Rhys stared at him.A recruitment agency?
It wasn’t hard to understand what the man was talking about, however – private companies were always trying to scoop up people like him, in the same way private security companies often went out of their way to hire ex-army, special forces, or spy agency members, though usually it didn’t happen until after they retired and were looking for easier work. Rhys wasn’t retired yet – or at least, hehopednot, though of course things were a bit dicey just now – so why was this guy coming after him?
And how did he even know I was… okay, well, I’m not actually fired yet, so I won’t think ‘fired’, but how did he know I might be?
“Sorry,” Rhys growled, feeling his griffin’s hackles rising. “Not interested. Maybe go recruit the door to find your way out.”
The man simply let out a light laugh. “Sorry, that was a little abrupt of me. I didn’t even introduce myself yet. My name is –”
“Like I said, I’m not interested,” Rhys repeated, his voice rising a little. He could see the fashionable mothers at the table by the window glancing his way, and, with effort, he lowered his voice. “Sorry. But for the moment, I’m happy where I am. You got the wrong end of the stick. Somehow.”
He wanted to ask the man – whose name he’d cut himself off from hearing – how exactly he’d known Rhys might be on the market soon, but he resisted. Probably the man wouldn’t tell him anyway, and Rhys knew from hearing about it from other agents that these ‘recruitment’ companies had eyes and ears everywhere. It didn’t necessarily have to be anything too sinister.
“You haven’t even heard our offer yet,” the man persisted, still with his small smile on his face. “Believe me – we have clients who’ll pay a lot of money for a man with your skills and abilities, and they offer very attractive salaries –veryattractive. As in, not only you, but your children and your children’s children set up for life kind of money.”
Rhys wanted to roll his eyes, but he held himself back. Maybe, if he’d been someone different, he would have been tempted – and to be honest, his griffindidperk up a little at the mention of how comfortable his family, if he ever had one, would be.
It would be providing for our mate, and our children,it pointed out.Our mate deserves everything we can possibly give her.Morethan we can possibly give her! And our brood of chicks, too.
We won’t be having chicks,Rhys told it.We’d be having babies. And aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? We don’t evenhavea mate, let alone chi— babies to worry about.
He briefly considered trying to explain to the griffin that money wasn’t really worth selling your soul, and in any case, he hoped the woman who was his mate – wherever andwhoever she was – would want a man who cared more about morality and integrity than about just getting money any way he could. Rhys knew that most private security companies only cared about the highest bidder and their own bottom line – they’d work for whoever had the cash to pay, no matter what their goals were.
But in the end, he decided not to bother – his griffin, while it could be sensible about some things, was probably going to be blinded by the opportunity to give their future mate anything anyone could ever dream of.
Rhys would have been lying if he said that idea – if nothing else about the offer – didn’t make him a little wistful, but then he shook himself out of it.
“Sounds great, but I don’t think I’m a good fit for the job.” Rhys kept his voice firm, not that it seemed like this guy was going to be easily dissuaded.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” the man said, sounding vaguely amused. “We take all sorts. And our clients are not as… bureaucratic, you could say, as some places. Many former agentsfind they’re much happier – and richer – after they make the switch. But wewouldhave to get a bit of assurance they’d be getting value for money.”
Frowning, Rhys narrowed his eyes.Is this guy saying what I think he’s saying?
“It wouldn’t be much,” the man continued blithely after a moment or two. “Just something small to prove you are who we say you are. Perhaps just a little information, or something to show –”
Heissaying what I think he’s saying!
The rest of his words were drowned out as Rhys’s temper finally exploded. He didn’t know if this guy was especially stupid, or whether the people he’d dealt with in the past were stupid, or what, but right now, Rhys could tell immediately what he was doing.
“You’re asking me to pass you classified information as part of this so-called recruitment process,” he growled, cutting the man off mid-sentence. “I assume that’s so you can say I’m compromised once I give it to you, and threaten to tell my boss unless I do what you say?”
Through his anger, Rhys was mildly gratified to see that the man briefly flushed bright red with anger.
Got it right, then,Rhys thought.Does that approach actuallyworkon anyone?
He realized a moment later, however, that his own temper had gotten the better of him – if he’d been thinking with his head instead of with his temper, he would have let this guy say his piece, nodded, told him he’d think it over and then run straight back to the Agency to report it, in case they tried this on anyone with a little less integrity.
… So maybe he wasn’t, in fact, in any position to be throwing stones.
“That’s not what I was suggesting at all, Mr. Richardson,” the man managed to get out through his incredibly clenched jaw. “But I can see you’re not interested in our generous offer. In that case, I’ll leave you to your coffee, and whatever remains of your… well, I suppose you could call it a ‘career’ if you’re not being too fussy about it. Good day.”
Rhys didn’t bother to answer –Who even actuallysays‘good day’?!– but half of that was out of irritation at himself for being so quick to anger.
Story of my life.
The man stood with as much dignity as he could muster, jerking his head to his two goons sitting at the next table in the universal signal for ‘we’re done here’.
Rhys watched them go from the corner of his eye. They hadn’t even ordered a coffee – so they were rude on top of being unethical.
