Page 36 of Master Heimdall

It took a few more breaths and a straightening of my spine before I opened the message. “Seriously?” I said aloud to no one. My driver for the airport pick up had canceled. I tapped my pen on my desk thinking. The guy we’re securing for was a minor diplomat, why would Gabriel assign him a bodyguard and driver? It really didn’t make sense to me, seeming overcautious. Then I laughed aloud. Of course, it was overcautious, this was Gabriel we’re talking about.

The issue became a no brainer, I’d do it. It wasn’t my first time driving boring government people around, and I still had the bodyguard in place if something went wrong. I grabbed the keys for the appointed vehicle, having just enough time to go home and change before we needed to leave. I was pretty sure the diplomat we were picking up would think I was sent along as a gift to keep him entertained if I showed up in my current attire of a sheer blouse and pencil skirt.

I raced back to the condo and quickly changed into black pants, shirt, and blazer, adding black slip-ons to my ensemble. I slid a pair of dark sunglasses on, and with my hair in a ponytail, I looked like private security. Perfect! I raced back to work and picked up Broderick, the bodyguard accompanying me. He was around Gabe’s age and the guys called him Brody. I’d seen him at club Midgard on my first tour through, and Mari had pointed him out. I’d wondered if all the guys at G&H were into kink, but she’d laughed and said she had no idea. Brody was hard to miss though as he had slate gray eyes, with dark rings around the iris and dark lashes. He may have looked like a model but the guy was fit, like every other man who worked for Gabe.

He was surprised when he saw it was me behind the wheel but didn’t question it. Smart man. We headed out and the traffic was decent for the time of day, and thankfully, the trip to the airport was seamless.

I pulled up into the international flights temporary pick up area while Brody went inside to meet our dignitary and escort him to the vehicle. I felt a moment of panic when Brody pulled out his gun and checked it, before getting out of the car.

Then I laughed at the little panic alarm that I’d felt. I ordered this crap and arranged weapon transportation for our teams. So why did this bother me so much? I was out of my league, was the answer, and I knew it. If we got into any real trouble, how would I be of assistance to Brody?

To escape my spiraling thoughts, I checked my phone and saw Gabe’s dot on the monitor had started to move. A wave of relief moved through me. Finally, he was coming back and things could get back to normal. I delighted at the idea of soon confronting him and telling him we were done. After I gave him a good tongue lashing. My anger was rising just thinking about our confrontation, when a black sedan with blacked-out windows pulled up beside me.

I couldn’t see inside, but I knew whoever was driving was looking at me. I waited for the window to open but when it didn't. I put mine down and gave him the finger and moved my hand as if to say run along. He screeched away and I shook my head. Creep!

A few minutes passed and Brody wasn’t back yet. I was about to get out and go inside to see what the holdup was when Creepy Guy pulled up beside me again. What the hell? Now I was furious. I put the window down and yelled, “Hey! I’m not leaving yet. Go bother someone else before I call airport security.”

He screeched away once again, and I closed my window. Glancing into the rearview mirror, I spotted Brody, escorting a pudgy middle-aged man to our car. “About damn time,” I mumbled under my breath. Brody opened the door for our client. Then climbed in beside him. I pulled out into the busy traffic leaving the airport. It was bumper-to-bumper until we got to the bridge.

I glanced in my rearview and saw the car from the airport on my tail. What a dick! Fine, we’d play. I wound in and out of the traffic in an attempt to lose the asshole and at the last minute screeched over to the third lane to take the exit for the city. The creep did the same and once off the ramp, he moved close enough to our car to bump us. All this over a parking spot seemed a little much. I glared at him in the rearview and gave him the finger. He rammed us, and the car started to spin out of control.

Crap! Real fear slithered down my spine. What if this had nothing to do with the spot and everything to do with Mr. Important in the back seat? I righted the vehicle, before hitting someone in the oncoming traffic lane, and took off for the city center.

“Brody!”

“Already on it,” he replied, listening to someone on the other end of the phone.

“Yes, sir. We’ll see you there. We’re taking him to a safehouse. Next corner, take a right,” he said in an authoritative tone I’d not heard from him before.

For a split second, my mind jumped back to the idea that all the employees and G&H were kink friendly but was dragged back into the reality of our situation when Brody issued another order.

“Left at the corner. Take the alley.”

I hyperfocused on the road and allowed Brody to give me directions. It was his cool and collected attitude and dominant tone that helped to combat my anger and fear. I was sure we’d lost our tail when a few minutes later we pulled up to the back of a sad-looking derelict house. Gabriel was waiting outside his car, with another man I recognized from the photo on his desk at work, Master Loki… what was his real name? I realized I was grasping at straws because the truth of the situation I was in was clear by the stern, uncompromising expression on Gabe’s face.

That’s who Brody had been talking to, Gabriel? That son-of-a-…. Of course, he’d answer his call but not the woman he was sleeping with. My anger was back, coupled with the adrenalin from what had just happened. I jumped out of the car after parking and almost toppled to the ground. My legs were like Jell-O, and I slammed my hand down on the hood to stay on my feet.

Okay, I admitted what just happened was terrifying, but I wasn’t going to let him see that. He’d smirk like he’d known all along I’d fucked up and I wasn’t in the mood to see or hear anything he had to say about the job I could have just fucked up if not for Brody’s cool head.

I straightened my spine, told my legs to work, and marched over to Gabe and his friend. It was time to straighten this man out!

Chapter Seventeen

Heimdall

Jared and I were on our way back into the city when I got an emergency call from someone in the field.

“Dakos,” I answered.

“Sir, it’s Hillier, we are escorting the ambassador and need backup. We have an aggressive tail in hot pursuit.”

I exchanged a glance with Jared who looked curious as to the nature of the call. “Who's your driver?” I barked.

“Ms. Dodds, sir.”

Bloody hell! I wanted to roar my frustration into the phone, but it wasn’t his fault she was there; it was mine. “Shake the tail, and then go to the Grandview safe house. Miss. Dodds isn’t familiar with the city. You will need to give her directions. But lose the tail first! I’ll meet you there.”

I hung up and called Lincoln, but he didn't answer. I called the office and Yula picked up. “Where the hell is everyone?”