The Seventh Immortal (Hearts of Amaranth #1) Read Free Page B

“I'm here with you now, aren't I? I didn't run
off. I brought it back. Which means you owe me some
answers.”
    “ I don't have any answers,”
Kait said. “I only have questions.”
    Spencer sighed. His disappointment seemed
rather familiar at this point. She remembered it from Paul's face
when she revealed her amnesia. Her condition was fascinating to
everyone around her. It compelled them to help her, even against
their own interests. And yet she could not satisfy their
curiosity.
    “ My memory is gone,” Kait
continued. “I don't even remember meeting you, though it's obvious
it happened. I'm sorry, Spencer, but even I don't know what I
am.”
    “ You're something special,”
he answered. “We're just going to have to figure out what that
is.”
    Kait felt a shiver run up her spine. Despite
the fact that Spencer seemed like a rather reserved man, his dark
gaze met hers with a surprising intensity. He seemed so focused on
her, as if he couldn't look away. She felt herself blush at his
attention. While she couldn't remember much, she could remember how
she looked from the mirror in the hospital. Her clothes didn't
flatter her. Her hair was barely under control. Still, Spencer
seemed transfixed.
    “ Mayor Levin is after me,”
Kait said. “He was keeping me in the hospital I escaped from. Do
you still want to help me?”
    For just a second, Spencer seemed to go
pale. Mayor Levin was a frightening and powerful figure in St.
Louis. No one wanted to stand up to him. Nevertheless... “That's
just a bonus,” Spencer said. It sounded like a lie. “I hate the
mayor. Sure, he's kept crime under control... But at what cost?
Fuck him.”
    “ What's his deal anyway? I
see his face on those posters everywhere. Creeps me
out.”
    Spencer shrugged. “He was elected almost
eight years ago. A lot of people think he saved the city. Brought
in a lot of jobs, cut down on crime, raised property values for the
right folks. Then two years ago in 2014, he did the unthinkable and
consolidated the City and the County. Even made himself the mayor
of Unified St. Louis. I liked the way it was before. Sometimes it
feels like a police state around here. And don't get me started on
the taxes.”
    Kait recalled all the cops cars she saw on
her walk from the hospital. “It doesn't always make you feel safe,
does it?”
    “ Not at all,” Spencer said.
“Though it convinced me to do a little criminal law on the side.
You need clients where you can get them.”
    “ Is that why you helped
me?” Kait asked. She pointed down at the briefcase full of cash.
“You think I might be a lucrative client?”
    A smile flashed across Spencer's face.
“Maybe I thought about it,” he replied. “But that wasn't the real
reason.”
    “ So what was?”
    Spencer was silent. He picked up his latte
and took a long sip, as if that would absolve him of answering the
question.
    “ Okay, if you don't want to
tell me... What do I do next?” Kait asked.
    “ If you want, I can start
poking around,” Spencer said. “I have a private investigator I like
to use. He's good. He keeps things quiet. I can have him take a
look around into your background.”
    Kait didn't know what to say. She just
nodded. That was exactly what she wanted. If there was anything
that could be found in her past, she wanted to know it. “How much
is that going to cost?” she finally asked.
    “ My usual fee,” Spencer
replied. “But that's a mere fraction of what you've got there.” He
motioned to the briefcase. “If you want to know who you
are...”
    “ You could have just walked
away with my money,” Kait replied. “But you didn't. I guess I owe
you that.”
    Spencer reached across the table. Kait took
his hand and they shook on the deal. “I”ll find out everything I
can about you, Katrina Selias,” he said.
    “ Please, call me
Kait.”
    Taking another long drink, Spencer finished
his latte. He stood up from the table and headed for the door. It
was starting to get