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Authors: A.C. Arthur
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another foyer. Men dressed in tuxedos, women in evening gowns and diamonds galore headed in that direction.
They were all going to the same function, one of the biggest political rallies of the year.
It had been rumored that Kensington was going to run for the Senate seat Baines’s death left vacant, but most thought it was just rumor. Rome had been one of them. Ralph Kensington was a loudmouthed lobbyist. He’d gotten his break after heading up the IT department of Slakeman Enterprises. The story was that Kensington found Bob Slakeman a buyer for his latest military-strength rifles, even though military officials had already declared the guns unsafe. The buyer had been foreign, and few details were given about the sale. Kensington suddenly became a richer man with aspirations in the direction of politics. Nothing had been proven and as far as Rome knew there was no ongoing investigation. That was a shame because he was sure there was more to the story.
Rome’s second closest friend, Xavier “X” Santos-Markland, worked with the FBI. As a shifter himself, X kept an eye on the government’s activities, especially in the area of suspicious beings. He reported directly to the Assembly, giving reports also to the Faction Leaders anytime there was activity or special investigations in their regions. He lived here in DC, but he traveled constantly in his role as special director at the Bureau. So far, X hadn’t reported anything on the Kensington–Slakeman connection, although Rome had given him a heads-up about the situation almost a year ago. That just meant the government, as usual, would be the last to know when something went down in their own backyard.
Eli and Ezra were behind them, inconspicuously close, just as Rome suspected other bodyguards were to their employers throughout the massive ballroom they’d just entered. There would be some pretty powerful people in attendance tonight, powerful people with money. That seemed to be the name of the game lately. But Rome was here for a different reason. He was here to see Josef Bingham, his parents’ attorney.
“How long do you figure this’ll take?” Nick asked, flicking his wrist to look at his watch.
“Got another hot date?” Rome asked, looking around the room. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he had to. The sooner he found Bingham and got what he needed from him, the sooner they could leave.
“Nah, not tonight. I just don’t like the company we’re in.” Nick frowned as he looked around. “Too many bullshitters in one room for me.”
Rome nodded. “I’m with you on that one. But it’s a means to an end. Kensington wanted us here, sent a special invite, remember.” One that Rome would have respectfully ignored had it not been for Bingham’s follow-up message asking for this meeting.
“I remember. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. Doesn’t feel right.” Nick was rubbing his chin, his fingers moving over the thin goatee he’d let grow in. Tension radiated from his body as his cat strained at the surface, ready for battle.
Rome had felt that, too, the edgy need to fight, to protect. Stateside shifters didn’t fight often. They weren’t in the jungle and strived to act more humane than their counterparts in the Gungi. But tonight, something was setting them off, irritating the beasts within until they were on edge.
“I know how it feels. Keep your eyes open. There’s someone I have to see.” Rome started to move away when Nick took his arm.
“Take Eli with you.”
Rome nodded, turned to give a barely there signal to Eli, and walked away. Nick knew Rome was searching for his parents’ killers. He knew that Rome wanted to search alone, so that if he found any information that might be sensitive to his parents’ memory, he could keep it quiet. So both he and X tried to give Rome the space to deal with this situation. But by no means was Rome in this alone. He and X had Rome’s back just as they knew he
They were all going to the same function, one of the biggest political rallies of the year.
It had been rumored that Kensington was going to run for the Senate seat Baines’s death left vacant, but most thought it was just rumor. Rome had been one of them. Ralph Kensington was a loudmouthed lobbyist. He’d gotten his break after heading up the IT department of Slakeman Enterprises. The story was that Kensington found Bob Slakeman a buyer for his latest military-strength rifles, even though military officials had already declared the guns unsafe. The buyer had been foreign, and few details were given about the sale. Kensington suddenly became a richer man with aspirations in the direction of politics. Nothing had been proven and as far as Rome knew there was no ongoing investigation. That was a shame because he was sure there was more to the story.
Rome’s second closest friend, Xavier “X” Santos-Markland, worked with the FBI. As a shifter himself, X kept an eye on the government’s activities, especially in the area of suspicious beings. He reported directly to the Assembly, giving reports also to the Faction Leaders anytime there was activity or special investigations in their regions. He lived here in DC, but he traveled constantly in his role as special director at the Bureau. So far, X hadn’t reported anything on the Kensington–Slakeman connection, although Rome had given him a heads-up about the situation almost a year ago. That just meant the government, as usual, would be the last to know when something went down in their own backyard.
Eli and Ezra were behind them, inconspicuously close, just as Rome suspected other bodyguards were to their employers throughout the massive ballroom they’d just entered. There would be some pretty powerful people in attendance tonight, powerful people with money. That seemed to be the name of the game lately. But Rome was here for a different reason. He was here to see Josef Bingham, his parents’ attorney.
“How long do you figure this’ll take?” Nick asked, flicking his wrist to look at his watch.
“Got another hot date?” Rome asked, looking around the room. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he had to. The sooner he found Bingham and got what he needed from him, the sooner they could leave.
“Nah, not tonight. I just don’t like the company we’re in.” Nick frowned as he looked around. “Too many bullshitters in one room for me.”
Rome nodded. “I’m with you on that one. But it’s a means to an end. Kensington wanted us here, sent a special invite, remember.” One that Rome would have respectfully ignored had it not been for Bingham’s follow-up message asking for this meeting.
“I remember. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. Doesn’t feel right.” Nick was rubbing his chin, his fingers moving over the thin goatee he’d let grow in. Tension radiated from his body as his cat strained at the surface, ready for battle.
Rome had felt that, too, the edgy need to fight, to protect. Stateside shifters didn’t fight often. They weren’t in the jungle and strived to act more humane than their counterparts in the Gungi. But tonight, something was setting them off, irritating the beasts within until they were on edge.
“I know how it feels. Keep your eyes open. There’s someone I have to see.” Rome started to move away when Nick took his arm.
“Take Eli with you.”
Rome nodded, turned to give a barely there signal to Eli, and walked away. Nick knew Rome was searching for his parents’ killers. He knew that Rome wanted to search alone, so that if he found any information that might be sensitive to his parents’ memory, he could keep it quiet. So both he and X tried to give Rome the space to deal with this situation. But by no means was Rome in this alone. He and X had Rome’s back just as they knew he
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