Chapter 1 #2
They walked into a huge, open atrium. During office hours, she imagined the space was filled with couches and tables, to sit and collaborate.
A sleek reception desk sat off to one side.
The double-height, curved windows gave an exceptional view of the city’s skyscrapers and the Bay, with the Golden Gate Bridge just visible.
The floor was a pale wood in a herringbone pattern, and modern lights in the shape of circles hung from the ceiling.
Clearly, Haldon had spared no expense for their new offices.
A huge potted tree near the windows added a pop of striking green, and a string quartet set up in one corner was playing elegant music.
In the crowd, Brynn noted several of San Francisco’s wealthiest residents, a few local politicians, a local news anchor, and a famous filmmaker.
The men were in tuxedos and the women in glittering designer dresses.
“Drinks first,” her husband murmured.
He led them to the long bar set up to one side, and got her a soda with a dash of lime, and a bourbon for himself. They hadn’t gone far when they were accosted.
“Norcross, good to see you.” An older man in a tux held out a hand.
Her tough husband didn’t show it, but she knew he was already counting down the minutes until they could leave.
They mingled, and Brynn took full advantage of the delicious food being passed around by the white-uniformed servers.
She felt like she’d been constantly hungry for eight months.
She was sure this baby was going to be a food connoisseur.
She touched her stomach, and that flicker of excitement, mixed with love, hit her.
She couldn’t believe how much she already loved this little button.
She was excited to see the child she and Vander had made together.
“Vander, I’m so glad you could make it.”
Brynn looked up at the woman approaching. She was tall and slim, with large, dark-framed glasses, and wearing a fabulous column of green silk. Her brown hair was artfully streaked with gray, and Brynn guessed the woman was in her early fifties.
“Carolyn, thanks for the invite.” Vander shook the woman’s hand. “Carolyn, this is my wife, Detective Brynn Norcross. Brynn, Carolyn Stewart. CEO of Haldon Capital.”
The older woman smiled. “Brynn, a pleasure.”
Brynn shook the woman’s hand and instantly liked her easy smile and intelligent eyes. “It’s lovely to meet you. Great party.”
“It’s the highlight of the company calendar. My employees work hard, so I like to reward them with a fabulous party and a healthy end-of-year bonus.” Carolyn’s gaze dropped to Brynn’s mid-section. “I’m guessing there won’t be too many parties for you in the near future. When are you due?”
“Just over three weeks,” Brynn answered. “I’m definitely ready.”
Carolyn smiled. “Congratulations. We have two, all grown up now.” She looked around.
“My husband is here somewhere. I’ll introduce you later.
” She turned toward Vander, her gaze turning shrewd.
“I hope we can have our business settled before your baby arrives, Vander. Haldon would love to have Norcross Security onboard to ensure we stay safe.”
Vander inclined his head. “My team has been going over your proposal. We’ll schedule a meeting this week.”
“Excellent.” Carolyn waved a hand. “Now, go and enjoy yourselves.”
With a hand to Brynn’s lower back, Vander led her away. They wandered a little more.
“She seems nice.”
He nodded. “She’s sharp and ambitious, and good at making her clients money. But from what I hear, she’s also building her clients’ philanthropy to impressive levels. Encouraging them to use their wealth to give back, and outpacing similar investment companies’ efforts. I like that.”
“I like that too.” Brynn watched a young twenty-something, with a killer figure and tiny gold dress, give Vander a hungry look. Her gaze skimmed his body, her red lips parting.
Ugh, Brynn hated the instinctive sting of jealousy. Of course, Vander didn’t notice, but it didn’t stop her feeling the annoyance mixed with a side of unfamiliar insecurity. She hated doubting herself.
Brynn arched a brow at the woman.
She glanced at Brynn’s stomach, sighed, and turned away.
They found themselves by the floor-to-ceiling windows and she was ready to tear her shoes off and throw them in the trash. Her feet were throbbing and she really wanted Vander to give her aching back a rub.
Looking down at the streets below, she felt a little sense of disorientation. They were so high up. “Hell of a view.”
He sipped his drink. “What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him. “Nothing.”
He lifted a hand and traced the line of her jaw. “I know you too well, Detective.”
She sighed. “I…everything’s going to change.”
“I know.”
“I feel restless, irritable, and sometimes irrational. My body has changed, and…” She shook her head.
He leaned down, his nose running along the side of hers. “All that sounds normal.”
She tilted her head and cocked a brow. “You know that from when you were pregnant?”
“I had my freakout about this, remember. You reminded me that we could do this. Together.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Now I don’t feel sure about anything, Vander.”
His hand settled on her hip. “I’m right here, Brynn.”
“I know.” She huffed out a breath. “Hormones. Just give me a minute.”
“Ten more minutes and we’re going home.”
With a forced smile, she held up her empty glass. “All right, ten more minutes. I could do with another drink.”
“On it.”
She watched him stride away, the crowd parting for him. He moved in a way that had several people watching him. In the time they’d been together, that intensity hadn’t faded, it was just a part of him. You looked at Vander Norcross and knew that he could handle himself, no matter what.
It was the best thing she’d ever done, forcing that man to admit how he felt about her. Pressing a hand to her chest, she looked back at the view. After the baby came, she’d get back to feeling like herself.
She and Vander could do this. They could handle anything.
A scream split the air.
Brynn spun, her pulse spiking. Several men, all wearing animal masks, pushed into the party. They were all armed.
Oh, shit. Her chest locked.
How the hell had they gotten in? There’d been security guards downstairs checking invitations and manning the elevators.
One man in a black-and-white tiger mask lifted an AR-15 and fired at the ceiling. The gunfire was deafening, and more screams broke out, guests dropping to the floor.
“Nobody move!” the man bellowed. The mask covered most of his face, leaving only the bottom of his chin bare.
There were ten of them.
She tried to note heights, builds, clothes, masks, and their weapons.
A tall man stepped forward, scanning the room like he had all the time in the world. He wore a wolf mask covered in gray fur, and something about the way he held himself told her that he was the man in charge.
“Everyone put their phones in the box.” His voice was deep, and he spoke with an American accent.
One of the others, a man with a pink pig mask, walked through the crowd with a cardboard box. “Phones! Now!”
Frightened guests opened handbags and reached into pockets, pulling out cellphones.
She scanned the room. Where was Vander?
There was no sign of him at the bar. Pig got closer, and her breath hitched.
Her police badge was in her handbag. She carried it with her all the time, it was an ingrained habit.
Shit. She sidled closer to the potted tree, sitting in a large pot. As surreptitiously as she could, she pulled out her badge, and buried it at the base of the plant.
“Phone!”
She jolted and swiveled. Pig was right there. She could see his blue eyes through the holes in the mask. From what she could tell, he looked to be in his early thirties.
“Here.” She dropped her phone into the box.
He moved on. Across the room, she watched two masked men, a rabbit and a fox, dragging Carolyn Stewart out of the crowd.
What the hell were they after? And what did they have planned?
Brynn’s mouth firmed. She hated the helplessness twisting inside her.
But most of all, she wondered where the hell her husband was. She scanned the room again.
A shadow. There. To the right of the bar. She couldn’t make out details, but she knew it was him.
She tilted her head. Go.
He wouldn’t want to leave her, but he was the only one who could go and get help.
Then she swallowed and focused back on the intruders. One man gave a terrified woman a shove. With a cry, she careened into several guests. The man who’d pushed her, wearing a wild-boar mask, laughed.
Brynn cradled her growing child and smoothed her hand over her stomach. She glanced back at the bar. The shadow was gone.
Get help, Vander.
She prayed he wouldn’t do anything risky. Who was she kidding? Her husband was a born protector, and although he’d hate the label, a hero.
Now, she had to wait for him to make his move and help him any way she could.
Stay safe, Norcross, or I’m going to be really pissed.