Saved by Sin [Paladin Protection Agency 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Susan Hayes Page B

staring at Sinjin now. “Death by jealous ghost is not a good way to go.”
    “So Ms. Jamieson pulled you back to shore?” Remington’s question refocused them all.
    “No, sir. Michelle grabbed onto me and then informed the entity we believe is Robert Tanner that she wasn’t going to let go of me, so either he had to kill us both or let us go. I distinctly heard Tanner’s voice say that Michelle belonged to him, he used the word forever, and then she repeated her intention. The wind immediately died, the lake calmed, and we were able to swim to shore without further difficulty.”
    “Is this how you recall things, Ms. Jamieson?” Remington turned his attention back to her, and she nodded, still processing what Sin had said. They’d never discussed what he’d experienced, and she was reminded anew just how close he’d come to dying.
    “That’s the gist, yes. I saw the wind and waves coming, but by the time I realized what I was looking at and tried to warn Sin, it was too late.”
    Remington’s hand passed over the console again, and the red light shut off. “I am pausing the recording because after that story, I’m in need of a drink.” He stood and crossed the room to a discretely situated cabinet, opening it to reveal a myriad of bottles and decanters. “Thanks to you two, I’m going to need to add another rule to the list. Rule number ninety-seven, just because a man’s dead, doesn’t mean he isn’t still going to be a problem.”

Chapter 9
     
    Michelle insisted on walking when they left Remington’s office an hour later, needing to exert at least a little independence in a life that felt like it was entirely out of her control. Sinjin hadn’t argued with her, but he had not budged from her side either. He’d patiently kept pace with her, letting her lean on him as she limped down the hall. Jase had said his good-byes at the elevator before heading home. It was finally just the two of them again. At least it would be once they got to their room. In the hallway, she was still subjected to polite glances and curious stares.
    “So where are we staying again?” she asked as Sinjin fished a key card from his wallet and waved it in front of a small black console.
    “There’s a dozen or so rooms set up as temporary quarters for those nights we can’t or don’t go home. We’ll be staying in one of them tonight.” He opened the door and led her inside, flipping on the lights as they entered.
    “Hey, it’s like a hotel in here,” she observed and noted that their bags had already been delivered to the room. There were no windows, but in every other respect, it resembled a generic hotel room. Double beds, closet, bathroom, and even a flat-screen television set mounted on the wall across from the beds. “Now if they just had room service, I’d be ready to move in,” she joked and made her way to the bed, sinking down on it with a tired sigh.
    “Oh, we’ve got room service.” Sin gestured to a phone sitting on a bedside table. “There’s a menu around here somewhere, too. The cafeteria is open twenty-four-seven. Nothing fancy, but it’s tasty.”
    “You guys have your own cafeteria?”
    “This is a full-service sort of place. We’ve got a cafeteria, gym, swimming pool, motor pool, armory, the works. We’re like a city in miniature here. Paladin employs more than a hundred personnel between the support staff and the specialists out in the field.”
    “And here I thought you were just hired muscle,” she teased him and then blushed as her stomach rumbled.
    “Room service, coming right up.” Sin tugged out a drawer from the bedside table and pulled out a simple, laminated menu. “I’m starving, too. We managed to miss dinner with all the travel time.”
    She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, part of her listening in as Sinjin ordered them what seemed like an insanely large amount of food. After he hung up, she felt the bed dip as he sprawled out beside her, one strong arm