Bound by Revenge (Guardian Series) by Jennifer Thibeault Read Free Book Online

a mall would be terribly inconvenient, he was truly thankful for the skill.
    He looked down at himself to make sure he didn’t miss any important elements of the corporate uniform. Once he was satisfied with what he’d conjured he was ready to approach the young man. There were just a few strides separating him from his target.
    “Good morning.” Vance said, stepping in front of the man in an attempt to get his attention.
    “Morning.” The man responded as he looked over to see who he was greeting. The look was disinterested and slightly annoyed. It was tantamount to flashing a neon sign demanding he not be interrupted.
    As soon as the man made eye contact with Vance, they both stopped dead in their tracks. That one beat was all that it took for Vance to take control of the young man’s mind. A quick burst of light flashed from Vance’s eyes, stunning the man in front of him, pulling Vance deeper inside his thoughts.
    This skill was what Vance considered his greatest gift. Mind control was nothing to take lightly, and he used it only when completely necessary. He was never quite sure what long term consequences it could have. Even as a demon, he knew better than to behave recklessly. Destroying a human could have far reaching consequences. It could influence generations in myriad ways. Ways that would be impossible to predict. But when it was absolutely necessary, he’d do whatever he could to gain the advantage and usually that meant skulking around in a human’s mind. But he always tried to get in and get out fast, to lessen the effects.
    This gift not only allowed Vance to get quick glimpses into the minds of humans, but it also gave him the ability to implant ideas in those fragile minds and to mold their thoughts and memories to whatever he needed. He could give them ideas, false memories or even general feelings. It took Vance less than thirty seconds to view Alex’s whole story. Alex was the successful son of a more successful father. He was strong, smart and quick on his feet. He’d been priming himself to eventually take over the family business. In fact, it seemed he controlled many aspects of the day to day operations already.
    As soon as Vance pulled out of Alex’s mind, he stood back, waiting to see if the story he had planted took root.
     
    “Vance?” Alex asked, even though Vance knew Alex recognized him from the press release he’d projected into Alex’s memory.
    Vance pulled his cheeks up in a toothy smile, ostensibly as a greeting and but also as a pat on the back for his successful control of the man’s thoughts.
    “I can’t wait to get started. You come highly recommended. Everyone you’ve worked with said great things about the job you do.” Alex shook Vance’s hand enthusiastically.
    “Believe me, I was thrilled when I got the call.” Vance responded, which was actually fairly true, though he was sure the call hadn’t come from Alex. The man might be rich and powerful but he was still nothing more than a human.
    “We’re just lucky that you’ve decided to leave New York and come to Ruthers.” Alex motioned with his head towards the building before starting to walk. “You’re going to be working with me on my personal team.” He explained as he walked with Vance through the glass doors into the lobby.
    “I can’t wait.” Vance said, setting into motion his career at Andrean Consultants.
     
    Now, after more than a month, Vance fit into the company like he had always belonged there. He was great at the job, worked well on the team and took a lot of pride in the good he did for the companies he helped. In fact, he had a human life that he was becoming accustomed to. He rented a house, bought personal belongings and he had a real friend in Alex.
    Both of them took their jobs very seriously, but enjoyed going out and having a good time. Alex went through close to as many girls as Vance did. It was almost inconceivable to the immortal that he could belong so seamlessly in