The Protectors Series Bundle - By Nana Malone Page 0,64

the person he wanted to find. When Cassie had escaped with Seth’s assistance, Peter had been able to track her no matter where she’d gone. Everywhere they went they’d been dogged by Trackers. But, just like she and Cassie had limitations to their powers, so did Peter.

Symone took a deep breath. She was in a situation of her own making. It was up to her to get out. “There must be something you want.” She lowered her lashes. “Something I could give you not to send me back.” Like an electric shock to ring your bell right into the afterlife.

He frowned, and his grip loosened. Narrowing his eyes he said, “You would make a bargain like that? Maybe Reaper’s right, and you are a terrorist.”

“Is that what he told you I was? Tell me, do you Trackers ever do any thinking for yourselves? I’m no terrorist. Your boss tortured me for years because he could. You’d better kill me now, ‘cause that’s the only way I’m going back.” She leveled a gaze at him. How the hell am I going to get my gloves back off? She had to get back to Riley. She’d avoid killing him if she could, but desperate times and measures and all of that. Though her whole body jerked in revulsion at the thought. What the hell was wrong with her?

He shook his head as he backed off and let go of her arms. “My orders are to bring you back alive.” He shrugged. “I’m not so inclined to follow orders right now. But you and I do need to talk. I’d rather not restrain you while we do. We can do this the easy way, or I can knock you out, take you somewhere safe where people aren’t shooting at you, and we’ll talk there. Your choice.”

She darted a glance around him, all the while trying to wiggle out of the gloves she’d hastily shoved on after her tussle with greasy. This guy was big. She’d never make it around him. Besides, she had to get Riley—running was out of the question. She wouldn’t be able to fight him off, get to Riley, and run without him following. Damn it.

“I’ll take the restraints.”

His lips tipped up. “Fair enough.”

He spun her around to face the wall, and the jangling chime of cuffs filled the still night air. Blowing out a breath, she said a silent prayer that she wasn’t too late to reach Riley.

When the cold metal bracelet clicked into place around her gloved hand, she offered him her other hand. And as he took it, she grasped on to his wrist and whipped around to face him, effectively drawing them into an embrace. His eyes popped wide but his lips tipped up into a smirk—until she placed her non-gloved hand over his cheek like a lover’s caress.

“I don’t want to kill you, but I have no choice.” When his eyes rolled back into his head, she held on. He didn’t go down as easy as Greasy did. From her experience, those who were enhanced like her took longer. Depending on the powers someone else had, it could slow down the effectiveness of her gift. But in the end, they all fell.

And so did he.

Only when he crumpled to his knees and fell backward into a puddle did she finally let go. She checked for a pulse with her gloved hand and didn’t find one. In his current position, the moonlight lit his face—angled but handsome with a straight Roman nose and deep-set eyes. A momentary pang stabbed her in the gut, but she’d examine those feelings when she and Riley were safe.

She careened around the dumpster and frowned when she discovered Greasy no longer occupied his heaped position on the pavement. Maybe she was losing her touch.

Slipping back into the warehouse, she called out for Riley.

“I’m over here.” A small voice came from the shadows.

“Why the hell didn’t you stay where I put you?”

“I heard the other gun shot, and I was worried.”

Symone shook her head. “What? You were going to come out and save me?”

Riley shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Did you make that call?”

Riley shook her head. “I-I thought maybe I could help.”

Shit, what a disaster. “We have to go. I—”

When Riley paused and winced, Symone examined her more closely. The sleeve of her jacket glistened in the darkness, wet with blood.

“Shit, you’re hit.”

“Just grazed, I think. Stray bullet.”

Symone bit out a curse. “You should have stayed where I put you.” She shook her head. “I’m