“Come on,
Cara—or can I use your real name now? Tell me the truth, Faye. Either way, I’m
taking you in. You get to share in the trouble I’m in.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want any of that.”
“Pity. Because you’re coming in anyway.” Tension thrummed in
the air, a palpable force.
Harken had warned her to expect them to come for her, and she
had no way of avoiding them taking her in. The only thing she could do was to
block her mind from intrusions and keep blocking. At least she’d learned how to
do that well. But if a Sorcerer examined her, she’d have no chance. But she’d
try. Keep fighting. “Do you believe that all Talents should be outed?”
He frowned in what looked like disbelief. “Why? What does
that have to do with anything?”
“Well, do you?”
“Of course not. It should be their choice. Now answer my
question.”
“STORM wants to do that.”
How dare he laugh? But he did, full-throated and genuine-sounding.
“Who the fuck told you that?”
Her lips firmed. How sad that he was so under STORM’s thumb.
“I’ve seen memos, directives. You’re probably not high up enough to see them.”
He raised a brow. “How would you know what level I’m at?”
She indicated the ankle bracelet, lying until now
disregarded on the table. “That does.”
He snagged the bracelet and shoved it into his pocket.
“Yeah. But I do research, sweetness. Security levels can be quite high for
research staff. You’re misinformed again.” Although he didn’t move, his mind
twitched and tugged at the hook he’d embedded deep in hers. But she blocked him
around it. She still wouldn’t give him access to her inner thoughts. It took
more effort than she thought, although he wasn’t pressing her for more.
“Listen, Faye. You’re misinformed, to say the least. We’re
close supporters of Senator Gianetti, and he wants the same freedoms for
Talents as the rest of humanity enjoy. All we want is to contain Talents who
break the law and to prevent illegal organizations from attacking and using
Talents.”
She stared at him and suddenly, shockingly, he opened his
mind wider. She tumbled in, too astonished to back off, to wonder if he was
trying to track her. He’d let her in deep enough to give her access to his
truth center. She could tell if he was lying. “See anything wrong?” he asked.
She couldn’t deny that he believed what he told her. And she
felt sorry for him, sorry he’d let them draw him in. “They lied to you. They
want the registration.” Even to her own ears, she sounded unsure. And his
physical presence overwhelmed her. She breathed in his scent, wanted to tilt
back her head and draw in a great, cleansing breath.
He leaned closer. “Still don’t believe me? How about the
truth in this?”
She sensed his desire and she couldn’t do anything other
than meet his lips when he curled one arm around her waist and pulled her
closer. It felt scarily like coming home. Her mouth melded with his and need
filled her.
The kiss turned fierce, fueled by their tension and his
presence in her mind. She pushed, he retained his hold and she couldn’t feel
any effort in him. He brought one hand to the back of her head, threading his
fingers through her hair, dislodging the clip. It fell with a click somewhere
on the floor. Unheeding, she moved closer, pressed her body against his, felt
his arousal pressing against the zipper of his jeans.
This was truth. Need surged up, roared over her mind, her
senses and her reason. She wanted him so badly.
Nothing mattered other than him and this and now. Her mind
dissolved when he plunged his tongue deeper, explored with a ferocity she met
all too eagerly. He tasted good, his mouth firm, his tongue touching hers in a
combination of anger and desire.
Fuck, he turned her on like no one else.
He dragged his mouth away from her and turned them, pushing
her against her desk, urging her down. His hand went to the waistband of his
jeans. “You and
Cara—or can I use your real name now? Tell me the truth, Faye. Either way, I’m
taking you in. You get to share in the trouble I’m in.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want any of that.”
“Pity. Because you’re coming in anyway.” Tension thrummed in
the air, a palpable force.
Harken had warned her to expect them to come for her, and she
had no way of avoiding them taking her in. The only thing she could do was to
block her mind from intrusions and keep blocking. At least she’d learned how to
do that well. But if a Sorcerer examined her, she’d have no chance. But she’d
try. Keep fighting. “Do you believe that all Talents should be outed?”
He frowned in what looked like disbelief. “Why? What does
that have to do with anything?”
“Well, do you?”
“Of course not. It should be their choice. Now answer my
question.”
“STORM wants to do that.”
How dare he laugh? But he did, full-throated and genuine-sounding.
“Who the fuck told you that?”
Her lips firmed. How sad that he was so under STORM’s thumb.
“I’ve seen memos, directives. You’re probably not high up enough to see them.”
He raised a brow. “How would you know what level I’m at?”
She indicated the ankle bracelet, lying until now
disregarded on the table. “That does.”
He snagged the bracelet and shoved it into his pocket.
“Yeah. But I do research, sweetness. Security levels can be quite high for
research staff. You’re misinformed again.” Although he didn’t move, his mind
twitched and tugged at the hook he’d embedded deep in hers. But she blocked him
around it. She still wouldn’t give him access to her inner thoughts. It took
more effort than she thought, although he wasn’t pressing her for more.
“Listen, Faye. You’re misinformed, to say the least. We’re
close supporters of Senator Gianetti, and he wants the same freedoms for
Talents as the rest of humanity enjoy. All we want is to contain Talents who
break the law and to prevent illegal organizations from attacking and using
Talents.”
She stared at him and suddenly, shockingly, he opened his
mind wider. She tumbled in, too astonished to back off, to wonder if he was
trying to track her. He’d let her in deep enough to give her access to his
truth center. She could tell if he was lying. “See anything wrong?” he asked.
She couldn’t deny that he believed what he told her. And she
felt sorry for him, sorry he’d let them draw him in. “They lied to you. They
want the registration.” Even to her own ears, she sounded unsure. And his
physical presence overwhelmed her. She breathed in his scent, wanted to tilt
back her head and draw in a great, cleansing breath.
He leaned closer. “Still don’t believe me? How about the
truth in this?”
She sensed his desire and she couldn’t do anything other
than meet his lips when he curled one arm around her waist and pulled her
closer. It felt scarily like coming home. Her mouth melded with his and need
filled her.
The kiss turned fierce, fueled by their tension and his
presence in her mind. She pushed, he retained his hold and she couldn’t feel
any effort in him. He brought one hand to the back of her head, threading his
fingers through her hair, dislodging the clip. It fell with a click somewhere
on the floor. Unheeding, she moved closer, pressed her body against his, felt
his arousal pressing against the zipper of his jeans.
This was truth. Need surged up, roared over her mind, her
senses and her reason. She wanted him so badly.
Nothing mattered other than him and this and now. Her mind
dissolved when he plunged his tongue deeper, explored with a ferocity she met
all too eagerly. He tasted good, his mouth firm, his tongue touching hers in a
combination of anger and desire.
Fuck, he turned her on like no one else.
He dragged his mouth away from her and turned them, pushing
her against her desk, urging her down. His hand went to the waistband of his
jeans. “You and
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