Page 19 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

The second my foot hits the stairs, Zee is standing at the bottom, wearing a cheeky grin.

“Sorry, Natia, I didn’t realize it’s a shared bathroom.” At least he apologized—the fact he sounds unrepentant isn’t something I can change.

I stand on the top step with my hands on my hips. It’s not often one of the guys has to look up at me. “Apology accepted, but you need to move downstairs.”

Zee’s eyes harden. “No.”

He stalks off to sit at the dining table. I look up and ask heaven for what purpose they have sent Zee—I get no response. As I head into the kitchen, Aaden calls out, “We ordered Italian, come sit with us.”

“È meglio che tu abbia ordinatolasagna.”

Aaden raises his hands. “Of course I ordered you lasagna. I like my balls where they are.” He knows me well. I grab a beer and sit next to Aaden so I can gaze over the bay.

Zee taps a notepad in front of me. “Charlie called. Jack and Joan didn’t find anything at Mary Conway’s apartment. But it has been expertly cleaned; someone eradicated every speck of dust, fingerprint, and DNA.”

“Any CCTV?” I ask.

Aaden shakes his head. “It’s broken. The building supervisor was surprised, claimed it was working the day before.”

“What happened?” Zee asks me.

I tilt my head. “When?” Zee and Aaden give me a hard look. “Oh, you mean breakfast.” I take a long drink of my beer. “I don’t think he suspects why we’re here. At least, I don’t think he suspects therealreason we’re here, but he may be suspicious we’re here at all. Does that make sense?”

Aaden nods. “Did you find anything out about him?”

“Nothing verbally,” I answer.

Zee sniggers.

I roll my eyes. “Child.”

“You would disagree if you had opened your eyes in the shower when I replaced your—” I smack him over his head. “Ow.”

“Behave like a child, and I’ll treat you like one,” I admonish him.

I turn back to Aaden. “I got an odd read on his aura. It’s inky with blue, orange, and red flames licking the outside… Really, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

My eyes trace the droplet of water trickling down the side of my beer bottle. “Power hums over his skin, but he’s masking his real power. I think he can read minds—I felt a small pressure. But it could have just been the pulse of power he pushed over me.”

Aaden and Zee stare at me with wide eyes. I glance between them, praying they aren’t going to delve any further. Aaden opens his mouth, but Zee beats him to it. “Where?”

Aaden shakes his head. “Blunt much?”

I take a few more gulps of beer to combat the sudden dryness in my throat. “Mainly my hands and arms.”

“What did it feel like?” Aaden asks.

“Why the hell does that matter?” I snap. I tip my bottle back again, but it’s empty, so I swipe Zee’s half-full bottle from his hand. A lazy grin appears on his face as he watches me drink it. I narrow my eyes. “Any comments, and you won’t wake up in the morning.” He holds his hands up, feigning innocence.

Aaden lets out a sigh. He’s still waiting for an answer.

“Heat, and small electrical sparks on my skin,” I mumble.

“Not human then,” Aaden aptly concludes. “What else happened?”

“He wouldn’t give me proper coffee at breakfast.”

Aaden chuckles. “Yeah, we guessed when you announced it to the entire room.” I’d forgotten about that.

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