Page 88

An hour later, Leah pushed away from the desk and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She wasn’t any more prepared than when she’d started. The Organization’s intranet provided little information regarding the facility. Other than learning that she was somewhere in Arizona, nothing useful came up.

Would it be too much to ask for a facility map or blueprint or something?

Restless with the sense of impending doom, Leah twisted the doorknob.

Locked. Duh.

Banging on the door, she screamed, “Hey! Anyone there! Hello? Hey!”

The knob turned. She jumped back as the door swung inward. A pissed-off Hunter with a nasty scar on his left cheek stood on the other side with his arms crossed and glowered at her.

“What do you want?” His voice was deep and gruff.

“I’m hungry,” Leah whined. The man’s jaw ticked. “Is there any food around here?”

“Stay here.”

“No! Don’t leave! I don’t want to be alone.” Leah clung to the Hunter’s arm to stop him from closing the door and made sure her voice was shaky when she begged, “Can I go with you?”

The Hunter hesitated, clearly more used to fighting vampires than dealing with sniveling women. “Let go.”

She released her hold, but her lips quivered. “Please? Just to get food. I just want to be with other people, not vampires. Just for a little bit? Please?”

“Fine.” The rough man sighed. “You in the front. I will knock you out if you try anything funny.”

She scooted past him and to the hallway. “No funny business. I promise.”

They took the elevator down to the first level. As far as Leah could tell, the second level had rooms like hers and some offices. They didn’t pass any labs like the ones on the first floor.

This area was less secure than where they held Julian. No fingerprint scan needed anywhere. A section of the wall gave way to windows, revealing the front entrance lobby on the other side.

Bingo.

It was a few more turns before they reached the cafeteria, which was a sizable hall filled with circular and long rectangular tables like the one at the Compound. She almost felt homesick. Almost.

Shaking away the nostalgia, Leah ordered the teriyaki chicken stir-fry noodles at the counter.

“Are you not eating?” she asked when her bodyguard followed her past the cashier.

“No.”

“Order something. I’ll feel weird if you just watch me eat.”

“That’s your problem.”

What was it with unpleasant men in her life? “Suit yourself.”

When her food was ready, Leah took her tray and surveyed the hall. Dinner rush hadn’t started yet, so the place was pretty empty. Only four tables were occupied. In one of them sat an animated redhead she recognized.

What is she doing here?

Leah sauntered over to the table.

“Where are you going?” The Hunter hissed behind her.

“You don’t expect me to eat alone now, do you?”

Leah stopped at the table. “Emily?”