Page 99 of Darkness

“Correction. I plan to win a war.”

“It would’ve screwed up your plans if the asshole who attacked me had killed me.” Morrisey owed the fuckwad for the night in the alley.

Asher scoffed. “You were never in any danger from the likes of him.”

Morrisey nodded in Jessa’s direction. “What happens to those like her who need human emotions to survive if you plan to wipe out humans?”

“Oh, we won’t kill them all. Humans keep cattle for food, don’t they?”

Morrisey’s stomach twisted. “I don’t feed from humans. Give me a medium rare steak any day.”

“Oh, but you will. You have powers you haven’t even begun to discover. Only by feeding properly will you have the ability to use them."

Fuck. “I’m not feeding from humans.” No how, no way. Nor did Morrisey believe he could.

“If you’re starved long enough, you will. In fact, you’ve been experiencing headaches, haven’t you? They’ll only get worse over time now that your powers have awakened.” Asher shifted his focus to the left. “Gentlemen. Please show our guest to his room.”

Jessa widened her eyes, but otherwise said nothing.

Two hulking bodybuilder types swaggered in, pausing near Morrisey. Both had two faces. Travelers. Too easy. Grabbing the back of the couch, Morrisey leveraged his feet up and kicked.

Direct double crotch shots!

“Ahh!” One man screamed and crumpled. The other merely grunted and doubled over. Morrisey scrambled down the length of the couch. A hand grabbed his ankle. He punched blindly, landing a solid right hook to the second man’s head.

The cold click of metal on metal made him stop, rolling his eyes upward. Asher stood over him, aiming a .38 at Morrisey’s head.

Morrisey gulped, pouring on enthusiasm he didn’t actually feel. “I can’t wait to see my room.” If he had special powers, they were long overdue to kick in and save his sorry ass.

Asher inclined his head, keeping the gun squarely aimed at Morrisey. “I thought you’d see things my way.”

Chapter Thirty-two

Leary likely had Farren followed. Still, he drove like a traveler out of Hell back to Atlanta after the fifteenth call to Morrisey went to voicemail. Where was he? Had someone gotten to him already?

No way did Morrisey know his true origins. No way. For one thing, he simply wasn’t deceptive enough or gave enough of a damn to hide anything. He’d be in-your-face with the news. But… an icy little voice whispered in Farren’s ear. What if he knows and is playing you for a fool?

Then Farren would handle the aftermath when he had to, not a moment before. He frantically dialed Arianna’s cell phone. She probably wouldn’t be at her desk at this hour.

Arianna growled, “It’s mid fucking night. This had better be good.”

Middle of the night? How long had Farren stayed at the little cabin talking? He checked the car’s clock. Fuck. Four forty-five a.m., and he still had miles to go. “Is Morrisey at the complex?”

“The hell if I know. The only guys I keep up with after hours are either on my couch playing video games, or I have to crawl over them to escape before they wake up.”

No time for unwanted visuals now. “Please check. Now!”

Arianna switched from annoyed to professional. “Okay, let me get to my computer. I’ll call you back.”

Farren’s heart raced as he waited. He hit the car’s phone button on the first ring. “Talk to me.”

“He’s not here. Checked out after work, didn’t return. There are two agents watching his off-site apartment. He arrived there around eleven and hasn’t left.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”

“You sure as hell do! A bottle of the good stuff.” Arianna hung up.

Farren drove to Morrisey’s apartment, ignoring the men in the car parked at the curb. Maybe Morrisey turned the ringer on his phone off and even now slept soundly in his bed. He wasn’t supposed to be here at all. Until training ended, trainees were supposed to stay at the compound. For reasons. A matter for another time. If Farren found Morrisey safe, he’d ream him out later about breaking rules.