Fireborn Read Online Free PDF Page B

proven over our many years together.” He glanced at his watch, then gulped down his coffee and pushed away from the table. “Five minutes to go. I’d better run.”
    So had I. If I didn’t hurry, I’d miss the train. Mark was a man who meticulously planned every minute of his day, and my being late would not only upset his timetable, but turn him into an unreasonable grump for the rest of the day. Although his somewhat unpredictable temper wasn’t the only reason I was getting higher pay; he believed I should be available to work whenever
he
wanted me, be that day or night.
    Rory kissed my cheek, then headed for the door. Twenty minutes later I ran out of the building and headed for the train. I squeezed out at Footscray Station, then walked down to Byron Street and the big white building that housed the Chase Medical Research Institute.
    Ian Grant—the day shift security guard, and a bear of a man with a close-cropped head of gray hair and very little in the way of untattooed skin—gave me a wide grin of greeting as I entered the foyer.
    â€œHey, Em,” he said, “Lady Harriet’s office has been trying to contact you for the last twenty minutes. You got your phone off again?”
    Harriet Chase had founded the institute some fifty years ago, and it was still one of the biggest privately funded organizations for biological and medical research in Victoria. The old dear wasalso something of an elitist, hence the not-so-affectionate moniker.
    But I had no idea why the hell her office would be chasing me.
    I dug my phone out of my purse and, sure enough, there were seven missed calls. I glanced up at Ian. “I gather she’s been on the phone to you?”
    â€œWell, it was Abby rather than herself, but she wanted me to get you on the phone the minute you walked in.”
    Abby was Harriet’s overworked but not underpaid assistant. Ian duly picked up the phone and called her, and I suddenly wondered if I was about to get sacked. I couldn’t think of any other reason for Lady Harriet’s office to be ringing me, especially given she or her staff rarely spoke to anyone less worthy than the heads of the vari- ous research departments. Although the security guards did at least get a smile of greeting every morning, which was more than could be said for the rest of us.
    â€œAbby, I have Emberly Pearson here for you.” He paused for a moment, then handed the phone across to me. I cleared my throat and said, “Sorry about the missed calls, Abby, but I was on the train and didn’t hear—”
    â€œNever mind that now,” Abby said, her voice sounding more than a little harassed. Lady Harriet had obviously been in one of her moods this morning. “You need to get over to Professor Baltimore’s place. He’s due to make a presentation tosome investors in half an hour, and he hasn’t arrived and he’s not answering his phone.”
    I frowned. It wasn’t like Mark to be late, so something had obviously gone wrong. But why was I being asked to fetch him? Granted, I was the one being paid danger money to be his beck-and-call girl, but if this was so urgent, why not send someone else? It wasn’t like this place was lacking in research assistants. I said as much to Abby.
    â€œWe did send someone else,” she said, “but he’s not answering the door. You’re keyed into his security system, aren’t you?”
    â€œYeah, but—”
    â€œThen go,” she cut in. “Make sure you get him back here fast.”
    She hung up before I could reply. I handed the phone back to Ian. “Well, there goes my peaceful morning.”
    Ian grinned, his teeth spectacularly white against the inked darkness of his cheeks. “I’d run.”
    I did. Thankfully, like many of the senior staff at the institute, Mark lived nearby. It saved time traveling back and forth and allowed them to work longer hours.