Live Wire (Ramsey Security #2)

Nodding, I leave him to his day at home with Harlow. I don't know what to do with myself afterwards. Only a few hours have passed, and returning too soon might make me seem desperate.

I sit in my car and struggle for something to do rather than return to the Sloane house. Soon I drive, hoping to find a distraction before I reach the estate's front gate. I find none and arrive at the house only two hours after leaving.

When Minka meets me outside the house, I assume the worst.

"What's wrong?"

"The dogs love me. I heard they hate you. Wonder why?"

Glaring at her smiling face, I ask, "Did you throw yourself at our client?"

"Yes. We humped the entire time you were gone. Wait, do you not like sharing?"

"I don't find you funny."

"How come you and I never bonded?" Minka asks, bumping me playfully. "With our history of cold mothers and blood money, we're like twins. I'm Arnold and you're Danny, of course."

I stare at her until she sighs. "You need to get yourself a Netflix subscription and catch up with the millions of movies you've missed."

"I don't enjoy movies."

"Brad does," Minka says, following me to the front door. When I pause on the porch, she presses against my back. "He has an extensive collection of spooky movies. You should ask him about it."

"Leave me alone."

"Why?"

Frowning, I shrug. "I'm not sure really. I chose to dislike you at some point, and I've seen no reason to alter my decision."

"I'm a great friend. We can gossip on the phone about boys."

"Did you happen to keep an eye on the perimeter in between talking about movies with Brad?"

Minka wraps an arm around me before I can walk inside. "He likes you," she whispers before letting me go.

I don't know what to do with this information. Minka walks past me into the house where the dogs greet her with hand licks. I'm glad they ignore me, but maybe I shouldn't be. My mother's words echo in my head, just as they have all my life. Her instruction made me a successful killer. I exist only to destroy life rather than enjoy it.

Today, I decide to ignore my mother's training and run hotter while on this job. Brad is beautiful, and I can't deny I'm interested in him. He seems to be interested in me. No doubt, my mother's soul is damned, so her training will now be too.





9


Saskia

Melodramatic Me

Before she leaves for the day, Minka and I do a final perimeter check. I know she's looking to tease me more about Brad, but I ignore her every attempt. I only want to lock down the place before the sun sets. Minka likes my idea of traps but agrees with Rafael that they're likely illegal.

Before she leaves, Minka leans down and whispers, "If you get another shot, take it and we'll clean up the mess."

"I will," I say and then force myself to warm up a little more. "Thanks for the info about Brad and movies."

Minka pulls me into a hug. "You're so adorable. A regular Princess Peach."

"Who?"

Letting me go, she sighs. "Google it."

I watch her drive away before doing another walk around the perimeter. The more I care about Brad, the more paranoid I am about his safety.

Despite my lust for the sexy giant, or likely because of it, I avoid him from the moment I return. Dodging him is tough even in a big house. Only when I know he's in the living room do I get a drink from the kitchen.

As I crack open one of the soda cans I bought, Ruth watches me, making no effort to pretend otherwise. I don't mind her gaze on me. She likely intends to intimidate, but the woman isn't scary. When she reveals herself to be a homicidal manic, I'll consider fearing her. Until then, she's free to stare to her heart's content.

"Are your parents alive?" Ruth asks, stirring a pitcher of tea.

"No."

"How did they die?"

"They were murdered."

"Is that why you got into this line of work?"

"Yes."

"How old were you when they died?"

I give Ruth a quick glance, realizing she's only partly interrogating me. The mother part of her is actually curious about the orphaned woman before her.

"My father was killed before I was born," I say without adding how my mother fired the weapon. "My mother died when I was seventeen."

"Any siblings or other family?"

"No."

My mind lingers on the worn face of the only person who ever probably loved me. Sela rarely smiled, but often her eyes were filled with warmth. Thinking of her makes my chest hurt, so I excuse myself from the conversation and leave the room.

Brad sits on the couch, watching TV. After all the effort to avoid him, now I join him immediately. He doesn't even look at me, but I notice a smile on his face.

"Are you watching a movie?"

"No, it's a TV show Ghost Hunters."

"What's that?"

"They go to reported haunted locations and try to get proof."

"Do they get the proof?"

"Depends on what you believe. Some of the things they show could simply be the mind playing tricks. Like they'll tell you the ghost is saying a word on a recording, so your mind hears the word."

"Why watch it?"

"It's creepy."