To Dance with the Devil (The Blood Singer Novels) (7 page)

I looked up from the paperwork. “So, what are your goals with regard to a position with our company?”

“May I speak freely?”

“I’d prefer it,” I answered. Dawna nodded her agreement.

“I need a job. There aren’t a lot of them available right now in the private sector, and some of the people with whom I’ve interviewed seem a bit”—she paused—“put off by my appearance. I didn’t think you would be. And truthfully, I hoped that the family connection might help.”

“You list several references on the résumé. Is it all right if I call them?”

“Please do.”

We chatted a bit more. I asked most of the questions, exploring details of her training and specific examples of how she’d handled various situations. Dawna chipped in a little, but for the most part she let me take the lead. As we wrapped up, I told Talia I would call her in a few days, after I’d had the opportunity to check references.

She rose, shook hands with both Dawna and me, then left, closing the door behind her.

“Well?” I asked my partner.

“I … I don’t know. Like she said, it’s been fifteen years. She’s changed.”

I started ticking off positive points. “Well, I like to support the military. She seems to have credentials. I’m assuming she knows how to follow orders, and she was smart enough to come in wearing a charm. That earns her a few points. We need a mage. I was hoping for a six, but with enough training, a four can do pretty much everything we’re likely to need, and she definitely has the intimidation factor that’s important for a lot of the simple bodyguarding work.”

“We do need another female bodyguard. You’re going to be tied up in administrative stuff a good part of the time.”

Oh, God, I hoped not. But she was probably right. Damn it.

“So what’s the problem?”

“When we were kids she was kind of a bully, really aggressive and mean. I mean, she’s probably outgrown it…” Her voice trailed off.

“But it may be her basic nature, which might make her too aggressive for what we need.”

Dawna nodded.

“Okay. Why don’t you do the calls? You’re better at subtle than I am. See if you can find out if she’s got it under control or if there’s still a problem. Check around with the family, too, if you think you can without causing a problem. We’ll hold off on a decision until we know more. Does that work?”

“It works fine.”

We had a few minutes until the next scheduled interview. I cracked open the bottle of water in front of me and took a pull as I hastily racked my brain for something to talk about. Dawna’s one of my best friends. It shouldn’t have been difficult. But I heaved a huge sigh of relief when I was saved by a light knock on the conference room door. I called, “Come in,” and the person outside opened the door.

“Kevin?” I was startled to see him. Kevin Landingham was Emma’s brother and he’d worked at the university—until the day he gave the college president a shove. Happily, he hadn’t killed President Lackley, and Lackley had decided not to press charges, since he knew about Kevin’s PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a real bitch to deal with. People can have bouts of rage that are difficult to control.

Thankfully, Kevin hadn’t totally lost it that day. If he had, Lackley would be maimed or dead. Werewolves are strong, with or without the full moon. President Lackley didn’t know Kevin was a shifter—most people didn’t—so he didn’t realize just how lucky he’d been. In the end, Kevin still got fired. Since then, he’s put in a lot of time remodeling his sister’s new house, gotten himself a service animal, and is doing better. But he still has a haunted look in his eyes.

Standing in the doorway, Kevin looked uncertain but gorgeous in a navy suit that was just a hair too big for him. He was still big, blond, and strikingly good-looking, but despite working on Emma’s house, he wasn’t quite as ripped as he had been once upon a time. He was carrying a briefcase, and Paulie, his assistance dog, stood at his side, groomed to within an inch of her life, her work jacket strapped into place.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Emma told me you’re hiring. I wanted to submit an application.”

I blinked … twice, slowly. Wow. This … this was unexpected. “Well, come in. Sit down.” He nodded and stepped into the room. Setting the case on the table, he withdrew two copies of his résumé, passing one to Dawna and one to me, before sitting down. Paulie settled onto the floor beside him.

It was an impressive résumé. Of course I knew it would be. Kevin has a background in both black ops and tech. More to the point, I’d worked with him before. He’s a good man to have in your corner, smart, skilled. I’d love to have him on board. But I wasn’t sure our company would be the best fit for him.

“What type of position are you looking for?” Dawna asked.

“I’m hoping to start out doing mostly tech support, but I’m capable of installing security systems and doing basic bodyguarding. I’m not up to going into military confrontations at this point. I may never be again.” He said it calmly, but I thought I could see a little strain around his eyes.

“What would you consider a military confrontation?” Dawna asked.

“The situation Celia wound up in in Mexico would be a good example. There might not be a declared war going on down there, but it’s still a war zone.”

“Yes, it is,” I agreed.

“I also am not certain how well I’d be able to handle anything demonic,” he admitted, his expression haunted. “On the other hand, I know you’re going to be setting up new offices. I could be a big asset with regard to the security systems and tech.” He spoke with confidence, but his eyes were still dark from memories he’d rather not think too hard about. I understood that feeling all too well.

“There’s no question in my mind that you have the skills,” I assured him. “I’m only worried about one thing…”

“The thing with Lackley?” He sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit.

“No.” I gave him a rueful grin. “I’ve wanted to pop him in the mouth more than once myself. I can totally understand the urge.” Yes, his loss of control worried me. But I knew Kevin had gotten better in the past nine months. I was willing to give him a chance. “What worries me is this. In Mexico, I was working with an experienced crew that included some very alpha personalities. One of the men knew me personally. Even though I was in charge, he wasn’t able to behave professionally and follow orders because of our prior relationship. That undermined my authority with the other men and made me look bad to the clients, to the point where I had to fire him. We’ve known each other a long time, Kevin. Can you follow my lead?”

To give him credit, he thought about the question before he answered. When he spoke, his voice was calm and confident. “There was a time when I couldn’t have,” he admitted, “but that was before I actually saw you in action, during the situation at the Zoo. You work hard. You’re willing to invest in good equipment. You prepare as much as you can, you’re good at strategy and tactics, and you’re able to change your plans on the fly when things go wrong. You don’t ask anything from anybody that you wouldn’t do or haven’t done yourself. I respect that, respect you. So yes, I believe I can.”

“What are your salary requirements?” Dawna asked.

“I’m willing to negotiate,” Kevin said. “I have extensive experience, but I also have a couple of black marks on my record.”

I smiled at him as I sent a thought to Dawna. My siren telepathy still isn’t perfect, but I keep working on it, and with the ring my cousin gave me, I’m much better than I used to be.
What do you think? I’m leaning toward hiring him.

Dawna gave a minuscule shrug; apparently it was my choice.

“Assuming we can work out salary issues, I’d like to start with a ninety-day probationary period. Would that work for you? I know I’ve worked with you before, and I like and respect you. But I need to know that you’re going to be able to handle the stress. You’re free to bring Paulie to work with you.”

He smiled and it was like the sun coming out from behind clouds. I heard Paulie’s tail thump gently against the floor. She could sense he was happy.

“You won’t regret this.” He rose and leaned over to shake my hand and then Dawna’s before gathering up his things and leaving, with Paulie at his side.

God, how I hoped he was right. Because if he wasn’t, it was going to be such a mess.

Dawna waited until she was sure Kevin was gone, going to the door and peeking out to make sure before she said, “I guess you’ve finally forgiven him.”

I knew what she was talking about. Some while back, Kevin and his father, Warren, had betrayed me. They’d done it to save Emma’s life and soul. What had pissed me off was that I’d have willingly helped if they’d asked. I mean,
Hello,
they were saving
Emma’s life and soul.

But I’d trusted them—they were so important to me back then. Warren had been my teacher and my guide through all things supernatural; Emma was one of my closest friends; and Kevin … well, for a while, Kevin had been very much on my mind. Until Bruno had come along. And they’d betrayed me without an apparent second thought, offered me up as a sacrifice.

For a long time I couldn’t get past it. Then someone threatened my gran. I discovered that I’d do pretty much anything to save her and I wouldn’t be the least bit rational about it. In that moment, I forgave them both. I hadn’t told Kevin or Warren about that, though—hadn’t really had an opportunity, wasn’t exactly sure how to bring it up. I knew I would, eventually. But right now I didn’t want to go into the whole long story with Dawna, so I just said, “yeah.”

“I’m glad.” She smiled and came back to the table. “Do you think he’ll be able to do it?”

“Yeah, I do. Particularly if we keep him on desk duty as much as we can. And wow, does he cover a lot of our needs. Pull out the list—other than a mage, what else do we still need?”

She pulled out the list, then gave me a long look. “I’m surprised that you don’t have Bruno coming in as the mage.”

I gave a pained sigh. I
so
didn’t want to talk about this right now. Later, after a couple of stiff drinks, maybe. Still, Dawna was my business partner. She deserved an honest answer. So I started ticking reasons off on my fingers. “First, he doesn’t want to work in the private sector anymore. He wants to teach. Second, there’s no way in hell we could afford him.”

She smiled, trying to take the sting out of what she was about to say. “And third, there’s no way he’d follow orders any better than John Creede did.” She shook her head. “You do pick such alpha men.”

It was good to see her smiling. I wouldn’t have expected it, as depressed as she’d been when she first got here. But I was still a little sensitive after what had happened yesterday, and I guess it showed.

“Uh-oh,” Dawna said. “I know that look. What’s up?”

“Bruno and I had a fight.”

“Evidently there’s a lot of that going around,” she said wryly. “What was yours about?”

“He thinks I should have asked him to be my business partner, and that I take him for granted, and that I should consult him before I make ‘major life decisions like this.’”

“Oh.” Wisely, she didn’t say anything more. Then again, what was there to say?

“Yours?” I asked.

“Chris doesn’t want me working with you or hanging out with you. He says it’s too dangerous.”

Uh-oh.

“I told him that was rich, coming from a man who works for a paramilitary company.”

I tried to think of anything I could say that wouldn’t either make things worse or bite me in the ass later, and wound up empty.

Dawna took a deep breath. She met my eyes, her expression serious. “You’re my friend, Celia—my best friend. I
like
working with you. I think what we do is important. I know I haven’t exactly been holding up my end lately, and I’m sorry. But that’s going to change.”

“You’re sure?”

She gave a firm nod. Her jaw was set in such a stubborn line that I decided not to press further. I changed the subject. “So, what do we still need?”

“Well, obviously a mage. It would also be good to have at least one other person to do basic bodyguard work. There are some other things that would be helpful, but we agreed that we didn’t want to go overboard on hiring until we build up some business.

“Dottie has been calling. She’s hoping we’ll let her help out around the office. If not, we’ll have to hire a clairvoyant or find one we can contract with.”

Dawna was right on all counts. I had a fair amount of money on hand right now. The job for Adriana and Dahlmar had paid well, and the insurance money (be still my heart, they actually paid) for my old office building had come through. In fact, the city had offered to buy the land where the building had stood “as is,” so they could expand their offices. The price wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. I was hoping that if I combined the insurance payout and the money from the sale, I could get or build a new building. And we needed a clairvoyant and a mage on staff. Neither came cheap. Oh, well, money always goes faster than you want it to.

“Does Dottie really still want to work part-time now that she’s married?”

“Oh, yes. And she’s hoping you find an office soon. Her super is starting to get suspicious about Minnie.”

I grinned. I couldn’t help it. I love the little fur ball. Minnie the Mouser had been Dottie’s cat until Dottie had moved into government housing that didn’t allow pets. For a while Minnie had been the office cat, and Dottie had worked for me part-time; that way she could spend time with her beloved cat and earn a little extra spending money. And it really was a little money. She didn’t want to lose her benefits or her housing, so I got a high-level clairvoyant for practically a song.

“Tell you what,” I said. “Check with Dottie; see if she’s willing to work for us again, on the same terms as before. Tell her that Minnie can stay at my place until we get an office.”

Dawna grinned and nodded. She loved Dottie like another grandma.

The next candidate knocked before we could say anything further, and we dove back into the whirlwind of interviewing. Some applicants were better than others, but none were particularly outstanding. I was glad when we were finally finished at twelve thirty.