He smiled back at me, his dark eyes sparkling with humor and a touch of mischief. "He was. Now, I'll let you get back to the project you're currently working on. Are you sure that you'll be ready to start on Monday next week?"
Since I still hadn't found anything regarding Rhiannon, I was almost certain I would be free. And if I did happen to come across some information about her, I could pursue it on my own time.
"I'm sure."
"Okay, then. I'll have my assistant get to work on the paperwork and information you'll need. Feel free to contact me or her if you need anything."
"I will. Have a good week."
He walked me out to the lobby of the suite. Marcel was nowhere to be found. Strange.
"I'll speak to you soon, Merry," he said. "Have a good day."
As I walked back toward the elevator even the silence and vacant offices that had creeped me out earlier couldn't deflate my bouncy mood. That was one of the best job interviews I'd ever been on. After my initial nerves had faded, I enjoyed talking to Mr. Dumont. No, Andre. I liked thinking of him as Andre.
I took the elevator downstairs and all but burst out onto the sidewalk into the sunshine. I slid my sunglasses on my nose, tilted my head back toward the sun, and smiled.
It wasn't yet eleven and the single Pop-Tart I'd eaten earlier was long gone. I decided to treat myself to a coffee and pastry at that little coffee shop down the street from my hotel.
I climbed into my car and drove back toward my hotel. I decided not to go upstairs and change before I went to The Magic Bean. I parked in the hotel lot, made sure my car was locked, and headed toward the sidewalk. As I walked, a flash of black caught my eye and I glanced to my right, to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. My eyes scanned the crowd before I faced forward again, my brain taking a moment to decipher what I'd seen.
My feet faltered for a split second before I forced myself to keep going.
The flash of black had been Marcel, the man from Andre's office. And he'd been staring right at me.
The hair on the back of my neck rose and, on instinct, I stuck my hand in my pocket.
My empty pocket.
In my tizzy this morning, I'd left my vampire-strength Taser and pepper spray in my hotel room. I probably shouldn't use it on a human, but I wished I hadsomethingto use to protect myself. I panted as I walked a bit faster. My first thought was to run back to the hotel, but I didn't want to lead him straight to my room. My private room.
I kept moving toward the coffee shop. Maybe I could slip out the back. Or find someone to help me. I cut my eyes to the left and looked at the reflection in the store window. Maybe he wasn't following me, but had business here.
No, he was still there, keeping pace with me on the other side of the street, his head turned toward me.
I walked faster, almost jogging now, and nearly breathed a sigh of relief as the sign for The Magic Bean came into view.
I heard tires screech and a car horn blow. I turned my head and saw that Marcel was crossing the street with no regard for traffic. He wore black sunglasses, but I knew his gaze was locked on me.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I turned and ran toward the store. I could hear people shouting at him as he crossed the other lane of traffic and knew that if he got his hands on me, I would disappear forever.
I pounded down the sidewalk and jerked the door of the shop open, all but falling inside. Blind with fear, I took two more steps and crashed into a hard body. Hands grasped my elbows to keep me from falling to the floor.
I tilted my head back, gasping for breath, and stared up into familiar blue eyes. The same ones I'd been enamored with in my dream last night.
"Marcus?" I gasped.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his hands pulling me closer. "What happened, Merry?"
The edges of my vision turned grey, then black, narrowing with each beat of my heart. My body felt so heavy, as if my limbs were weighed down with stone. "He's coming," I whispered. "He's coming for me."
"Who? Merry, who is coming for you?"
I shook my head, trying to form coherent words, but my tongue was thick and didn't obey my commands.
My last thought as the darkness closed over my head was that I'd never told Marcus my name, except in a dream.
