Page 34 of The Dancer and the Dark
Chloe slowly banged her head on the table. “I am not a programmer. I don’t know anything about technology. I am a bartender and a ballet dancer.”
“Ballet?” The man laughed. “What use would Gavin Wallace have to hire a ballet dancer?”
“You don’t believe me?” She toed off her sandals and kicked her right foot up and onto the table. “Do you see this?”
Both men visibly cringed.
“Ugly, right? I just got finished with a series of performances where I had to be in pointe shoes a lot. It was really hard on my feet, and I have the blisters and calluses to prove it. Do these look like the feet of someone who sits behind a desk and programs all day?”
The men exchanged glances, and she could see doubt beginning to bloom.
“I do not know what information you have been given, but—”
“Word has gotten out, Miss Reardon. People know about Wallace’s takeover of the immortal communications business. We know about his venture with Charmont Industries; they are already buying up space and advertising for experienced programmers. But you” —he pointed at her— “are the only one he hired away from a lab with security clearances from the Pentagon, so we know you must be the key.”
Chloe’s eyes went wide. “What are you talking about?”
“Your PhD dissertation—”
“I don’t have a PhD—I never even went to college!”
“—was on voice command in robotic programming, so the implications for vampire technology are obvious. You must understand.” He leaned on the table and smiled broadly. “My employer is very generous, Miss Reardon.Name your price.This is not a kidnapping, this is a job offer.”
What kind of batshit-crazy vampire kidnapped people for job interviews?
Okay, never mind. Chloe could probably think of three off the top of her head who might think that was a great idea.
The man continued. “Mr. Wallace must have offered you a substantial sum if you left your lab in Boston, but I promise you, my employer’s coffers are even deeper than his and you would have your pick of locations. There would be no demand that you…” He chuckled a little. “…uproot your life to live among the alligators.”
“Oh my God.” Chloe felt like she was in an alternate universe. “Boston? I don’t even…”
She blinked and part of the puzzle fell into place.
Boston.
Robotics programming.
They thought Chloe was her cousin Keisha.
Oh my God, they thought she was a brilliant computer programmer.
Fuck.
But alligators?
New Orleans.
They must have been digging into Gavin’s new project—which had to be what he was in New Orleans to negotiate with Marie-Hélène—and looked up her last name and found her cousin Keisha’s published work.
Fuck.
The last thing she wanted was for whoever this vampire was to go after her cousin Keisha who was happily programming robots for medical technology or something like that and engaged to be married to a botanist next year.
Then again, she didn’t want them to murder her when they figured out she had no fucking clue what they were talking about and she was simply a very dangerous liability they were hiding.
She needed to kill time. Enough time for Gavin to find her. They were in LA, which meant that Gavin not only had all of his own people but Ben, Tenzin, and all the Vecchios.
If Chloe could distract her captors long enough, Gavin would find her.
