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What was the terouaranteed a payment of one million two hundred thousand per year for ten years with an annual 7 percent increase and bonuses based on perfore I could guarantee my sisters’ education I could

What was the catch? There had to be a catch

Noncoood consideration and as an inducement for Company to employ Employee, if such e the Tere directly or indirectly, either personally or as eent, or in any other capacity in any business within the Unites States and its protected Territories involving private investigation, security services, or personal interrogation for a period of ten years Any private security or investigation businesses currently owned by the Employee must be dissolved prior to eency would cease to exist And if I quit or was fired for any reason, I wouldn’t be able to support le you couldn’t see his shark teeth at all

If I took this deal, all of ency was acy, but it was also so much more than that It was a testament to our perseverance as a family

As my dad’s health rolled downhill, the business had dwindled to nothing He couldn’t work My ht back to that time, it was h a blue filter by ot sick and then there was ti to forget in self-defense

I couldn’t help Dad I had s worse I had read a letter froht me and askedHad I spoken up sooner, he er When he was sick, I couldn’t reassureI could’ve said would have been a lie We all knew the awful truth froht for weeks, not years

In that ti I could do was to step up and try to earn a little bit of extraship that was Baylor Investigative Agency and plugged the holes one by one I fought for every new client I ferreted out every cruet And slowly the business started er standing still Then, after Dad died, we all desperately needed so, grueling race, crossed the finished line, and didn’t kno to stop running We needed a focus and the agency became that It kept a roof over our heads and put food on our table My sisters and cousins hadn’t asked for an allowance in the past three years because they earned it through the fa for them in their adult life, the business would be there to provide some income It would never make them rich, but it would pay the bills It was there for all of us It thrived now, living proof that we stood together as a family We were all proud of it My father had hoped it would take care of us and it did, in so ustine’s offer, all of this would disappear Yes, I would earn more money Crazy money, the kind I would never see otherwise But instead of earning their own money, the rest of the faet away froan I wanted it so badly With this, I could

What would I be doing for this ht so hard to keeplie detector Making people curl into fetal positions on the floor as they wept after I violated their enerous offer," I said

"No, it’s a fair offer I’m a businessman, Nevada I alatch enerous either It is, in my estimation, adequate and fair compensation for the valuable service you will provide to House Montgoht add, will increase There is so much I could do with your talent, Nevada You have my word that I’ll never attempt to emotionally manipulate you You have my word that I’ll never threaten your family or attempt to purchase all of your loans without your permission in some underhanded attempt to influence you"

He had looked into ency, after all And he had looked into thean had done Except Rogan had beat him to it

"I offer a professional alliance, Nevada A mutually beneficial partnership If you scroll down, you will see a sign-on bonus It will take care of your iations and permit you to put a down payment on a reasonable residence, should you choose to in ait as a charity I’ it because I would like you to be professionally happy In my experience, happy eain "I understand that right now things are chaotic and this is a big decision Take all the time you need There is no expiration date on this offer"

I sht aan won’t offer me more?"

"He may offer you more The question is, ill you be expected to do for that money?"

I raised ustine said "Rogan one a very drastic change, he’ll never pressure you into a sexual relationship against your will Do you knohat Rogan does for a living?"

"A great s, fros There is a difference I also own a great an is a warlord in a very real sense of the word His people are mercenaries He does have one of the best private arive his with it like hostage rescue, security detail for aid workers, and stabilizing operations However, we’re both adults You knoell as I that the ht affairs Evenis what he does in the city of Houston"

"He owns a private security firm, from what I understand," I said

"He owns Castra It’s an ancient Latin word for ionnaires would ear and then they would set up camp and build fortifications of dirt and ti to sleep Castra is a shelter in an inhospitable land, a wall of protection ian’s Castra provides security to Houses Do you need to meet with your rival? Don’t trust him or your own people? Are you afraid of an ambush? Castra will secure the site for you They are elite, expertly trained, and incorruptible They are the reason why Rogan knows every major player in the Houston underworld and why he is well informed about most major feuds between the Houses He takes time to cover his tracks really well I know of it because I was involved in a complex transaction between two parties, secured by Castra, and I recognized one of his people"

It didn’t surprise an had said before that when he wanted soht that person to him within hours That wouldn’t be possible without an extensive network of contacts aet those contacts by being an altar boy

"Does he know you know?"

Augustine shook his head "I wasn’t present as al I can’t promise that once in a while you won’t run across a situation that will compromise your principles, but such situations would be an ano for Rogan? Who would you question for hian didn’t want to hire me He wanted me, in every sense of the word He wanted me to be with him It was more than lust I wasn’t quite sure what it was yet