Chapter 4
Back to HQ
She was ready to get on the plane and
she only had two bags. It wasn’t much for the time she’d spent here
but even less when you considered it was all she owned. Knowing she
would be moving around, she’d not accumulated much because moving
it all would be expensive and a lot of work.
It was a shock when she climbed aboard
and found Duroc already seated and when he looked up at her, he
didn’t look surprised. A mated couple she didn’t know well were the
other two who were leaving. Bindi made her way down the aisle and
sat next to Duroc.
“How long have you known I
was going?” Bindi asked.
“No one told me. It was a
guess. This isn’t the easiest place to live. They say it’s better
for those who are locals or mated to a local.”
“You’re leaving to go
someplace where it’s easier to live?”
“Exactly. I also will
probably workwork on some investigations. That pays better.” Duroc
explained.
“Why didn’t you tell
me?”
“Why didn’t you tell
me?”
“Touche’..” Bindi said. “I
wasn’t sure they wanted anyone to know, and I didn’t want anyone to
try to talk me out of it.”
“As much as they love you,
I don’t believe anyone would interfere with what you feel is best
for you.”
“You might be right. I
think many of them guessed anyway.”
“Some of them are trained
in observation. You need that for investigations. Doesn’t hurt when
you’re a bodyguard either.” Duroc offered.
“I’m considering saving up
the money to train in investigating.”
“They have three lists. One
is for setting up equipment.”
“Like we’ve been
doing.”
“Exactly. The next is for
investigating and the last is for bodyguards.”
“Why is bodyguard the last
list.” Bindi asked.
“There’s usually the most
danger. You’re guarding someone who feels at risk. A bullet meant
for them might hit you.”
“I thought most of the
cases Tyne covered were to prevent kidnapping.”
“That’s his white wolf
cases. The others are split about equally. Many are in cutthroat
businesses.” Duroc replied. He sounded like he knew something
personal about that. “That does increase the danger.”
“Would Tyne even let me be
a bodyguard?”
“Honestly? Probably not.
He’d test you, but if you can’t protect against multiple attackers
he won’t. Most of his clients are supes and they object to humans.
Only the fastest, strongest, and best can be allowed to be
bodyguards.”
“Seems unfair.” Bindi
observed.
“The clients decide what
can be done. If you want to stay in business, you work with
them.”
“Okay, you win.”
“I’m just trying to help
you understandunderstand.
“It helped. Supes seem to
look at things differently than humans do.” Not that she didn’t
already have some insight into that. In the pack she’d been treated
like a bottom feeder.
While it had been a rough place to
live, at first it had seemed like she’d been abandoned out in a
world that was even rougher. That changed as she learned the rules,
picked up experience, and got a little help from kind
people.
“Where did you go?” Duroc
asked.
“What do you
mean?”
“We were talking, and you
got distracted.”
“I guess I went off in the
past.” Bindi admitted.
“Good or bad?”
“As is often true, a bit of
both.” But more badworse at that time, she admitted if only to
herself.
“Why do I believe it leans
more to bad?” Duroc asked.
“I can’t say. Didn’t they
say we have a stop on this trip?”
“We’ll be stopping for an
hour to refuel and possibly drop or pick up passengers. Moe knows
how to get a flight to pay for itself.”
“By adding paying
passengers and packages?” Bindi asked.
“Yes. We had to stop here
anyway, and the plane is nowhere near full just employees on
it.”
“I think our stop isn’t far
away.”
“It’s at least an hour
away. We’re stopping at Billings Montana.” Duroc mentioned. “This
is around halfway there.”
“I wanted to see new
places, but the hour stop isn’t long enough to see
anything.”
“Most people don’t deplane
for short stops.”
“I won’t either. But travel
is why I’m interested in investigations.” Bindi
admitted.
“You’ve not gone many
places have you.”
“No. There was never any
money for travel. That’s what I hope to do soon.”
“All the overtime Tyne lets
us have, it makes money available for our dreams.” Duroc
observed.
“It does. That will help me
to do what I want. It wouldn’t hurt to make more money.”
“You can never have enough.
Are you tired? I should let you get some sleep.”
They turned off their lights and leaned
back. When they woke, the stop was being announced. Neither of them
was getting off the plane. For those staying onboard, a meal and
drinks was served.
“Not bad for plane
food.”
“You’ve been on planes a
lot?” She asked.
“Enough. The travel isn’t
the fun part of trips.”
“I can imagine that it
might not be. This trip hasn’t been exactly loads of
fun.”
“You’ve not enjoyed my
charm and wit? I’m hurt.” Duroc joked.
“That’s not what I
mean.”
“Planes aren’t known to be
comfortable in class.”
“Have you flown first
class?”
“I have, but rarely. When
you work as a bodyguard, you sit by the client and that is usually
first class.”
“That would be a good point
for taking those jobs.” Bindi said.
“Would you like another
drink?” The flight attendant asked.
“Yes, thank you.” Duroc
said and he got one for Bindi too.
He handed her a drink. “Thank
you.”
“You’re
welcome.”
They sat there talking about the area
around headquarters. “You make it sound so interesting. I didn’t
have time to see much while I was there.” Bindi
admitted.
“I’ll take you to see some
of these things.”
“Are you trolling for a
date?”
“You could look at it that
way. Would you go?”
“I might if you asked.” She
replied playfully.
They stopped talking as the plane took
off again. Once they were in the air, they were able to talk some
more. “Why don’t we go see Moe’s place on our next day
off?”
“You mean the
cats?”
“I believe she’s got a set
up now of an early American village.” Duroc admitted.
“How do you know about
it?”
“There was a threat and
Tyne sent me there to protect Moe. The village was already well on
its way to getting set up. Tourists were already touring it. I
think it was a blacksmith the ladies wanted to see. He used the old
fashioned tools and methods.”
“Was it interesting?” Bindi
asked.
“I thought so. The skill it
takes not to mention the strength and energy is amazing. He was
clearly a master. There are glass blowers set up too and they do
many things, not just bottles.”
“Can she make a living with
that?”
“Moe said she was doing
well. Her biggest problem is keeping good employees. They tend to
work just long enough to qualify for unemployment. Apparently,
that’s a big concern. My dad never had that worry.”
“He probably had mostly
pack work for him.”
“You’re right. Supes tend
to work harder and be more reliable.”
“At least they are for
their alpha.” She gave him a look that said she’d figured things
out.
“Or someone they
respect.”
“Perhaps.”
The conversation died and he got out
his laptop while she drifted off to sleep. She had no idea what he
was doing. A little sleep might do her the most good.
“We’re landing in an hour.”
Duroc observed as Bindi shook off the haze of sleep. “Do you have
somewhere to stay?”
“Yes, Ariel invited me to
stay for a while. What about you?”
“I’m renting a cabin on the
lake. Do you like to go fishing?”
“I’ve never
gone.”
“We’ll have to go
soon.”
“I don’t think we’ll have
the time off to do all these things.” Bindi admitted.
“We’ll see. I think we’re
about to land.”
“So soon?”
“You had a good nap.” Duroc
observed with a grin. “That makes time fly by.”
They landed twenty minutes later. Tyne
and Moe were there to meet them. “Good trip?” Moe asked.
“As good as can be
expected.” Duroc answered. That seemed to express everyone’s
feelings.
“We’re here to take
everyone where they need to go. Come on you, guys.” Moe directed.
The four of them followed her to a big SUV.
The mated couple was dropped off first.
“Now we’ll take Duroc.” Tyne decided.
They pulled up to a nice log cabin in a
prosperous area. A car was in the drive, and it was a nice one. It
looked like Duroc was rich or at least as far as she was concerned.
There was no way they would ever be a match. Even being friends as
they had been was bucking the odds. She’d learned that when she was
with her pack. Those that had weren’t interested in those that
didn’t, except maybe to play around.
Duroc gave her a friendly kiss then got
out and walked toward his house. He turned and waved goodbye at
them as Tyne backed up and took off. “I saved you for last. We’ll
get there just in time to be at the front of the line for supper.”
Moe admitted.
Moe was right. They made it just in
time to clean up then slip into place behind Ariel. The food was
amazing since the cook was doing German and French foods. Chicken
Anna Marie was one of Bindi’s favorites from when she’d stayed at
Ariel’s before. Several kinds of dumplings, sauerbraten and a wide
assortment of foods on the salad bar section made her mouth water.
An extra plate she filled with dessert.
Bindi sat next to Ariel as she’d
indicated. “It’s good to be back.”
“Brought someone back with
you?” Ariel asked.
Bindi nodded. “I don’t understand him.
I believe he’s rich and his father is the alpha. What does he want
with me?”
“Money and power aren’t
everything. He wants love. Do you love him?” Ariel
asked.
“I don’t know. I feel
something for him.”
“You’ve been through a lot,
but don’t let that make you throw away something special. The right
man can make everything good.”
Bindi grinned. “Like you and
Blake?”
“Don’t try to change the
subject. You know I’m right. Give the guy a chance.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Bindi said.
“It’ll be okay.”
“Goddess, I hope
so.”
Ariel was like her guardian angel. She
would stay here until a like lake front property with a house that