The toneless words were impressive. While he’d put some force behind his words, the malice from his eyes hadn’t tinged his response. I rolled my shoulders and readjusted my jacket. As I flirted with studying the supervisor’s eyes, I plucked the first comfortable misdirection from my mind. “Sometimes my body
has trouble regulating itself, and I suffer from chills. It can hap-pen on a dime, and that helps keep me warm.”
The gentle thug leaned into his chair as he crossed his arms. “Really?”
For anyone else, a hand warmer would be nothing special. But for me, it was like a triple shot of espresso laced with amphetamines. Fortunately, since I’d never met anyone with my gift, it was unlikely any of Dempsey’s lackeys would know why it was such a powerful tool. “It’s a condition I’ve had since childhood. And while it’s gotten better over the years, it seems to crop up at the most inconvenient times. So I’ve learned never to leave home without a few of these.”
The gentle thug turned his hands toward the sky and offered me a false smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m required to be thorough.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets as I forced my lips to twist into a warm smile. “Everyone must work with the constraints of their job. Are we good?”
A chortle tore through the budding silence as the supervisor looked over his shoulder. “Is everything there?”
“To the penny,” the other gentle thug said, sliding my briefcase onto the miniature bookshelf.
My gaze drifted to the door as I rubbed my neck. “Are you satisfied with your search?”
“Our employer isn’t the most trusting individual,” the supervisor said, folding his hands on the table. “Which means neither are we. I mentioned this earlier, but if we don’t know you, there’s no way we can trust you. Though even if you become trusted, we always verify that trust.”
While the supervisor’s words dripped with that odd blend of gentleness and ferocity, the gentle side of the blend was waning. I doubted anyone ever dared insult or question him, and I’d done the latter. And with a man like this, there was always a reckoning. As I studied his eyes, I saw two swirling forces battling each other. The first was his desire to teach me how to respect him, while the other factor was his loyalty to Dempsey. Luckily, his leash would keep that initial motive checked.
With a glare that could slice steel, he rose to his feet and leaned over the table, shoving his face into mine. “Your fee has been accepted, sir. Welcome to the game.”
The second thug opened the door. “Right this way, sir.”
I stepped into the doorway and turned to face the two gentle thugs and bowed my head. “Thank you both for the pleasant conversation, not to mention your attention to detail.” Before they could respond, I spun about and dashed through the darkening hallway.
Description | Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3