Read Online Marked by Bonnie Lamer - Free Book Online Page B

“Do you personally control those djinn or is it whoever possesses the copper object?”
     
    “Whoever has the copper controls them,” Romans says.
     
    Brielle’s brows slam together.  “How do you know that?”
     
    “Why else would you keep them hidden?”
     
    “I’m going to call you Sherlock from now on,” Brielle says drily.  Roman glowers at her.
     
    I’m going to try to move this conversation forward before it deteriorates any further.  “Was that the bad news or the f-ing bad news?”
     
    “That was the bad news.  The really bad news is that the good doctor’s cell phone was pinged before it was even turned on.”
     
    “How is that possible?” Roman asks.
     
    “Do you have a GPS system in it?” Brielle asks.
     
    His face darkens slightly.  Is he blushing?  “Yes.  Of course.  It’s an iPhone™.” 
     
    Expecting her to give another snarky comment about Roman’s phone, Brielle surprises me by saying, “One of the nurses probably told the djinn in the hospital who ran off with her.”  She nods her head in my direction. “I hadn’t thought of that.  Again, I should have asked you a long time ago if you had a phone.”
     
    Considering they were armed and scary looking, I can’t blame whoever told them.  “Does that mean they know where we are?” I ask.
     
    “Bingo.”
     
    “Then shouldn’t we leave?”
     
    Surprisingly, she shakes her head.  “No.  They won’t attack during the day.  They’ll wait until nightfall so they can be in their true form as much as possible.”
     
    “It seems leaving while the sun’s still in the sky would be the smart move then,” Roman says.
     
    “Just because they won’t attack until dark doesn’t mean they’re not watching the building,” Brielle counters.  “They’d be on our tail as soon as I pulled out of the garage.”
     
    Valid point.  “Then what do we do?” I ask.  I really hope her response is not stay and fight. 
     
    Brielle smiles sadly.  “We wait until they come and I’ll create a diversion that will give us time to get away.”
     
    It dawns on me what that means for her.  “And you leave pretty much everything you have behind.”
     
    Brielle snorts.  “Do you see anything around here worth keeping?”  She’s trying for a brave front but I can see through it.  I bet everything in this apartment means something to her.
     
    “I will help you pack up whatever you want to take,” Roman says, rising from the crate he’s sitting on.  I’d offer to help, but considering my mobility issues at the moment, I’m more help if I just stay out of their way. 
     
    “Eat your pizza.  We have time,” Brielle tells him.  She picks up her plate and takes a big bite of pizza loaded with pineapple.  She closes her eyes as if it’s the best thing she ever tasted but I can see a tear slide down her cheek.  Just one though.  I’m surprised she let that one slip out.
     
    “How did you know they found us?” I ask.
     
    Her mouth is full so she points her thumb towards her computer then holds a finger up in a ‘just a minute’ gesture.  I appreciate her not responding verbally while her mouth is full again.  After a big swallow, she says, “Infrared surveillance cameras.  The djinn emit less heat than a human does.  My cameras are programmed to alert me if they sense anyone near the building with a body temperature less than ninety-eight degrees.”
     
    Roman scowls.  “Just because the average human temp is ninety-eight doesn’t mean everyone runs that way.  There are many people who naturally run a little cooler.  That doesn’t necessarily make them djinn.”
     
    Brielle glowers at him.  “Which is why I haven’t put up semiautomatics that would open fire at the first sign of a low body temp.”  Roman sits back and does his own glowering.  When she’s sure he’s not going to interrupt her anymore, she continues.  “If the cameras pick up a low body temp, it activates