Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“I know.” He stretched his neck. “I need to scout the territory and then will meet you back here this afternoon along with Paxton. I promised you time to discuss the release of the kidnapped females.”
She perked up. “Great. I’ll create a presentation.”
Amusement took him. “Good. Paxton doesn’t realize it yet, but he’s leaving with Hunter.” Even if Vero had to knock him out first. “Then you and I will discuss…risks.”
Chapter Fifteen
After scouting the territory and not finding lurking threats, and still waiting for an update on Hunter, Vero sat back in his chair in the small conference room in the main lodge, watching Lyrica click through a meticulously crafted and very colorful PowerPoint presentation. How in the world had the female created that in less than three hours? Impressive. Very.
Both he and Paxton drank hot chocolate, which wasn’t nearly as good as the sparkling water.
“Point three,” she said, her tone even but firm, “bribing the females is not only more cost-effective, but it also ensures their cooperation. We maintain goodwill without the messy side effects of mind wiping.” She paused, her fingers tapping the sleek remote in her hand. “Screwing with somebody’s mind leads to all sorts of problems.”
Well, for humans. The Kurjan technology remained infallible. But he couldn’t share that fact with her. He watched her, suppressing a smile. The female was in her element. Slightly bossy, a bit impatient. Polished. Structured. Organized to the point of near-perfection. The slides were clean and logical, with bullet points laid out like stepping stones in a crystal-clear stream. Based on what she’d told him of her uncertain childhood, of wandering with her father and living out of cars or shelters, this made sense. How she thrived in the chaos surrounding them. Order in a world of uncertainty.
Still, he wanted to ruffle her. Just a little bit.
“Hypothetically,” Vero drawled, tilting his head, “what if one of the females takes the bribe, signs the NDA, then runs to the press anyway? Humans love drama, and this sounds like a social media post that could go absolutely viral. Especially if one or more of them worked together.”
Lyrica’s fingers gripped the remote tighter. “If you’d let me finish the presentation, you’d see I’ve accounted for that possibility.” She clicked to the next slide, a sharp movement betraying her irritation. “That’s why we have follow-up monitoring. Discreet, thorough, and noninvasive. It’s pretty simple, even for you.”
How adorable. He leaned toward her, invading her space. “Simple? Sounds like a lot of work, to be honest.”
She blinked, caught off guard, and for just a second, her voice wavered. “I—what?”
Ah, there it was—a small crack in her armor. He affected her as much as she did him. “Workload, baby.”
Her jaw went slack. The word “baby” did it, huh? He liked that.
She regained her footing. “It’d be worth it, and I’m more than happy to head up that committee.”
Paxton glanced at Vero, no expression on his face. “Do we have committees?”
“No, but if anybody could start one, it’d be Lyrica,” Vero drawled.
“Thank you,” she said crisply, clicking through more slides about cost analyses and the fragility of the human brain. “I’m sure you have advanced medical procedures, but nobody, not even you, can fully anticipate how any given brain will react.”
There was some truth to that statement. He nodded. “Go on.” The more he watched her, the more he felt a prick of unease. Lyrica had immediately emerged as a leader of the kidnapped females and now held a high position in the Kurjan nation as an advisor to both the king and his enforcer. That made her a target, especially right now.
He glanced at Paxton, whose gaze was fixed on Lyrica with the unreadable intensity Vero had come to expect. Paxton knew it too.
“Your analysis is solid,” Paxton said finally, his deep voice breaking the silence. “You’ve done your homework, Lyrica. No one’s arguing that. But don’t forget—this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people. Humans aren’t predictable, no matter how many pie charts you throw at them.”
“I’m aware,” she said, her voice clipped. “But this is the right path.”
Vero needed to put more protection on her. In fact, he needed to keep her close to him. Very. “This is good work, and you’ve made your point. Nice job.”
Relief relaxed her expression. “Paxton?”
“Agreed,” Paxton said. “Thank you for this.”
“Good.” She powered off the presentation, pleasure lifting her pretty mouth. “I’m sure we’re out of coffee with the construction going on, so I’ll go make some. Thank you for changing your minds.” She bustled out, her butt adorable in dark jeans.
Paxton looked at him. “Thoughts?”
Vero thought through his options. “We bribe them, wipe their minds, then send them back to their lives. Our methods are safe.” As safe as possible, anyway. “I’ll destroy all records of them, so nobody will be able to surveil them.”