Read Online Chasing Power (Hidden Talents) by Genevieve Pearson - Free Book Online Page A

for someone like Hal to blow a car up?”
    “Oh,” Al said, “OK, yeah, let’s not go out there.”
    “Who’s Hal?”  Sam asked. 
    “I’ll tell you later,” Lane said, “For now, isn’t there a monorail around here?  Or something without a combustion engine?”
    #
    They made their way down the Strip, finding their way to a food court inside an Egyptian-themed casino with soft, cushy booths.  A fake stone tomb offered both architectural interest and a little bit of shelter from the rest of the casino. 
    The guys, exhausted, agreed to take turns catching what sleep they could, at least for a couple of hours.  Samantha knew that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep—not now.  Catching Lane’s gaze, she guessed that he felt the same.  They agreed to take the first shift of being awake, and Harry sprawled out on a booth, quickly dozing.  Al rested on the table, head cradled in his arms and half-awake.
    Samantha wanted to ask what was going on.  She wanted to know who Hal was, what they were going to do.  But she had a problem.
    “We’ve gotta hash this out, don’t we?”  Lane said with a sigh.
    “See, you’re doing it again!”  Sam said, staring him down, “I don’t care if you say you can’t read minds, you’re guessing mine way too much.”
    “So?”  Lane said.
    “So?!  So?!  How would you like it if I was poking around in your brain, looking up your thoughts?”
    He shrugged, “It would make communicating easier.”
    “No.  It’s cheating.  You don’t go messing with people’s feelings.  You don’t influence them.  It’s not fair.  I deserve to know whatever I’m feeling is real.”
    He looked at her, quiet.  For a moment, Sam worried he might be doing it again.  But she didn’t have that feeling, that feeling of unnaturalness.  And she was still angry.  He shook his head, finally: “I’m sorry.  You’re right.”
    Narrowing her eyes, Sam leaned forward.  What?  That was too easy.  What kind of guy listened to reason?
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “Well, believe this.  It is normally my policy to not influence people.  Do I read them?  Yes.  Influence?  Before today, I could have counted on my hands how many times I used that ability.  It’s wonky ethically, I know.  But desperate times call for desperate measures.” 
    “Maybe for other people,” Samantha said, “Not with me.”
    “All right,” Lane said, “I understand.  So, from here on out, I will not influence you, at all, ever.  I give you my word.”
    Their eyes met across the table, and for a moment Sam felt caught, again, the way she had in the library.  The cynical part of her brain, the one that had kept her from getting burned in the past, told her to take this promise with a grain of salt.  Despite this, deep down, she couldn’t help but believe him.  She wanted to believe him. 
    Lane leaned forward, knotting his fingers together and laying his arms on the table.  His eyes crinkled in a smile that his mouth didn’t show.  “Are we OK now?” he asked.
    The cynical part of her broke a little.  “Yes,” said Samantha, “But don’t make me regret it.”
    “I won’t,” Lane said, the smile reaching his mouth, a lopsided grin.  Sam leaned back in the booth, closing her eyes, lest her traitorous heart get any ideas.
    #
    It was a moment.  Lane could feel it, hanging in the air, palpable.  And then she leaned back, and the moment was gone.  Cut off.  The curtain had been dropped once more.
    Lane wasn’t lying to Harry when he’d called Sam a hard read.  He’d met his share of confusing girls in his life, and this one took the cake.  Though maybe ‘confusing’ wasn’t the right word.  No, she was just private.  She kept her own council, as his mother would say.  And she took nothing at face value. 
    They spent the next two hours talking quietly, intermittently.  Even when she nodded and seemed to be agreeing, he could see the gears in her head spinning,