But Liam?
He smells good.
“This way.” He takes me to a huge dining room.
A massive table fills the room, seating ten to a side. Every other seat is occupied, but not a single person looks up as we pass through.
Cluttered on top of the table, an assortment of computers and monitors emit a steady blue glow while multicolored wires stretch between them.
We pass through the dining room and head to the front of the house. Liam stops in the foyer.
He gestures to a dark, paneled room filled floor to ceiling with books. Several groupings of leather couches and armchairs fill out the floor. Sitting in those couches, an eclectic group of people wait for us.
For me.
A slender woman, with hair I can only describe as a riot of color, turns at my entrance. Styled in a short pixie cut, her hair shimmers in the light of the chandeliers overhead.
She sits beside her complete opposite. If I thought Liam was a tall man, that’s nothing compared to the giant who slouches in the leather chair. Where the woman’s hair is bright with a rainbow of colors, his is white upon white. His pale blue eyes steal my breath, they’re icy, hard, and formidable.
He picks me apart with that stare of his. Unlike most men, however, he confines his examination to my face and eyes, not once dipping lower than my neck. He’s definitely not interested in me like that.
His examination makes me feel like a bug beneath a microscope, peeled away to my most basic self.
Lounging on the sofa next to him is another contrast. A woman about the same height and build as me, her hair is long like mine. Instead of deep black, hers is chestnut brown, warm like her eyes and the instant smile on her face. It feels as if we’ve known each other for years, rather than meeting for the first time.
Occupying the other end of the couch is CJ, who I’m well acquainted with. The other occupant is a man with a look and build similar to CJ and Liam. He puts down the book he’s reading and approaches me.
“Miss Rossi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He sticks out his hand, which I automatically take. Like Liam, his hand is rough and calloused, and engulfs mine. “I’m Sam, head of Guardian HRS. Let me introduce you to the others.” He spins around to face the room. “You’ve met CJ, head of our Guardians.”
CJ lifts his hand and smiles. It’s a strange thing to see on his face, considering not too long ago he sat across from me, interrogating me. Sam gestures to the woman with the pixie hair.
“Mitzy leads our technical team.”
Mitzy pops up and crosses the room. When I stick out my hand, she stops and props her hands on her hips. She gives me one look, then approaches with her arms out wide.
“Girl, you deserve a hug. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now.”
Before I can do anything, Mitzy wraps her arms around me. Her hug is brief but welcoming. I slowly lift my arms and give an awkward squeeze in return. Mitzy releases me, then spins around to the rest of the room.
“These men aren’t nearly as scary as they look, especially once you get to know them. For example, Forest looks all icy and fierce, but he’s a total teddy bear.”
“I really wish you wouldn’t call me that.” The massive man rises from his chair, even taller and more massive than I initially thought. He must be nearly seven feet tall, maybe a few inches shorter, but damn if he isn’t gigantic. He makes me think of a Viking, and he’s scary as hell, at least until he turns his grumpy face into a smile for me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Maria.” So far, he’s the only one to address me by my first name. The others have been entirely too formal. “I’m glad you decided to talk with us.” Unlike Mitzy’s hug, he keeps our contact to a brief handshake.
“And this is Skye.” Mitzy continues. “She and Forest are brother and sister, not related by blood. They’re the reason the rest of us are here.” Mitzy spins me toward the other woman.
Skye rises to greet me. Unlike Mitzy, she extends a slender hand, and that warm smile of hers chases away my fear.
“Mitzy’s right about the guys,” Skye says. “Don’t let their tough exteriors fool you. Each one of them is a total softy at heart.”
“It’s nice to meet you?” I don’t mean for that to sound like a question, but I can’t help the rising inflection in my voice.
“Forest,” Skye turns to the white giant. “Why don’t you get Maria something to drink?” She points to Liam, completely at ease ordering the men around. “Pull that chair around. It’ll be easier to talk if we’re all facing each other.”
Liam, Sam, and CJ work as a team to rearrange the furniture.
“I thought it would be more comfortable talking in here rather than in the dining room.” Skye sits in one of the plush armchairs. “If you walked through it, you know what I mean.”
“It’s a mess of computers and wires strung all over the place.”
“Hey,” Mitzy interjects. “It’s not a mess. It’s color-coded perfection.”
“This is true.” Skye’s gentle demeanor makes me feel like a guest instead of a star witness.
“Wine, whiskey, or bourbon?” Forest calls over his shoulder as he heads to a table in the corner full of crystal and booze.
“Whiskey sounds just about right.” Not normally a whiskey drinker, I need something strong to take the edge off and settle my nerves. I swallow, happy to see that lump in my throat is gone. “How are the women doing? The ones you rescued.”
Skye cocks her head, pauses, then gives a nod as if reaching a decision. “They’re in shock but recovering. I don’t think it’s hit any of them what happened. Thank God they don’t know what waited for them.”
On that ominous note, I want to ask what was going to happen, but I hold my tongue. Too many questions swirl around in my head. Questions demanding answers that will change my life forever.
Hell, my life is irrevocably changed.
My head and heart fight a war. My head knows the truth, but my heart desperately clings to the hope it’s all one big misunderstanding. In the end, my heart curls inward, beaten, battered, bruised, and broken.
After Liam and the others reorganize the furniture, he guides me over to one of the leather chairs. It’s one of those plush ones with buttery soft leather and high arms that wrap around you. I’m glad to be offered one of the few single chairs. If I had to share the couch, my unease would only rise with my beating heart.
With two sofas and three chairs, the others get comfortable. I sit across from Skye and Forest. Sam and CJ sit on the couch to my left, while Mitzy and Liam take the remaining couch.
“What happens now?” I sip the whiskey, letting the burn flow through me.
“We’re presented with a problem and a potential opportunity,” Sam speaks while the others look at me. “I’m hopeful you’ll help us.”
“I understand I’m the problem, but what do you mean by opportunity? And can someone tell me something about Sybil?” I’ll take any small nugget about my friend.
They can ask a million questions, but I’ll always circle around to what matters to me. The whole reason I’m here—the reason I’m a problem—is because Sybil is missing.
“Is she here?” My gaze bounces from person to person. There’s a stiffness to their postures, which doesn’t feel like good news.