Page 58 of Broken (Powertools: The Shields 4)

James’s carefully chosen words made it obvious this was one final test. “Yeah. A lot of the people who work here are in non-traditional, poly relationships. Myself included. That’s not a problem, is it?”

“Not to me.” Karolena wondered what it would be like to have the freedom to love whomever she chose, whether that was one person or several. But she didn’t even dare to dream that big. A safe haven and a salary she could use to start building a new life was more than she’d expected.

If she’d been alone in a bathroom right then, she might have wept.

James stood and she mimicked him as they headed for the door. The instant he opened it, the din of people moving around, music from the party site, and the flurry of activity from the catering crew became more apparent. This time it didn’t unsettle her as much.

“Welcome onboard.” James smiled kindly at her as he handed her a set of keys.

To her own place. He had no idea the gift he’d given her.

Except he took a little of the shine off when he said, “Let me get someone to show you around while I’m busy with the celebration details.”

Before she could assure him she’d rather explore on her own, he called out to the door-holder and his giant friend. Okay, so her luck hadn’t improvedthatmuch.

“Hey, Tavish, Legend.” James waved them over and they came at a jog. “Come here. I want you to meet your new neighbor.”

“What?” Oh no. Not only working for them but living next door? Karolena tried not to let her eyes bug out but they must have noticed.

Tavish chuckled as Legend introduced them and confirmed that they did indeed live across the hall from the vacant apartment. Her new home.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll leave you three to it so I can get out there before these dumbasses set something on fire or—”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than aboomrattled the windows.

Legend threw an arm protectively around Karolena and Tavish stepped in between her and the plate glass. Even as strangers, their first instinct was to shelter her, not exploit her. But despite their reflexive reactions, there was no attack. No assault.

Instead, a guy with perfect slicked back hair ran away from a crate marked flammable as another dude covered in black-and-gray tattoos wearing an arm brace was tailed by a huge blond guy with a beard. More fireworks shot from the side of the container that had obviously gone off by accident.

They were aimed directly at a hideous green vehicle with a black pipe sticking up from the hood, dark tinted glass, and wheels that were far too big for its tiny frame.

“Not my baby!” James shrieked, and ran outside as Tavish and Legend began cracking up.

“You’re laughing at his car getting destroyed?” Karolena flung out her hands as she turned on them. Maybe they weren’t so different from the men who’d made her life a living hell before.

“Don’t worry, it’s bulletproof,” Legend promised her.

And he seemed to be correct. The mortars that exploded against its vibrant paint seemed to have no effect at all on the automobile. But then several skidded under the car before they exploded in a rainbow of sparks that bounced the car up off the pavement.

The rest of the crowd streamed through the doors and into the lobby where they watched the disaster unfolding from the safety of the headquarters.

A bald man with a thick Latin accent wearing a shirt that readHot Rods Restoration Garagetrotted over to James and patted him on the back. “Don’t worry. We can fix it. Just a scratch, I’m sure.”

A bunch of other men seemed to concur, until the sparks died down and James asked, “Why is there so much smoke? Does it seem like there’s more and more of it instead of less?”

“Uh oh.” Tavish hid his laughter behind his hand, which was disturbingly pretty like the rest of him.

Legend groaned and asked one of the guys with the Hot Rods shirts, “When you added that snorkel, didn’t you say the car was waterproof?”

They got quiet, their reassurances drying up.

James took his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. “Yes, we have an automobile fire at Shields Security Services. It’s going to require special assistance. Right. It’s a waterproof car. Uh huh. Great, thanks.”

Before he’d even hung up, sirens wailed. Fortunately, Middletown’s firehouse wasn’t far away, like most things in the small city. By the time the fire truck flew into the lot practically on two wheels, the car was engulfed in an impressive ball of flames.

“Wow.” Karolena whispered, setting off another round of giggles from Tavish.

A group of six firefighters piled out of the truck and started doing their thing as the captain jogged into the building and tipped his hat to one tall man with short-cropped hair. “Hey, Jordan. What’s going on? And what the hell is that thing out there?”

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