Obsidian Son (The Temple Chronicles Book 1) by Shayne Silvers Page B

her long, pale thigh, revealing an empty LockSAF PBS-001 biometric fingerprint pistol case. Every employee had one, and the necessary paperwork for concealment, happily paid for by yours truly. Even with rubber bullets, the guns could impact a world of deterrence. Noticing that Indie wore a tight black pencil skirt, I tried not to imagine where she had hidden her weapon. She smiled sweetly up at me, as if sensing my thoughts.
    I leaned back, and nodded. “I just need to step up to my office for a sec, then I’m off again. You mind holding down the fort tonight? I’m not sure where I will be, but my plate is kind of full right now.”
    She glanced at the schedule, feigning a frown. “Well, I’ll have to cancel my dinner plans, but if my employer doesn’t mind compensating me for it, I don’t mind. My date is kind of a douche anyway.”
    “You debutante!” I laughed. “You know I’m good for it. Rain check for next week, and I’ll take you out for lunch so you can hear all the boring details.”
    She nodded. “Only if it’s somewhere good.”
    “Your pick.”
    She clapped her hands, and I had to force myself to walk away rather than study the reaction of her anatomy. I climbed the stairs to my loft, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, expecting a class five cluster-fuck of a mess, but I was wrong. I had woken up late this morning, and momentarily turned into a tornado while looking for my suit. A smile split my cheeks, and I strode over to the window. Indie was glancing up at me. I mimed a worshipful pose, recognizing her deft hand at cleaning up for me. She deserved a raise. Her smile grew wider as she waved back up at me, and then she returned to her duties.
    I changed quickly, and then scanned my desk for Peter’s book request. Spotting the parchment, I shoved it into my jeans pocket, threw on a comfy tee and a jacket, snatched up my Fendi satchel full of magical goodies — including the SIG Sauer X-five pistol Gunnar had gifted me — and locked up behind me. Curious, I approached Indie again. “Any reason I never got the message from Peter earlier in the week?” I waved the note at her. She frowned, unknowing. “Peter said he left it with Jessie.” Her eyes instantly became guilty.
    “He seemed like a good guy when I hired him. He’s an odd duck, but he’s still trying to learn the particulars for working for you. Want me to talk to him?” Her face was set in a frown, no doubt anxious to rectify this situation with a Defcon 1 approach. And you wonder why I was hesitant to risk our friendship for a chance at romance.
    “No worries. Just see that it doesn’t happen again. I have full faith in you, Indie. If you thought he was worth hiring, then I trust you.” My voice grew darker as I picked up a pirate accent. “No need to make him walk the plank… yet.”
    She grinned back, nodding once. “Aye, aye, Cap’n!” She bellowed loudly.
    From around the store, all my employees dropped what they were doing to salute in my direction; a chorus of shouts that startled the customers. “Aye, aye, Cap’n!”
    I saluted back. “See you later, Ind-” She held up a finger, commanding my obedience. I frowned, but waited. As slowly and deliciously as an exotic dancer, she raised an arm from behind the counter, dangling a white paper sack like the dancer would dangle a pair of panties. Her face glowed with pride. “You. Are. An. Angel.” I said, snatching up the bag of freshly brewed colada. She nodded before turning to a nearby customer, engaging them with her full attention. Raise for Indie. Check.
    I headed out to my car that was parked in front of the store. It had cost quite a bit to get the city to allow me to purchase the space as a permanent spot, but it was definitely worth it. After all, like my father always said, money doesn’t spend itself . I gunned the engine with a throaty roar, and sped off towards Gunnar’s office. Time for answers , I told myself.

Chapter 11

    A ny way you can