Worry knotted Sloane’s stomach.For the life of her, she couldn’t come up with a reason why both of them wanted to speak with her.Well, she could, but none of them were good.“Am I in trouble?”
“That depends.”Austin arched one eyebrow.“Have you done anything that might get you into trouble?”
“Not that I’m aware of, Mr.Flint.”And yet she couldn’t help but worry.She liked this job, and the people she worked with.But more important, she needed this job to keep a roof over her head and the bill collectors at bay.
“Relax, Ms.Welker.”Austin sat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of her desk.“You’re not in trouble.I’ve heard nothing but good things about you and the quality of your work.”
That loosened the knot in her stomach but didn’t get rid of it entirely.“That’s good to know.”
The sound of footsteps came down the hall, and seconds later, Larissa walked in, wearing jeans and a plain black T-shirt withBoss Ladywritten across the front in glittery letters.She closed the door behind her and claimed the seat beside Austin.
“Sorry, I had to take a call.What did I miss?”
“Nothing yet.I was just getting started.”Austin turned his gaze to Sloane.“I don’t want to waste your time, Ms.Welker, so I’ll cut straight to the point.I have a potential client with a unique situation, and I believe you can help us with it.Everything that I say from this moment forward is highly confidential and cannot leave this room.Is that understood?”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, curiosity gnawing at her insides.It wasn’t often that people at Six Points came to her for help.She wasn’t exactly action hero material.Most of her work came from behind a keyboard, protecting their clients’ computer systems, networks, and data from threats and responding to them accordingly.
A muscle flexed along the line of Austin’s jaw.“Are you familiar with the actress Sierra Page?”
“Yes, sir.”You’d have to be living under a rock to not know about Sierra Page: actress, model, social media sensation, and unabashed devourer of men.Her leading role in theDeathslayermovie franchise had catapulted her to superstardom.Now her face was plastered on movie posters, perfume ads, action figures, and the covers of just about every magazine in the supermarket checkout line.“She’s going to be a Six Points client?”
“Nothing is set in stone, but the odds are leaning in our favor.Ms.Page is unsatisfied with the company that currently provides her personal protection, and she’s heard good things about Six Points.”
She’d probably heard those good things from actress Vicky Hale, who’d recently worked with Sierra on some sort of spy thriller that was scheduled to release early next year, and who also happened to be married to Ryan Flint, one of Austin’s four younger brothers.
“However, there is one sticking point.”Austin leaned forward in his chair.“While Ms.Page enjoys the attention she receives from the paparazzi, there are times when she prefers privacy.To throw the press off her scent, so to speak, she occasionally utilizes body doubles.Unfortunately, that’s one tool we don’t have in our arsenal, and it’s the only thing holding back our ability to land the account.”
“That’s where you come in,” Larissa added.
“What—me?”Sloane stared at them as though they’d lost their minds.It was the only possible explanation if they were thinking what she thought they were thinking.“You can’t be serious.”
“I never joke about my business,” Austin replied.“You bear a remarkable resemblance to Ms.Page.You’re the same height, same relative build, and your facial features are quite similar.”He swiped at his phone and then angled the screen to show Sloane the picture she’d posted on one of her social media accounts from that time she dressed up as the Deathslayer at Dragon Con.“At first glance, I thought this was Sierra.”
The comparison was flattering, but nothing close to reality.Sierra was bold, and glamorous, and larger than life, while Sloane was painfully plain.It wasn’t a fun fact to acknowledge about yourself, but the truth was the truth.“Yeah, but that’s only because I was wearing the costume and makeup.She doesn’t look anything like that in real life.She’s blonde, with those big blue eyes, and she’s got that little mole above her left eyebrow, and she’s…well, you know.”She made a vague gesture to her chest, something she’d never imagined herself doing in front of her boss, and heat rose in her cheeks.
The corners of Austin’s mouth twitched.“Those are cosmetic differences that can be easily remedied.You don’t have to be an exact clone of Ms.Page, just close enough in appearance to fool the press from a distance.”He paused as if giving time for the information to sink in.“You’re a damn good analyst, Ms.Welker.Larissa and I would much rather have you doing the job we hired you to do.But Ms.Page needs a decoy next weekend, which puts us in a bind.Will you help us?”
This was so outside her comfort zone it wasn’t even funny.There had to be another way.“Can’t you just hire the body double she’s already using?”
Larissa shook her head.“We contacted her, but she isn’t available at that time.”
“And Sierra can’t reschedule to a time when her double is around?”
“People like Sierra Page don’t reschedule.That word isn’t in their vocabulary.We either provide the service she wants when she wants it, or we don’t provide it at all.”Austin rubbed a hand along the side of his neck.“I wouldn’t be asking this of you if it wasn’t important.”
Sloane blew out an unsteady breath.It all seemed so exciting, but it also scared her to death.“I don’t know.I’ve never done anything like that before.”
There were so many ways for this to go wrong.What if somebody she knew recognized her and blew her cover?Or the press figured out she was a fake?The public humiliation would be monumental, not to mention the black eye on Six Points’ sterling reputation.It could turn a lucrative contract into a devastating liability, and it would all be her fault.
As if sensing her indecision, Austin added, “I’ll pay you double your normal hourly rate, plus a bonus at the end of the assignment if successful.”
That got her attention.“How big of a bonus?”
Austin met her gaze.“Ten thousand dollars.”
Sloane’s breath caught in her throat.It wouldn’t mean a lot to some people, but ten thousand dollars would be life-changing for her.She could pay off her credit cards, buy some badly needed tires for her car, and have a tiny bit left over for a rainy day.For once in her adult life, she wouldn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.Still, she had a few more questions.
“Would I be in any danger?”
