Marc (Bowen Boys, #4)(6)

“She’ll need to have it programmed like mine is with all the numbers. Can you do that for her?” Reed nodded at Mia. “She’s going to do just fine, I think. By this time next week I can be at home and getting ready for the twins.”

“You think she’ll be able to handle this on her own? She doesn’t look all that sure of herself.” He knew he was making her nervous but didn’t know why. “She looks terrified out of her mind.”

“She’ll be just fine. And don’t you go scaring her off either. I need this, Reed, and she’s going to make it happen.” He nodded at her and smiled. “I like her. A great deal, and she saved me yesterday from falling. She didn’t have to do that.”

She’d told him how she’d come to meet Joan twice now. He didn’t want to sound suspicious but it just sounded too…well, it sounded like she’d been at the right place at the right time too easily. He decided to have Caitlynne run a check on her.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your mind right now, but I swear to you if you run a check on this girl I will make you pay.” He looked at Mia, shocked. First, because he swore she’d read his mind, and second that she’d threatened him.

“I have to know that my family will be safe, Mia. She’s working for one of my brothers. What if she tries to hurt one of them? You know that they’re always coming in and out of here.”

“Please don’t. I’m begging you not to look up anything.” She looked around before continuing. “I think she has a husband or boyfriend looking for her and she’s terrified he’ll find her. You wouldn’t believe what she looked like yesterday when I offered her this job. She was terrified when she told me she’d have to find work that paid in cash.”

“She didn’t ask you for the job?” She shook her head. “Well, that doesn’t mean she didn’t plan that either. But if after this week she doesn’t do anything stupid, I won’t have Caitlynne look, deal?”

She nodded. He just hoped that he hadn’t made a huge mistake. He finished the phone and set up the computer. He was sitting close to her, showing her how to change her password to something she’d know when he realized two things.

Joan had never been near another panther, male or otherwise, besides him, and she was much smarter than she’d let them believe. She knew how to run a computer as well as he did. Whoever was chasing her wasn’t a boyfriend or husband, but someone else. He could also smell her fear.

“Have you registered?” She looked up at him when he’d whispered to her. “With the local male, have you registered?”

“Registered? I don’t understand? I have to register with someone to work here? Mia said so long as I never went on cases that I’d be fine in the office.”

He realized something else about her right then. She had no clue. Neither of what he was nor that she was supposed to follow rules set up by other panthers. He stepped back from her, wondering how to make her understand. She was still looking at him.

“You’re going to be fine. I thought…I guess I thought you’d go out on assignments like Mia did before she got pregnant.” He was babbling and shut up. He showed her how to access the phone and asked her if she had any questions. She shook her head. He might have promised he’d not talk to Caitlynne about her, but he needed to talk to Khan. He called him when he left the offices.

“I need to talk to you. You know about when I can come in?” He told him now would be good and asked him what it was about. “I think it would be better in person. Besides, I need to think about this. Okay?”

He was walking into the Towers a few minutes later and in Khan’s office just after that. He sat down, then jumped and started to pace. He hadn’t touched Joan but knew that Khan could smell her on him. Reed sat again and looked at him.

“I was just at Marc’s office. Mia had me set up a cell and computer access for her new employee. Her name is Joan Savior, she’s a panther.” Khan leaned back and nodded as Reed continued. “I think that there is something going on. At first I thought it was a set up but now—”

“Now what? You…is she your mate?” Reed shook his head and Khan continued. “Okay then, what’s the problem? She didn’t hurt Mia, did she?”

“No, nothing like that. She’s….” Reed got up to pace again. “Mia seems to think she’s running from a boyfriend or husband. Joan told her that she couldn’t work for her when she offered her the job because she couldn’t take a job where she’d be found. I don’t think Joan is her real name either. And I promised Mia that I’d not look into her either via Caitlynne.”

“So you came to me so I could ask her to look into it for you? I don’t think so. When you make a promise like that it’s implied that you won’t go around the bush to get what you want. Not from Mia or anyone.”

“No. Nothing like that. I don’t…what if I told you that I don’t think she knew what I was? What if I said that I got the feeling from her that she’s…terrified of what she is, for more reasons than someone chasing her? She seemed to be…I know this sounds really stupid, but I get the feeling that she thinks she’s the only one of her kind.”

“You think that’s why she’s being chased, because she’s a cat?” Reed nodded and sat back down. “Why? I mean you’d not be able to smell that on her. What makes you think that?”