You know why I won’t.
Bah! You’re being stubborn. How’s he supposed to know he’s ours otherwise? Gryphons don’t have fated mates.
Tabitha’s beast was correct, but she wouldn’t budge on this. She would not trap him by admitting what he was to her. She had come close during their weekend together. Leaving Major in New York when Mason called her home for a job had been disappointing, but in the months since, they had texted and called each other quite often. Major Lazlo, hot male specimen of the Gryphon kind, was goofy and thoughtful. He was fierce and funny. She wouldnotthink about the sex, at least not until later when she was alone in bed and not worried about her charge in the next room.
When Major and his dad had gone to West Virginia to help Sebastian go up against Dakota’s former wolf pack, Major jokingly asked if Tabitha was as hot as her mother. That pissed Anthony off, but it was smoothed over quickly. Tessa hadn’t waited to get home to call Tabitha and tell her about the hot younger Gryphon. She was intrigued, so when she visited her parents, Tabitha dropped by the Steele Securities office to meet the male, and he asked her out for a drink. She had immediately felt the telling nausea indicating he was her mate when he kissed the back of her hand. Of course, she said yes. Who was she to deny destiny?
With Major living in New York, the logistics of a relationship weren’t the best. He had his brother and twin sisters there, while Tabitha had Anthony, his newmate, and all their cousins in Atlanta. Granted her parents and little brother were in New York, but Tabitha couldn’t see leaving Georgia any time soon.
That was a problem for future Tabitha. She picked up her phone and typed out a text.
Me:I hear you’re headed to my neck of the woods.
Her phone soon pinged with a response from THM, or Tabitha’s Hottie Mate.
THM:Yes ma’am. Can’t wait to see your pretty face. Flight booked for the a.m. Gotta stop by the office and pick up a vehicle, then I’ll be there.
Someone knocked on the outer door, cutting their conversation short.
Me:Duty calls. See you tomorrow, gorgeous.
Tabitha put her phone in her pocket and moved from her bedroom to the living area. Trista and Craig had stopped going over their lines since Perry Collins, Trista’s manager, was the one who knocked. Trista’s former agent, Vanessa, let Trista go as a client at the last minute due to a family emergency, and Perry was her replacement. His presence wasn’t uncommon, so Tabitha walked to the kitchenette and grabbed a can of fruity water from the fridge.
“Craig, please give us the room.” Perry strode to the mini bar, pouring himself a hefty dose of vodka, while Craig, followed by his guard, left without arguing. Tabitha excused herself, but Perry stopped her. “This involves you as well.” Tabitha took one of the armchairs, and Perry downed his drink before refilling the highball glass. “The studio has rented a house near Stone Mountain where they feel it will be safer for Craig. It’s in a gated community on the lake, so there’ll be less people around than here at the hotel. We will be joiningthem so that you and Craig can continue to run your lines.”
Trista tossed her copy of the script onto the coffee table. “Why did you send Craig out when this involves him too?”
“Daniel wanted to talk to him.”
“When are we moving locations?”
Perry gestured to Tabitha with his drink. “When is your guy getting here?”
Tabitha almost asked how he knew Major was her guy, but she realized he meant as a coworker. “He’s flying in tomorrow morning.”
“Then we should probably wait until then so we can all go together.”
Tabitha twisted the bracelets on her arm. “Actually, it would be better security-wise to go separately. A bunch of people traveling together is a sure sign that we’re relocating, and if there is someone working with Campbell, we don’t want to take that risk. I have disguises ready for Trista and myself. We can leave first, then Marilyn can drive over separately.”
Perry narrowed his eyes. “Disguises?”
“Yes. They’re the same prosthetics used by the special effects department in most studios. My great-uncle is the one who originally created them.” Jonas Montague was a genius, and a long time ago, he designed the masks to hide the fact that he didn’t age.
Perry’s frown deepened. “Your…”
“If you’re trying to do the math, don’t bother. It’s easier to say great-uncle than great-great-however many times removed.” Tabitha waved a hand in the air. “But yes, I made several prosthetics while Cailín watched over Trista.”
“You made them?” Marilyn asked.
“Well, I had my cousin make them. He delivered them to the hotel this morning. After what happened with Craig, I thought we might need them for this very reason. But I can also fabricate them. The knowledge has been passed down through generations of our family, and one of my cousins has the technology at his lab. Moving about unnoticed won’t be an issue, as long as Trista’s whole team isn’t going at the same time.”
Perry sighed. “You are the security specialist. If you think that’s best, I’ll agree.”
“I do. I have one for Craig as well, but Major will handle getting Craig to the new location however he deems best.” Tabitha wanted to wait for Major, but leaving separately would be safer.
“The rest of the crew will remain here. Marilyn, that includes you. When I said the studio wants to reduce the number of people around Craig, I meant only the six of us, including Daniel.”
Marilyn glared at the male. “I understand keeping the number down. What I don’t understand is why you’re going. I’m Trista’s assistant. She needs me.” The “not you” was left unspoken. “What about your other clients?”
