Page 66 of Grayson’s Challenge

For a second, she couldn’t think, Grayson’s gentle ministrations distracting her. But then she started, “I applied for the same job.”

“You? I thought your brothers might be interested… but…”

She raised her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder. “But what? You think I’m not capable?”

“No, no,” he said quickly, almost too quickly. “I just didn’t think you were interested… I mean, it’s not like you were trained to be a bodyguard.”

“I don’t have to be trained as a bodyguard to be able to run a company.” She paused. “Besides, I could kick your ass anytime.”

“I know you can.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Let me rinse your hair.”

“Changing the subject?”

“No.” He reached for the hand-held showerhead and began rinsing her hair. “I guess I should have known that a determined woman like you wants a leadership position.” He turned her to face him. “Looks like I’ve got stiff competition for the job.”

“Are you worried that I’ll get the job instead of you?”

He hesitated. “There’s really no right answer to that question. How about we make a deal?” He pulled her to him, and slid both arms around her.

“What kind of deal?”

“If you get to run the Scanguards branch, you’ll hire me as your personal assistant.” He grinned shamelessly. “I’m good at a lot of things: washing your hair, making you climax…”

Monique couldn’t suppress the smirk that curved her lips upward. “You’re not taking this seriously. We’re rivals. Doesn’t that worry you?”

“Nope. And you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because even if I don’t get the job, I’ll be sticking to you like white on rice. You’re not getting rid of me, babe.” He tapped her on the nose. “Now let’s get cleaned up and dressed. We need to head back to San Francisco. Gabriel is waiting for us.”

“Who’s staying here?” she asked, while reaching for the liquid soap, and started to lather her body.

“Your brothers and Victor’s army. Wesley, Virginia, and John will head back tonight after sunset. Hamish will take us, Cooper, and Blake back to San Francisco, but the other Stealth Guardians are heading home to their compound until we need them again. We’re taking Oscar, Abel’s second-in-command, with us to San Francisco.”

“Do you think you’ll get anything useful out of him in San Francisco? He seemed pretty stubborn when Zach and David worked him over. Doesn’t look like torture works on him.”

“Trust me, if he knows where Abel is keeping our fathers, we’ll find out.”

“I hope you’re right,” she said, then added, “I should talk to my mother to let her know that we’re all right. She’s probably worried.”

“Amaury said he’ll update Faye and Delilah.” He released Monique from his embrace. “When we’re back in San Francisco, we can check in with them.”

Monique nodded. “Before I forget it: we need to send the file of all current and former employees of the palace and all clan members to my mother. Now we know why it was never sent. Most likely Mom and Delilah will recognize some of them as the kidnappers.”

“I already asked Zach to take care of that,” Grayson said.

“You think of everything.”

He shrugged and winked at her. “I was born to be a leader.”

He would be a good leader, she realized that now.

29

“Gabriel is going to do what?” Monique asked, wondering if she’d heard correctly.

She and Grayson stood outside the holding cell on one of the lower levels of the Scanguards headquarters building, where they’d locked up Oscar, the vampire they’d brought back from New Orleans and whom they believed to be one of Abel’s lieutenants.