Page 2 of Forged in Secrets

Real life–in the form of past-due stamps and scowling IRS agents–was coming for him, and for everything he’d built.

But AveroTech would survive in the end. He’d make sure of it.

CHAPTER

TWO

GRACE

“Why do we even have this chair?” Grace asked, picking at the velvet upholstery with the end of a manicured fingernail. “It’s horrible.”

“Because your mother would notice if we burned it, Miss Hinton,” the security guard said, not bothering to look up from the newspaper he was reading.

Grace stifled a giggle. She liked the new guy so far. Even if he insisted on calling her by her last name.

Before she could make any further comment, she heard the walkie-talkie on the man’s belt crackling to life. “Grace’s ride is here.”

“Thank you,” she said loud enough for the man on the other end to hear, getting to her feet and sending the chair scraping across the marble floor of the foyer.

The security guard muttered something from behind his paper. She could hardly blame him for his disinterest. The Hinton family’s mansion was well-secured with highfences, sturdy gates, and cameras every few feet. For the most part, all her parents expected of their hires was that they stayed awake for their entire shift, just in case.

She hitched her tote bag up on her shoulder before striding out toward the driveway, her heels clicking as she went. Spring had come at last, and she had dressed for the season in a coral wrap dress that she hoped would accentuate her blue eyes.

Benjamin Forge’s nondescript sedan was already waiting in the horseshoe-shaped driveway. As she opened the passenger door and sat down, she caught a few bars of a Beastie Boys song pouring from the struggling speakers.

“This music is horrible,” she said cheerfully as she pulled her seatbelt across her chest. Ben stuck out a finger and hit the power button, engulfing them in silence.

She couldn’t help but to admire the cords of thick muscle in his forearm.

Despite the fact that he was the resident tech nerd at Forge Brothers Security, he spent more time in the gym than any of the other guys, and it showed. The man was massive.

“No way,” Ben’s twin brother, Asher, chimed in from the back seat. “I never would have let you ride shotgun if I thought you were going to trash my playlist. Intergalactic is in my top ten!”

Grace glanced over her shoulder.

“I thought you were a gentleman who wouldn’t ever make a lady sit in the back.”

“Yeah, a lady,” Asher said, feigning puzzlement. “You’ve basically turned into a man at this point, working with us for so long.”

Grace reached back and swatted Asher’s arm as hardas she could. He pulled away laughing as though he’d been struck by the mighty force of a mosquito’s fist.

Ben chuckled and shook his head.

“Okay, I’m driving, and we’re listening to Paganini. Both of you could stand to listen to some real music.”

“Hey, that’s not fair, bro. I ate a panini, like, two days ago,” Asher said.

“It’s Paganini,” Ben grumbled as exuberant violin music filled the car. Turning down the volume, he shifted into drive.

“Yeah, it’s Paganini. You uncultured swine,” Grace added, feigning a hoity-toity British accent.

Who this Paganini fellow was was anybody’s guess, but she didn’t often pass up the opportunity to make fun of Asher.

She caught the hint of a smile on Ben’s lips, and the sight of it made her heart leap a little in her chest. Despite being surrounded by the constant foolery of his brothers, Ben tended to be serious most of the time. Drawing a smile out of him wasn’t always a small feat, and she was pretty good at it.

“I give us ten minutes before Gabe calls and yells at us for being late,” Ben said after a moment, pulling out onto the road and picking up speed.

“I’ll take that bet,” Asher chimed in from the back seat. “Grace?”

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