There was no way this shit was going on under the Mayor's nose without him being at least someone aware of it, if not directly enabling it somehow. Some of his recent decisions regarding watercraft on the lakes, relaxing standards for certain things... they took on a darker cast when looked at through the lens of his possible involvement with the rogue pack targeting young women in the area.
On paper, Thian was there to provide security. Behind the scenes, he was to search for any intel he could find on the Mayor and his activities, reporting it back to the club. If the asshole turned up clean, great. If he didn't, they'd handle that particular problem when they came to it. Either way, Thian was going to be playing a glorified bodyguard, at least until this fucking event was over. Fuck.
Before he even went to meet the client, he and Snow did recon. They needed to know where he'd be, in case he failed to check in or needed them to arrive quickly. As they rode in, he began to realize this job was going to be much harder than he'd thought. When looking the address up online, it hadn't shown him just how far away it was from anything else. Situated in the middle of a small development, it was surrounded by woods. Strike one- easy access for shifters.
Once they'd pulled off and shifted, they'd raced through the properly line, senses alert as they explored. The thirty acres the house sat on was mostly forested, with the area directly around the house and road cleared. Strike 2- the place had too many goddamn windows. Huge picture windows seemed to be the centerpiece of every fucking room. No curtains, no blinds. Simply open to the elements, and everyone else who happened to be looking in, for nefarious purposes or not.
Strike 3? Upon further sniffing, they'd realized the lone barn sitting quite away from the main house was actually a pool house, with an indoor pool. It was far enough away that if someone happened to go swimming, they could be snatched on their way there or back, and no one from the main house would be able to hear the scream. He couldn't imagine why something bad hadn't happened yet.
“This place is a fucking security nightmare.”
Snow chuffed softly, amber eyes glancing over the area once more before he shifted, clapping Thian on the back once he'd returned to human form as well. He looked relieved that he hadn't caught this one. Thian could understand the feeling.
“I'll tell Knox to up the quote, if you want. Mayor didn't tell us this place was a damn landmine of security holes. You're gonna have your work cut out for ya, kid. Don't envy you a bit. Gather what information you can, we'll handle the rest. And Thian? Don't kill the client.”
He snorted. He wasn't making any fucking promises. If he learned the asshole was behind the women being stalked and hurt, his cat may not listen to reason. Unlike the others, who had known of their shifting abilities longer, Thian was still somewhat new to his.
He didn't hear his cat speaking in his head like some did. He just had feelings and sensations... he could sense when the cat was aggravated or restless. When he'd put off shifting too long and the cat was going to force the issue. It felt like he was crawling out of his skin sometimes, feeling emotions that didn't quite belong to him.
If the cat didn't like the Mayor, Thian wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to hold it at bay if they discovered damning evidence. Making his way back to his bike, he turned it around, starting the drive back to the entrance to the property. Once there, he slung his bag over his shoulder, heading up the stairs. While walking, he was mentally taking note of potential spots for ambushes, snipers, and the like.
He hadn't been told what exactly the Mayor feared, so he had to keep his options open. Once he knew more, he could adjust his security plans. Right now? The entire fucking place was a goddamn hazard. Ringing the bell, he scowled as a harried looking older women opened the door, glancing at him dismissively at first. Once he'd reiterated for the fourth time who the hell he was, she'd finally let him inside.
The home was spacious, natural light pouring in from the windows. The hardwood floors gleamed, the white plush area rugs scattered in various places were spotless. He felt like his very presence was getting dirt somewhere. The place looked sterile, as if it was just for show, and no one actually lived here. He supposed when you had a reputation to uphold, you ensured your home was pristine as well. He couldn't handle that shit. Homes should look lived in. This one looked like a showpiece, meant to impress.
The elderly woman warned him to stay put before she hurried off to alert the homeowner that he had a visitor. Normally, Thian would bristle at being given orders, but frankly, this place was fucking creepy. He was afraid if he stepped wrong, he'd leave a footprint or something, and they'd know right where he'd stepped. It would make gathering intel a bit more trying, but not impossible.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he straightened. No matter what his job for the club was, he had to make nice and pretend he was actually here to protect the damn Mayor from whatever the hell he'd gotten himself into. Or whatever he was afraid of, at any rate. That meant wiping his usual scowl off his face
