face? Definitely could change his mind. She stepped into the lift, depriving him of further admiration.
He threw the towel around his neck and tugged at the edges. It only took a moment’s thought before he put the call through.
“Send over that file. I know what I said, but I pay you to change my mind. Email. In the next minute.”
This time last year, he had been meditating, sitting at the base of one of his family’s temples, his tail swishing across the stone floor like a metronome to keep his thoughts clear. The need for regular solitude was part of his beast. And he heard it. The call. A chant that echoed the very beat of his heart. Every single tiger was taught, every single one of them, at one stage or another, that in their lifetime they would be called in prayer, in faith to protect. To watch over those who needed it. And it would be nothing less than their ultimate duty to honour that call. Once he heard it, he shifted to his human form and made arrangements to follow that call.
As soon as he touched down in London, everything fell into place. The building, the architect, right down to Neiriouri Halabi being unable to sell her flat. He’d handed her the right solicitor, spoken to the owner of her dental practice for leeway, made sure she would still be paid for full time despite only being there part time. He cut her bills, expunged her mortgage and barely saved her engagement ring from auction, just because he knew she’d regret it. And it all would have remained crisply dutiful had he not engaged with the infuriating woman. Now when he meditated, her barely covered figure would wander into his mind and demand, “Did you not see what I was wearing today? You really should take another look. Admire properly.”
His beast took the same view. “We really should spend more time with her. With nothing on. A little pinning, a little mating, maybe a little bit of teeth. But that’s it. Regularly.”
Private investigators had collated a file with his legal team to push her into selling. It hadn’t crossed his mind to look. Until now. Once he did, his compulsion for all things Operation Save Neiriouri became clear. Clearer than his trouser beast wanting to play with her…
His parents had had the decency to procreate outside of their bloodlines. And with Neiriouri’s help, so, at last, would he.
Chapter Three
The second night…
Neiri knew the apartment building better than anyone. Having a photographic memory helped enormously, but it was her home. More than the house in Islington ever had been. She’d bought the flat before she’d married, and with the sort of open trust she now kicked herself about regularly, she’d added her husband’s name to the title. Stupid. Really stupid. “Live and learn, child,” she told herself. With her knowledge of the building, she watched the updated security system Roshan had installed. Really, he’d been scammed. Anyone who watched Jack Bauer in action knew security systems should change their visible routines, or people as sneaky as she was would be able to take advantage. If she wanted to get to the basement without any of Roshan’s people seeing, she could do it in a matter of minutes. That was her evening sorted.
Her phone rang and she screened the call before answering. Mother. Again. “Hello, Mother,” she said, tone droll.
“A little more enthusiasm, please.”
“Hi, Mummy!”
“Roll it back.”
“All right, Mum?”
“Perfect! Your grandmother wants to know if you’ll be here in time.”
Neiri sighed heavily. Fascinating how her mother completely blanked out that Neiri had a job and might have been at work around other professionals. “She’s not senile. She knows I can’t leave in the middle of court hearings.”
“You’re not in the middle.”
“I can’t afford the flight.”
“Of course you can!”
“I’ve got an allowance with the freezing order, which won’t even begin to cover a flight over the Christmas
He threw the towel around his neck and tugged at the edges. It only took a moment’s thought before he put the call through.
“Send over that file. I know what I said, but I pay you to change my mind. Email. In the next minute.”
This time last year, he had been meditating, sitting at the base of one of his family’s temples, his tail swishing across the stone floor like a metronome to keep his thoughts clear. The need for regular solitude was part of his beast. And he heard it. The call. A chant that echoed the very beat of his heart. Every single tiger was taught, every single one of them, at one stage or another, that in their lifetime they would be called in prayer, in faith to protect. To watch over those who needed it. And it would be nothing less than their ultimate duty to honour that call. Once he heard it, he shifted to his human form and made arrangements to follow that call.
As soon as he touched down in London, everything fell into place. The building, the architect, right down to Neiriouri Halabi being unable to sell her flat. He’d handed her the right solicitor, spoken to the owner of her dental practice for leeway, made sure she would still be paid for full time despite only being there part time. He cut her bills, expunged her mortgage and barely saved her engagement ring from auction, just because he knew she’d regret it. And it all would have remained crisply dutiful had he not engaged with the infuriating woman. Now when he meditated, her barely covered figure would wander into his mind and demand, “Did you not see what I was wearing today? You really should take another look. Admire properly.”
His beast took the same view. “We really should spend more time with her. With nothing on. A little pinning, a little mating, maybe a little bit of teeth. But that’s it. Regularly.”
Private investigators had collated a file with his legal team to push her into selling. It hadn’t crossed his mind to look. Until now. Once he did, his compulsion for all things Operation Save Neiriouri became clear. Clearer than his trouser beast wanting to play with her…
His parents had had the decency to procreate outside of their bloodlines. And with Neiriouri’s help, so, at last, would he.
Chapter Three
The second night…
Neiri knew the apartment building better than anyone. Having a photographic memory helped enormously, but it was her home. More than the house in Islington ever had been. She’d bought the flat before she’d married, and with the sort of open trust she now kicked herself about regularly, she’d added her husband’s name to the title. Stupid. Really stupid. “Live and learn, child,” she told herself. With her knowledge of the building, she watched the updated security system Roshan had installed. Really, he’d been scammed. Anyone who watched Jack Bauer in action knew security systems should change their visible routines, or people as sneaky as she was would be able to take advantage. If she wanted to get to the basement without any of Roshan’s people seeing, she could do it in a matter of minutes. That was her evening sorted.
Her phone rang and she screened the call before answering. Mother. Again. “Hello, Mother,” she said, tone droll.
“A little more enthusiasm, please.”
“Hi, Mummy!”
“Roll it back.”
“All right, Mum?”
“Perfect! Your grandmother wants to know if you’ll be here in time.”
Neiri sighed heavily. Fascinating how her mother completely blanked out that Neiri had a job and might have been at work around other professionals. “She’s not senile. She knows I can’t leave in the middle of court hearings.”
“You’re not in the middle.”
“I can’t afford the flight.”
“Of course you can!”
“I’ve got an allowance with the freezing order, which won’t even begin to cover a flight over the Christmas
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