Page 33 of Guardian
“That’s in line with what I’ve heard.”
The more I think about it, it’s also the only venue that makes sense.I spin Ravi’s phone on the table, letting my vision go unfocused as I wait for it to come to a stop.Then I read the email again.
Nobody wants tainted goods, pretty.
My brain’s a little slow thanks to the beers I’ve had, but there’s no way this email is anything but a giant, flashing warning light.This is a vague threat, a spider toying with Ravi, waiting for him to wander into a sticky web.
“I’m going to forward you an email.Do me a favor and find out anything you can about the sender.”
“Sure, boss.I’ll see what I can do.Any background other than the email?”
Nothing I wish to discuss.I’ve had enough emotional purging for the time being.
I push away from the table and head for the door as Bev shouts “Good talk!”at my back.
Chapter Twelve
Ravi
“I don’t understandwhy Daniel’s paying for me to stay here.”
I’m in a hotel room that probably costs more a night than what I paid for my car.
Channing, the guy who’s supposed to guard me until the auction, comes back from checking all the bedrooms and the bathroom.“Mr.Corvus wants to protect his investment.”
Practically the second my signature was on that contract, I was whisked into an SUV that still had its new-car smell and driven to the Premiere, the most expensive hotel in Belle Argo.I can see the ocean from the window of my suite.
Mysuite.
I’ve never stayed anywhere like this in my entire life.It’s got two bedrooms, a spacious living area, and a wide balcony that stretches across the living area and both bedrooms.It’s filled with not only fancy-looking furniture, but also vases and little plates on the tables, and various other decorative things I’ve only ever seen in pictures of rich people’s homes.
There’s a little table on the balcony where you can eat.So adorable.
Adorable, but… “This has got to be expensive.”
“Mr.Corvus mentioned that you had been previously imprisoned in a small bedroom.He wants to be clear that these accommodations are for your protection and comfort and doesn’t wish for you to feel trapped.It’s extremely important that this auction not be done under duress.”
Am I less imprisoned when the setting is nicer and I have a seven-foot-tall guard?“What does it matter?I already signed the contract.”
“It’s messier.”Channing’s got one of those smiles that always seems a little bit predatory.Almost wolflike.
I’ve really gotta stop reading those smutty paranormal novels.They’re really hot, though.Like…the one where bosshole billionaire shifter Maddox Remmington turned his subordinate into a wolffor reasons,and then they got trapped in an elevator together during the full moon and were forced to have violent knot sex?
Yes, please.If I could, I’d live in that fantasy forever.And I really do wish I could.
That’s not the point though…
“I could have crashed on someone’s couch for a few days,” I tell my new bodyguard.“This seems like way too much.”
There’s a large flat-screen on the wall in the center of the living area.Not to mention an honest-to-God dining room table.My parents and I only ever used the dining table on holidays.Liam doesn’t even have one.The dining room is where he keeps his gun safe.
“Well, I haven’t been small enough to sleep on someone’s couch since I was twelve, and Mr.Corvus wants me to keep an eye on you.Besides, the more comfortable you are, the better the auction will go.”He shows that predatory grin again.“Gotta make sure the merchandise stays in good condition, yeah?”
“Okay, but…” I take a breath, trying to hide the full body shiver I get when he refers to me as “merchandise.”
Channing is a big guy.Like, a biiiig guy.Liam’s formidable at six feet tall, with the kind of muscles that come from more than using those machines in the gym.I’ve never seen anyone who didn’t find him a little intimidating or at least see him as someone they needed to respect.This bodyguard guy Daniel stuck me with?He makes Liam honestly look closer to average in size.
It’s hard not to think, is he really here for my safety?Or because Daniel Corvus considers me a flight risk?Something tells me if I wanted to go for a walk on the beach alone, I’d find out real quick that I don’t have much more freedom here than at Liam’s.
