyed the area. It was in an older section of town with a mixed community of stores and brick buildings. Several old churches dotted some of the corners and while there was a hum of daily activity, it was not difficult to imagine that it would be easy pickings for someone with nefarious intent.
    The New Beginning’s building was unassuming, located in the middle of the block and set back slightly from the street. A small placard was on the door, but other than that there were no other distinguishing features. Jennifer was just pulling up in her car at the same time and walked over to greet the men, moving straight into Gabe’s embrace.
    Jobe’s gaze immediately took note of the problem areas. Little front lighting. No peephole in the door. Unlit walkway from the street to the front stoop. No security bars on bottom floor windows. As he stepped out of the vehicle, he saw Tony shaking his head. Yep, he sees it too. A fucking security nightmare for these women.
    “We’re a little early,” Jennifer said, “so let’s go around the back and you can see the whole outside of the building.”
    The men made their way around the perimeter, noting the narrow space between the center and the buildings on the sides. There, a small courtyard held a picnic table and umbrella,