“How about you come with me to the club, and I’ll get your uniform sized?” he asks Maisy.
“No, she won’t go with you. We’ll go in together, only.” I’m not really her big sister, but in this case, I’m going to protect her from this man.
“What are you, a couple or something?” he grumbles as he looks at me.
I’m in a loose pair of workout sweatpants, a tank top, and a pair of Chuck’s since we were only in the car. Maisy is in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. You can see her curvy figure, and I know that’s why he’s so fascinated with her.
“No, I’m her sister. Didn’t you notice our last names are the same?” I sarcastically reply.
He glares and leans toward me. “Don’t cross me, little girl,” he says, his voice abrasive. Then he turns and walks to his car. I drop my hand to Gurgi’s head and pat him.
“Good boy.”
Maisy holds my arm at the elbow. “I don’t like him. He scares me.”
“Me too. You’re not to be alone with him. I don’t trust him.”
“Okay.” Her voice trembles slightly.
I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get moved in before the neighbors steal our stuff.”
“I’ll back the truck in.”
She heads to the driver’s side, and I move to the ground-floor apartment. I don’t like it, but Fury gave us some window and door alarms that are going to come in handy.
I unlock the door and cringe at the dust hanging in the air and coating every surface. The furniture is old and patchy. The table doesn’t have any chairs, but there are two bar stools at the kitchen counter. I notice the back door only has a knob lock and a chain. We’ll have to secure that better. There is no television in the living room, but that’s okay. We brought one.
Maisy joins me in the small hallway. There’s a bathroom with only a stand-up shower. The rooms on either side are small, with the bed pushed up to the large window and the closet sharing a wall with the bathroom. There is no bedding, but we purchased some on our way here.
“Tomorrow we’ll have to get better locks for the doors.”
“The rental agreement said we couldn’t change the locks,” Maisy reminds me.
“I’m not sleeping with that man having a key to our place.”
“Yeah, me neither, but Fury sent me with a couple things that could help us.”
“I can’t wait to meet this man.”
“He’s the best.”
We unload the truck and move in our meager possessions, setting up the apartment as best as we can. Sure enough, Fury sent door stoppers that don’t mark the door and completely jam it closed so no one can break in.
Chapter Seven
Titan
I roll out of bed and glance around my temporary living quarters. I got to stay in Alaska for a month, enjoying my own bed, my club, and my office before heading to DC. Hermes and I have been here for more than two months. It’s frustrating because I have to stay so focused on this case that I can’t do anything about Stormy’s. I don’t know where she ended up, and I haven’t been able to track Maisy either. I haven’t even been able to check whether the hacker shadowing them took my bait. Last I knew, they hadn’t.
The case I’ve been contracted for is to help a legislator through his appointment as Deputy Secretary. The president nominated him, and his background is so shady I’m struggling to find anything to highlight. All I’ve been able to do is eliminate the bad press he already has. How this man got elected and why anyone would want him in this office is beyond me. But I have a job to do, and no matter how deplorable it is, I have no choice.
I walk over to the bank of computers in the condo Cronus set up for us. My eyes land on the cursor blinking in the middle of the latest document I’ve found. I feel like my hands are tied. Something doesn’t feel right. I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.
I grab my cell phone off the desk and dial Cronus, pacing the length of the room while I wait for him to pick up.
“What do you need so early in the fucking morning?” Cronus’s deep voice is gruffer than normal with sleep.
I couldn’t sleep after I found the document. I tried, but I just tossed and turned. If I can’t sleep, neither can he.