Page 23 of The Protégé

My stomach growled, and I decided to pick up something to eat before diving back to work. On the street, I heard the commotion from the car accident.

“He was crazy, officer! He saw me coming and sped up!” said an older man, looking distressed. A Subaru was smashed against his landscaping truck.

“It’s so sad. He must’ve been on drugs or something,” said one woman to another.

Moments like these reminded me that life could end in one second. So I walked across the street to get my dinner so I could enjoy every second of my life. As I stood on the sidewalk witha group of people waiting for the walk sign to appear, a woman exited a familiar car on the other side of the street.

Elena—my new employee—stepped out wearing a FoodHub T-shirt and matching cap and entered an office building carrying a bag of takeout. A FoodHub magnet glowed on top of her Honda Civic, still dented from crashing into my car.

She delivered food? Why? She was a seasoned journalist. I looked at her old car that desperately needed repairs, if not replacing altogether. But I’d learned you couldn’t know someone’s story from a glance. Some people were experts at hiding their flaws...and their monsters.

What was Elena’s story? She had asked me for an advance before she even started working. Was she in a financial predicament?

She came out of the office with a smile on her face, entered her car, and drove off. My eyes followed her as she disappeared into traffic. I desperately wanted to order something online so FoodHub could deliver it to my office. Instead, when the walk sign blinked on, I headed to a food court. I could ask her on Monday how many jobs she has.

CHAPTER NINE

ORION

Inside Remi’soffice at the Krazee Tavern, I sat at the table sipping A Grumpy Old Man while waiting for Attikus to arrive.

“What are you drinking?” I asked Remi, who wore an aqua shirt that made his dark hair stand out.

Smiling, he lifted his thermal mug. “Audri made me chrysanthemum tea. It’s good and helps me stay sane on chaotic days. You know how our schedules can be.”

I sipped my drink. “You don’t look like a chrysanthemum tea kind of guy. Scotch is more like you.”

Smiling, he placed the mug down. “It’s still my drink on some days. But I’m trying to maintain good health. The tea is superb. Want to try some? I have another mug over on my desk.”

“No thanks. Audri made it for you. I’m good with mine.”

Remi was a changed man. When I first worked with him, he was a man dwelling in darkness, but now he was beaming with...love. I supposed the right woman could inspire a man to change.

Kate popped into my vision. A beat later, Elena’s face intruded into my thoughts, startling me. No woman hadinterrupted my thoughts when I walked down memory lane with Kate.

Feeling guilty, I pushed Elena away to think about something else. Anything but her.

Partygoers cheered in the banquet room, and I focused on that. The restaurant was a hotspot for Providence, Rhode Island, bringing in an eclectic crowd.

Then my mind wandered to my mentor’s death. If The Trogyn or someone associated with them had killed The Condor, then they could be anywhere. They could be the guy with spikey hair having a drink with his buddies in the far corner. Or the woman enjoying an appetizer with her friends.

What had The Condor discovered that had gotten him killed?

“You okay?” Remi eyed me from across the table.

I debated on whether I should tell him about my mentor. Remi, Royce, Grayson, Forrest, and Arrow were busy trying to locate elite members of The Trogyn. They were supposed to attend today’s meeting but couldn’t make it. I didn’t want to inundate them with my personal issue until I knew for certain it was connected to The Trogyn.

“It’s been a hectic month. I just acquired a new company, and your drones are almost ready. With so much going on, I haven’t had time to work on Level Six yet. I know you’re waiting for the demo. It still needs some changes.”

“Don’t stress about it. Let it sit for as long as you need. Don’t push it.”

“Thanks. I’ll share it once I make all the changes.”

“The version I saw was fantastic.”

“Thanks, man. It needs something I can’t see right now.”

I didn’t know why, but I felt like it needed a change in direction. I hadn’t touched the game in a while because of my crazy schedule and the lack of motivation.

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