Chapter 12
“Wardens are responsible for passing on any potential clients and cases to their Human Resources leader. They are only allowed to work approved and assigned cases from HR, and any unapproved investigations will be considered an automatic write-up. Three write-ups is an automatic termination.”
Entity Employee Handbook: Warden Edition
“I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t see you walking there.”
His voice was smooth, with a low timbre that oozed confidence.
He spoke like a man who was used to being the center of attention, always had been, and could easily command a room with a mere glance.
The sharp lines of his clothes mirrored the sharp angles of his face.
Dark eyes, straight nose, cheekbones that sliced across alabaster skin.
He was handsome in the way a tundra is beautiful in its brutality.
His thick Southern accent was the only thing about him that didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Realizing she was staring at him, Alexys took a step back and shook her head. “Oh, no, it’s fine. My fault for walking and texting.”
His smile widened, but it wasn’t friendly. It was the kind of smile the cat would give the canary when it had the bird cornered.
Alexys shivered.
“I’m sure you’re a busy lady, Miss Keane.” Her name rolled off his tongue in that familiar drawl which from any other man would’ve sounded lovely. “Wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time.”
“Have we met before?” Alexys’ cheeks flushed. Of course they hadn’t, but there was something about him. That, and the fact that he knew her name.
“Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, but you did drop this.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a business card. “In the elevator this morning. I couldn’t resist taking a peek.”
Alexys immediately recognized it as one of her business cards.
The Entity logo on the back was unmistakable, and when she flipped it over, she found her contact information printed neatly across the back.
But how had it fallen out of her wallet, inside her purse, in the elevator?
But weirder still, she never handed them out, she only ever gave them to her Wardens or prospective employees.
His hand was still outstretched expectantly, so Alexys handed it back to him. He tucked the card into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, and some instinct inside her decided that was a terrible thing.
Needing to put herself on more equal footing, Alexys said, “Ah, I see, that’s me.” She let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Silas.” He offered his hand, and his unsettling smile widened further. “Silas Lockwood.”
“Pleasure.” Alexys tried to ignore the chill of his palm when she shook his hand.
“Well, Miss Keane, I’m afraid I have business to attend to, but it was wonderful to officially meet you.” He adjusted the lapels of his dark gray suit. “Be sure to stop by the front desk on your way out tomorrow. They tend to be far more helpful than they look.”
He winked and slipped past her down the hall, whistling a jaunty tune as he went.
Alexys stood still for several moments, listening to his footsteps recede and rubbing her hand against her pant leg.
Alexys wasn’t sure what made her do it, but there was something about the way Silas Lockwood held her hand, and the way he looked at her, it was strange.
She wished she’d had the wherewithal to pocket her business card.
When she could no longer hear his footsteps or his whistling, she walked briskly to Elliot’s room, unlocked the door, and slipped inside.
The room was pitch black.
Alexys scrambled along the wall, both arms searching for a light switch.
What she saw when the room lit up made her gasp.