Chapter 7 #2
Jasper started to speak but didn’t. He ran a hand around the back of his neck, blew out a breath. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You came for me tonight. You saved me. You didn’t make me leave Priss behind.”
“She’s important to you. Of course, I’d let her come.”
“I doubt Dr. Montgomery is thrilled about it. About either of us being here.”
“Vivi has birds, and you’re not the first client with a pet who needed a room.”
”Other clients have stayed here? With their pets?”
He nodded and the smile was back. “We’re a full-service security agency.”
“Impressive.”
“Just keep Priss away from Vivi’s parakeets, okay? Her office is in the west wing.”
“I’ll make sure Priss stays in my room.”
Another nod. “Come on. I’ll show you where it is. You’re welcome to stay in here, though, if it makes you feel more secure. Priss is allowed, too, so long as she keeps her hair off my keyboard.”
“Good luck with that,” Katherine said. She rose and picked up the cat carrier. With one last look back at the boxes, she used the panel to close and lock the door before following Jasper down the hall.
Everything was quiet now, except for some low conversation coming from one of the rooms. The voices were familiar—CB and Sebastian—but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.
The guest room was plain but clean. There was a twin bed, a dresser, and a small window with the curtains drawn. A bathroom was visible through a door on the left.
She set Priss’s carrier on the bed and opened it.
The cat stepped out, surveyed the room as though inspecting it to see if it met her standards, and jumped onto the bed.
She circled twice, settled into the comforter, and closed her eyes.
Whatever crisis the evening had offered, Priss had processed it and moved on.
Jasper stood at the door. “Try to sleep.”
“How can I after what happened?” She sank down on the edge of the mattress, fiddling with one of her earrings. The adrenaline had gone, and what was left felt like exhaustion wrapped around a wire. “Someone tried to kill me tonight.”
His voice was steady. “You’re safe here. I won’t let him hurt you.”
He was so certain, and her brain wanted to believe him. But her nervous system hadn’t gotten the message yet. “Do you think…?” It was preposterous but also the only thing that made sense. “Do you think the Agency sent him?”
He hesitated. “I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion, but he knew your name and that you’re an archivist.”
She shivered. “Because of this Cinder thing?”
“Is it possible it could be anything else? An angry ex? A dispute with a neighbor?”
She scoffed. “My life is all work. I don’t even know my neighbors, and my love life is…” She looked at the floor, embarrassed. “I’ve never married and haven’t dated in a long time.” Years. “Those relationships ended amicably.”
He nodded, seeming to process that. “Want to take a walk? Sometimes it helps to work on the cortisol when your mind won’t slow down.”
She looked at Priss, already asleep. “Yes. I’d like that.”
They walked slowly through the hushed compound in the dim light of the corridor fixtures. Jasper kept his voice low, and she matched it, the two of them moving through the sleeping building like a pair of mice.
He showed her the kitchen first. There was a long communal table, as well as several smaller ones.
Industrial appliances, including a refrigerator covered in sticky notes she couldn’t read from the doorway.
“This is where CB eats everything that isn’t nailed down,” he said, “and Garrett pretends he doesn’t notice. ”
She almost smiled. “Who cooks?”
“Mack, mostly. He’s better than the rest of us, but that’s a low bar. CB grills when the weather’s good. I make coffee and stay out of the way.”
The exercise room was next. Weights, a treadmill, and a heavy bag in the corner. Jasper glanced at the treadmill. “That gets used at five-thirty some mornings. It’s free the rest of the day if you need to burn off energy.”
She almost laughed. Exercise—especially running—wasn’t her thing. She glanced at his sneakers. “You run?”
“Every day. I prefer to take trails around here, but if the weather is bad or I don’t have much time, I’ll hop on the treadmill. Nobody else is awake at five-thirty unless there’s an operation.”
“An operation?”
“Protective detail.”
“Like this? Me. Now.” Her words tumbled out. “The kind you don’t work.”
He glanced at her. “My skills are better used behind a screen.”
She’d overheard Garrett ask if he was going to turn her over to one of the others. She’d felt a brief spurt of fear that he might. “Are you going to make CB or Sebastian be my bodyguard?”
He reached out and gently touched her bandaged hand. “No way. Afraid you’re stuck with me.”
A sigh escaped her lips, her body seeming to fold in on itself with relief. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “The best news I’ve had all day.”
He didn’t pull away. His dark eyes were pools she wanted to sink into. “I’ll find whoever is after you and stop them.”
Those eyes were full of sincerity. Safety, too. She wanted to live in them right now.
Her body moved toward him without thought, bringing her a step closer. Her breath quickened as she stared up into his eyes. “You were right about the danger.”
His gaze fell to her lips. “I hate that I was.”
It was all she could do not to take another step. “I’m scared, but I’m not going to hide. If what I’ve uncovered has made someone this worried, then it’s something big. Something the world needs to know about. I’m not going to keep quiet.”
He brushed a strand of her hair back from her face. “I know you’ll do the right thing. I need you to promise me something, though.”
“What?”
“That you’ll listen to me when I warn you about danger and follow my instructions. I know this world. I know what I’m doing. This isn’t the Archive.”
His hand was warm and calloused. She should let go, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She licked her lips and sucked in her bottom one. “I promise.”