Penumbra (Spook Squad 3)

“Give me a call when you finish your shift tonight,” he said. “We can make arrangements then.”

She glanced ahead and saw that Wetherton’s office was only two doors away. Damn. She looked back to Gabriel. “Who’s watching me tonight?”

He hesitated, then said, “Alain.”

“After which?”

“Jessie takes over. Though since we now might be having lunch, I’ll probably step in and let her rest.”

“You’re expecting a bit much of your sister and her husband, aren’t you? They have their own lives to live, too.”

“No one in my family has their own life. Everything revolves around the Federation.”

The edge of bitterness is his voice surprised her, but she didn’t question him about it. He wouldn’t tell her anything. When it came to family, he was tighter than a clam. “But I’m not involved in this Federation of yours.”

Hell, even though she knew the historical facts about the Federation’s origins—that it was formed to protect the political and legal interests of nonhumans after the Race Wars—she had no idea what it truly did these days. The few things he had said about it, however, suggested that not only were they still very much involved in protecting the interests of nonhumans, but they were also some kind of undercover, independent spy agency.

His gaze met hers briefly. “No, but who you are, and what you are, might very well affect the Federation and its operations in the future. So, in that respect, you warrant Federation involvement.”

“So why hasn’t Stephan assigned other—” She paused, remembering what Jessie had told her. The urge to grin was almost overwhelming, but she somehow kept a straight face. Which didn’t mean she could resist the temptation to pull his chain a little. “He doesn’t know you’ve assigned me guards, does he?”

“No.”

“So, you’re having me guarded twenty-four hours a day against your brother’s direct orders, but you refuse to admit there might be anything more than professional interest motivating you?”

He glanced at her. “That’s about it.”

Anger rose so fast she could barely restrain it. He knew there was something between them, something that needed to be sorted out. Something that was more than just a fluke of DNA. Why couldn’t he give her at least that tiny crumb of admission, even if he never intended to pursue it?

“You’re so full of shit, Assistant Director, that it’s almost scary.” Sam stopped as they reached the front of Wetherton’s office building. “And you know what? Call off your guards now, or I’ll let Stephan know what you’re up to.”

Annoyance flashed through his eyes. “But Hopeworth—”

“As I’ve already said, let them come. I want answers. I want this mess sorted out so I can finally get on with the rest of my life.”

“There may not be a ‘rest of your life’ if Hopeworth grabs you!” His anger all but seared her

senses. But underneath it, there was also fear. “If they kidnap you, we may not be able to find you, let alone rescue you. The whole Wetherton operation last night went to hell, so it’s possible this will, too.”

“Your brother isn’t a complete fool. I have trackers on me, so they can find me no matter where I’m taken.”

“But the danger—”

“Walking across the street during rush hour is dangerous, but I do that every damn day. Back off, Assistant Director. If you wanted to be involved in this operation—and my life—you shouldn’t have pushed me away.”

“That is beside the point…”

“No, it’s not. It is precisely the point. I have no desire—and no need—for a babysitter. Especially when that person isn’t courageous enough to get over the past and get on with his life.” And with that, she turned around and walked into the building.

SEVEN

GABRIEL SWORE TO HIMSELF AS Sam walked away. No one looking at her slender figure right now would guess at the steel and determination hidden within that slight frame.

Or the depth of sheer, damn foolhardiness.

There was a huge difference between acting as bait and walking into a situation seriously underprepared. No matter what she or Stephan thought, she couldn’t handle this sort of job alone. There were just too many angles they could neither guess at nor cover.

As for her last jibe, where the hell did she get off accusing him of cruising through life when she was basically doing the same thing? God, at least he had a family…