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and don’t bullshit me ?”
    “I’m not miserable , lonely maybe but I don’t love him any less . He travels a lot and sometimes it gets hard.” She shrugged, “I want him home more …what more can I say?”
    Shanda’s practical advice was, “Girl, next time he travels go with him . Problem solved ! ”
    Shanda made sense , however, she had no idea of her husband’s associates. She’d met a small number of them. Men with eyes of stone and refined mannerisms . L egitimate busi nessmen by all appearances however, the legitimacy of their business practices were questionable . Alfonzo didn’t tell her this but she wasn’t stupid, afterall his fat her was billionaire Luzo Palazzo with alleged ties to organized crime. She’d read the articles , listened to the international news coverage during Luzo’s elaborate funeral . Based upon everything she heard Alfonzo not only inherited his father’s company but his associates as well. She did not speak of her husband’s affairs to anyone not even her best friend . Alfonzo assured her his business es were legitimate and she believed him . She trusted him wholeheartedly but it’s his father’s affiliates she did not trust. Apparently, Alfonzo shared this sentiment, why else would he enclose the property with a concrete wall and upgrade the ir security last year ? She asked about it and he was truthful, “I want to keep my family safe and having the property open isn’t such a good idea in light of who my father was .”
    He compromised when she insisted they camouflage the unsightly walls in an earthy clay tone and add shrubbery . He acquiesced and let her oversee the landscaping. T he en d result was breathtaking. Their property now boasted a tranquil garden with a small pond and a variety of green ery which distracted from the cement enclosure.
    S elange nodded, “I guess you’re right.”
    Franky overhear d the entire conversation. His boss’ wife deserved better. He envisioned taking h er in his arms then kissing away the loneliness. Dammit, don’t go there !
    He chastised himself for the perilous thoughts. This was a job dammit, an important one and he didn’t want to get fired from it , or worse get himself killed . It became hard control ling his errant thoughts when it came to Mrs. Diaz. Hell, he saw her every day, drove her around and got to know her and the boy. As a result, he’d formed an emotional attachment. How could he not laugh or talk with his employer’s family when he was around them sixteen hours a day?
    His training had n ’t prepared him for this. Nothing could have primed him for the conflict raging between duty and matters of the heart. He was selected for this detail due to a sterling résumé. A pparen tly , his references considered him a man of professionalism, someone task oriented with leadership abilities and integrity. Presently, he wanted to say to hell with professionalism and integrity but then he’d jeopardize the entire operation. Despite his inner— conflict he had to stay on course and stick with the plan. He turned on music for his passengers then concentrated on the road with his face set in grim determination.

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CHAPTER TWO
    Thirty minutes later the sleek black car drove through the security checkpoint and the gates opened. It rolled across the curving entryway le a d ing to a beautiful Bauhaus i nspired raised ranch in the distance . The utiliz ation of functional aesthetic design accurate ly reflected its inhabitants. The home lay nestled on acres of land surrounded by lush foliage and in the backdrop a private beach. The picturesque home and its surroundings were images from one of those architectural magazines Shanda had lying on her coffee table in her apartment .
    She’d known about the renovations for some time but seeing the finished product up close was breathtaking. “What are those?” Shanda asked pointing to a mirror type reflection of blue shimmering atop the sloped roof.
    “ S olar panels