Page 11 of Seductive Architect (Grunts of Vanguard #2)

Hudson: Can we do that again?

Hudson: The hanging out, not the sex.

Hudson: I mean, the sex, too.

Hudson: Mostly the hanging out.

Hudson: How about a 50/50 split?

“What are you wearing?”

I had barely opened the door to our suite when Janet accosted me from behind the reception desk. She referred to it as her kingdom and often called the guys her peons. There was no point in fighting that battle.

“What? I’m dressed like usual.”

She waved me over to her desk. Bitter that the renovations took away her office with a reception window, she retaliated.

She wheeled her office chair into the parking lot and set it on fire.

Along the wall behind her, she installed shelves, and over the months, the troll dolls had multiplied.

Every time Wyatt sped by, their hair whipped to the side.

Standing, she pointed. “I mean, what’s that?”

I looked down. Black t-shirt with the symbol of the Cybele Cult in shimmering silver. “A t-shirt?”

“It doesn’t have anything telling people to shove a random item into an orifice.”

True. It was about as close to formal as I’d ever get. “I toned it down today.”

“For him?” Janet didn’t have a modicum of subtlety in her body. “Is somebody trying to impress?”

I set my frappe down on the desk and held up her placard. Turning it about, I pointed. “Really? Empress of Operations? Do you even know what we do around here?”

“I know you came into work—” She checked her watch.

“—thirteen minutes late. I know Wyatt has been putting his chocolate habit on the company expense account. Drew has… I don’t have any dirt on him yet.

” She leaned back, crossing her arms. “By my calculations, we’re running at a pitiful fifty-six-point-seven percent efficiency. ”

She had no idea what the title meant. “That’s not operations, that’s blackmail.”

Reaching out, Janet flicked the placard, knocking the title onto the desk. When I turned it around, the next one read, “Spiller of Secrets.” Okay, that I could believe. I set it down, bumping into one of her trolls.

“Whoa now. I do not condone violence against trolls.”

She grabbed the little naked man, giving him a quick shake. Her fingers rubbed the jewel in his belly button as she blew his hair. Done with the luck ritual, she moved all the items on her desk back into place. Her eyes fell on my drink, then back to me.

“Ahem.”

I lifted my drink, slurping the frothy contents. She produced a handkerchief, wiping down the counter. “Come in here and trash my office like you own the place. Do I come into your office and destroy it?”

“Yes! Yes, you do! Remember the Cinco De Mayo party? I’m still finding tiny bottles of tequila.”

“You’re welcome.”

With most people, I couldn’t interpret the difference between their expression and meaning.

People had a tendency to not mean what they say.

I understood rhetoric and sarcasm, but it gave me empathy for Wyatt.

He struggled with both. Then there was Janet, who said whatever came to mind.

I rarely had to interpret her words or her intentions.

I simply couldn’t understand the chaos in her skull.

“You didn’t answer my question.” I’d describe her as relentless. “Is this costume change for a special somebody? If I check, are you going to be wearing clean underoos, too?”

“Has anybody told you?—”

“I’m beautiful?”

“Insufferable.”

“You’d suffer under the weight of being this awesome.”

She shook her head, blonde curls flying about before she gave her best model pose.

I bet if I asked, she’d have a story about a time she walked the runway in Milan.

It wouldn’t stop there. By the end, she’d have somehow saved at least one prince and stopped a terrorist from destroying the Vatican.

The majority would be true, but we’d never know which part.

“As much fun as our morning chats are?—”

“Fun? I hate to tell you, good buddy, but you’re exasperating.”

Ignored. “I need to meet with the better-looking Coven.” I glared back as her eyes narrowed. Try as she might, she still hadn’t acquired laser beams.

“We both know that’s a lie.”

Arthur stood in the doorway leading away from the reception area.

He didn’t have a snide remark for Janet's exasperated sigh for me. His hands remained shoved in his pockets as he stared into space. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about him felt off .

Though after the night I had, I could relate.

I’d never confess it, but Janet hadn’t been wrong.

I had switched my shirts three times this morning, hoping I’d bump into a certain mailroom employee.

“Arthur, are you doing okay?”

Not only did he not respond, but I don’t think he blinked.

I had seen him get quiet when Janet threatened to tell his childhood nickname.

Every time he bit back his words, he’d chew his lip, biting back a snarl.

Now, he did nothing but take up space. I gave him the once-over, curious if an alien parasite had attached itself.

“Earth to Arthur?”

He blinked, shaking his head. “Sorry, my mind was wandering.”

“More like it was playing leapfrog on the interstate,” Janet said. “Have you finally snapped? Are we going to need to install metal detectors so you don’t go postal?”

He shot her a dirty look. Normalcy had returned.

“I’m sure we can get you a room at the ‘clinic.’” Her air quotes weren’t lost on me. “We’ll tell everybody you needed a vacation.”

Arthur hid his face in the palm of his hand. “I’m not going to the funny farm, yet.”

Janet could have come back with a thousand replies, mocking him. She had them loaded and ready to fire like a machine gun. Instead, she glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. Her restraint spoke volumes. For the first time, she had genuine concern for her brother.

“If you need to take a day, I can monitor the upgrade.” He’d never agree. Arthur hadn’t missed a day of work since I started at the company. Even his long weekend getaway had been to network with other app developers. I admired his dedication, but it seemed to have taken its toll.

“I’ll be fine. I just need to focus on work.”

While he tried to convince us, my brain had gone into overdrive. Could it be the chemicals they put in the water supply? Did he receive an email threatening to share images of him mounting Ricardo unless he paid them money? He hadn’t given me much to work with… except the familiar hum of code.

I spun about, expecting to see Hudson behind me, the source of the increasing white noise. Nope. This was no time to think about green slime or kisses. Focus. My eyes narrowed, forcing my powers forward. Arthur wasn’t the origin; he was the target.

“I’ll be fine. I just need to focus on work.”

When he turned around and headed down the hall to his office, I glanced at Janet.

She didn’t open her mouth. All the theories I had been working on slipped down the priority list. There was an unknown force at work here, and I bet if I traced it back to the origin, I’d find Lizard people.

Or inter-dimensional aliens. Or a secret government agency.

“You have a theory.” It wasn’t a question.

Janet had seen me at work before. As much as I wanted to illuminate the issue, I didn’t know if I could trust her.

Had whatever affected Arthur gotten to her as well?

My inner circle had been compromised, and I didn’t know whom I could trust. I wanted to tell her. But what if she was compromised, too?

“Maybe.”

If I couldn’t trust anyone, I’d go back to the one person I did. Me.

I had plenty, but until I could be sure where her allegiances lay, I’d be keeping them to myself.

I slurped the last of my frappe, ignoring the tightness in my chest. Yesterday, I wanted someone.

Today, I couldn’t afford to. It would be less about work and more about hunting down the origin of this damned humming.

“You’re going to leave a sister hanging?” She shouted down the hall. “I hope the Masons come get you.”

At this point, that could very well be a reality.