The Protectors Series Bundle - By Nana Malone Page 0,63

money. But if you’re looking for cash or for a score, those thugs in the alley are probably holding.”

His chuckle was low. And it made her whole body tingle as the sound washed over her. What the hell was going on with her? She needed to get back to Riley. Instead, she was standing here numb, while this moron put his big beefy hands all over her and patted her down for weapons. When his hands skimmed up over her thighs, her knees wobbled as need slammed into her. Frightened by the unfamiliar sensations, she fought his hold. “Let me go, you stupid oaf. I already told you I’m not holding anything.”

“Who said I wanted drugs or cash?” He chuckled again, and the butterflies in her stomach danced somewhere dangerously close to bliss.

The sensation pissed her off. “If you’re thinking of doing something stupid, I would advise against it. You won’t be walking away from the experience.” She couldn’t see his face clearly for the shadows, but she saw his full lips flatten. From her position, all she could tell was he was maybe Caucasian, maybe Latino. Big—at least 6’4”. He had huge hands and was in serious need of a shave. From the angle he pressed her against the wall, she couldn’t even tell his hair color or length. It didn’t reach his collar, so it could have been shaved or pulled back into a pony tail, for all she knew.

“I might be an asshole, but I’m not that kind of asshole.” He leaned in as if sniffing her. “Of course if you’re a willing participant, it wouldn’t really make me an asshole now would it?”

Symone narrowed her eyes. Had he just—A niggling little detail burrowed into the recesses of her mind. She breathed in deep again. Ignoring the garbage and alcohol smells of the underbelly of Miami, she focused on his scent. Worn leather and something else. It was fleeting, but it was there. Something familiar. She couldn’t pinpoint it until her mind replayed their previous scene. The way he’d lifted her off the ground as if she were no heavier than child. The way she’d sensed someone following her. Given that her route had been cloaked, there was no way he should have been able to follow her. Ordinary humans didn’t have those kinds of abilities.

One thought made her swallow hard. Tracker. Amped up, superhero kind of Tracker. He was too strong not to be amplified. They’d finally found her.

Chapter Five

Symone struggled in the big brute’s grasp. “What the hell do you want from me?”

He didn’t speak, but his hands tightened on her arms, and a brief flash of alarm snaked up her spine. There was no more Gentech. What the hell were Trackers doing following her around?

As if reading her mind, he said, “Someone wants to bring you back to the fold.”

She froze. Reeser. Peter was alive. Cassie had been right. When Cassie, Seth, and Jansen had rescued them all six months ago, they’d seen the building where they were kept blow up with Peter Reeser in it. But following their escape, Seth had a premonition that Reeser hadn’t died in the blast and that he’d eventually come for them. At the time, Symone had tried to pretend it wasn’t real. After all, she’d seen the news reports. She’d seen the building blow up. There’d been nothing left after Cassie, Seth, and Jansen were through with it.

Cassie had tried to hammer vigilance in staying hidden to them. Careful didn’t even begin to cover the level of precautions that had been taken. Until Symone had screwed up. She’d started volunteering a month ago and gotten her damn photo in the paper. It was all too easy to pretend there was no threat when Gentech was long gone. But all twelve of them had something to lose more valuable than their lives. Their freedom.

Symone shook her head. “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not going anywhere with you.” She struggled again, and his grip just got tighter. “How did you find me anyway?”

His mouth slanted into a harsh line. It wasn’t a smile, more grimace really. “Reaper’s still got use of his gifts, despite his accident.”

Reaper? Who the fu—Ahh, Peter had given himself a nickname, had he? Well if that asshole got a nickname, then she sure as shit wanted one. Unfortunately this little piece of information meant he was still able to lock and pinpoint location. If focused enough, he could see through the eyes of