Page 30 of Corbin
She rolled her eyes. She’d intentionally dodged a meeting with Leszek the last two times he called asking her to come by. She did not need anyone else hounding her about it, but she would not snap at Ivarson. “I’ll return his call when I have time. I’d like you to check on someone. Archie from my security team was badly injured. A large metal scaffolding fell on him. I don’t know the whole story of what happened, but I will. Please call Brody for an update on his condition.”
Ivarson’s face filled the review mirror with a look of concern that morphed into sad acceptance. He knew the hurdles in her life. “Yes, Ms. Givenchy.”
She leaned forward and slid the little curtain across the window separating herself and Ivarson, then pulled the tote bag she’d put inside the car earlier to her lap. Out came a pair of dark green dress pants she shoved her legs into while still wearing the skirt. Unzipping the skirt, she yanked it off, then shed the jacket, putting the folded pair on the seat to her left. Kicking off the uncomfortable spiked heels, she pulled on comfortable beige walking shoes with a groan of relief.
Next, she rifled through her large designer purse to double-check that she’d have what she’d need when she left the sedan. Her fingers closed around a switchblade of high quality. She shoved it into her pants pocket.
Chapter 6
As Givenchy strode off the stage with her heels snapping against the hardwood floor, Adrian spoke softly to Corbin. “She just lied.”
“Twice,” Corbin confirmed, struggling to get a feel for this woman. They never got to know each other as he’d wanted when they were teens. Maybe she was a homicidal lunatic. Or she could be as innocent as she tried to appear. Yet she’d lied about not talking to the injured security guard and about being driven home. Why?
Shaking off his suspicions, he asked Adrian, “What’s the plan now?”
“Follow me outside.” While striding toward the entrance door, he kept talking in a quiet tone, but one that Corbin could hear. “I didn’t want to do this, but we’re going to have to split up. She may eventually go home ... or not. I need to be here to find out what happened to another one of Beckham’s men, maybe catch someone lying to the police, and get a lead.” Adrian nodded as he approached the door guard and passed through quickly. He ignored the media shouting questions at anyone who would answer—a wasted breath with Adrian.
Corbin stayed on his heels and kept his head down, letting the cap visor shield his face above the dark beard.
“You follow Givenchy and call me when she reaches her apartment building, The Adair. It’s a converted warehouse in an older area of the city.” Adrian hurried over to where their bikes were parked next to the highway and added, “She mentioned her trustee, but she didn’t say that she was going there first.”
Corbin suffered a wave of stress when his task should have been straightforward.
Adrian must have picked up on that surge of emotion. He stopped quickly and turned around. “Question?”
This was Corbin’s chance to prove he could work solo. “No, I’m good. This is the first time being on my own. It’s been so long, it surprised me.” The absolute truth. He added, “But I can handle this. After climbing a mountain and facing bear shifters, this should be easy.”
His wolf grumbled,You suck at mountain climbing.
Corbin sent back,You suck at being supportive.
Adrian chuckled. “Good point.” He turned serious again. “Keep the phone Jaz stuck in your tank bag handy. Your ID ties you to my boss’s organization. If for any reason you have a conflict with someone, keep your cool and try to talk your way out of it. If you have no other way to survive, you can shift.”
“Got it. I don’t expect to engage with anyone.” He had questions for Givenchy, but not today while he was on duty. He slammed the lid shut on that part of his brain.
“We’re technically part of her security team while around her,” Adrian explained. “If anyone tries to harm her, we also protect the client regardless of any suspicions we might have about her at this point.” While Adrian continued dispensing advice, he shoved his cap into a saddlebag. “Should trouble arise and law enforcement gets involved, don’t panic. Be respectful and calm even if they take you in. We will send someone immediately.”
“Good to know. That had crossed my mind.” Corbin expelled a breath he’d been half holding. All he had to do was observe and keep his nose clean.
Adrian locked his hard saddlebag and straightened. “I’ll call when I have a handle on this situation so we can get back together, but ...” He glanced past Corbin. “Your assignment is leaving. We’ll talk later.” Then he turned and headed back to the theater.
You said this would be easy, Ares taunted.You already lost your target.
Jerking his head around, Corbin caught a flash of dark blue as a sedan emerged from a side street between the theater and an abandoned building also being worked on. The car pulled out and turned right. Corbin yanked his cap off and tossed it in his tank bag, then pulled his helmet on and snapped the chin strap. He climbed on his bike and kicked the stand up while starting the engine. With one rev of the engine, he wheeled out of his spot into a stream of traffic.
He stood on his highway pegs to see over a mix of vehicles. Where was the sedan?
There. Now to catch her vehicle.
Cruising in and out of opportune openings between cars and trucks, he strained to drive properly when he wanted to split lanes and catch up quickly. He had to change his thinking when on the hunt for a legitimate operation. He no longer answered to the Romanian. Vlad hadn’t cared if he broke a hundred laws so long as he succeeded at capturing Vlad’s prey.
Once that happened, the Romanian sent his henchmen to retrieve their trained shifter.
In the past, Corbin had been given the same assurance about someone coming for him if he landed in trouble, but with a different outcome.
Where Adrian offered security and protection, the Romanian would have beaten his human body bloody if he’d gotten caught by the authorities.
Vlad considered it a waste of money to grease palms to save an animal.
