ESCANTA: A James Thomas Novel (The James Thomas Series Book 1) by Brooke Sivendra

move.
    “Mak, you’re okay. Move, one foot in front of the other.”
    She remained as stationary as a signpost but James watched as Deacon gently guided her forward. She was so petite, so slight, and would be so easy to maneuver.
    They stepped over the threshold of her office and James’ eyes flickered to the screen with the best view.
    “Mak, I’m going to take my hand away if you promise not to scream.”
    Her head nodded stiffly and James felt bad that she was terrified but there was no way to truly test her security without surprising her, too.
    Deacon withdrew his hand and with it she seemed to let go of the breath she’d been holding. Her body fell forward, most likely due to the release of adrenaline, and she gulped in air like he’d been choking her. James watched on as Deacon leaned behind him and closed the door. Mak struggled against his arm so he let her go completely.
    She turned to face him, taking two large steps back. Her eyes blazed with anger when she saw him. “What the fuck?” she yelled and Deacon put his index finger over his lips.
    Samuel chuckled next to James. “Here we go,” Samuel said.
    Mak glared at Deacon, unwavering in her fury. “Are you crazy? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” She balled her hands on her hips and even on the camera she looked ferocious despite her slight stature.
    Deacon closed the blinds of her window, giving her a few seconds to calm down before he spoke.
    James checked his watch again, noting the time.
    “I wanted to test your security,” Deacon said.
    Mak didn’t look impressed. “And you couldn’t think of another way?” She shook her head, seeming to clear her muddled thoughts. “Wait…What are you even doing here? Where is—”
    Deacon stopped her, blocking her from opening the blinds.
    “He’s taking a nap,” Deacon said.
    “What do you mean he’s taking a nap?” she said, almost growling at him.
    James felt his lips turn up in a slight smile as he watched the scene unfold.
    “He’ll be fine in the morning. He’ll have the best sleep of his life,” Deacon said casually.
    “You…I…” She put her palm to her forehead, clearly overwhelmed at the situation. “You can’t do that! Where is he?”
    “Under the desk in the cubicle three rows to your left.”
    She rubbed her fingers over her lips. “Holy shit,” she said. “I’m a lawyer—you do realize that, right?”
    “Yes, we’re all too aware of that, Mak,” Deacon said, sitting down in the chair opposite her desk. “Take a seat before you fall over,” he said and she sat down on the edge of the desk like on autopilot. She was definitely still in shock.
    Deacon sat silently, and James assumed he was giving her some time for the shock to wear off. Until it had, James knew nothing that came out of Deacon’s mouth was going to help.
    Mak looked at him now, really looked at him—staring him down like she was about to interrogate him.
    “How mad are you?” Deacon asked.
    “Furiously mad.”
    She rested the palms of her hands on the edge of the desk, letting her thin fingers hang over. James looked at the ring on her finger, wondering again if it was her wedding band.
    She was quiet for a minute. “So what’s the plan now, mastermind?” Mak asked curtly.
    “We wait,” Deacon said, clasping his hands in his lap.
    “For what?” she said, looking around.
    “For how long it takes them to realize there’s been a security breach,” Deacon said.
    It had already been far too long.
    “Why are you testing them? It’s been several weeks since my handover,” Mak said.
    James could tell, as she began to regain some of her composure, that the shock was wearing off.
    “We said that we would make sure you were safe. This is part of that; it doesn’t end at handover. You should be prepared, though, because they weren’t expecting this and they aren’t going to be impressed when they realize what I’ve done.”
    She scoffed. “No, I can’t imagine they will be.