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Authors: Cyndi Friberg
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that was testing neurotransmitters and bio-integrated technologies.
Focusing on the lingering scene, she forced her rambling speculation to the back of her mind. “I need to see their faces.” Her voice sounded breathy and hoarse. She was tempted to open her eyes and see if he was affected by her nearness, but dismissed the impulse with a self-recriminating sigh. He was an investigator. As soon as he learned what he needed to know he’d be on his way.
She pressed her lips together and concentrated on the image of the female. Though the scene was animated, she couldn’t hear what they were saying. The woman fiddled with her hair and titled her face as if she wanted to be kissed. All very Angie-like motions. The man moved to her side as someone shouldered their way past them and the woman shifted as well. Tori couldn’t see her face now, but she could see the upper portion of her shoulder blade. An angel’s face and upswept wings peeked out from beneath the woman’s blouse.
“It’s Angie,” she whispered, dread accompanying the simple statement.
“Are you sure,” Lor persisted.
“I recognize the tattoo. She got it on her eighteenth birthday. It’s Angie.”
Allenton pulled out with the same care he’d entered and Tori gasped. The room around her spun and she swayed. Lor wrapped his arm around her waist, steadying her. “Take a deep breath. The dizziness will pass.”
“He wouldn’t have risked contact unless he was seriously interested in her. He’ll come for her in the next day or two.” Allenton began to pace the small living room. His anxious energy was palpable.
“Luckily, she’s not here so he’ll have no choice but to move on.” Lor’s hand flexed against her side.
The spinning gradually stopped, but Tori remained tucked against Lor’s side. “Can you set a trap for him? Use this opportunity to take him out of commission?”
Both men looked at her. Lor’s disapproval was obvious, but Allenton seemed interested. “He’ll only return if he thinks she’s here. We need someone to bait the trap, someone who looks enough—”
“No,” Lor snapped. “You are not putting Tori in danger.”
“He’s right. Angie and I get confused for each other all the time. My hair is darker, but if he saw me through the window or something, he’d probably think I was her.”
“It’s too dangerous. I will not allow you to—”
“It’s not your choice to make.” She squared her shoulders, refusing to be browbeaten by a stranger. “If this man is a danger to Angie, then I’ll help catch him in any way I can.”
“She must appear to be alone.” Allenton shot Lor a look full of meaning she didn’t quite understand.
“I hate everything about this plan.”
Allenton acknowledged the complaint with a solemn nod. “It might be our only opportunity.”
It took much longer for Lor to accept the inevitable. He blew out a frustrated sigh and reached into his ear. “Take my audiocom. We will be nearby, but we’ll need to stay out of sight.”
“I understand.” She took the tiny device from him and rubbed the tip with her finger. Sharing headphones always made her squeamish. A nice long French kiss would be far more intimate, yet the thought didn’t tighten her stomach. She smiled at the inconsistency of her hang-ups and slipped the audiocom into her ear. “Can you hear me?”
“Perfectly,” Lor offered her a reassuring smile. “Now try it without speaking the words out loud.”
She hesitated. Did he mean this thing would transmit her thoughts?
That’s exactly what I mean . His deep voice sounded within her mind, the words so clear she gasped.
She caught Allenton rolling his eyes in her peripheral vision. What had caused his reaction? Or was he just a snide asshole?
Lor chuckled, obviously hearing her rambling thoughts.
“It’s a prop,” Allenton told her. Lor anchored a comlink in your mind before he withdrew .
“Do you not comprehend the concept of discretion?” Lor
Focusing on the lingering scene, she forced her rambling speculation to the back of her mind. “I need to see their faces.” Her voice sounded breathy and hoarse. She was tempted to open her eyes and see if he was affected by her nearness, but dismissed the impulse with a self-recriminating sigh. He was an investigator. As soon as he learned what he needed to know he’d be on his way.
She pressed her lips together and concentrated on the image of the female. Though the scene was animated, she couldn’t hear what they were saying. The woman fiddled with her hair and titled her face as if she wanted to be kissed. All very Angie-like motions. The man moved to her side as someone shouldered their way past them and the woman shifted as well. Tori couldn’t see her face now, but she could see the upper portion of her shoulder blade. An angel’s face and upswept wings peeked out from beneath the woman’s blouse.
“It’s Angie,” she whispered, dread accompanying the simple statement.
“Are you sure,” Lor persisted.
“I recognize the tattoo. She got it on her eighteenth birthday. It’s Angie.”
Allenton pulled out with the same care he’d entered and Tori gasped. The room around her spun and she swayed. Lor wrapped his arm around her waist, steadying her. “Take a deep breath. The dizziness will pass.”
“He wouldn’t have risked contact unless he was seriously interested in her. He’ll come for her in the next day or two.” Allenton began to pace the small living room. His anxious energy was palpable.
“Luckily, she’s not here so he’ll have no choice but to move on.” Lor’s hand flexed against her side.
The spinning gradually stopped, but Tori remained tucked against Lor’s side. “Can you set a trap for him? Use this opportunity to take him out of commission?”
Both men looked at her. Lor’s disapproval was obvious, but Allenton seemed interested. “He’ll only return if he thinks she’s here. We need someone to bait the trap, someone who looks enough—”
“No,” Lor snapped. “You are not putting Tori in danger.”
“He’s right. Angie and I get confused for each other all the time. My hair is darker, but if he saw me through the window or something, he’d probably think I was her.”
“It’s too dangerous. I will not allow you to—”
“It’s not your choice to make.” She squared her shoulders, refusing to be browbeaten by a stranger. “If this man is a danger to Angie, then I’ll help catch him in any way I can.”
“She must appear to be alone.” Allenton shot Lor a look full of meaning she didn’t quite understand.
“I hate everything about this plan.”
Allenton acknowledged the complaint with a solemn nod. “It might be our only opportunity.”
It took much longer for Lor to accept the inevitable. He blew out a frustrated sigh and reached into his ear. “Take my audiocom. We will be nearby, but we’ll need to stay out of sight.”
“I understand.” She took the tiny device from him and rubbed the tip with her finger. Sharing headphones always made her squeamish. A nice long French kiss would be far more intimate, yet the thought didn’t tighten her stomach. She smiled at the inconsistency of her hang-ups and slipped the audiocom into her ear. “Can you hear me?”
“Perfectly,” Lor offered her a reassuring smile. “Now try it without speaking the words out loud.”
She hesitated. Did he mean this thing would transmit her thoughts?
That’s exactly what I mean . His deep voice sounded within her mind, the words so clear she gasped.
She caught Allenton rolling his eyes in her peripheral vision. What had caused his reaction? Or was he just a snide asshole?
Lor chuckled, obviously hearing her rambling thoughts.
“It’s a prop,” Allenton told her. Lor anchored a comlink in your mind before he withdrew .
“Do you not comprehend the concept of discretion?” Lor
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