Read Online Guild of Truth 02 - Shield from the Heart by Mary K. Norris - Free Book Online Page A

available: one pair of jeans, a black v-neck sweater, and a pair of shoes. Simple, affordable, and essential.
    He stepped out of the fitting room, not bothering with his reflection. The clothing fit, he didn’t care how it made him look. He already knew a lot of his body had withered away from his captivity, no need to reinforce the fact. As soon as he returned home he was going to hit the gym and gain back all the muscle that he’d lost.
    “Let’s get out of here.” He approached Sydney where she sat in a waiting chair.
    Her bright green eyes widened. They raked his body from head to toe.
    That really wasn’t helping his situation. When she looked at him like that he wanted to force her back onto a flat surface and take her, driving any thoughts of Joel clear from her head as he drove himself into her body.
    His erection strained against his new jeans. He clenched his jaw, forcing any and all images of her from his mind. He needed to focus on more important things. Like Vander. He’d be damned if he was going to let that fucker get away with what he’d done to him. Four months of his life were gone. His business was probably bankrupt, his bills long overdue. Had anyone gone looking for him? Was there a missing persons out for him?
    He doubted it. No one at the station where he used to work truly cared about him. All those friendships had withered when he’d started succeeding on cases that others had failed at.
    He followed Sydney to the cashier. She paid for his clothes with a card. “I appreciate the clothes. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
    She collected her receipt. “You don’t have to. I like helping others.”
    He held the door open for her as they exited the store. “If you won’t let me pay you back with cash I can at least help you find that journal Vander is looking for.”
    She stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk. “Seriously?”
    He grabbed her arm and kept her moving. The longer they stayed in one spot the easier it’d be for Regina to find them. “Seriously,” he told her. “He fucked with the wrong PI.”
    She pried his fingers from her arm, the touch stirring his blood even more. “So all you want is revenge?”
    “Four months, Sydney. That’s how long I was isolated and tortured.”
    She was quiet for a moment before she stared up at him. “You called me Sydney.”
    He frowned.
    “That’s the first time you’ve used my name … Merrick.”
    He didn’t understand the big deal until she spoke his name. His gut clenched. It was like an intimate caress. Lust seized him but he wrestled it back.
    His gaze caught on a store to his right.
    “Where are you going?” asked Sydney.
    Merrick held the door open and ushered her in. He scanned the crowds before following her but didn’t see any brunettes with fake blue eyes.
    Sydney’s nose instantly scrunched in that adorable way of hers. “Bath and Body Works?”
    The smell hit Merrick a second later and his own nose screwed up as the sickly sweet scents bombarded him. “We need to disguise our scents,” he told her and started for the tester sprays.
    “You mean to hide from Regina?” Her eyes grew distant as she thought. “You said she was a Tracker.”
    He glanced at her in surprise. She had a good memory.
    She shook her head, her lips curling. “Man, you’d definitely fit in with the rest of the guild.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because you made up a title for Regina.” At his blank expression she elaborated. “You called her a Tracker. Everyone in the guild has come up with at least one title for someone with a power.”
    “What title did you come up with?”
    Her chin rose just a little higher. “My own.”
    “You came up with the term Shielder?”
    “Yup. So far our list of titles include: Shielder, Eraser, Dreamer, Silencer, LockSmith, Veiler, Diverter, and Illusionist.”
    Merrick tried to commit all those to memory. He’d have to ask about each one. Later. “You can explain that after we