Dangerous Proximity    

[EVE]

Sinclair simply shrugged and took another leisurely sip of his tea, entirely unfazed by my protests. "If you can find another agency that can protect you better than the Fays, be my guest."

Challenge accepted. I grabbed my phone, determined to prove him wrong.

"I will, and I'll show you that there are plenty of agencies out there. They may not be as prestigious as the Fays, but they're reliable and—" I paused for effect, glaring at Cole. "—second-best will do just fine."

I began dialing number after number, fully aware that the room had gone quiet as all three men—Sinclair, Cole, and Zen—watched me with varying degrees of amusement. I wasn't going to back down.

However, one after another, my calls were rejected.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rosette, but we don't have enough staff right now."