“Probably a good idea. So…shoo. I am on my way to lunch now.” Dani stood and switched between her desk chair and the wheelchair next to it. Ward stepped back. “What exactly are you up to now, anyway?”
“Just checking on you. And…avoiding biologicals. Shayna sounds like she’s in a real…moment…right now.”
“That new tech that has the social skills of a raw potato threw out six of her biological samples on the case for REY. She is beyond angry right now, and that tech will probably be fired. Or transferred, by morning. He keeps man-splaining all of us women in here. He has very traditional views about women in science, and women working in general. I think this is his first week in a job. Ever. Or…his first week out of the homeschool and the cult.”
“I don’t think I have met him.”
“Probably a good thing. You are not missing much. Dude told me when he asked what I did for fun—he asked if I knit or bake—and I told him gaming. Then he told me that was a way to let sin into my life for which I will be punished someday. Computer games are an open invitation to sin.”
He blinked behind the shades he always wore. Like she’d actually surprised him. Dani just nodded. “Yes, he did. Then he started ranting about women with advanced degrees and them not able to handle medical school—that’s his plan, by the way, med school. Using this job to help pay for it, apparently.”
“And who did he tell this to?”
“Ally Reynolds, Mia Stephenson—and Jules Brockman.” Three physicians who had all studied at some of the best medical schools in the country, and had the street cred with PAVAD to make sure that lunatic didn’t get a single recommendation to any school—in this country.
Dude was so toast. Those ladies had some serious pull in the medical community.
“Ouch. Yep. Like I said, gone by tomorrow. I was just sticking close to the lab in case our samples got near his little paws.”
“How did he even get hired?”
“He’s a temp from that place downtown. The only one with lab experience. He’s a contract hire. Apparently, he passed all the background checks with flying colors, and should have been able to handle fetching and carrying just fine. And he kept his scales hidden during the interviews. Probably already be gone if Marianna wasn’t off this week.” The fearless leader of all things forensics was home with a nasty bladder infection, Dani had heard, and was quite cranky with it. Marianna never took time off. The woman was dedicated, that was for sure. Dani was looking forward to the moment Marianna met this lab tech. “Bound to be fireworks soon.”
“Send me a text when it’s time to stay clear.” He handed Dani her bag. She could have almost sworn the man’s hand had brushed hers on purpose. Ian Ward knew he freaked her out.
The jerk did it on purpose.
“In the meantime, I’m going to check in with Knight and Miranda. Make sure they haven’t…strangled…each other yet. Or…done something else.”
She shivered. The way he had said it…yeah, they were probably both thinking of exactly what else was going on with Miranda and Knight. Dani was a romantic, after all.
She was sure it was bound to happen eventually. Those two were just perfect for each other. They were the only ones who didn’t see that.
For now, she just wanted to put some space between her and Agent Ward.
Every spidey sense she had was tingling right now.
Dani didn’t know why.
Maybe it had something to do with the faint scent of the soap he’d used that morning mixed with the warm scent of hot man doing it. She might be freaked out by the guy but she couldn’t deny one thing: Ian Ward was as hot as ninety percent of the men around this place.
It was seriously hard to miss.
Chapter 27
Pierce was running out of time. He was hoping the man across the desk from him could help in some way he hadn’t already. But first, Rob wanted to know the true reasons behind Pierce’s resignation. The words had just come spilling out—Pierce was still damned conflicted.
"That's all you're giving me. What is this job really about and what is your hold up with it? The employer a monster?" Rob asked.
“My brother-in-law.”
“That billionaire guy that’s always in the news. What is he going to want you to do?”
“Babysit some of his sisters down there. His family; they have children. At least a few do. One is still a teenager, I think.” And that poor girl had been through hell recently. Pierce had met her several times. Penelope had deserved far better than what she had endured. He’d keep an eye on her—and get paid to do it. It was a damned big responsibility, but…hell, he did understand Luc wanting someone he trusted to watch over his family.
“Can you do the job?” Rob had always been one to tell it like it was. He didn’t sugar-coat. “If you can, and it’s better hours, better pay, and hell—a lot better weather, minus a few thunderstorms now and then, go for it. What about your boy?”
"If it was just me, I’d already be down there. But I’m just now figuring this whole being a father thing out.” He’d only had custody of Kai for nine official months. He’d only known his son existed for ten. His ex—she’d kept Kai hidden from him. Until she’d gotten so stoned the social services department in Vincennes had gotten involved. He’d only learned about Kai when the boy’s grandmother had refused custody of him while her daughter went to prison and told CPS Pierce was the father. He’d had to wait until DNA tests proved his paternity before he’d been given his own kid. He and Kai were still figuring things out. Pierce didn’t want to do anything to screw this up. “He clings to his routines, Rob. I don’t know that yanking him away from everything familiar is the right thing to do.”
