Finally, when Amber had given up on getting Sam to tell her what Chad lacked as a boyfriend, Carl announced he was “in”—whatever that meant. He made a few more clicks on the keyboard.
“All right. They have a file on Becky.” He whistled. “Pretty big one. They keep track of every time she’s had an encounter with the feds.”
“Such as?”
“Six months ago she did a stint of two weeks in Solitary for possession of drugs. Another visit to Solitary after an altercation with a vampire… Lee Rose.”
Sam felt her stomach clench in fear. Lee. Why was he constantly crossing her path?
“They dated,” explained Amber. “Thought Becky had ended that.”
“Another warning when seen talking with Joe Matsen again.”
“And I thought she was off the drugs,” said Amber.
Sam rolled her eyes. They were putting a lot of effort into finding a vampire-dating, drug-smoking woman.
“When was that visit to Solitary?” asked Sam
Carl clicked something and read, “Less than a month ago.”
Amber and Sam cringed in unison. At the sound of the front door opening, Carl quickly exited the feds’ network.
“Guess we need to go talk to the druggie,” said Sam.
“Tomorrow. My parents will be looking for me,” said Amber, her eyes flicking to Sam’s hand.
Sam knew she wanted her to go to one of the healers, but Sam wasn’t about to explain her injury to anyone, especially a judgey fae who despised her for her gift.
“Good idea,” said Sam before climbing to her feet.
Sam and Amber exited Carl’s room, their friend right behind them. Carl’s mother was still stripping out of her jacket when they passed her to leave.
“See ya, Carl,” Amber said for the both of them before they slipped out.
They reached the street and headed north up to their own complex. As they passed the administration building, Sam heard her name being called. Though she had barely spoken to him, she recognized his rich voice.
Sam turned to see Mr. Hunt jogging down the steps of the admin building to catch her.
He glanced at Amber before he looked at Sam’s hand.
“Amber, this is Mr. Hunt. He was on my tour today. Mr. Hunt, this is Amber.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” he said.
Amber smiled up at him, obviously seeing the same man Sam felt drawn to.
“Would you mind giving us a moment?” he asked, giving her a winning smile, his white teeth standing out against his dusky skin.
“I need to—uh, get home… anyway,” she said before slipping into the fading light.
Sam stared at Hunt for a moment, unsure what he wanted with her. She refused to feel his draw or the longing of her gift. Sam set her face into a glower before looking up at him again.
Her glare brought a smile to his lips. “Did you get your hand checked?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Just concerned,” he said, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.
Sam didn’t respond. She was struggling against the pull of her gift. Her tattoo began to itch as she worked to pour her focus into the design on her chest. The more she interacted with this strange man the more she felt her tattoo was not sufficient protection from the damage she could do.
“Why didn’t you take the power I offered you?”
Sam felt her own glare darken. Couldn’t he leave her alone?
“I’m no thief,” she snapped.
This too made him smile.
“Is it stealing when it’s offered to you? You know what I am?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell the FMB.”
“No,” Sam said unnecessarily.
“Why?”
“None of my business.”
To her increasing frustration, he smiled again. Sam wasn’t sure if her frustration was to do with his annoying tendency of smiling at everything she said or her growing desire to kiss that smile away. She licked her lips, almost expecting her desires to take over.
Hunt nodded. “I’m Roman,” he said introducing himself formally.
Sam didn’t take his offered hand. She couldn’t control her gift, or her hormones, if she touched him. What was wrong with her?
“Sam,” she said, not looking down at the proffered hand.
Slowly, he lowered the hand, a new smile forming on his lips.
“You should have taken my offer.”
“Why does it matter?”
Roman shrugged. “Guess it doesn’t. I’ll be seeing you,” he added before turning back to the admin building.