Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 87943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Geoffrey’s head popped up and his mouth fell open. “I’m sorry. Was that a joke? Did you actually crack a joke?”
Heat burned Sven’s cheeks and he knew they were turning bright red under Geoffrey’s gaze. He felt like an idiot, but his client was at least calmer now, looking decidedly less stressed. That was an improvement.
“I need to get my supplies and check the perimeter. Will you stay in the house while I’m outside?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered with a wave of his hand as if dismissing him. “I’ve got to get some work done in my office. I’ll be there until you get back.”
“You’ve got my cell number if you have a problem?”
“Yep.”
Swallowing back a sigh, Sven returned to the summer heat. He made a slow path along the immediate perimeter, checking for any footprints or indications that someone was lurking around Geoffrey’s house. He spotted only one footprint from what looked to be a work boot. It matched with the path of the lawnmower. He’d bet that the boot belonged to the landscaper, but he’d get the name of the landscaping company later so that Quinn or Gidget from the IT department could run a background check.
After making one complete circle, Sven moved out to the woods, searching for more footprints, paths, or signs that someone was regularly moving through the brush, watching the occupants of the home. He walked slowly, relying on the intense training that he’d received from both Rowe and Noah. The former Army Rangers knew their shit when it came to tracking and looking for signs that someone or something had passed through an area. He did what he could, but he never felt as secure in these skills. He was better at reading people, reading crowds, sensing the mood of a mob and knowing when it was about to turn. Maybe he could call on Royce or Dominic. They were a second set of eyes to put on these woods. They might see something that he was overlooking.
That would allow him to keep his focus on Geoffrey. Even now, a strong pull was trying to draw him back inside. He knew no one was there with him. He’d checked every inch of that house, and he’d kept it in view as he searched the woods. Geoffrey was alone. But until he could lock it down and put electronic eyes on it, he wouldn’t feel that Geoffrey was secure.
He stopped and gazed across the back lawn toward the house. The pool sparkled and danced in the bright late-afternoon sun. Birds chirped and swooped out of the trees to land in the perfectly manicured grass to hunt for a meal. There was the steady droning buzz of cicadas, rising and falling like a wave only to start all over again. It was just an average day, but it felt wrong because it started with a look of fear and pain etched deep in Geoffrey’s face.
But that wasn’t supposed to be Geoffrey. He’d seen the man here and there for more than a year. It was always with a smile on his face. Or a smirk. Or a leer. Or a wink and a dirty proposition. Geoffrey wasn’t supposed to be hurting or afraid. It made Sven want to break the one who’d touched him.
As the thought rushed through his brain, Sven shivered and forced himself to move again. He didn’t harm people. He protected them. That was his job.
He immediately headed back toward the SUV, where he grabbed his bag out of the passenger seat and returned to the house. Sweat ran down the side of his face and spine. The black T-shirt with the company logo clung to him, so he felt somewhat self-conscious as he crossed to Geoffrey’s office. He wanted to grab a quick shower and a change of clothes, but he first needed to set eyes on his client. Only then could he quiet the anxious voices in his head. Dropping his duffle in the main hall, he cut through the dining room and living room to the hall leading to the master suite. There he found Geoffrey seated behind a desk of glass and steel, looking like something out of a futuristic space novel. He was leaning back in his leather chair, frowning at his computer screen. In each hand, he twirled a drumstick as if they were there just to keep his hands busy until he was ready to type.
Geoffrey looked up suddenly and the dirty grin was finally back. “Wow. It’s like Ares has come to earth to punish me for being a naughty boy.”
“Ares?”
“You know, Greek god of war.”
Sven shook his head. “My parents made me learn the Norse gods.”
Geoffrey turned his seat and slid forward, putting both his feet on the floor. In his right hand, he twirled the drumstick a little while the left stayed steady. “You mean like Thor and Odin.”