Pete Shapiro's company-issued phone beeped as he walked down a deserted hallway in Rothchild's Labs.Problem? He doubted it.What he liked most about working night shift as a security guard is that he didn't have to talk to anyone. He and the other guard interacted only a few times during the shift and that was just fine for Pete. He wasn't a people person. Choosing to be a loner most of the time, he just liked his own company. Which always makes him wonder why he'd agreed to be a partner in the pop-up nightclub Grotesque. He still shook his head at that. He'd been dragged along and had just never shaken loose from that group. They were all ex-military and they understood each other. They called him Eeyore because he always saw the negative in any action. He glanced down at the phone. "Could this be a glitch?"Like setting up a permanent home for Grotesque. He didn't see why they had to change things. Trent, one of his four partners, had bought a building and was renovating the top
When Jenna opened her mouth to speak he put up his hand. "Do your job Jenna. I want that report on my desk by the end of the day."She had gotten it to him, but she'd held back some of the sample that the company had given her. Despite her boss not wanting her to, she had been determined to test it, and she had. She'd run the sample through another test, and it was just finishing up when she arrived at the lab. Her boss would know she'd been in, but she could explain it away. She'd never lied to her boss, but something about this ingredient bothered her. Something about the company bothered her. She hadn't been given the full story, but she was going to figure it out. The name of the company hadn't been on the report she'd been given which was odd. She'd signed a non-disclosure agreement so that she would know who she was working with. It wasn't essential to her job, but it helped her know what they were looking for. The people who wrote the report she read weren't scientists. Someti
His phone went silent. "Is there a problem?" Jenna asked."Don't know.""Do you know the cause of the power outage?" she asked. "Not my concern at the moment.""Well if it's temporary we could wait it out," she said. "Miss, please stop talking. I'm thinking."Well. Okay. She crossed her arms. She could think her way out of this problem. If he could by pass the electronic doors they could be out of here. What was he waiting for?Before she could open her mouth a shrill siren went off. **Crap. Someone—or many someones—were in the facility. The backup generator hadn't come on, but Pete knew the route to the exit. How were the intruders getting in? "Let's go."His best bet was to get out. He had to get the scientist out since he had no idea what was going on and he didn't have the wherewithal to make a stand. If Anthony was gone then Pete was on his own. He grabbed the woman's hand. "Come on.""I'm Jenna."She wanted an introduction? "Pete."He dragged her down the hallway. "Could
Pete paced as they waited for Donal. He wanted Jenna away from him as soon as possible. If she was his fairy, he wanted nothing to do with her. Having watched his father die a slow death without his mother had convinced Pete he wasn't interested in finding his fairy. His relationships lasted only six weeks. That was his rule. Any longer, and he would risk getting too involved. Of course, he'd known none of them were his fairy. Still, he hadn't risked his heart. He could live his whole live by himself."Do you have to pace?" she asked."Yes."He didn't make eye contact with her. His uniform scratched and he undid the top button on his shirt. The weather was turning and thankfully the humidity was almost gone for the fall. She was attractive. Dark curls had fallen out of her bun. They framed her round face. He shouldn't notice that. He shouldn't notice in the rising light that she had dimples in that round face. "Should we talk about it?" she asked.That question stopped him. Had she se
Jenna had to agree with Donal and Pete. There were no coincidences. She must have stumbled onto something, and someone didn't want her to stop. It was like something out of a thriller novel. Then there was whatever Pete had turned into. That might be something to explore another day. Donal pulled into a parking lot of a chain coffee shop. Not her favorite, but she needed the caffeine to clear her head. The method of getting it into her body was secondary. She ordered her coffee and the three of them settled at a table far from the window. A television murmured in the corner, but Jenna didn't really see anything. "Jenna?" Donal said.She shook herself. She hugged the mug in front of her trying to put on her clinical hat. She had to think logically about what the next step was for her. She couldn't go back to the lab since she'd removed material. Did they even know? Had they figured it out? The cameras hadn't been working since it had been dark. "What?"Donal cleared his throat. "Do
Pete's heart went out to Jenna who had lost all of her belongings. He didn't know when or if they could get that car for her. Maybe Donal would have a plan. Pete was out of practice with these things. He just put in his time as a security guard and put in his time as a bouncer and owner of a nightclub. He didn't take responsibility. For anyone. He barely took responsibility for himself. Poor Jenna if he was the gargoyle for her. He truly wasn't. He didn't think he could protect anyone. At least, he hadn't been able to protect anyone when it was important. He shook away that memory, not wanting to think about that now. Right now, he had to plan how to get away from Jenna. "You really don't like me," she said.There was no rancor or even any insecurity in her words. She just stated it as fact. "I don't know you."She frowned. "Well if it's such a problem then leave me with Donal."He couldn't do that. No matter how much his rational brain wanted him to. Some other part of him—maybe his
What Jenna had happened upon wasn't part of what she'd been assigned to do. It was semantics.She knew she shouldn't reveal anything. Then again, these men who didn't even know her were willing to protect her—even without her coming clean. They stared at her as Donal tucked away his phone. Her company wanted to speak with her. She knew that she shouldn't go. Not if they could think she was part of some raid against the lab. She'd worked for the company for five years. No blemishes on her record. Why did they think she was involved? Just because she was there? It was unlike her to be there after hours, but it had been a coincidence."I'm not political. I do my job and go home," she said. "This isn't about your behavior," Pete said."Probably not. I did have a conversation with my boss recently," she said. "What about?"She took a deep breath and then launched into her story. "My job is mainly to find out the ingredients in foods. A company buys a smaller company and then wants to be
"I need to power up the office. It isn't our permanent space yet, but Tex and my brothers are on their way."Donal nodded then stepped back into the elevator. The doors closed on him. Pete swallowed hard. "Let's find those bathrooms.""I'd like to get clean."Pete led her down the most obvious hallway. He came to the first bedroom and poked in his head. There was a closet and a bathroom off this bedroom. Pete stepped into the room and opened the closet door. "There are some clothes.""I'll see if some fit."They were dancing around something, but Pete wasn't sure what it was. He would give Jenna as much space as she needed. The day had been terrible for her, and he had no idea how to soothe her. Of course, he didn't want to. His rational brain screamed at him to leave, to just go somewhere else. If Jenna was his fairy, he wanted nothing to do with her. But he couldn't leave. The part of him that had served his country, that had embraced being a soldier, couldn't leave her behind. She