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Ella sipped her coffee and made her way through the cubicles to Feehan’s office at the far end of her floor. There was a buzz of interest in the air that resonated through her senses like a toothache. Whatever was going on, she couldn’t wait to make it stop. She was hoping it had something to do with the potential serial killer case, but she’d learned not to get too excited. Things changed rapidly at the SBLE and it could be something totally different.
She stopped at the door to Feehan’s office and studied the unknown male Fae seated at the table. He had long pale hair that was drawn into a braid at the back of his neck and he wore a dark blue suit. She wasn’t that smart before the caffeine kicked in, but she was guessing this gorgeous guy had something to do with the other guy in the suit she’d met at the vending machine. Didn’t they always come in pairs?
“Hey.” She took the seat opposite the Fae. “I’m Ella.”
He rose to his feet and bowed. “Good morning, my name is Alexei.”
“And you’re from Russia, right?”
“I am.”
“I met your colleague yesterday.”
“Vadim? He didn’t mention it.”
“No reason for him to. I just gave him change for the vending machine. What do you do, Alexei?”
“I work for the Moscow branch of the SBLE. I’m a Fae-Web specialist. I believe we’ve been drafted in to help you with the serial killer.”
Ella glanced up to see Feehan entering the office with Liz and the tall pretty Russian. She deliberately raised her voice. “Really? It would’ve been nice if the boss had mentioned it to us, wouldn’t it, Liz?”
It seemed Liz was too busy gawping at the two Russians to do more than mutter something unintelligible and sink into a seat beside Ella. Feehan took the chair at the head of the table, and Tall, Dark and Handsome sat opposite Ella. If one ignored the distinct lack of welcome in his cold blue gaze, he really was hot.
Ella turned to Feehan. “When did you decide to call in the cavalry?”
Alexei cleared his throat. “As soon as Mr. Feehan added the details of the crime into the SBLE worldwide database, I was alerted to the similarities by my superiors.”
“You didn’t work it out yourself?” Ella asked.
“Unfortunately, I was involved in another case which took all my attention.” The Fae looked suitably contrite. “When I became aware of the new data, I was able to incorporate it into my existing cache and confirm their suspicions.”
“What percentage of Fae are you?”
Before Alexei could reply, the other Russian spoke. “With all due respect, I don’t see what Alexei’s parentage has to do with this discussion.”
“I don’t agree.” Ella focused her gaze on the man opposite her. “It’s important to know what facilities a Fae can utilize in both of our worlds. I’m also wondering why we need another web specialist when we already have Liz.”
“Alexei is exceptional.”
“So is Liz,” Ella replied swiftly.
“Perhaps your superiors felt they needed a more impartial observer to determine whether or not this killer is from Otherworld.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Wow. There are so many things I find objectionable in what you just said that I hardly know where to start. This team is very competent. I assumed the reason you were here was because we had already determined that we have an Otherworld serial killer on our hands.”
“A suspected Otherworld killer.”
Ella flicked a glance at Feehan, but he was listening intently. So she concentrated her attention on the asshole Russian opposite her.
“What exactly is your problem?”
His beautiful mouth quirked up at the corner. “I’m hardly likely to share important information with you when I have no idea who or what you are.”
“You haven’t exactly introduced yourself either.”
Feehan coughed. “I apologize. I should have taken care of the introductions when we came in. Vadim Morosov, this is Ella Walsh.”
His expression went blank. “You’re the empath?”
“Don’t tell me—you’ve got a thing about empaths. Did you get screwed over?”
He stared at her for a long while. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“So why are you here?”
“Because I was sent here. Why are you here?”
“Because I’m the one who had to delve into a murdered empath’s mind and discover that every thought and memory she possessed had been stripped away.”
He sat back. “And that’s why I don’t like working with empaths.”
Ella refused to look away. “I don’t follow.”
“Because you make everything about emotions.”
“It doesn’t bother you that someone had their mind stripped bare?”
“Empaths do it to other people all the time.” He shrugged. “Why is it so much worse when it happens to one of their own?”
Ella tore her gaze away from Vadim’s and stared at Feehan. “Are you okay with him talking to me like that?”
Feehan held his hands wide, and Ella got the impression that he was enjoying himself. “Mr. Morosov is only questioning your interpretation of the evidence.”
“Mr. Morosov can go fuck himself.” She stood up. “I guess you don’t need me then, boss. I’ll leave you in our guest’s capable hands.” She stalked toward the door.
“So you’re not interested in finding out who killed the empath?”
Ella slowly turned around to look at the irritating Russian. “I’m very interested, but I’m not going to allow a complete stranger to walk in here and start casting doubts on my ability to do my job just because he has some hang-up about empaths.”
“I’ll do my job, Ms. Walsh. Don’t you worry about that.”
“And I’ll do mine if you give me a chance.”
“Vadim,” the Fae spoke quietly. “I’ve run Ms. Walsh’s evidence through my Fae-Web. It appears her suppositions are correct, and match the patterns we have seen in our previous encounters with this serial killer.”
She leaned back against the door and smiled at the Fae. “Great. What do you think, Liz?”
“I agree with Alexei,” Liz said promptly. “I would also suggest that having two of us with Fae-Web abilities on this team allows for a great deal of balance and impartiality.” She glanced at Ella. “And I would also like to say that Ella is the most talented empath I have ever worked with. If you don’t wish to work with her, Mr. Morosov, I’ll step back from this investigation as well.”
Feehan stood up and walked toward Ella who suddenly wished looks really could kill. She’d like nothing better than to see his cold lifeless body laid out on the tan coffee-stained carpet, preferably just as a hungry shapeshifter came by…
“Ella, I don’t believe Mr. Morosov was suggesting you weren’t capable of doing your job.”
“Actually, he was.”
Vadim gave a cool nod. “I was, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not prepared to work with you.”
She brought her hand to her heart. “Oh, gosh, that makes me feel so special.”
Feehan reached behind Ella and slammed the door shut. “You are going to work with each other because neither of you wants another empath to have her brains sucked out. I don’t care if you hate each other. On this team and during this investigation you will behave like professionals. Do I make myself clear?”
Ella noticed that Alexei was glaring at Vadim and that her nemesis was glaring right back. Were they able to communicate telepathically? What would that make Vadim Morosov? Part Fae? That might explain his good looks. Fae were known to be beautiful and treacherous.
Vadim rose slowly to his feet and looked at Feehan. “I’d like to apologize to Ms. Walsh. I’m sure we will be able to work together perfectly.”
“Okay, but I’m not apologizing to him.”
“Ella…” Feehan said.
“I get it. Play nice. Now can we get on with this, please?”
* * *
As he sat down, Vadim flicked a side-glance at Alexei. “ Satisfied ?”
“ I’m saving your ass , here , Vadim . If you can’t get along with their precious empath , you’ll be on the next flight home trying to explain yourself to our boss . Suck it up .”
Unfortunately, Alexei was right on all counts, but it didn’t mean Vadim had to like it. The sweet-faced little empath had a temper and an attitude to match. If he wasn’t so terrified that she’d go nuts on him like Natasha, he might be looking forward to the battle of wills ahead.
He turned his attention to Feehan, who was passing out some paperwork.
“We’ve had an update from the Humboldt police. Apparently they finally interviewed Christa Morehouse’s best friend, and she shed some light on why Christa decided to move to the city for the vacation.”
“Was she looking for a new job?” Liz asked.
Despite what he’d said to annoy the empath, Vadim already liked the look of Liz. She was just Fae enough to appeal to his Otherworld senses, but not magical enough to irritate him and remind him of the past. Her Fae-Web was constructed differently to Alexei’s. He could already sense they were going to complement each other well.
“Not a job, no,” Feehan said. “Apparently she was expecting to meet her OCOS assigned mate. As he was coming in cross country from New York, she agreed to meet him in a more accessible place than Humboldt.”
“Where is this Humboldt?” Vadim asked.
“It’s in the far north of California, almost three hundred miles away.”
“So it would make sense for her to meet her male here.” Vadim nodded. “Do we have any information about this man?”
“There was nothing about him in her head.” The infuriating Ms. Walsh spoke up for the first time. “Was there anything in her apartment?”
“We have her laptop, perhaps there is something on there,” Feehan offered. “I’ll set one of the tech guys on it immediately.”
“If we’re talking about a communication from Otherworld, it won’t be on her computer. They don’t use that stuff over there. They don’t need it. Otherworld communication comes the old fashioned way, through the mail,” Vadim added. And he liked it that way. It kept certain people off his back.
“He’s right,” Ella agreed. “If she was offered a mate, she would’ve received a letter.”
Feehan frowned. “Would we be able to get copies of any correspondence from Otherworld?”
“I don’t see why not. They have a big administration department over there at Merton. But that means one of us will have to put in a request, and you know how long that takes.”
“I’ll do it,” Liz offered. “And I’ll pop over there if I have to and hurry them along.”
“Good luck with that. Although they might be more likely to help you than they are to help me.”
“Do we know the name of this male?” All eyes returned to Vadim. “We can put him into the Fae-Web now and see if there is any data floating around about him.”
“Sure.” Feehan consulted his paperwork. “His name is George Ralston.”
Both Liz and Alexei’s Fae-Webs lit up. It was fascinating how their combined data was already entangling like vines and taking on a life of its own above their heads.
“Before we end this meeting,” Ella said, “I’d like to hear about Alexei and Mr. Morosov’s experience with this serial killer.”
So, he was Mr. Morosov now, was he? Well, he supposed it was better than being called a jerk. Vadim felt Alexei’s stare and forced a smile. “Most of the files are already available for your perusal on the main SBLE site.”
“I know that, I’ve already downloaded them. I was thinking more of your personal impressions of the case, why you think your killer might have moved continents and carried on murdering empaths.”
Vadim leaned back in his chair. “The three victims we dealt with were all found with their minds wiped clear. On the last occasion, we came quite close to capturing the killer. I suspect we might have scared him off.”
“You think it is a male?”
“Yes, we do.”
“And did your empath get the sense that the victims were almost relieved to die?”
“She said something to that effect, yes.” He frowned. “Although I’m not sure if she put it in her official report.”
“Can we contact her to confirm that? I think it might be important.”
“Unfortunately, she is no longer working for the SBLE.”
“But can we contact her anyway?”
He shrugged. “She’s dead, Ms. Walsh.”
Ella shivered and there was an uncomfortable silence until Feehan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I’m afraid there isn’t any more new information to share with you all. I suggest we wait to hear back from the forensic guys and the medical examiner. Their reports are due tomorrow. Hopefully by then we’ll have something to work with.”
Vadim nodded. “I’d like to talk to Ms. Walsh about her impressions of the killer if I may.”
She was already getting up and grabbing her backpack. “Ms. Walsh has a lunch date and then she’s off home. She will see if she has time for you tomorrow.” He met her gaze and tried to look approachable and contrite. “I’d really appreciate it if you could give me ten minutes before you go.”
She sat down again. He waited until everyone else filed out of the conference room and then got up to close the door.
When he returned to his seat she was quick to lock gazes with him.
“Why the privacy?”
“Why are you so defensive, Ms. Walsh?”
“Because you, Mr. Morosov, are behaving like a prick.”
“I apologized.”
“And did you mean it?”
“No, of course I didn’t. You don’t need to be an empath to work that out, but that doesn’t mean I don’t intend to try and get along with you.”
She sat back and folded her arms under her breasts, making her pink flowery shirt gape open to reveal a green camisole. “So you said. I’m still not buying it.”
“Look, I admit that I overstepped the mark, but…”
“Overstepped it? You sunk yourself up to the neck in shit. You don’t waltz into someone’s office and start casting doubts over everyone’s competence!”
Vadim let out a long slow breath. She had a point, but he wasn’t willing to concede even that to her. “Tell me how it felt when you went into the victim’s head.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her brown eyes haunted. “Okay, there was nothing left. No stray fragments, no memories, no nothing . It was as if something had come in with a laser and stripped everything away.”
“How hard did you probe?”
“Until my own signal bounced back at me. It was really weird.”
“Did you catch anything at all?”
“As I said in my notes, just a sense of relief, but I can kind of understand that.”
“Why?”
“Because empaths deal with a lot of extra stuff in their heads, and I can imagine that for a second, losing all of that might be…freeing, before you died of it, that is.”
“We don’t know what she died of yet, do we?”
“That’s true, but if there is nothing left of you, of your soul, of your essence, or whatever you want to call it, how can you continue to exist?”
She looked into his eyes and he felt an unexpected connection that he quickly suppressed. Beneath her arrogance was a female who thought deeply about her place in the world and the effect of her gift on others. She was either an exceptional empath or a superb liar. Of course, being an empath she could be both. In his all-too-recent experience they tended to be incredibly selfish, much like the Fae. Maybe that was why he disliked them so much.
He nodded. “Well, thanks for that. It was very illuminating.”
She actually blushed. “It was a load of bullshit. I don’t know what I was thinking about and saying it to you of all people.”
“I’d like to tell you that I’ll keep it to myself, but we both know I’d be lying. It’s going to end up in the Fae-Web.” He stopped to hold the door open for her. She gave him an odd look as if she wasn’t used to men being courteous. “I want to catch this creature as much as you do, Ms. Walsh.”
“I get that.” She paused to look back at him. “The question is, why?”
“Because I believe in justice for all?”
She was still laughing when she walked away from him. He frowned at her back. She wasn’t stupid and like all empaths she was hyper-sensitive. She’d find out what he’d done, and then she’d be back to question him about it, he was sure of that. The only thing he had to decide was how he was going to handle her when she did.
* * *
When Ella got home, the light was blinking on her phone so she checked her messages while she put off thinking about her stressful day. She’d left the office early, sure that Feehan wouldn’t have the balls to face her again. It was strange to be home in the afternoon, but she planned on taking a long nap. There was something about Vadim Morosov that made her tense and she had a terrible headache.
The first message was from her mom inviting her to Sunday lunch. There was a plaintive note in her mom’s voice that made Ella squirm with guilt. Moms were good at that. But she hadn’t been out to the East Bay to see her parents for three months, so she was well due. Perhaps she’d take Liz along as backup. She stared out her window at the sun as she waited for the second message to click through, and then smiled when she heard Laney’s distinctive drawl.
“Hey, call me! I couldn’t get your cell. I’ve been sent the details of Mr. Wonderful and he sounds…interesting.”
“Interesting.” She deleted the message.
That sounded way too positive. She’d almost hoped that Laney would’ve been sent details of some complete dud. She’d never quite understood why any sane male would want to hook up with an empath anyway. She put the phone down and stared at it. Was Laney settling for anything OCOS offered her because she was too afraid of losing it? Was she really that scared? Ella sighed. Hell, she was getting scared. She kept having nightmares about the instructional movies shown at her school of empaths incarcerated in some of the country’s best insane asylums. She and Laney had laughed and vowed to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge hand in hand rather than go nuts or seek the help of Otherworld to find a psychic anchor. Twenty-seven had seemed ancient then. Now it didn’t seem very old at all.
She reached for the phone and then hesitated. Her mother could wait a couple of days, but she wasn’t sure if she was in the right frame of mind to talk to Laney over the phone. Some things were better said face to face. She sent Laney a text and got an immediate answer. Decision made, Ella picked up her backpack and headed toward the door. If she ran, she’d be able to catch the ferry before it turned around and headed back to San Francisco and meet Laney at their favorite hotel bar for a drink.
* * *
“So where does everyone go to enjoy themselves in this town?” Alexei asked Vadim as they walked back to their hotel. Despite the patches of blue sky above the tall buildings, at street level it was dark and rather cold. “It’s deserted at nine in the evening, and there are no taxis anywhere.”
“I have no idea. I’m exhausted and I don’t have your juvenile need to go out and get laid every night.”
“I’m not that young, actually.” Alexei smiled at a tall African-American woman who smiled right back at him. Vadim grabbed his arm and kept him moving. “And you never know, Vadim. With your bloodline, you might live longer than most humans.”
“I hope not.” Vadim didn’t even want to contemplate that horrific thought.
“Just because you want to be one hundred percent human doesn’t make you one.”
“I get that, Dr. Phil.” Vadim looked right and then left before he crossed the complex traffic junction and avoided one of the local trams.
“Who is Dr. Phil?”
“Forget I said it.” Vadim saw the entrance to their hotel and quickened his pace. It was amazing how quickly he was reconnecting with American culture, or lack of culture, depending on how you rated self-help TV shows. “I don’t even know if he’s still around.”
Alexei followed him into the hotel and Vadim felt for his key card.
“I suppose I could ask Liz where she hangs out,” Alexei mused.
“Liz wears a wedding ring. I don’t think her husband will be too keen on her hanging out with you anywhere.” Vadim punched the floor number into the keypad. Jetlag was a bitch. All he wanted was a glass of wine, his bed and oblivion. When had he turned into a cranky old man?
Alexei’s smile grew salacious. “You never know. If her husband is Fae, he might be interested in sharing the love.”
“I forget, you Fae will fuck anything that moves, won’t you?”
“We’re a bit more selective than that, but needs must, you know.”
“Oh yes, I know.” Vadim stepped out onto the brightly colored carpet and turned left. “Whatever you decide to do, leave me out of it.”
Alexei snorted. “As if I’d ask you to go anywhere with me.”
Vadim reached his door and leaned against the frame. “Just make sure you’re ready to go back to work bright and early tomorrow morning, and that you haven’t brought the wrath of Liz’s husband down on you.”
“Sure, boss.” Alexei blew him a kiss. “I’ll meet you in the lobby at eight.”
As soon as he closed the door and locked it, Vadim stripped off his jacket and tie and unbuttoned his shirt. There was no point in getting dressed again as he didn’t intend to remain vertical for long. He poured himself a glass of exceptional Napa Valley chardonnay and turned on the shower.
As he sipped his wine and shed the rest of his clothes, he wondered what Ella Walsh was up to. He pictured her in some cheap bedsit in the city with a gaggle of interchangeable roommates who came and went depending on the current state of their relationships. She still didn’t look to be anywhere near the dangerous age of twenty-seven, but appearances could be deceptive. He finished the chardonnay and headed for the shower. He should’ve told Alexei to call the empath. He had no doubt they both liked to party.
Despite her arrogance, Ella appealed to him at some visceral level he didn’t really want to contemplate at this point. He imagined her waiting in bed for him to come out of the shower, of how soft her body would feel against his hardness, how she’d probably make him laugh…
When he came out of the shower, his cell was lit up and he paused to read the text from Alexei. “Guess who I found in the bar? Our favorite empath and one of her buddies. Come down and say hi.”
“What was that about me cramping his style?” he asked his reflection. He rubbed his wet hair with a towel, and then carefully folded the towel and placed it on a chair. He was too tired to pretend to be charming to anyone, let alone an empath. He’d have to shield all his thoughts and that took energy he just didn’t have. He stalked into the steamy bathroom, put the bath mat away, and scrubbed at the steam on the mirror. Damn, he looked like shit. That settled it. There was no way he was going anywhere near that bar or that damned empath.
* * *
“He sounds okay, doesn’t he? His name is Peter.”
Ella read the letter from OCOS and then glanced up at Laney. Her redheaded friend was sitting bolt upright on the bar stool, her long legs twined around the central pole. She wore a flowery dress and red shoes with four-inch heels that Ella seriously coveted. They were seated in the recently restored Gold Rush Hotel bar which was awash with crimson, gold and stained glass fixtures and fittings that somehow suited Laney to a T. The bar was getting busy and it was hard to hear above the congenial roar.
“Yeah, he sounds great.” Ella wasn’t lying. The guy chosen for Laney was college educated, had a full time job, coached junior soccer in his spare time and liked a lot of the things Laney liked. His heritage was the minimum requirement for the mating program of one-sixteenth Otherworld, which meant he’d be pretty normal by human standards. “He plays the guitar and loves modern art.”
“I know,” breathed Laney. “He sounds adorable.”
“Are you going to meet up with him then?”
“He lives in Chicago, so we’re going to try and hook up over the internet and take it from there.”
“That’s great.”
Laney grabbed her hand. “You really mean it?”
“If this is what you want, then you should go for it.”
Laney let out her breath, picked up her cocktail glass and toasted Ella. “I’m so glad you approve.”
“You don’t need my approval, hon.”
Laney’s blue eyes filled with tears. “I know but we’ve always done everything together, and we always said we’d go out in a blaze of glory over the side of the Golden Gate Bridge.”
“Things change, Laney. We have to do what we have to do.”
Laney put her glass back down on the bar and fixed her gaze on Ella. “So how about you?”
“I’m not sure yet. I still have some time to think about it.”
“About three and a half weeks by my math. My birthday is less than a month before yours.”
“Okay, then a few weeks.” Ella fidgeted with her coaster. “I don’t know, Laney. I’m not sure I want to keep doing this anyway.”
“So you’d rather go quietly mad?”
Ella finished her cocktail and looked longingly for the bartender. “Don’t push me, hon. I’m happy for you, but let me make my own choice on this, okay?”
“Okay, sweetness, but you know where I am.” Laney turned toward the bar and the bartender appeared instantly. “Two more chocolate martinis please.”
“Coming right up.”
Sometimes she suspected that Laney had Fae in her ancestry. She had the ability to command the attention of bar staff, find parking spots and helpful shop assistants with a mere blink of the eye. It was a skill Ella definitely lacked. She still got asked to show ID to prove she was old enough to drink.
A flash of motion in the mirror behind the bar made her turn in her seat. She nudged Laney. “Are you up for a little company?”
“Sure. Who is it?”
“My favorite Russian.”
“The new guy you mentioned from work?”
“No, his partner, who is far far nicer. And, as you are already spoken for, you can let me try my talents on him, deal?” Ella waved at Alexei and his face brightened. He started to walk through the packed table toward them, drawing more than a few admiring glances from both sexes. Like most Fae he projected an effortless glamor that made him seem to glow from within.
He bowed and Laney sucked in an appreciative breath.
“Ella. What a nice surprise!”
Ella gestured at Laney. “Alexei, this is my best friend, Laney Phillips. She works for the SBLE down in San Jose.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Laney.” Alexei brought Laney’s hand to his lips and kissed it. Laney made an ooh face at Ella over his bent head. “This is my first visit to San Francisco in a long while. I’m still trying to get my bearings.”
“Oh, when were you last here?” Ella asked, as Alexei pulled up a barstool and perched himself on top of it. His hair hung loose down the back of his dark blue open-necked shirt and he wore a faded pair of jeans. He frowned. “In the sixties, I think. I came to see the Beatles at Candlestick Park.”
“I suppose you’re waiting for me to say you don’t look old enough,” Ella said.
His smile was charming. “Well, if you want to flatter me, I’m not going to object. I was quite young then, of course.”
“Scarcely more than a baby, I bet,” Laney agreed. “So are you here to help Ella on this case?”
“Yes I am.” Alexei raised an eyebrow at one of the female bar staff and she practically ran down the length of the bar to serve him. Ella pretended not to notice. All she knew was as long as she stuck with Laney and Alexei, she would never run out of alcohol.
Laney shivered. “It’s terrible to see empaths being targeted like this.”
“I agree. Hopefully, now that we’re pooling our resources, we will put an end to this madness.” Alexei held up his bottle of beer, and they all toasted each other. “Did you know Ms. Morehouse, Laney?”
“Ella and I were just talking about her. Despite the fact that she spent three years with us at college, she left very little impression on either of us.”
“You were at college with Ella as well?”
Laney wrapped an arm around Ella’s shoulders. “Yes, sir. Best friends forever.”
Ella frowned as a faint hint of silver glimmered around Alexei’s head. “Hey, put that away, this is off the record.”
Alexei grinned at her. “Sorry, it wasn’t intentional. Sometimes I swear that Fae-Web has a mind of its own. Would you both like another drink?”
Ella checked her cell. “Sure, just one more and then I’ll have to run, if I want to catch the last ferry.”
“You don’t live in the city?”
“No, I live in Tiburon on the other side of the bay. It’s a lot quieter there, especially when the tourists all leave.”
“And I live in Walnut Creek, so I can get the BART home,” Laney chimed in. Ella was pleased to see that she looked far more relaxed. “So don’t worry about us drinking and driving, unless one of us suddenly decides to highjack the ferry or the train.” Laney winked at Ella. “Hell, we are getting close to that birthday, we’re supposed to do crazy stuff, right?”
Ella was about to reply when she noticed someone coming up behind Alexei. “Oh, look. It’s the lovely and charming Mr. Morosov.”
Alexei turned to stare at his colleague who was still immaculately attired in his suit. “I thought you were going to bed?”
“Then why did you text me?”
“Because I knew you would enjoy getting to know Ella in more relaxed surroundings.” Alexei snapped his fingers and another stool appeared. “What would you like to drink?”
To her annoyance, Vadim sat. “A glass of chilled chardonnay, thanks. Unfortunately, the shower I took woke me up when all I wanted was to crash.” He held out his hand to Laney. “How do you do. I’m Vadim Morosov.”
Laney, the traitor, shook Morosov’s hand and gave him the benefit of her dazzling smile. “I’m Laney, a friend of Ella’s. It’s nice to meet you. Are you still suffering from jet lag?”
“Yes.” Vadim’s answering smile made Ella blink. He never leered at her like that. He moved closer to Laney so that he didn’t have to shout. “I have no idea why it’s so bad this time.”
He smelled of some divinely masculine shower products that made Ella want to lean in and inhale him properly. She gripped her glass and finished her entire cocktail in one gulp. He didn’t deserve any more female attention than he was already getting. Three quarters of the bar were now staring at them, and she didn’t think they were looking at her—Laney maybe.
She checked her cell again and slid down from the high barstool. “I’m sorry, guys, I really need to go or I’ll miss the ferry.”
Laney jumped down too, then hugged her hard. “Thanks, sweetie. I’ll call you as soon as I get my first impression of the guy.”
“Sure.” Ella hugged her back. “Take care, hon.” She realized the Russians were both standing as well and she smiled at them. “Have a good evening.”
She turned for the door only to find Morosov following her out. She thought about pretending she hadn’t noticed him, but he was damn hard to ignore. He held the outer door open for her and glanced down at the top of her head.
“Do you mind if I walk with you? A bit of fresh air might help me sleep.”
She couldn’t think of a polite way to say no. “But you didn’t get your drink.”
“I’m sure it will be there when I get back, or more likely Alexei will drink it for me. He has an incredibly high tolerance for alcohol.”
Sometimes his English still sounded rather formal, but Ella was getting used to it. She set a fast pace down Market and kept her eyes on the Ferry building.
“I thought you would live in the city, Ms. Walsh.”
“Why’s that?”
He shrugged. “Because you seem the type.”
She kept her eyes on the sidewalk as if she was intent on avoiding the cracks. “Then you don’t know my type. Most empaths need their space, so we tend to choose quieter places to live.”
“Not all empaths.”
“I thought you didn’t like empaths, but you were all over Laney.”
“She’s charming and I don’t have to work with her.”
Ella stopped walking and faced him. “Look, are you programmed to disagree with everything I say, or are you just totally obnoxious?”
“Probably a little of both.”
“Then get over it. I’m already tired of having to argue with you all day.”
“You could try agreeing with me for a change.”
She started walking again. “ Right . Like that’s going to happen. We’re obviously not meant to be best buddies, okay? So let’s do what Feehan said and try to get along at least on a professional level.”
“You prefer to keep things professional?”
“Of course.”
“You don’t date your colleagues?”
“Why, are you trying to summon up the courage to ask me out?”
He laughed, displaying a dimple near his chin. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners and he looked so damn sexy Ella almost wanted to smile back. “For the record, Morosov, I don’t date.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She glared at him. “I don’t owe you an explanation, do I?”
“Not yet.”
“Wow, you really are over-confident.”
“Not at all. As your colleague, I’m just concerned about your well-being.”
“I have men, I don’t date them.”
He nodded. “So you’re afraid of commitment.”
“My life will probably end at twenty-seven.” She looked up at him. “Would you subject someone you loved to that ?”
Ella regretted the words the moment she said them.
She didn’t want him feeling sorry for her.
He let out his breath. “Probably not.” He reached out and took her hand. “I apologize.”
She flinched as his magic shot through her. “I knew you weren’t quite human.”
He shrugged and released her hand. “I’m many things.”
She gave into her instincts, and began walking again, turning left along the Embarcadero. She started to puff. To her annoyance, he easily kept up with her.
“I think the question you should be asking yourself, Ms. Walsh, is why you feel so threatened by me.”
She screeched to a halt again. “Threatened, by you?”
“Yes. I think you’ve got used to getting your own way in that office, and you don’t like anyone else coming in and questioning anything you say.”
“And I think you’re talking out of your ass.”
“I don’t like incompetence, Ms. Walsh, and I don’t like working with empaths on the brink of a breakdown. I’ll work with you because I have no choice, but I’ll be questioning everything that comes out of your mouth, double and triple checking it and, if necessary, taking my concerns to the very top to make sure I’m heard so I don’t get left holding the can when everything goes to shit.”
She stared into his eyes and for the first time in her life seriously contemplated drawing her weapon and shooting a fellow professional. But he’d probably like it if she did that, and she still had no way of knowing if he could actually be killed.
Instead, she gave him her best professional smile. “I’m glad you shared your concerns with me, Morosov. I appreciate your input and will consider each and every one of your points very carefully.”
He continued to stare at her and she continued to smile. His shields really were good. She had no idea what he was thinking, although she might hazard a guess that his thoughts weren’t currently full of love for her.
He nodded. “I’m glad we understand each other then. Good night, Ms. Walsh.”
“Good night, Mr. Morosov.” Ella walked away and this time he didn’t follow her. She wanted to look back, but she had a horrible sense that he would still be standing there watching her, and she didn’t want to encounter his death glare again. She headed toward Pier 41 and the reassuring sight of the Tiburon ferry. He was wrong about her. Totally wrong about everything. How dare he suggest she was some kind of workplace bully? He’d only been there half a day. He knew nothing!
Ella stomped up the gangplank and found a seat on the upper deck. Why was he so paranoid anyway? She thought about the SBLE serial killer files she’d downloaded to her laptop. What had gone wrong to screw up an investigation and cause a suspect to flee the country? She smiled out at the choppy waters of the bay. She just knew it had to have something to do with Vadim Morosov and she was damn well going to find out what he’d done and exactly why he hated empaths so much. And then they’d see who was really paranoid.