His gaze remained level as the lines in his face softened with some emotion I
couldn’t read. “We know what you can do.”
Studying his too-knowing gaze, worry flickered. Again, with the mysterious
‘we’. “Excuse me?”
A grim little smile quirked his lips. “You see things others don’t.”
His bombshell trapped my breath under the one-ton elephant that parked its
ass on my chest. “Uh?” I wheezed. Witty repartee, that’s me.
“You’re not the only one out there with psychic abilities.”
Recoiling, I struggled to keep my voice even. “Who said anything about
being psychic?”
“Just stop,” his warning growl cut my protestations short. “If you want the truth, you have to give it. Otherwise, I can’t help and I’m out of here.”
Somehow, he knew, and wasn’t that a kick in the ass? What now? Admit or
deny? My options were limited. One, I could kick his ass out and stumble around
trying to find Kelsey on my own. Or, two, I could use him and his resources.
Contrary to his opinion, I wasn’t stupid. Going after Ellery alone amounted to a
suicide mission. Plus, it wouldn’t save Kelsey. But if I could use him and Tag?
Not to mention the resources they could access that I couldn’t touch, then my chances increased dramatically.
I looked away and the sight of Kelsey’s discarded sunglasses lying forlornly
on the counter made my heart clench. To save her, I would shout the truth from
the rooftops and damn the consequences. No matter how much it grated to
depend on him, I couldn’t risk Kelsey’s life for my injured pride.
It wasn’t like anyone would believe the truth if Kayden and company
decided to share it. Hell, they were quick to dismiss all the irregularities in the
initial report. And yes I knew there was a ‘they’, because there were a bunch of
powerful someone else's behind Kayden.
For now, that ‘they’ would be nothing more than a possible tool to get Kelsey
home safe. Afterward, if I played it smart, I could deny everything. My word against theirs. I took a deep breath and dove in, “Fine.”
Kayden’s lashes lowered, veiling a strange flicker before I could figure out what it meant. “Tell me how your ability works.”
Stalling for time, I straightened my shoulders and countered, “I have a better
idea. Let’s trade.”
His reluctant humor came and went. “Question for a question?”
Tempted by the thought of controlling our exchange of information, I
nodded. “You level with me and I’ll level with you.”
Speculative interest colored his voice. “I’ll go first.”
I shook my head. “Uh-uh. I go first.”
He took the couple of steps necessary to crowd into my personal space. Then he leaned in until a mere breath separated us, reminding me of things I didn’t want to remember. He was so close, too close. “Trust issues?”
I bared my teeth in a parody of a smile. “Just the ones you taught me.” Good
lord, he was hot. Literally. A disturbing heat radiated from him and curled around me, dulling the chill edge of nerves. Sucking in a shallow breath, I fought
not to reveal how unsteady he made me. “First question, why is he after me now?”
His gaze sharpened, an indicator that my attempt to appear unfazed failed miserably. He drew back, turned, and went to sit on the other side of the counter.
