The Protectors Series Bundle - By Nana Malone Page 0,11

her shoulder, her agility slowly coming back to her. “Are you sure you won’t come with me? You won’t be safe here. Maybe I should mind push you to forget helping me.”

“Forget it. You need your power. Besides, the memories are long-term now. You’d never get them all. As for coming with you, someone has to stay behind and create a diversion. I can always pretend you worked your magic.”

The two of them moved into the clean area just outside of Cassie’s room. She gritted her teeth at the suctioning. For years, that sound signaled torture. Now it meant freedom. Cassie wrapped her fingers around the strap of the bag. She might not like leaving her friend behind, but this was a gift horse. No need to crank open its jaw and take a peek at its molars. “Your son. I can't guarantee I’ll find him.”

Annabel expelled a slow breath. “I know it's a long shot, but you're my last hope. At least this way, I know I’ve tried everything I can.” Annabel swiped her key card in the main lock. “From here, you're on your own.”

Cassie stepped through the door without a backward glance. Shoulders straight. Eyes level. Look ahead. No one would be able to recognize her. But she had to avoid using her power until absolutely necessary. Sweat slicked her palms and she said a silent prayer to any God she could think of. Luck was on her side. She moved through the brightly lit lobby, complete with eye scanners and armed guards. No one noticed her. And why would they. She looked like one of the anonymous grad students earning slave wages and working long hours to make a name for themselves. All too absorbed in their own daily movements.

As she rounded the corner to the employee area, she allowed herself one backward glance. The resulting collision knocked her onto her butt.

A deep voice said, “Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going and—”

Cassie blinked up at the man, the cold of the floor seeping through her jeans. Her body tensed when he opened and outstretched hand. Her instincts said to run, but his eyes told her she was safe. Honey-brown and laced with concern, he stared at her.

She patted the wig to make sure it was still in place before taking his proffered hand. Contact with his skin made her jump like she’d just gotten a shock from an appliance. But instead of the immediate wash of senses and thoughts she expected, he barely registered. All she noticed was how his firm, warm hand dwarfed hers.

He looked down at their joined hands before grinning at her. His face lit up, showing just how handsome he was. Like the hero out of a romantic comedy.

Say something before you screw this all up. She cleared her throat. “I'm fine. Not your fault. I wasn't watching where I was going.” Her voice sounded strange in her ears. Husky.

“Are you sure you're okay? You look like you took a hard bump.”

Cassie shifted and tried to step around him. The new guards were coming on shift. Just her luck, one of the two, was the guard who caught her the last time. “No, I’m fine. Really.”

Mr. Romantic Comedy wouldn’t be deterred. He danced with her as she shifted, never letting go of her hand. “Okay, then at least let me apologize for being a klutz. My mother always taught me to take care of a lady. If you won’t at least sit down, maybe I can take you to dinner?” He slapped his forehead. “I should have led with my name. Seth Adams. It’s been a pleasure running into you.”

Cassie’s mouth went slack. His voice flowed over her like warm rain in the summertime. Had he just asked her out? This was a territory completely unfamiliar to her. Luckily, she watched enough movies to understand the concept. “I'm sorry I can't.”

He chuckled and shrugged. “Would it help if I phrased it like journalistic research?” His smile was infectious and Cassie wished she was the young graduate student he thought she was. Dragging in a breath, she knew she had to mind push this conversation out of his memories. Later, when someone came looking for him, she didn’t want him to remember her.

Problem was, as she pushed, she met a brick wall of resistance. The shield around him was like a rubber ball, his brain so dense and slippery nothing could burst through. Pain zinged behind her