12. Special Investigations, the Werewolf Way
12
Special Investigations, the Werewolf Way
I turned at the sound of Samuel’s voice and nearly swallowed my tongue.
The man had been handsome as sin in casual clothes last night. In a perfectly tailored charcoal suit and silver tie, he was devastating in an ovaries-exploding kinda way. Even his work glasses looked more expensive than my monthly rent.
“You’re drooling,” Bo observed in a low undertone.
I closed my mouth. “I’m not.”
Samuel’s lips twitched as he approached us, like he could hear every word. He probably could, what with being a werewolf. His expression cooled as he turned his gaze on his brother.
“I believe I was clear about you taking the day off.”
“I just wanted to welcome Abby to the firm.” Hugh’s voice had turned decidedly sullen.
“You’ve done that. Now leave.”
“But—” Hugh fell silent at Samuel’s frown.
Samuel sighed. “Look, Mother and I are still deciding what to do with you, so how about you lie low for a while?” His gaze held a measure of tired resignation.
Hugh swallowed. “Alright.” He slinked toward the elevator.
I reminded myself that I shouldn’t feel terrible for the guy since he was the reason I was in this mess in the first place.
Samuel waited until Hugh was gone before addressing me. “My office is this way.” He glanced at Bo’s service vest and looked like he was biting back a smile.
I followed him past the open office, conscious of the stares following our progress. The guy with the horns accidentally set some of his paperwork on fire and cursed as he fumbled for an extinguisher.
“Is it always like this here?” I asked warily.
“This is a quiet day.” Samuel led me down a corridor lined with meeting rooms and opened a door marked CEO at the end. “Usually there’s at least one explosion before lunch.”
His office was exactly what you’d expect from a high-end corporate type: all dark wood, expensive leather, and rich furnishings. My gaze moved from the floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the park to the wall of security monitors showing various areas of the building.
I was about to comment that this seemed a bit excessive when it dawned on me that this was a business belonging to one of the most powerful families in Amberford.
The Hawthornes probably had as many enemies as I’d had hot dinners.
Samuel indicated a Chesterfield sofa next to the fireplace before heading for the newfangled coffee machine on a sideboard.
“Drink?”
“Coffee, black.” I hesitated. “Two sugars.”
He saw Bo eyeing a selection of fresh muffins and tossed him one.
“Thanks, bro.”
“Don’t call me ‘bro.’”
Bo was too busy snarfing his muffin to answer him.
“By the way, he doesn’t need to wear that service vest,” Samuel said. “Pets are allowed in the building.”
A shining light of adoration gleamed in Bo’s eyes. He wriggled out of the vest in a flash and rolled unashamedly around on the floor until he clocked my frown and Samuel’s mildly disapproving look.
To my surprise, the werewolf took his coffee with a hefty amount of cream and four sugars. He brought my drink over and sat on the chair opposite.
I pinned him with a hard stare. “How about you tell me why Audit or Die is part of your business?”
Samuel had the grace to look uncomfortable behind his glasses. “It’s the human front of Hawthorne & Associates. We only deal in supernatural affairs under our real name.”
My fingers clenched on my porcelain cup. “Were your auditors the ones who recommended I get fired?”
“No.” Samuel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I spoke to Dave last night, after you told me what happened. He said your reports were the only ones that made any sense.”
I recalled the man with the piercings and purple hair we’d bumped into outside.
Samuel hesitated. “The rest of your firm’s accounting practices were highly questionable.”
My irritation drained away. “I can’t deny that.” I took a sip of my coffee and played with the handle of my cup before looking at him from under my lashes. “Did you offer me a job out of pity?”
Samuel’s expression turned serious. “No. I offered you a job because we need someone with your skills.” His gaze turned a little heated, making the mate bond spark between us. “I would be lying if I said the fact that you’re my luna didn’t influence my decision one iota. But I’m also running a business. I wouldn’t jeopardize this firm’s future just for your sake.”
My breath caught. Though his words were cool and practical, his face was anything but. I crossed my legs nervously and shivered as his eyes focused on the shape of my calves.
Noisy panting had us both turning.
Bo was sitting on his rump grinning at us knowingly.
“He’s far too sassy for his own good,” Samuel said thinly.
“I have to live with him twenty-four seven,” I muttered.
“I didn’t say anything,” Bo protested.
“You didn’t have to.” I finished my drink, put the cup down with a decisive clunk, and studied Samuel with a faint frown. “What does Hawthorne & Associates do?”
For once, he looked relieved at the question.
“We are a full-service financial firm serving the supernatural community in Amberford and several of the neighboring towns,” he explained. “We deal with everything from cursed object insurance to vampire investment portfolios. We also handle more delicate matters. Ones that are never made public.”
My wolfy sense tingled. “Define delicate.”
Samuel leaned his elbows on his knees, his face growing focused. “We investigate supernatural fraud and track down stolen magical items. Managing territorial disputes between different species also falls under our remit.”
I recalled what Mrs. Chen had said concerning the strange tales circulating about the Hawthornes and wondered if their secret activities were feeding the rumor mill.
I hesitated before asking him about it.
Samuel grimaced. “Your neighbor told you that?”
“She was just trying to help,” I protested.
“I thought I smelled a witch in your building when I came to pick you up last night.” Samuel rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, those rumors concern our undercover work. We can’t exactly shout it from the rooftop that many of the people who’ve suddenly disappeared from Amberford are criminals currently sitting in Darkside Prison.”
Darkside Prison was a huge correctional facility in the mountains between Amberford and the next town.
I raised an eyebrow. “Even those small mom-and-pop businesses she mentioned that went under?”
Samuel’s mouth pressed to a thin line. “They are the worst. You have no idea how many gun-toting and knife-wielding moms and pops I’ve had to face over the years.”
Surprise shot through me. “You get down and dirty with the business?”
I realized how the words sounded the moment they left my mouth. I pinched my lips closed. Heat crawled up my neck as Samuel’s curved in a wicked smile.
Bo was wheezing.
“Sometimes,” Samuel drawled. “When it’s an important assignment or the suspect is known to be especially dangerous.”
I waited until my face cooled down before asking the most salient question of the morning. “What exactly would my role be in your firm?”