The Man's Outrageous Demands Read Free Page A

turned and faced Sam. “So, is there any need for me to try and convince you to take over as Minister of Defense? The current minister wants to retire as soon as possible. Both me and my father think you would be the ideal candidate to replace him.”
    Sam looked out over the beautiful countryside. “I don’t understand why you want me to take over. I already have my own security company.”
    “That’s exactly why we want you to take over. Your company is arguably the best in the world. Your services are requested by just about every important family and company. You’ve built it up through hard work and common sense. But you also have a strong military background. You’re the ideal candidate to take over as Minister of Defense because you understand both the commercial and military side of all the issues.”
    Sam looked out at the horizon, silent for a moment as he took in everything Prince Maximilian was saying. “Basically, I’ve done it all so you now want me to give up the easy life of a CEO who can pretty much come and go as I please in order to serve my country and become embroiled in the security of an entire people as well as the royal family of Cordova.”
    Max smiled cheekily. “That about sums it up.”
     
    “So what’s in it for me?”
    Max laughed. “Don’t be coy, Sam. I know you better than that. You’re chomping at the bit for a new challenge. You’re company is successful and has a great reputation but you’re bored out of your mind, aren’t you?”
    He had a point, Sam thought. The day to day responsibilities of running a large company were starting to bore him. He knew he’d been looking for a challenge, but he was pretty sure it didn’t involve playing politics. “You’re still not giving me any good reason to take the job,” he said.
    “You’ll have lots of new toys to play with,” Max said, as if that would entice him.
     
    “I can buy all the new toys I need,” Sam countered. “Not good enough.”
    Max watched his friend and considered his next words carefully. “There’s trouble brewing in the military. The training is falling below standards, recruits are starting to get slack, the Navy, although small, is being utilized poorly and the commanders are getting rowdy. The only thing holding the military together is my father’s authority. But he has too many diplomatic obligations right now. We need a strong leader to take over and set things back to rights. That man is you, Sam.”
    Sam didn’t move in his saddle and his thighs held the horse still. He considered all the things Max was saying and knew that those were the only words that would have convinced him to take the job. Sam loved this country and knew he would have to step in and fix things. He couldn’t let his beloved country flounder. It was small, but strategic and the strong military and diplomatic finesse of his king were the only two things that kept Cordova from becoming a puppet in the world theatre. He knew he would do anything to keep that from happening.
    Sam sighed and, without looking at Max, said, “When do you need me to take over?”
     
    Max smothered a smile of satisfaction. “Tomorrow?” he joked.
     
    Sam glanced over at the prince and raised one eyebrow. “That bad, huh?”
    “It’s getting there. How about if you start to look into the situation immediately? Let us know what needs to happen and what kind of support you’ll need. I know Admiral Chennok is ready to step down immediately and head for retirement but after your assessment of the situation, you can determine your own start date. That will also give you the time needed to find a successor to your company.”
    Sam nodded and watched as the image he had been hoping to see finally appeared. The woman on the black horse raced across the valley, her red hair streaming out behind her. Although he couldn’t hear her, he knew the moment she laughed in delight. The sun glittered and followed the gorgeous creature as she rode her