The unassuming ranch-style house was in a quiet neighborhood. I double-checked the address I’d been provided and grabbed my bags from the trunk. It had been a few decades since I’d been to the Midwest, but yep, still pretty freaking flat.
As I walked up the front path, I felt a twinge of nerves. Dad called to congratulate me on my new assignment with only a small amount of amusement. Brenda, however, laughed her ass off.
“See, if you’d listened to me and been more open to assignments, you wouldn’t get sent toLittle House on the Prairie.”
Austin, Minnesota wasn’t, 1870s television, but it was a far cry from my home in Northern Virginia. Some of the differences were improvements. The traffic didn’t suck so much, the people weren’t in such a hurry, and it didn’t feel so crowded. Sure, there weren’t coffee shops every few blocks and the top chefs weren’t in driving distance, but I’d been a noted chef for fifteen years. I’d survive.
The living room was nicely furnished, if a bit bland. Leather couch, a couple of wing chairs, glass coffee table, and anentertainment center linked to the house’s Bluetooth sound system. Since I was alone, I checked out the rest of the place. Three bedrooms, one big, two much smaller, master bath, and one in the hallway. The master bedroom had a king bed, the others had queens. It was livable at least.
Not seeing any indication we’d been assigned rooms, I left my bags in the foyer. Orion was my senior and I didn’t need an awkward confrontation over territory.
Ten minutes after I’d unpacked my laptop and files on the dining room table, a car pulled into the driveway. I’d felt Orion’s aura before; it was him. Standing, I steeled myself to greet my partner.
The door swung inward and in walked Orion Blake. My heart might’ve actually skipped a beat. Fuck, I forgot how hot he was in person. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a plain T-shirt that clung to his biceps. He radiated strength and confidence.
His brown eyes scanned the room before landing on me. He studied me closely, and I felt self-conscious under that piercing gaze.
“Nice to see you again, Ezekiel,” he said in a deep, resonant voice.
Dad warned me not to expect him to be open and effusive, but his personality was borderline sterile. I nodded and forced myself to smile. Nothing batshit crazy about that look. “Good seeing you again. You can call me Zeke.”
He gave a curt nod of acknowledgment and an awkward silence stretched between us.
“I didn’t claim a room yet,” I said, gesturing vaguely down the hallway. “I thought you’d like to have your pick.”
“How considerate of you, Ezekiel,” he said in a tone that implied he found very little about me considerate. He breezed into the bedroom hallway without another word. A minute later, he returned and found me rooted in the same place.
“I took the second room on the right, closer to the bathroom. You can have the larger one if you like.”
Orion focused on me again, but it was less judgy. It still felt like he was searching for something, but we’d moved past trying to find faults or flaws. “That’s very considerate of you, Orion.”
Fanboying only lasted until the first dick move. If he thought he was going to cow me into place, good luck with that. Michael said I was in charge, and while I wasn’t going to be a jerk, neither would I be a punching bag.
“You’ve got your sister’s sass.”
It wasn’t a total insult, but I didn’t feel the love. “We get it from Mom. Anyway, since the pleasantries are over, we should get to work. I’ve set out everything Michael gave me, and I wanted to go over my plans for the week.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Bit premature for plans. I haven’t assessed you yet.”
Good thing I hadn’t unpacked. If Michael hadn’t told him I was in charge, this would be a short assignment. “I don’t need your permission. My one condition for accepting this assignment was that I’m in charge of the investigation.”
Again, he studied me, and I’d have given a lot to know what he was thinking. “And you will be, but I’m in charge of your safety. Your father is one of my few friends. Myone conditionwas I’m in charge of your safety. I get to review everything to be sure it’s safe.”
What the fuck? How dangerous was this mission?I’d learned a long time ago to compromise whenever possible so I could focus on fighting for what mattered. Veto power, however, was the same as having the ultimate say. “Understood. What happens when we disagree?”
“If the argument is sound, there shouldn’t be disagreements. But I guess you could always ask your father to mediate.”
It was the second time in one minute he’d mentioned my father. “Dad’s not here and he didn’t give me this mission. If we don’t agree, either I do it my way, or I take the highway. Then you can explain it to Michael.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. You think you know Michael, but take it from one who really knows what he’s like, you won’t score any points running to him whenever you get your feelings hurt.”
This was a pointless discussion. I wasn’t going to out dickhead the king dickhead. “Got it.”
I packed up my stuff, shoved it back in my case, and zipped it shut. Without sparing him a glance, I grabbed my suitcases and headed for my room. Time to go home.
“Get changed. Gabriel had a training room installed. We’ll meet in an hour for a practice session.”
I ignored him and shut my door louder than I planned. Petulant child wasn’t the look I wanted to project. I pulled out my laptop and started an email to Michael, letting him know I was resigning. Three sentences in, my door opened, and I flicked my wrist and slammed it shut.
