Page 6 of Tainted Gifts
“I’m sorry to worry you, but I’ve been on silent stalk.”
I sigh out, my grin accidentally spreading. I suppose I’m taking out my anger for Jase on my mystery, masked stalker who is stalking my other stalkers. Now say that five times fast.
“Sorry. It has just been a long week. Did you find my blood?”
The humor in his breath falls flat as anxiety takes its place.
“No. I lost the trail up north. They found out I was tailing them, and they used an aerial lift and ditched the cars they were in. I could see the snow that had been fanned by the chopper blades. They’re fearless if they’re going by air in the middle of a war. We don’t even travel by air during peace times.”
I grunt as I flop to the bed, and the ceiling stares back at me with its insidious gaze.
“When will you be back? I’m about to head out on detail, and I’m ready to see the man behind the mask.”
He lets out a breath of laughter, but it's short lived. “Soon. I have some other matters to work on. The United is stirred up right now, or so I hear.”
“Yeah, we’re about to go full throttle on the search for Kellan Maverick. I don’t suppose you have any Intel you could share?”
He chuckles lightly, “Now I’m your information box?”
I smile foolishly, although I shouldn’t, and then I shrug even though he can’t see me.
“No. I was just hoping. All of his trails are so damn cold. They’re asking for miracles from the trackers… that includes me.”
“I’ll keep my ear to the ground. You need to be careful. They’re still out there, and there aren’t too many people who know about what they’re after. I still don’t know what the hell they needed with such a small dose of blood.”
“I’m tired of worrying about it. Whatever it is, that vial shouldn’t be enough to do it. I’m sure they weren’t counting on Simone’s paranoia with my blood.”
“I’m thankful for it. I need to get off here. I’ll see you when I can. Until then, you know where the panic button is.”
I nod before I realize he can’t see me, and I let a small grin crack for the foolish mistake.
“I do. I’ll see you when I see you, or at least the parts of you that you'll let me see. You be careful too.”
I hang up before he says anything else, and I grab my bag while walking over to the balcony. I don’t feel like walking down several flights of stairs. I don’t feel like mingling in the hallways and making idle conversation with small-talking, uninteresting people.
Instead, I hop up on the railing and stroll across the thin strip of metal with the prowess and finesse of a feline before dropping through the air.
I smile as the wind rushes me. It almost feels as though gravity is trying to catch the misery that is tying me to the world, and then my feet smack the ground, my troubles rejoining me the moment they catch up.
A group of shirtless hybrid men are standing in front of a jeep, and my nose wrinkles up when I see them flexing their muscles for the giggling female officers who are showing no dignity in their gawking eyes and drooling mouths.
“Aroused?” Simone asks while joining me.
“Appalled,” I mumble in distaste, and she lets out a bit of a laugh before rolling her eyes.
“You know that’s not natural, right?”
“What? Having standards?” I scoff. “Then I choose to be unnatural.”
She lets another laugh free while looping her arm through mine, and we stroll linked together to the front of the convoy where my car is waiting.
“I meant being hybrid and not feeling hybrid. Those guys are hot, and yet you act as though they’re the bottom feeders of our breed. I don’t understand how you can be so indifferent.”
I sigh out, and then I glance briefly at Jase who is standing in the middle of a flock of high ranked officials before returning my attention to her.
Because I’m in love.
“It could just be my headache,” I grumble while removing my linked arm from hers and massaging my temple.
