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The bottom fell out of my world. Someone was coming after Nissa? “What? Who?” I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice.
“See, I knew I had the right man. We'll get to the whos and the whys later. Don’t run from me again, Westin. You leave and she’s exposed. And let’s not forget Mrs. Pembry. You won’t leave her behind again will you? Right now, you need to consider your prospects. I'll be back.” He signaled to one of his men. “Uncuff him. He won't go anywhere now. I trust you can take care of your own leg restraints, Westin?”
I loathed him. He was right. But not for the reasons he thought. And then they left me alone in his office with only one way out, which told me there were guards posted on the door. How many was the real question?
I was no fool. I knew for a fact I was being watched, so I was extra careful as I rubbed my wrists together and untied the leg restraints on my right foot. I activated the tracker on my boot and then pulled out the sliding compartment with my secondary comm unit inside.
As I reached over to untie my other foot, I slipped the comm inside my ear before whispering, “I’m in.”
2
Nissa
I sat in the waiting room, my heart pounding in my chest. I fidgeted in my seat as I waited for my interview.
As a general rule, I made it a point to never want anything. That way I couldn't be disappointed. I had spent so much time telling myself I was fine with never getting what I wanted. But this time it was different; this time I wanted the job.
Quinly Global was a renowned company with translation opportunities in sixteen countries, and I was fluent in six of those languages. The Mandarin and Russian were what made me attractive to companies.
Government service was always an option, but staying in London was not something I wanted to do. There were other private options, but Quinly was my best hope for getting out of this city. What if I failed? How low would I sink if I couldn't get the job? My heart pounded harder as fear took hold. What if I did get it? Would this position be worth all I had sacrificed? Would it fulfill my dreams of freedom?
After what felt like hours of sitting with nothing but the turmoil of my own thoughts, Jason Connor's assistant called me in. I stood and smoothed my hands down over my pencil skirt. The sweat from my palms transferred to the slippery material of my skirt, causing me to tug at it anxiously. I didn't want to look unprofessional by having wrinkles in my clothing.
Shit.
I covered the mark with the folio I was carrying and stepped forward with a smile. "Thank you."
The assistant's smile was warm as she noticed my nervousness. “You’ll be great,” she said kindly.
I smiled my thanks and followed her down the hallway to Mr. Connor's office. He was the COO of Quinly Global and a wunderkind. The youngest C-level executive in the company's history at only thirty-three years old.
My heart raced as I stepped into his office. He was already seated behind his desk, but he rose when I entered.
He was quite handsome and well dressed, a far cry from the pictures on the internet and in magazines. We shook hands and then he asked me to take a seat across from him.
All of this tension was for nothing. I had this, I could do this. All I needed to do was focus on getting out from under my father's thumb, one way or another.
Taking a deep breath, I looked across the desk at Mr. Connor and smiled confidently. It was time to show him what I could do.
He began by asking me why I wanted to work for them and what made me stand out from other applicants. I took a deep breath and then launched into my prepared list of qualifications. Fluency in six languages, experience working with international firms, familiarity with global markets, etc.
And as he listened intently to every word I said, he seemed impressed by not only my knowledge but also my passion for this opportunity.
Finally, we got onto the topic of incentives. Salary expectations, vacation policies, and so on, which was something that had been stirring anxiety inside me all day long.
But as it turned out there were no surprises. Quinly offered competitive wages plus a benefits package comparable to similar positions elsewhere. The only thing left now was an offer.
When all questions had been asked and answered, Jason smiled warmly at me across his desk before standing up again to shake my hand one more time.
My heart hammered as I offered my best smile. I'd killed this interview. I'd done everything I could do. This job was the thing that would finally get me out of here.
But as electricity hummed in my blood and I stepped onto the lift, my phone buzzed and I pulled it out.
Evil Father: Come to the house.
I had been summoned.
Which, knowing my father, could be good or bad. I never knew with Julian. But as I wasn’t due for one of our forced, awkward dinners for another two weeks, my heart couldn’t help the excited uptick. Maybe he finally has some news.
