anything got knocked over, she’d have a hell of a time retrieving it.
The bastard had better hurry the hell up with whatever got him running—her arm was already starting to ache.
****
Seven Security was so named because of the seven people who founded it—Mike and six others he knew and trusted. An unoriginal name, perhaps, but he preferred simple over fancy, and it hadn’t hurt business thus far. The company was born from Mike and two of the members leaving their previous place of employment four years earlier, and they hand selected members of the team. Ex-military and police. Lawyer. Former art thief who said lawyer had gotten acquitted of charges. Computer hacker. Criminal psychologist. They covered their bases with all aspects of security so they could take on a variety of clients. Then there was Mike, who was a jack of all trades but master of none, striving to keep a balance so he had an overview of everything and everyone.
Two members of Seven Security were waiting for him in the hotel lobby.
Benji and Belladona were siblings—twins, in fact. Benji, the resident hacker, worked mostly from the company’s office in Midsummer, which meant he most often ended up running errands. His sister had dabbled, nearly finishing training to be a police officer, nearly getting her private investigator license, and even going back to school for random courses, but she’d stuck with the company, thankfully, proving she was capable of committing to at least something.
Benji stood in greeting—he was two inches taller than Mike and imposing with broad shoulders, particularly for a guy whose job didn’t require him to be. But he held himself with caution, always, big shoulders tensed and turned inward, head slightly bowed, like he expected either a sharp word or a blow from anyone he encountered. Still, he smiled—was always smiling—with his lips pulled back to show straight white teeth contrasting dramatically with the dark brown of his skin.
Belladona’s physical presence was entirely the opposite. She was tall and slender but remained seated instead of rising like her brother, and her shoulders were thrown back, chin lifted with confidence and just a touch of defiance no matter who she spoke to. Her black hair was wound up in a knot with a pen tucked through it, exposing an unsmiling face and steady dark eyes that never wavered.
The hotel lobby was small and almost claustrophobic, with plants loaded around thick columns near the reception desk to one side and the couches where his coworkers sat in a small grouping on the other, little space between for foot traffic. But it was also blessedly quiet even for the middle of the day and Mike sat across from Benji and Belladona without worrying they’d be heard. His knees nearly bumped the coffee table between them and Benji noticeably sat at an angle so he wouldn’t suffer the same fate when he folded his large frame down as well.
“How’s the brat?” Belladona asked, at last a smile tugging at her lips.
While Mike hadn’t called Liliana that directly, clearly they’d filled it in based on his description of the job thus far.
“Handcuffed in the shower,” he replied. “So about as expected.”
She snickered while Benji shook his head.
Belladona shifted forward in her seat and withdrew an inch-thick file folder from the messenger bag sitting on the floor next to her. She set it on the coffee table and spun it to face Mike. “News is not great.”
He didn’t think it would be, not after their conversation yesterday around the time Liliana stole his shoes and ran. Benji had picked up some chatter that there was news about the Hartleys, none of it good, and Mike had directed them to dig up everything they could. Today they insisted on coming here directly to speak with him instead of passing it by phone, which wasn’t a good sign.
He opened the folder and drew in a sharp breath.
Photographs rested on the top of the pile. Full color glossies
The bastard had better hurry the hell up with whatever got him running—her arm was already starting to ache.
****
Seven Security was so named because of the seven people who founded it—Mike and six others he knew and trusted. An unoriginal name, perhaps, but he preferred simple over fancy, and it hadn’t hurt business thus far. The company was born from Mike and two of the members leaving their previous place of employment four years earlier, and they hand selected members of the team. Ex-military and police. Lawyer. Former art thief who said lawyer had gotten acquitted of charges. Computer hacker. Criminal psychologist. They covered their bases with all aspects of security so they could take on a variety of clients. Then there was Mike, who was a jack of all trades but master of none, striving to keep a balance so he had an overview of everything and everyone.
Two members of Seven Security were waiting for him in the hotel lobby.
Benji and Belladona were siblings—twins, in fact. Benji, the resident hacker, worked mostly from the company’s office in Midsummer, which meant he most often ended up running errands. His sister had dabbled, nearly finishing training to be a police officer, nearly getting her private investigator license, and even going back to school for random courses, but she’d stuck with the company, thankfully, proving she was capable of committing to at least something.
Benji stood in greeting—he was two inches taller than Mike and imposing with broad shoulders, particularly for a guy whose job didn’t require him to be. But he held himself with caution, always, big shoulders tensed and turned inward, head slightly bowed, like he expected either a sharp word or a blow from anyone he encountered. Still, he smiled—was always smiling—with his lips pulled back to show straight white teeth contrasting dramatically with the dark brown of his skin.
Belladona’s physical presence was entirely the opposite. She was tall and slender but remained seated instead of rising like her brother, and her shoulders were thrown back, chin lifted with confidence and just a touch of defiance no matter who she spoke to. Her black hair was wound up in a knot with a pen tucked through it, exposing an unsmiling face and steady dark eyes that never wavered.
The hotel lobby was small and almost claustrophobic, with plants loaded around thick columns near the reception desk to one side and the couches where his coworkers sat in a small grouping on the other, little space between for foot traffic. But it was also blessedly quiet even for the middle of the day and Mike sat across from Benji and Belladona without worrying they’d be heard. His knees nearly bumped the coffee table between them and Benji noticeably sat at an angle so he wouldn’t suffer the same fate when he folded his large frame down as well.
“How’s the brat?” Belladona asked, at last a smile tugging at her lips.
While Mike hadn’t called Liliana that directly, clearly they’d filled it in based on his description of the job thus far.
“Handcuffed in the shower,” he replied. “So about as expected.”
She snickered while Benji shook his head.
Belladona shifted forward in her seat and withdrew an inch-thick file folder from the messenger bag sitting on the floor next to her. She set it on the coffee table and spun it to face Mike. “News is not great.”
He didn’t think it would be, not after their conversation yesterday around the time Liliana stole his shoes and ran. Benji had picked up some chatter that there was news about the Hartleys, none of it good, and Mike had directed them to dig up everything they could. Today they insisted on coming here directly to speak with him instead of passing it by phone, which wasn’t a good sign.
He opened the folder and drew in a sharp breath.
Photographs rested on the top of the pile. Full color glossies
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