Unforgettable (Talented Saga #6) Read Free Page B

outside brought out the darkness within. His girlfriend,
the love of his life, had been amazing, and the only reason he was
still functioning at all. Still, he hated worrying her. And if
Talia knew how often memories of the fight in Bethesda surfaced,
the memories of all the people who died, she would worry. And those
weren’t even the worst ones.
    Erik blinked his turquoise eyes open
and focused on the job he was supposed to be doing. Talia crouched
three feet away, examining a frayed wire.
    “ Electrical fire, I’m
guessing?” she said, looking first at Erik and then at Ray, the
UNITED agent who’d been first on the scene.
    The tiny Manhattan apartment was
swarming with UNITED agents now. Some were members of Ray’s team,
others members of his and Talia’s. There were even a couple of
local cops who’d responded to the fire.
    “ Definitely electrical. One
of the Created we found and sent to containment is an Electrical
Manipulator, among other things,” Ray said.
    “ Was anyone hurt?” Talia
asked and stood, small hands fisted on her hips.
    “ Of the three Created we
recovered, none will have lasting damage. A little smoke
inhalation, some minor burns, nothing too serious,” Ray
replied.
    “ Three? I thought there
were four?” Erik asked without thinking, then winced inwardly at
the mistake.
    He was pretty sure that Victoria
Walburton, UNITED Councilwoman and the person he and his team were
directly under, had said four people were taken into custody. But
his short-term memory had more holes than Swiss cheese these days
and it was possible he was misremembering. If so, Talia would
notice. Hiding his increasing mental issues from Talia became
harder with each ticking second.
    “ Four people total, but
only three Created,” Ray said. “We don’t know much about the fourth
guy. He was heavily armed, though. Like ready-to-do-battle armed,
you know?”
    “ Not the other three,
though?” Talia asked, brows drawing together in confusion. “I mean,
they were just kids, right?”
    Ray laughed good-naturedly.
    “ Kids? That’s rich—you
calling someone a kid. How old are you anyway?”
    Talia scowled, purple eyes bright with
agitation. But it was Erik who took the other agent’s words to
heart.
    “ Listen,” Erik snapped.
“She’s been through more than you can even imagine. She’s done shit
that no one should have to. Until you can add ‘dismantled a corrupt
organization’ or ‘saved the lives of thousands of children’ or
even one of the
other things she’s accomplished to your resume, I’d suggest keeping
your mouth shut.”
    Erik hadn’t realized how close he’d
moved to the other man until Ray stepped back, palms held out in a
placating gesture that nearly sent Erik over the edge.
    “ Easy there, killer,” Talia
forced a laugh. “I’m sure Ray was just kidding. Right,
Ray?”
    Her voice had an edge that Erik knew
well. Talia looped her arm through Erik’s and he instantly began to
calm. He knew what she was doing, using her Talents to soothe him.
Erik hated that he’d become so worked up that Talia felt the need
to intervene. He hated that she was in his head and knew the
trouble he had staying in control of his emotions.
    “ Sorry. Seriously. I get
it. She’s a badass. You’re a badass. I’m only half a
badass.”
    Ray took another step back from the
lethal couple. He’d been with UNITED for ten years, recruited after
three years with the now defunct TOXIC. In all of that time, they
were the two most frightening people he’d ever encountered. Talia
Lyons and Erik Kelley were legendary, and Ray was just glad they
were on UNITED’s side. This was the first time he’d met them in
person. Hopefully the last. Something about the pair was deeply
unsettling. No one should wield the type of power they each did in
their own rights. It was almost as though you could feel it
emanating from their compact bodies.
    “ To answer your question,
yes. The three Created are kids. The oldest is