No Love for the Wicked Read Free Page A

curtains I’d once bought to pretty up the place wavered.
    “This is my home,” I said softly. Damn it, even I could hear the longing in my voice.
    “No,” Colin replied. “This house is owned by a private organization, one you seem to know quite a bit about.”
    “The house is owned by me. And of course I know about the Network. I work for them.”
    “So says you—an obvious supernatural threat. Why would someone with your abilities work with an agency whose sole purpose is to police and contain individuals considered a supernatural risk? It would be like fighting against your own kind.”
    He had no idea.
    “Who are you really working for?”
    I rolled my eyes.
    “OK, then,” he said, changing tactics. “If you really work for the Network, then who is your team leader?”
    I gave him a look. “Network members are anonymous except to those they immediately work with. I could list out my entire team and you wouldn’t know a single name to confirm or deny.” A near-silent beep sounded from the small bedroom at the back of the house. I shrugged. “But maybe the guy pulling in the driveway will have a higher clearance level than you. Who knows?”
    Colin nodded to Darrel, sending him to check out the front window. “It’s FedEx,” Darrel announced, returning to the kitchen and shooting me a tight, satisfied grin. “He’s pulling around the back.”
    “Little late for deliveries, isn’t it?” I asked. All four of them watched me closely, waiting for the sweat of anticipation to bead on my face. It was such a cute, stereotypical cop-movie moment. I almost felt bad for letting them down. The car outside shut off. Snow crunched under heavy footsteps as the driver made his way around to the front porch. His thoughts were clipped. No wasted emotion, just straight here and now. It was strange to sense so much method and so little feeling. Yet vaguely familiar. When the front door opened, I actually found myself feeling a little of that anticipation they were hoping for.
    Colin met the man before he entered the kitchen. “Thanks for coming,” he murmured. “She’s in here.” They walked backin together. The guy was enormous. Solid muscle. Six seven, six eight—he had to walk a little sideways to fit his wide shoulders through the narrow hall. His straight black hair hung to his shoulders, casting shadows on his already-dark, stubbled jaw. He looked down on me, his face equal parts masculine lines and blank expression. I heard Luce’s breath catch in appreciation. I totally agreed. But his thoughts had my guard up instantly:
Magnolia Kelch. Youngest offspring of Magnus Kelch, CEO Kelch Incorporated. Previous informant under Network chief Thirteen. Known preternatural powers include telekinesis, telepathy, supernatural speed, supernatural strength, and regeneration.
    “Are you sure that’s all?” I asked drily and let my eyes glow a moment with a touch of power. His expression didn’t change, but a mental wall slammed shut in his mind. I had met him only one time before, when he’d delivered a package to Thirteen during a team meeting last summer. His mental walls were as solid now as they had been then. I could still get through if I wanted to, but now wasn’t the time. “Hello again, Jesse,” I said tightly. “Or is it FedEx now?”
    He didn’t speak. He just pulled a cell phone from his back pocket, punched in a number, and held it to his ear. When the call was answered, he didn’t wait for a hello. “She’s back,” he said in a gravelly voice.
    There was a long pause. “Where?” a deep voice asked softly on the other end. I froze with my drink halfway to my mouth. Thirteen.
    “South-side farmhouse. St. Pierre’s team is using the place.” His wide lips twitched. “They’re holding her here.”
    “No one’s hurt, are they?” Thirteen asked quickly. I swallowed my drink in a gulp and slammed the glass on the table.
    “Oh! Like I can’t go anywhere without hurting someone? Thanks a