The Protectors Series Bundle - By Nana Malone Page 0,4

Cassie felt his keen eyes on her back as if trying to discern what was off about her. That funny smell in the air buddy boy—that’s the smell of me fighting back.

As always, Cassie got out two mugs, the milk, cocoa, marshmallows and cinnamon. Reynolds watched her like a hawk, but he watched her larger movements, he must not have paid much attention to her fine motor skills because he didn’t notice her dusting crushed sleeping pills into his mug. She did what she could to distract him. “Do you think my brother is right, Reynolds? Do you think this is fair?”

It wasn’t like she expected an actual answer. He worked for Peter after all. But at least his mind would be occupied finding a PC answer instead of noticing the fine white powder she slipped in his cup.

“I think your bother worries about your safety and this is an attempt to keep you safe. I’m certain he wishes it didn’t distress you so.”

Oh Reynolds. Ever the loyalist. That loyalty would get him hurt one day. Peter thought she didn’t notice, but his personal staff had gotten smaller and had had high turnover. She could only guess at the imagined infractions, and her brother was quick to fire. She’d seen it happen on more than one occasion. Her brain stuttered over the thought of what else her brother might have been doing to his staff. After all, look what he’d done to her.

Once the milk was poured and cocoa added, she led the way back upstairs. She prayed Reynolds would drink enough to at least not be alerted to her slipping down the hallway. He was six-foot- six and weighed nearly three hundred pounds. The pills were made for someone of her size so they might not be effective on him. But then again, they were also made for someone of her strength, so they would need to be able to stop her in her souped-up state.

When she reached her door, a pang of regret sliced through her. What would happen to Reynolds when her brother discovered her missing? Her constant companion would no doubt get fired, but would he be okay? Would he be able to find other work? It was these kinds of things that occupied her mind as she whispered a goodnight and slipped into her bedroom to wait. What fate was she condemning this gentle giant to? Another pang of guilt and pain bit through her as he uttered “Goodnight, Miss Reeser.”

Thirty minutes later, she’d switched out her bunny slippers for running shoes, tied her hair into a pony tail and pulled up her hoodie. The cash she’d been saving for six months was tucked safely into her shoes. The moment she’d heard Peter’s thoughts about Symcore, she knew this was about more than a party. She had to leave. But she wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Mallory.

With a hand on her door, she paused. What if she stayed? Could she fight Peter for her freedom? Did she have a choice other than to run? Her brain ran through every scenario she could think of. No. This was the only choice. She had to be a survivor. Fight or flight. Fight or flight. She chose flight.

She creaked open her door, not daring to breathe. She used her nose first. Old Spice. Chocolate. And the smell of alcohol and sunflower oil that Reynolds used for his hair gel. No one else was in the hallway. She eased her door open and stepped through it. She’d given the sleeping pills thirty minutes to start working, but maybe it hadn’t been enough. Stepping through the doorway, she found Reynolds in his usual chair, body canted to the right—snoring. She exhaled. Thank God.

Sprinting down the hall, she paused at the top of the stairs. There was no way she was making it out the front door. She’d already seen Peter leave. He only ever gave her two sleeping pills when he was going out. Didn’t matter though, the security team he’d hired a month ago when she’d gotten her powers were ever vigilant. Or at least what she imagined was vigilant per the action movies she’d watched. None of them ever seemed to go on break. They actually paid attention at night. But lucky for her, they were all looking out. None of them was focused on keeping her in—just on keeping everyone else out.

At the bottom of the stairs, she landed softly and instead of the front door,