would’ve gotten away with it in the Army. But he deserved it
for that crude remark.
“Mouth, Hayes—I’m still your superior.”
“Then act like one, Sir.” She remained calm. His remark was
uncalled for and they both knew it.
“Being too confident and not assessing the danger has gotten
more than one operative killed. And as much as you’d like to think this is
about our hookups, it isn’t. You will do as I say because I’m your commanding
officer. Are we clear?”
“I haven’t disagreed, with the exception of the pin, Sir.”
“I want you to wear it. You’re entering their world now. It’s
not necessarily death I’m concerned about. They could turn you into one of
them. Do you want that to happen?” He squeezed her arm hard.
“Let go, damn it! I have no intention of becoming the next
statistic.” She was done with this conversation. It was time to go.
“Wear it. That’s an order.” He handed her back the tracking
device.
“All right,” she sighed, exasperated, sticking it back on
her lapel. “Can we go now?”
“Ladies first.” He released her arm.
Emma grabbed her raincoat and headed out the door, not
bothering to wait for him. She bristled inside at the way he threw his weight
around. Still, whether she liked it or not, he was her superior and had the power
to pull her from this mission if she stepped too far out of line. She usually
didn’t question authority, especially after eight years in the service, but the
lines between them had become blurred.
Luckily the operation was already in motion. He couldn’t
pull her now without having to start all over again and they might not get
another opportunity as golden as this one. It wasn’t easy to get inside Voss.
The company’s hiring requirements were stringent.
One of her fellow operatives held a van door open for her as
she emerged from the building. There was the smell of rain in the air and a
heavy fog blanketed everything.
“Are you ready, Agent Hayes?” He smiled.
“What do you think? Let’s roll.” She got into the van and Cain
climbed in after, taking the seat next to her. Emma couldn’t help but suspect
he was becoming a real problem, wanting things she wasn’t prepared to give. Sleeping
with him had been a big freaking mistake.
Cain was quiet as they drove to Brentwood, which was a
relief. The peace and quiet gave her time to focus on the mission. The van
stopped in front of her rented flat, where she would pick up her car for the drive
into London.
“Don’t remove that tracking device—and watch your ass,” Cain
said as Emma climbed out of the van.
“I know what my orders are, Sir.” She walked away without a
backward glance.
Emma got into her vehicle and drove the twenty miles to
London while watching the sun go down in her rearview mirror. A slight chill traversed
her spine at the thought of the world she was about to enter.
Let’s do this…
Chapter Three
Voss International
London, England
It was well past dark when she pulled into the parking
garage of Voss International. Her new assignment meant she’d be working mostly
nights and some days, depending on Mr. Voss’ schedule. The company’s official
explanation was that Mr. Voss worked at night to accommodate their foreign
clients. She wasn’t shocked she’d have to work evenings. She also wasn’t
surprised they’d hired a human. Having a human assistant meant she could take
care of things for her boss during the day when necessary. Made sense. Why have
a vampire assistant who couldn’t go out during the most common business hours?
“I need to see some identification, miss,” the security
guard at the gate said.
“Here you go,” she replied, handing him her license. He
looked on a clipboard.
“Yes, Miss Parker, you may park on Lower Level Six.” He
handed the license back and waved her through the gate.
She drove past the guards and made a mental note of the
black globelike security cameras strategically placed in every