Page 67 of A Touch of Crimson
“There’s definitely room for advancement,” she assured him. “I noticed you’re new to the area. I confess I’m worried about whether you’ll decide to stay. The West Coast is very different from the East.”
“Have you traveled to the East Coast often?”
“I just moved from North Carolina.” Unable to shake off her wooziness, she stood. “Would you care for some water?”
He stood when she did, displaying etiquette sadly lacking in most of the applicants she’d seen over the past two days. “No, thank you. So you and I were practically neighbors.”
Pulling a bottle of water out of the minifridge in the bookcase behind her desk, Lindsay was relieved to feel less disoriented after standing. She took a long drink and noted his wedding band. An inhuman who was married. That threw her for a loop. “The hours are from eleven p.m. until seven a.m., and the days are Tuesday through Saturday. Will that be a problem?”
“Not at all. I’m a night owl.”
“Your wife, too?” She didn’t mean to pry, but she also didn’t want to train a night auditor only to lose him shortly after.
All charm and humor left his face. His beautiful amber eyes revealed a deep sadness. “My wife recently passed away.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss.”
His application said he was twenty-six. Far too young to have suffered such a loss. Then again, maybe he was thousands of years old like Adrian. Or even several decades, like Elijah.
He gave a short nod. “I want a fresh start, in a new place, with a new job that keeps me busy at night. If you hire me, I promise you won’t be sorry.”
Lindsay sucked in a deep breath, feeling sympathy for Kent Magus, regardless of whatever kind of being he was. She knew how hard the nights were when dealing with the loss of a loved one. It was easy to stay busy during the day, but at night, one closed ranks with family and settled into private routines—dinner, favorite television shows, and before-bed rituals.
His confidence and quiet dignity were two traits she very much admired, and his earnestness suggested that he gave a hundred percent to everything he set his mind to. She also acknowledged the possibility that she liked him because he was something “other” yet had loved and lost and grieved, just like she did. Just like Adrian did. Her angel had shown her that not every preternatural creature was bad.
“How soon can you start?” she asked.
Kent’s smile returned. “Whenever you say. I’m ready when you are, Ms. Gibson.”
“Call me Lindsay.”
The minute Lindsay spotted Elijah waiting for her in the Belladonna’s expansive lobby, she knew something was wrong. It was visible in the set of his shoulders and the grim line of his mouth. And he was pacing. Prowling, actually. Like an agitated panther. Scratch that—like a wolf.
Her heart sank into her stomach. “What’s the matter? Is it Adrian?”
He shook his head, his hands going to his hips. A low growl rumbled up from his chest. “Remember that friend I told you about? The one I wanted to have reassigned to partner with me?”
“Yes.”
“He went on a hunt in Louisiana right before we left for Utah. I just found out he was missing until this afternoon.”
“Is he okay?” Lindsay crossed her arms tightly, knowing Adrian was taking hits from all sides and suffering for them.
“He’s half dead, I’m told. And he’s asking for me.” His verdant gaze was sharp as he looked at her. “I need you to stay put. Don’t leave the hotel until I get back or someone else comes to watch you.”
“I want to go with you, El. I don’t want you going alone, and I know you don’t want to leave me here. If you do, you’ll be worried about your friend and me at the same time.”
“I didn’t want to ask you,” he said gruffly. “Micah’s at Angels’ Point.”
Her breathing quickened as she remembered the morning Adrian had taken her flying over the hills around his home. Her body responded to the memories as if she were experiencing them all over again. The wind had been happy that day, whistling with a joy she so rarely felt in it. Or maybe the joy had been hers.
Abruptly, the fragrance of the massive floral arrangements decorating the lobby became cloying. The soaring ceiling seemed to close in on her. Everything about the hotel felt entrapping. She didn’t fit in here. As much as she was trying and giving it her best shot, she was still—and would always be—a misfit in the “normal” world.
“It’s okay,” she assured him, as much for herself as for him. “If you need another reason to take me, I’ll remind you that I need to get my suitcase anyway. It’s a good time for me to get that done.”
Elijah nodded. “Do you want to change or need to grab anything?”
“Yes to both.”
