Page 1 of Guardian of Shadows

Chapter 1

Anthony was focused on his laptop when his twin, Tabitha, tossed one of her many designer purses onto her desk at Steele Securities where they both worked as private investigators and, when needed, security specialists. “You’re never going to believe who was at the gym this morning.” When Anthony didn’t bite, she huffed. “Tony!”

“What? I’m writing my report.” Anthony hated typing out summaries of their jobs. He’d rather be in the field chasing down criminals.

“Trista Bellinger.”

That got his attention. Trista was one of the most stunning actors to grace the silver screen. “What’s she doing in Atlanta?”

“Filming, of course. But get this. She’s portraying a badass heroine this time, and she hired Joey to train her.”

Joey Palamo ran his family’s business, Palamo Training. His dad, Malakai, was well-versed in several martial arts as well as boxing, and he’d taught Joey from a young age. “Why was she at Hartley’s Gym if she’s hiring Joey?”

“Joey was there leading a beginning kick-boxing class.”

“What were you doing there?” Tabitha was one of the best female fighters in their Clan.

“One of Jon’s new classes is for abused women, and he wanted a female with him to assure them they could trust him.”

Mason Steele, owner of their agency, knocked on the door of the office Anthony shared with his sister. “Good morning. Tabitha, I have an assignment for you. I just got off the phone with Trista Bellinger’s manager, and they want to hire us for security while she’s in town filming.”

Anthony eased away from his laptop, reclining in his ergonomic chair. “I’m not on a case.”

Mason leaned against the doorframe. “You are now. Besides, Miss Bellinger’s manager requested a female, and Tabitha’s up since Cailín’s busy. Finish your report while Tabitha and I talk, then come to my office for your assignment.”

“You got it, Boss.” After Mason walked away, Anthony narrowed his eyes at his twin. “Did you set this up?”

“Nope, but I did hear her manager ask Joey about private security in the area.” With that, she strode out of their office.

Anthony returned to his laptop, reading over the notes to ensure he hadn’t left anything out. Even though he didn’t get the job guarding the actress, Tony was thrilled to be given another case. He hated sitting around the office. By the time Tabby was finished getting briefed, Tony had submitted his report.

Tabby stopped by her desk for her purse. “Let’s hope Trista isn’t a diva.”

Anthony smirked at his twin. “Yeah. It’d be bad having someone try to one-up you in that category.”

“Damn straight.” Tabby flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. “Call me later?”

“You know it.” They might not look like twins, but there was no one Tony was closer to. Not even his cousin and King, Sebastian, though he did come in a close second. “Stay safe out there.”

Tabby blew him a kiss as she sashayed out of the office on her five-inch heels. Anthony stood and stretched, then entered Mason’s office. Mason was on the phone and held up one finger, indicating Anthony should wait, so he walked to the window and looked outside. The sun was shining, but being late January, it was a crisp day. When Mason ended the call, Tony walked past his boss’s desk, glancing at Mason’s laptop. The screen glitched, giving Tony pause. As quickly as it shimmered, it righted itself, showing a lithe blonde with... What the fuck? He continued around the desk and took the closest chair, wondering if he was losing his mind.

Mason leaned back in his own chair and clasped his hands across his stomach. “The Trio was asked to investigate a series of bank thefts. A female approaches the teller to make a large withdrawal from her account, only it isn’t truly the owner. The issue is that this woman hits different banks in different cities but somehow matches the identification she gives the teller. When she leaves, she disappears from the feed. The cameras have supposedly been tampered with.”

The Trio was the collective name given to two of Tony’s cousins, Carleigh and Harlow, along with a dire wolf shifter, Nikita. They owned H3, a cyber security company, and they were some of the best hackers in the world.

“You said supposedly. Was that not the case?”

“Not that they can find, and when they tried to locate her on CCTV cameras afterward, she isn’t anywhere in the vicinity.”

“So what? They think she’s a ghost? Or is it possible she’s put on some type of clothing that obscures her appearance on the cameras? Is that why your laptop glitched? And why not hide her face inside the building?”

“If special clothing were the case, she wouldn’t be seen inside the bank either. She’s on camera, all the way through the lobby, until she’s out the door. When they cut to the feed at the front of the building outside, she’s gone. I want you working with the Trio to find this female. And what do you mean my laptop glitched?”

“When I looked at your screen, the image... shimmered or something. Maybe you have a virus?”

“I shouldn’t, considering Carleigh monitors my systems.”

Anthony rubbed his eyes. He felt off, so maybe he’d not seen what he thought he had. “And you want me to find her how?”

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