Thirst [All-American Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF Page B

me?”
    No. No. No. Not now. Not when she was so close.
    She closed the screen out. Releasing the mouse, she took a deep breath and sat back. Think, Claire, think. She’d always known there was the possibility of getting caught, and she had a plan. She just had to stick to it.
    “What? I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
    A man’s large hand came down on her shoulder. “Yes, ma’am. I need you to shut down the computer and follow me, please.”
    “But why? I’m right in the middle of something. If you could just give me a few more minutes—”
    “No, ma’am. I’m sorry. You need to come now.” He took hold of her arm and began pulling her to her feet.
    She pulled away from him. “All right. All right, I’m coming. That’s not necessary.”
    He raised his hand and stepped back.
    Hastily, she reached out to turn the computer off. Then she rose and met the eyes of the huge man standing behind her. She didn’t recognize him but figured he must be one of the casino’s security personnel. Not bothering to waste any explanations on someone who was obviously just sent to detain her, she nodded. When he indicated that she should precede him out of the room, she started forward, flinching slightly as his hand reached out to take her elbow in a firm grasp. It wasn’t painful, but it was obvious he had no intention of letting her get away.
    Avoiding the curious gazes of the other tech workers, she allowed herself to be led down the hallway and over to the employee elevator. When her silent escort pushed the button for the fourth floor, she knew she’d have to do some fast talking to get herself out of trouble. Fourth floor meant management. Upper management. She bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth as she considered her alternatives. She’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, so denying she’d been looking through secure files was pointless. She could just be honest. Lay all her cards on the table and hope that they would understand her situation. But she’d considered that from the beginning and decided against it. They might be willing to help her. But what if they didn’t believe her? Or refused to help?
    No. No, she’d stick with her original plan as long as possible. If that didn’t work, she might have to tell them everything. But not yet. She couldn’t take the risk that they would send her away. That wasn’t an acceptable option. Not until she had the information that she needed. This whole situation was just so far outside her comfort zone that she didn’t know what her best options were. She just had to go with her gut.
    The elevator doors slid open and her guard stepped out, pulling her with him. She stumbled slightly, and he tightened his grip until she caught her balance. “Thanks,” she whispered.
    He didn’t reply, simply proceeded to an open door on the right side of the hallway. He escorted her inside and then left, shutting the door behind her. She looked around, taking in the long table and chairs. Obviously this was some kind of conference room. Thinking the room was empty, she took a tentative step forward when a deep voice to her left made her nerves jump.
    “Miss Landry. Take a seat, please.”
    She spun around and spotted the man standing off to one side in a darkened corner of the room, his features concealed in shadow.
    “Who are you?” She hated the slight tremble in her voice.
    “I’m a private investigator. My name is John Blackhawk. Quinton Buchanan has asked me to look into a pretty serious matter for him involving some irregularities with some private computer files. I’m afraid I’m going to need to ask you a few questions. Hopefully this will all be resolved very quickly and you will be able to get back to work.”
    He stepped forward, and her heartbeat quickened as she recognized him. She had seen him around the casino a few times with the Buchanans and had caught herself watching him on more than one occasion. He always moved with a