Page 6 of Chained
Edge reached for the bag, but Brandt held on. “I can carry it myself. You’re security, not a bellhop.”
Perhaps he had something hidden in there. More guns? It rattled when he moved it. But he gave Edge a friendly grin instead of ordering him around like most of the other new prospects, which was a nice change. And when Brandt walked past Duke and Holt, he moved with a respectful confidence, treating them like a professional security detail rather than ignoring them or behaving as if they were mindless creatures.
“I’ve got this,” Edge said quietly to his brothers, and they trotted away.
“Wow. Those are some smart dogs.” Brandt watched them for a moment before hefting his suitcase and turning to face Edge. “Do I just leave my car here?”
“Are the keys in it?”
“Yeah.”
“Someone will put it in the garage.”
Brandt scanned their surroundings. “Which is where?”
“Under the house.” Camouflaged well by the landscaping and the contours of the property. The boss owned over a half-dozen vehicles, but he apparently believed it was gauche to look at them. He had a driver who doubled as his mechanic, spending most of his time underground like a goblin. Actually, he was small, wizened, and irritable, and he smelled odd as well. Maybe he really was a goblin.
Brandt took his time walking to the guest house, and Edge didn’t have any reason to hurry him. What did the estate look like to Brandt? A luxurious dream? It had looked that way to Edge when he and his brothers were brought here, all of them hardly more than pups. But for some time now, it had seemed more like a prison.
Back in his room, Brandt set the suitcase on the bed. “I’ve never stayed anywhere this fancy. Are there any house rules I need to know about?”
“Don’t poke around.”
“Yeah, you already told me that. Hell, I’d probably get lost in the main house without a guide. But you said I can use the gym downstairs, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Brandt strolled to the TV cabinet, which also housed a stereo system. He lightly stroked some of the knobs but didn’t turn anything on. “Is noise okay? I like to listen to music. I have a Discman and headphones if that’s an issue.”
“Noise is fine.” Nobody else was staying in the guesthouse except Edge and his brothers. Edge wouldn’t mind some music, and Duke and Holt could suck it up.
“Great. Thanks.”
Brandt spent several minutes inspecting his room and its contents, and then he unpacked his belongings. Aside from the Discman and a bunch of CDs, he’d brought a bag of toiletries, several sets of underclothes and socks, and a few T-shirts and pairs of jeans. Edge couldn’t easily smell the items from his spot near the doorway, but he didn’t notice anything remarkable. Except that Brandt’s jacket, which he hadn’t taken off, still smelled like a gun.
“So,” Brandt said after tucking away the empty suitcase near the dresser, “do you watch me nonstop? If so, maybe I need to find something interesting to do.”
Edge hadn’t realized how close his scrutiny had been. He pretended it was intentional. “My job is to see that you have whatever you need.”
“Thanks. I think I’m set. Except… lunch?”
“You can call for food.” Edge gestured toward the phone.
“Right. Have you eaten? Want to join me? Or is that a violation of protocol?”
No prospect had ever asked him this, and in fact, Edge had never shared a meal with a human—just with his brothers. The idea made his stomach clench uneasily. What if he did somethingwrong? He’d watched people eat, both in person and on TV, but maybe there were details he’d overlooked, things that would be obvious to a real person. But staying close to Brandt was his assignment, and the boss had ordered him to attempt to getveryclose. Refusing lunch wouldn’t help achieve that.
“I’ll join you.”
Seemingly delighted, Brandt used the house phone. Edge imagined that whoever was at the other end—some member of the household staff—was surprised at the request for two meals instead of one, but Brandt went blithely ahead as if this was no big deal. After he hung up, he turned back to Edge. “Can you tell me what to expect during my time here? I’m not asking for state secrets. Just, you know, a general idea.”
Edge took a deep breath. Strictly speaking, he wasn’t forbidden from giving details, but the boss’s implicit policy was for Edge to keep his mouth shut. The boss would reveal what he wanted, when he wanted.
But Brandt waited, and a few scraps of information wouldn’t hurt. Probably.
“You won’t see much of the boss for a while. He’s busy. He’ll drop in now and then.” And he’d demand reports from Edge, but Brandt definitely didn’t need to know that. “He might ask you do some things. You should obey.”
“What kind of things?” Brandt asked with a frown.
