Hers to Have: An Ackerman Security Novel - Book One

By Katorah Kenway

Life sometimes doesn't happen the way you envision it. One tragic event can change your life, how you decide to handle it is your choice. Hannah's life was turned upside down at a young age but she made the bold decision to take control of her destiny not expecting she would uncover a family secret and find the loves of her life.

Brothers of the heart, Spade and Nick have been best friends since childhood. Having hidden talents between them, they became the most sought after two-man team for special ops until they grew tired of the dark side of their jobs. "Retiring" from their positions, they jumped at the opportunity to help the development of a new private security firm. In their personal lives they’d resigned themselves to the fact that never would they find a woman that was right for them; having known all their lives that they could only love one woman between them; then in walked Hannah Ackerman and Fate intervened.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katorah Kenway
• Release date: Jul 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310484452

Katorah Kenway

Writing under the pseudonym of Katorah Kenway, or Katorah K, she grew up with a love of books from the time she was ten years old when a teacher introduced her to the works of Beverly Cleary. From that point forward she read everything she could get her hands on for both enjoyment and knowledge. Currently pursuing her second chance at life with the help of friends from around the world, she chose to turn her love of books into a new hobby. With her laptop practically glued to her legs, she's spent the past couple of years pounding on the keys to create numerous story lines. Finally picking one whose characters spoke to her on a personal level, the Ackerman Security Series was born. The characters in the book are constantly in her mind telling her what they want to do and what direction the series should go. In her spare time she likes to read, write, and research. A multi-tasker, she always has something new and different going on. While she has always enjoyed a wide range of musical genre, she's recently discovering there is a whole new set of tunes out there and has been exploring those through the world of YouTube. While she likes to keep her family life private, hence the pseudonym, she wants to acknowledge that her child has given her the strength and courage to pursue her writing career along with the close knit group of friends she has from around the world. Why did she choose a latte for her profile pic? Because she is addicted to soul-warming drinks and her philosophy in life is no matter what bumps you run into, no matter what hurdles you have to cross, keep smiling. It'll make you feel better and maybe bring a smile to someone else's face in the world which is just one step closer to happiness all around. *Note - More books available exclusively through Amazon.

Book preview

Preface

Looking out at the gathering crowd, Hannah couldn’t help but feel proud. Her life had been filled with ups, downs, and more obstacles than one could count, but now she realized every one of those things had been worth it for this one moment in time, if nothing else. Turning at the soft voice that spoke her name from behind, she smiled at her daughter, Constantine, who was dressed in white silk and lace. The wedding dress had been a gift from an up and coming designer that Hannah had been instrumental in getting his name out there in all the right circles. So in return, he’d requested the honor of creating the perfect wedding dress for Constantine’s big day.

Mother, what are you thinking about? You look like you’re somewhere far away in thought, Connie asked of Hannah.

Reaching up to adjust the pearls that adorned Connie’s hair, Hannah offered her a smile of pure love. Just thinking about all it took to get to this point in my life and I couldn’t be any more proud of you than I am today. You’re a beautiful bride and you’ll make an incredible wife, Constantine. At which her daughter returned the smile with a laugh that sounded so much like both of her fathers. Which brought Hannah back to her wandering thoughts. How she loved those men. Now they both stood in the doorway ready to walk their daughter down the aisle to her awaiting groom. This day was going to be perfect. With the army of security they had around them nothing would be able to interfere with the happiness of Constantine and her groom.

Chapter 1

Twenty-eight years earlier….

This had to be the worst day of her life. Hannah sat next to her Uncle Harm wondering when she was going to wake up from the nightmare. This couldn’t be happening in real life. No way. Not in her perfect world. From the time she was born she’d been raised like a Princess. She wasn’t, of course, but her parents always made her feel that way. She was one of the rare few that grew up in a multi-billion dollar family who actually spent time with their parents. Now her world had been shattered.

She looked to Harm hoping this was some cruel joke but she could tell by the darkness in his gaze it was not. No. Her perfect world had crumbled down around her. All the money in the world couldn’t fix this and she’d gladly give up all of her riches to have those seven words stricken from her memory and found to be a false statement. Your parents died in a plane crash. They echoed over and over in her mind. Harm’s voice ringing in her head as he held her tight, offering comfort, and taking comfort for himself in return, she was sure.

At fifteen Hannah Marie Ackerman already knew the ins and outs of the business her father, Christian Ackerman, had inherited. He had always let her be a part of the company from before she could even walk. The plan was that one day she would take her rightful place at his side to lead the business and eventually take over so he and her mother, Marianna, could still enjoy their lives while they were young. Her goal was to give him a break by the time she was twenty, but life apparently had other plans and now she had to step up. Could she do it? She thought to herself. Sucking in a shuddering breath, she turned her gaze up to her Uncle Harm’s. Seeing him offer her a slight smile, something that was rarely seen on his face, because he was always so serious, fortified her decision. Yes. She could and would.

The next few days passed by in a dreamlike state. Hannah was surrounded by her father’s security force, or should she say her force now. Uncle Harm had made sure she was never left alone; not even while sleeping. She was growing tired of the constant surveillance even if it was for her own safety. Hannah knew that Harm meant well, but after the funeral she needed some space. Legally everything had been taken care of. She was now the CEO of Ackerman Enterprises with Harmond Dane, better known as Uncle Harm, as her right hand man and guardian. Together they would lead the company into the future side by side. However, now it was time for her to stand up to her Uncle and put her foot down about the security measures he’d been taking.

Uncle Harm? Hannah approached him on silent steps, his back was to her as he looked out of the third floor window of the Ackerman mansion. This was her favorite room in the house. Her father’s office, which overlooked the playground he’d installed for her years ago. Now however, the area was more of a flower garden because when she outgrew the swings and slides, Hannah found a love in all things floral. Granted, she couldn’t grow a weed to save her life, but her father saw to it that she had the best gardeners to make sure any flower she wanted grew in the space.

Harm turned to gaze at the closest thing he had to family left in this world; this girl who at the age of fifteen was very much a woman, mentally. She was beautiful and he knew there would be many unsavory males vying for her attention with her being the heir of the Ackerman fortune. He had vowed to Christian, his best friend, which he’d give his last breath to ensure Hannah was never taken advantage of or harmed in any way. Opening his arms to embrace his ‘niece’ as he always did, he was somewhat shocked when she slapped her hands on her hips and glared up at him with a mutinous expression. Hannah Marie? What’s this all about? Harm asked.

This, she snapped at him in a harsher tone than she intended, is about my sanity. Taking a step closer to him, she met him eye for eye, well, more like eye for chest since she stood around seven inches shorter than his 6’2 inch frame. At 5’7 she was above average height for a female, especially at her age, but compared to the hulking men that surrounded her on a daily basis, she was anything but tall in their eyes. Listen Uncle Harm. Holding her hand up to stop him from interrupting her, she went on, While I love you with all my heart it’s time that you realize I have to take control of my life including the guard dogs you have on my heels.

He knew this discussion was in the making for days now. Hannah was so much like her father that he knew she’d balk at having security around her twenty-four-seven, but one way or another he planned to win this, if nothing else he’d pull the ‘I’m the adult and guardian’ card. His lips twitched at the thought of what she would do if he brought that up. She might be blonde, but she had the heart of a red-head when it came to her temper. Something she’d obviously inherited from her mother because Christian Ackerman had been the epitome of mild-mannered. You have a choice, Hannah. You can stay locked up in the mansion for the next five or ten years or you can resign yourself to the fact that where you go, they go! Harm declared, nodding toward the set of guards, Gregory and Zacharius, that were currently on watch over her.

Locked up? You have got to be kidding me, she quipped. Uncle Harmond I’m fifteen years old and the head of one of the largest corporations in the country. If I can handle that, I can deal with my own security issues. Pointing to her guards, she continued, Lucy and Ethel over there can go with me when I leave the house or office, but around here and at work I demand my freedom to move around as I please. She wasn’t going to back down on this, no matter what he thought.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Harm just stared at her, not saying a word. He knew she’d crack under his gaze. Everyone did.

Shifting around on her feet, she broadened her stance, lifting her lips in a slight grin. Not gonna work Uncle. You forget who taught me everything I know about self-defense and boardroom strategy. Pointing to Harm while her grin broadened into a smirk. You.

Well hell, he muttered under his breath, sighing in frustration. He knew he’d have to come up with a compromise or this would be a never ending battle. Yes, he’d helped Christian groom her for the role of CEO, but damned if he thought they had done this good of a job already. Sitting down at the small conference table, he steepled his fingers together. Let’s strike a deal or we’ll be at each other’s throats from here on out and we can’t have that.

Hannah joined him at the table and together the two of them reached a mutual agreement about the boundaries of her guards. Little did she know at the time that while she might have learned the skills to negotiate for what she wanted, Harmond Dane had been doing it a lot longer and was a sneaky son of a gun. Over the next couple of months she learned that while she thought she had her freedom from the guards on her downtime, they were always lurking around nearby.

Chapter 2

Hannah’s eighteenth birthday…

It was Saturday, so she didn’t have to worry about things at the office. She had always kept up the same ethics as her father. Weekends were for family time. Business was only conducted on Saturday or Sunday under extreme circumstances. So, today was the day. Yep. She was going to declare her independence from her Uncle Harm and her guards. She admitted to herself that over the past three years they had come in handy more times than she could count. Gregory and Zacharius had saved her from dangerous situations and unsavory advances on multiple occasions. And that would be the argument she’d have to win against with her Uncle Harm and the two guards because they had taken on the role as acting guardians for her right alongside of Harmond.

Rising from the bed, she took a few moments to gaze out her window at the garden that she’d continued to have maintained in remembrance of her parents, then she headed to the shower. She had a plan already formulated in her mind of how things were going to go from here on out. Getting ready, she selected the perfect outfit from her closet. Oh yes, she said as she slid her legs into the black leather pants; the material soft against her skin. Taking a red bustier from the drawer, lacing it around her upper torso, she covered it with a matching see-through silk blouse. She then completed the ensemble with a pair of knee high black leather boots with stiletto heels. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she smiled at herself.

You’d be proud of me, daddy. You might not have really wanted me to know about this side of your’s and mom’s lives, but I always did and always understood. She spoke to the picture of her parents that was taped to the mirror, referring to her parent’s sexual relationship. While her parents had loved each other with every fiber of their being, they often mixed things up in the bedroom, so to speak, by playing with dominant and submissive behaviors, among other things. Hannah might not have known about it when she was a young child, but as she hit her teenage years and became curious, both her parents were very open with her when they discussed the birds and bees and all things related. She hoped to be that same way when she one day had children.

Because of their openness, Hannah was never afraid to embrace her curiosity regarding sexual interaction. However, she had never acted on any of them. Only through reading and research had she fed her inquisitive mind. Hannah had spent any free time she had during the last three years pouring over her parent’s memoirs, taking in every detail. Some might call it creepy or strange, but what her parents shared was something only found once in a lifetime. Everything about the relationship was a thing of beauty. She admired them for it and hoped one day to be able to have the same. Until that time, she was going to take charge of her personal life the same way she had the company.

Sucking in a deep breath, she straightened her spine and headed out to face the three men who had been controlling her actions, for lack of a better term, over the past three years. Opening the door from her room, leading out into the hallway, she of course ran smack dab into the chest of Gregory. His arms reaching out to steady her, his eyes bulged at her attire. She just grinned as she side-stepped him and continued down the hallway, calling back over her shoulder, Follow me Lucy. It’s time you, Ethel, good ole Uncle Harm, and me have a chat. Of course she expected the growl she heard from Gregory over being called Lucy and referring to Zacharius as Ethel. They both hated it, but she’d been stuck on calling them by the names since day one of having them assigned to her.

Leading the way into the mansion’s office, she propped a hip against the massive oak desk, crossing her arms over her chest, facing Gregory as he walked in followed by Zacharius and Harm. The look on the three men’s faces was priceless. She would have snickered at them if she wasn’t determined to take a stand. Have a seat, gentlemen. It wasn’t a request by any means. It was a demand. Hannah smiled inwardly when the three men did as she bid.

It’s a big day today. Not only is it my birthday, but it’s also a day of change in the Ackerman household. She didn’t give any of them time to respond as she continued. From here on out, I. Am. In. Charge. Punctuating each word as she said them. Here at home and at Ackerman Enterprises. I’m invoking my right to take over the controlling interests of the company, as stated in daddy’s will. Uncle Harm, I want you to continue in the capacity you have both here and at work, with a few minor changes. The main one being that I will now be in charge of my own security. Turning her gaze to Gregory and Z, she went on without giving Harm any time to interrupt. You take orders from me first and foremost. I’m putting the two of you in charge of any security detail that relates to my safety, but all decisions will be run by me before being implemented. Taking a moment to stare each man in the eye. Any problems with this?

Harmond was on his feet in a matter of seconds moving in front of her. Before he could utter an angry word at her both Gregory and Zacharius had positioned themselves between Harm and Hannah, determination on their faces. Hannah fought back a grin, but failed miserably when she met Harm’s gaze around Gregory’s hulking body. Problem, Uncle Harm?

Shaking his head, he gave her that smile that only she got from him. No, Hannah Marie. There’s not. I admit that you’re ready to take the lead, but just remember this, he said as he nudged Gregory to the side so he could bring Hannah into his arms, hugging her. No matter what. No matter how old you get. You will always be that little girl who begged me to teach her self-defense; who pleaded to learn the ropes of running a security force; who cried in my arms for days after your parent’s death. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, he hugged her tighter. Always.

Signaling to Gregory and Zacharius to give them some privacy, she looked up at Harm, nearly meeting him eye to eye with the heels she had on. You’re the most important person in my life, Uncle Harm. I’ll always depend on you for support, as a sounding board, and for the love that you give me so unselfishly.

After several moments of casual conversation and a few details being hashed out between them, they decided to take a walk in the gardens she loved so much. Her hand in the crook of his elbow, she found herself chuckling. At Harm’s questioning gaze, she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, I never figured out how two men that top out at 6’5 and 6’6 with shoulders the size of a small truck, arms like cannons, and thighs like tree trunks, could disappear into the shadows as well as Gregory and Z do. They hadn’t asked the duo to join them, but as per the norm, they just knew where Hannah was and were close by.

I told you a long time ago, your daddy and I only chose the best of the best where you were concerned. Harm’s expression drew up tight when he spoke the words. Something that Hannah knew meant he had something deep on his mind. As always, she had a strong suspicion she knew what it was about and thought this was the perfect time to discuss her idea.

Chapter 3

Uncle, I’d like to discuss something with you that’s been in the back of my mind for some time now, Hannah stated as she took a seat in the middle of the garden. The small settee sat amid the carnations and gladiolus that she so loved. The myriad of colors always brought a smile to her face.

Taking the seat next to her, Harm sent word to the kitchen to have some lemonade and a light brunch brought out to them. Turning to Hannah with a look of concern. This sounds serious. I figure you can tell me your thoughts over food, since you haven’t eaten today.

You know me too well. Nodding her agreement, she proceeded to reveal her plan to him wanting to implement a program that opened