Wired Sentinel, Episode 15

Pierre and Sophie pool their research...

Thanks so much for joining the story! Don’t forget you can pre-order it HERE. Also, did you know a subscription to this newsletter makes a great gift for a Toby Neal fan?

Episode 15:

Pierre Raveaux checked his reflection in his car’s rearview mirror before getting out in front of Sophie’s Mediterranean-style house. The humid evening pressed against him like a damp cloth, carrying the scent of plumeria and distant rain.

His linen shirt was wrinkled, and he probably should have shaved—but Sophie’s summons to dinner with the family (and to hear about Dr. Nakamura’s list of target antiquities) hadn’t left him much time for grooming, once he’d torn himself away from his Yām Khûmkạn research deep dive.

He grabbed a bottle of wine from the passenger seat—a modest Côtes du Rhône, along with a bottle of Perrier for his own consumption.

“Pierre, perfect timing!” Sophie’s voice brought him around. “Momi’s been asking every five minutes when ‘Uncle Perro’ would arrive.” She stood in the tiled entry, wearing running shorts and a Security Solutions tank top that highlighted the lean muscles of someone who treated fitness as a job requirement rather than hobby. Her short curls were pinned back, exposing her exquisite profile. The porch light caught the sheen of perspiration on her collarbones—she’d just finished a workout.

“Uncle Perro?” Pierre asked as he approached. The evening light brought out warm tones in her tawny skin. “Momi’s still calling me that?”

“Better than some nicknames, believe it or not. Last week she called our insurance adjuster ‘the boring paper man’ to his face.” Sophie accepted the wine with a quick smile. “Merci. Come in—and fair warning. Sean got up from his nap late, and is—extra.”

“Extra what?” Pierre cocked a brow.

Sophie shook her head. “It’s been a day with him. You’ll see.”