Page 16 of Countdown to Murder (A Paranormal Halloween #3)
Panda
Why the fuck did my dick want to get hard because she could fucking draw like an artist?
And I’d damned near had to adjust myself when I climbed off the top of her.
I’d seen the knife coming back at her, and I’d reacted before I had a chance to think, but once she was safe, it’d been all I could do to keep everyone in the yard from scenting just how much I cared about this little snake shifter.
I was too close to her, but there was no way to ask for a reassignment.
It would instantly create tons of gossip, and it would reflect negatively on Mira.
No way was I going to do anything detrimental to her career before she even got started.
She clearly had the skills to be a helluva security specialist, and if Kendra was right and this was a way for her to recover from whatever was done to her while she was a slave assassin, then I’d be damned if I was going to set her back in any way.
And yeah, I heard myself and knew it was further proof I was too attached to her.
I wanted to feed her, but she barely ate enough to keep a kitten alive, and she’d made it clear she’d let me know if she was hungry.
So I ate some mixed nuts and watched her back while she sat in the kitchen and drew, completely oblivious to her surroundings while she was absorbed in getting it right.
When she finished, I wanted to kiss her. It was more than a simple sketch. If the bodyguard gig didn’t work out, she could probably find work as an artist.
“Let’s get our geeks to scan this in, rather than just taking a picture and sending it to them. This is good enough they should be able to put it into their image recognition software and get a hit.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was hoping. His mouth was in shadow, or maybe it just isn’t that pronounced, but I’m confident of the nose and chin, and the basic placement of the eyes and eyebrows, though I’m not completely sure of the shape of the eyes. Still, I’m hoping it’ll be enough.”
She’d drawn him from an angle and from the front, both face and full body, down to the style of shoe complete with laces. I’d seen them and recognized the accuracy in her drawing, but no way could I have described the exact shape and way the leather was sewn, much less drawn them.
The control room scanned it, slid the original into a clear protective sleeve, and printed a copy for us to take to the client. Ember verified the client was awake, and she opened the door when I knocked and said, “Panda and Mira.”
She had a monitor showing who was outside all access points, but we still knocked and announced. Visual and auditory confirmation.
Ember opened the door, and we stepped in.
“Miss MacKenna. Mira got a good look at our target, and she sketched him. We’d like you to take a look and see if you recognize him.”
She looked at the picture and her gaze shot to me. “Is this a joke? This is Niles Andreason. He’s a bit of a hermit, and I know it’s kind of a thing that there are no pictures of him on the internet, but he’s a pretty big deal in Hollywood, and his parties are legendary.”
I keyed my mic. “Control. Our target has been identified as Niles Andreason. BFD in Hollywood.”
The sooner they had a name, the sooner we might find where he was staying.
“How well do you know him?” Mira asked.
Ella MacKenna crossed her arms, uncrossed them, ran her hand through her hair and pushed it away from her face, and crossed her arms again.
“I had sex with him a few times. Completely unplanned, which isn’t like me.
Both times were at one of his parties, and I don’t remember going to his bedroom though I remember enjoying the sex.
Clearly, I consented, so I have no reason to call foul play, but I’ve politely turned three party invitations down.
I don’t feel comfortable going back. My agent and one of my directors strongly encouraged me to go.
I turned down a job because the director informed me I would be obligated to attend a cast party and the premiere at his home. It was to be written into my contract.”
She stood and paced, trailing the scent of terror back and forth across the room. “He seems charming, but he scares me on a cellular level. I think I’d rather spend a few days in the downstairs, windowless room than be aboveground where he might get to me.”
“How about if we take you down at sunset, and bring you back up at sunrise?” Ember asked her, and she stepped in front of her and touched her shoulders, stopping her.
“Remember when I explained that my job is to plan ahead so you’re never at risk?
If I have to defend you when you’re in the room, then our team has failed.
The saferoom is comfortable enough, and we can move a video game console and whatever else you want down there.
Twelve hours a day below ground, the other twelve above. ”
“He never takes a daytime meeting, and now you’re acting like he won’t bother us during the day. What aren’t you telling me?”
“He hasn’t attacked during the day. We won’t relax our vigilance when the sun is up because that might be his plan, but it means if we have to choose which half of the day to put you into the more secure space, we’ll choose the night.”
The client put her hands on top of Ember’s, on her own shoulders. “There are sleeping rooms down there. Will you sleep down there? I know you said Mira would stay with me when you go off shift, but I’d feel better if you’re close.”
“Of course I will. It’s important I get six hours of good sleep, and at least four hours uninterrupted, so I can stay alert during my shift, but the space downstairs should easily allow that, and I’ll be close if you need me.”
“Sorry,” Sloan told the client, “but company protocol says Ember gets at least four hours a day in a secure location to sleep. She can’t sleep with you.”
“You’re telling me the downstairs saferoom isn’t a secure location?” Her eyebrows went into her forehead, but otherwise, she sounded scary-calm.
“Protocol also says that wherever you are isn’t considered secure enough for our people to sleep,” I told her.
“The whole point is that we need to be on alert when we’re with you.
Sloan likes Ember more than you — do you really want to wonder if he’ll rescue her first or you first should your stalker reach the compartment while she’s sleeping? ”
“Okay. You’ve made your point.” She looked to Mira. “Looks like we’re stuck together. I suppose we can talk about makeup, at least. Yours is interesting and well-done.”
“Silence is your friend, because I have excellent hearing and I’ll know someone’s near long before you if you allow my ears to do their job. Do you have headphones you can use to watch a movie, perhaps?”
Mira didn’t show any emotion in her face or voice, but she somehow came off as distant and professional rather than rude.
Someone had trained her in how to make the client feel good about having her watch over them.
The kind of training you get that helps you keep your distance while you’re assuring them how good you are.
“I’m going to walk downstairs with Mira and map out where we want everyone.” I looked to Ember. “I’ll have Jones send people to escort her downstairs when we’re ready for you. Pack up everything the client will need to spend the rest of the night down there.”