narrowed. “Did you follow me?”
He snorted. “Think highly of yourself, huh?”
“Then why are you here?”
Taking a long drink from the bottle clasped in his hand, he motioned to Nobody. “Who’s your one-eyed friend? Boyfriend? Lover?”
“He’s none of your business.” I wrapped my arms over my chest and pinned Jake with my finest ‘don’t fuck with me’ glare. In response he raised the beer to his lips and grinned. Stupid hunter. His smile widened, eyes falling to the swell of my breasts. I quickly dropped my arms.
Nobody caught Jake’s grin and rose. His eye steady on the hunter. “I didn’t catch your name?”
“I didn’t give it.”
Testosterone filled the room. So much in fact that my voice dropped an octave. “Nobody, this is Jake McClain. The hunter I told you about.”
“I see you didn’t take my advice though,” Jake said, pointing to my stained clothes and rat-nested hair. He waved a hand in front of his nose. “How is it possible that you smell worse than you did a couple of hours ago?”
I closed my eyes and practiced the art of deep breathing while listing the top reasons for not beating Jake to a bloody pulp. The list started with his saving my ass at the gate. I was out of rationales a second later.
“How Indeara smells is none of your concern.” Nobody stepped in front of the Jake, his face set. “She’s not interested in the likes of you, hunter.”
“Take it easy.” Jake held up a calloused hand. “I didn’t come here to woo your girl. Ivan and I have business.”
“What kind of business?” My heart sped up in my chest. Ivan knew as well as the rest of mutanity how dangerous hunters could be. They survived by betrayal and lies.
“My business.” Ivan stood, his skin vibrating. “Not yours.”
“But he’s a—”
“Friend,” Ivan said. The word sounded foreign on Ivan’s lips, like he hadn’t used the term in years. Thirteen years to be precise. “Go home, Indeara. I’ll call you in a couple of days. We’ll talk then.”
I didn’t have a couple of days and neither did mutantity. With each day that passed Resden was one-step closer to ridding the world of mutations.
“But—.”
“Go,” Ivan ordered.
“Fine. Goodnight.” I grabbed Nobody’s hand and together we left the bar searching the dark streets for HOA agents. A block up, I ducked into an alleyway.
“I knew you gave up too easy.” Nobody shook his head. “So what’s your plan?”
I flashed him a quick grin. “You wait here. If the hunter leaves before I get back, follow him. Don’t get too close.”
“I can handle myself.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I grabbed his forearm and squeezed. Nobody might be a giant, but he bled just like any other man. “I’m not messing around. McClain’s dangerous. Stay out of sight.”
Nobody’s eye flared, but he didn’t argue. “What are you gonna do?”
“Eavesdrop, of course.” I reached up and gave him a quick peck on the chin before disappearing into the shadows.
******
“I don’t want to see her hurt.” Ivan’s voice flickered through the rooftop air duct. The same duct I currently had my body halfway contorted inside, my ears straining to catch his every word.
“That’s not my choice.” Jake paused, his tone ugly. “It’s yours.”
“It’s not that simple, boy.”
“Don’t boy me,” Jake’s voice softened and a shiver ran up my spine. “I know firsthand what Resden’s capable of, and I’m fairly fucking sure, you don’t want your precious Indeara to find out.” He sucked in a breath. “Keep her away from me, from us, and she’ll be safe.”
“Easier said than done.” Ivan sounded older than I’d ever heard him. “But I’ll do my best. Maybe I’ll send her away. To London. She’ll be safe there.” I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I found out what the fuck was going on.
“You think that’s wise?”
“I don’t think anything anymore.” Ivan coughed. “Now you watch your back.
He snorted. “Think highly of yourself, huh?”
“Then why are you here?”
Taking a long drink from the bottle clasped in his hand, he motioned to Nobody. “Who’s your one-eyed friend? Boyfriend? Lover?”
“He’s none of your business.” I wrapped my arms over my chest and pinned Jake with my finest ‘don’t fuck with me’ glare. In response he raised the beer to his lips and grinned. Stupid hunter. His smile widened, eyes falling to the swell of my breasts. I quickly dropped my arms.
Nobody caught Jake’s grin and rose. His eye steady on the hunter. “I didn’t catch your name?”
“I didn’t give it.”
Testosterone filled the room. So much in fact that my voice dropped an octave. “Nobody, this is Jake McClain. The hunter I told you about.”
“I see you didn’t take my advice though,” Jake said, pointing to my stained clothes and rat-nested hair. He waved a hand in front of his nose. “How is it possible that you smell worse than you did a couple of hours ago?”
I closed my eyes and practiced the art of deep breathing while listing the top reasons for not beating Jake to a bloody pulp. The list started with his saving my ass at the gate. I was out of rationales a second later.
“How Indeara smells is none of your concern.” Nobody stepped in front of the Jake, his face set. “She’s not interested in the likes of you, hunter.”
“Take it easy.” Jake held up a calloused hand. “I didn’t come here to woo your girl. Ivan and I have business.”
“What kind of business?” My heart sped up in my chest. Ivan knew as well as the rest of mutanity how dangerous hunters could be. They survived by betrayal and lies.
“My business.” Ivan stood, his skin vibrating. “Not yours.”
“But he’s a—”
“Friend,” Ivan said. The word sounded foreign on Ivan’s lips, like he hadn’t used the term in years. Thirteen years to be precise. “Go home, Indeara. I’ll call you in a couple of days. We’ll talk then.”
I didn’t have a couple of days and neither did mutantity. With each day that passed Resden was one-step closer to ridding the world of mutations.
“But—.”
“Go,” Ivan ordered.
“Fine. Goodnight.” I grabbed Nobody’s hand and together we left the bar searching the dark streets for HOA agents. A block up, I ducked into an alleyway.
“I knew you gave up too easy.” Nobody shook his head. “So what’s your plan?”
I flashed him a quick grin. “You wait here. If the hunter leaves before I get back, follow him. Don’t get too close.”
“I can handle myself.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I grabbed his forearm and squeezed. Nobody might be a giant, but he bled just like any other man. “I’m not messing around. McClain’s dangerous. Stay out of sight.”
Nobody’s eye flared, but he didn’t argue. “What are you gonna do?”
“Eavesdrop, of course.” I reached up and gave him a quick peck on the chin before disappearing into the shadows.
******
“I don’t want to see her hurt.” Ivan’s voice flickered through the rooftop air duct. The same duct I currently had my body halfway contorted inside, my ears straining to catch his every word.
“That’s not my choice.” Jake paused, his tone ugly. “It’s yours.”
“It’s not that simple, boy.”
“Don’t boy me,” Jake’s voice softened and a shiver ran up my spine. “I know firsthand what Resden’s capable of, and I’m fairly fucking sure, you don’t want your precious Indeara to find out.” He sucked in a breath. “Keep her away from me, from us, and she’ll be safe.”
“Easier said than done.” Ivan sounded older than I’d ever heard him. “But I’ll do my best. Maybe I’ll send her away. To London. She’ll be safe there.” I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I found out what the fuck was going on.
“You think that’s wise?”
“I don’t think anything anymore.” Ivan coughed. “Now you watch your back.
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