Shadow Walker by Mel Favreaux Page B

Normally shaking hands with a stranger was very uncomfortable for her, but it was obvious the man was ill. This was what Aquene had trained her for, noting the signs of illness and treating them.
    Amber gave a small smile while his cool grey eyes assessed her. “Nice to meet you,” she murmured and drew away.
    “Casey, again I am sorry about the secrecy. Harris and Linda Sorenson are touring in Europe and won’t be back for quite some time. Aaron and I agreed the mansion held many different possible sets.”
    “Is Aaron their only child?” Amber asked as they followed him to the door.
    Gary turned and eyed them, he seemed apprehensive.
    “I wouldn’t have brought them if I didn’t have complete faith in their judgment and ability to keep a secret.” Casey’s statement was firm, and she raised her brows in challenge. “It’s not too late for us to leave.”
    He gave a nervous bob of his head and led them inside before turning to Amber. “Aaron was adopted actually. Harris and Linda were unable to conceive a child of their own. They discovered him in an orphanage in South Africa when they went on a humanitarian mission and couldn’t leave without him.”
    Amber knew he was holding more information back.
    “I would much rather not finish this, but it may help you understand the need for absolute privacy in this matter.”
    A soft chuckle drifted down from the top of the stairs. “Oh come on Gary. There is no need for secrets.”
    There was a twitch in the agent’s cheek when he looked up the stairs and the older man stammered a bit.
    The Tigress seemed intrigued by the young man coming down the stairs. Amber shifted her attention and had to admit she was impressed. He was wearing gray slacks with a white collared button down and a pale blue V-neck sweater. His hair was reddish brown, a little curly at the top. The style no doubt to show he was still young enough to pull off the boyish look, but his eyes harbored the look of a man who had seen far more than the one looking down at them.
    Looking at Casey, she could sense the Silver Wolf was intrigued too. They exchanged a quick glance.
    “I was taken out of a very poor orphanage in South Africa. My parents claimed I was the worst looking of the entire bunch. Emaciated and half beaten. Even the owners of the orphanage claimed they’d no idea what had happened to me.” He shrugged. “I was seven when they adopted me. I learned to speak English pretty quick. This surprised them so much they hired tutors to teach me every language I had a fancy to learn. I’ve no memory of my life prior to my adoption.” Aaron stepped down off of the last step and stopped in front of Casey, extending his hand to hers.
    Gary made the introductions. “Casey Maynard—”
    “Walker,” she corrected and took the proffered hand.
    “Yes, yes, I’m sorry.” He mopped his forehead and cleared his throat. “And these other lovely ladies are Amber Vaughn and Dori Xanthis.”
    Aaron turned his attention to the women in line and gave each a firm handshake, not lingering too long on either one. He sighed and glanced around the large family room. “With my birthday coming up and the fact I’ll be graduating soon, Gary wanted to show the world a different side of me. He figured the family country home would be the best place to do that.”
    Gary seemed to break out into even more sweats. His cheeks flushed further. He swabbed his brow again and ran a finger under his collar.
    Amber frowned watching him. “How long have you been on the new blood pressure medicine?” she asked, watching him sway.
    “Just a couple of days,” he flustered and closed his eyes a moment.
    Taking his arm, Amber led him over to the couch and asked about the medication he was on.
    His expression was confused when he looked at her. “Why are you asking?”
    “Forgive me,” she said, giving a soft laugh. “I’m an herbalist and work with homeopathic medications. I work with Casey’s husband and his