Chapter 132: Arrival
Morning light moved across the kitchen floor in clean lines.
Jack was already awake, standing at the counter with a plate of eggs and toast. He ate standing up.
The bruises from the fight had faded into dull yellow patches. He looked stronger than he had three days ago. More settled.
Liam poured coffee and leaned against the opposite counter."You’re waiting for something," Jack said without looking up.
"They should be here."Jack took another bite. "The security."
"Yes."
Jack grunted and finished the rest of his food in silence. When he was done he rinsed the plate, set it in the sink, and headed for the side door.
"I’ll be outside," he said. "Try not to let them rearrange the house."
Liam didn’t answer. A moment later the familiar sound of the heavy bag started up again, steady and measured.
He stayed in the kitchen until the coffee was finished, then moved to the study and checked the gate camera. A black van and a dark sedan were already turning onto the private road.
Rowena had arrived.
Liam walked out to the front courtyard as the vehicles came to a stop. The van doors opened first. Four women stepped out in clean, practical clothing dark pants, fitted jackets, nothing flashy.
They moved with the quiet coordination of people who had done this before. Rowena stepped out of the sedan last.
She looked the same as always composed, sharp-eyed, and unreadable."Liam," she said.
"Rowena."
She gestured lightly toward the women behind her. "First group. I kept it small so you could see them properly."
Liam’s eyes moved across the four of them without hurry.
The tallest stood near the rear of the van, arms loosely folded. Early forties. Short dark hair, strong shoulders, the kind of posture that came from years of carrying weight that wasn’t hers.
Her file had listed former military police and six years in private close protection. She met his gaze directly and didn’t look away.
Beside her was a woman with lighter hair pulled back in a low knot. Softer face, but the same steady eyes.
Thirty-nine. Corporate security background, specialized in residential details. She gave a small, professional nod when his attention passed over her.
The third was slightly shorter, broader through the shoulders, with a faded scar along the side of her neck that disappeared under her collar. Forty-two.
Her summary had been thinner than the others more gaps, fewer official stamps. She stood a half-step apart from the group, weight balanced, watching the grounds more than she watched him.
The last one was the oldest of the four, somewhere closer to forty-five. Calm face, short nails, no jewelry.
She had the quietest presence of the group, the kind that didn’t need to announce itself. Her file had mentioned long-term work for a family that preferred to stay out of public records.
All of them experienced and qualified in more ways than the contracts would ever state. Liam’s thoughts stayed practical and private.
Four potential multipliers. Multi Claim is ready. No need to rush. Watch them first.
"They’ll take the east wing," he said. "Two to a room for now. Show them the layout and the internal routes. I want full coverage on the gates and the rear grounds by tonight."
Rowena nodded once. "Understood."
She turned and began giving quiet instructions. The women moved without wasted motion, collecting compact bags from the van and following her toward the side entrance.
None of them stared at the villa like it was impressive. None of them asked unnecessary questions. They simply went to work.
Jack had stopped hitting the bag.
He stood near the edge of the courtyard, towel around his neck, watching the group disappear into the house. His expression was unreadable, but the slight tightness around his mouth said enough. He didn’t like new people in his space. He especially didn’t like not knowing the real reason they were there.
Liam walked over.Jack spoke without looking at him."Four of them."
"Yes." All experienced.
Jack gave a short, skeptical breath through his nose. "If you say so."He didn’t push further. Liam left him there and went inside.
The east wing had been empty since he moved in. It took less than an hour for it to stop feeling that way.
Rowena handled the assignments with the same efficiency she brought to everything else.
By the time Liam returned to the main hall, the women had already walked the internal routes, checked sight lines, and begun setting up a simple rotation.
He found Rowena alone in the small office off the entrance hall, reviewing a tablet.
"They’ll work," she said without looking up. "The tall one Mara has the strongest command presence.
I’ll put her on nights for now. The quiet one, Elena, is better on the grounds. She notices things."Liam leaned against the doorframe.
"And the other two?" Solid. No weak links in this group. I’ll bring the next set in four days if these settle cleanly.
He nodded once. "I’ll keep them out of your way," she said. "Unless you need otherwise."
"Good." She left the office with the tablet still in hand. Liam stayed where he was for a while, listening to the low sounds of the house adjusting to new footsteps and new voices.
Four women. All of them the right age. All of them already under his roof. Multi Claim sat ready in the back of his mind, quiet and available.
He won’t use it.
Not yet.
He wanted to see how they moved through the space first. Who watched him when they thought he wasn’t looking.
Who settled too quickly. Who kept a careful distance. The System rewarded direction, but timing still belonged to him.
Outside, the heavy bag kept its steady rhythm. Jack would adapt, the same way he was adapting to everything else in the house.
He didn’t need to understand the real reason the women were here. He only needed to accept that they were staying.
Liam walked back to the study and opened the gate camera one more time. The van and sedan were already gone. The private road was empty again.
Inside the villa, four new presence signatures moved across the security feeds in calm, professional patterns.
He watched them for a while without expression.
Then he closed the feeds, leaned back in the chair, and let the quiet of the house settle around the new weight it now carried.
The first group had arrived.
The rest would follow.
And when the moment felt right, he would decide exactly how many of them were worth keeping.