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shoulder to stop him before he signed, “I can’t let you do that.”
    Not bothering to answer, Sean surged out of the room. He’d go after her. He was the only one who could reach her without getting in jeopardy. He couldn’t let the Cinders go after her, not after all they’d done for him—taking him and providing for him—and all they did for the people who needed them.
    This was his partner. His woman. His responsibility.
    Duffel packed quickly, he headed to the garage. He didn’t really like to drive. Who was he kidding? He didn’t like to leave the grounds at all, much less get behind the wheel, but he’d learned how. For practice, he made sure to occasionally drive to the post office when the need arose. He put the printed directions on the seat next to him and resisted the urge to say goodbye to Ray, who would’ve locked him in his room rather than let him go. Even though Ray trusted that Sean could be effective in the field, despite the hearing impairment, Sean had never trained for it.
    He gripped the wheel and started the Jeep. No more time to waste. He was already two hours behind. The Jeep fishtailed as he accelerated out of the drive.
    The road flashed by, boring, and he couldn’t keep from rehashing that kiss. Not even his fear of the trap could keep him from reliving the taste of Daisy. God, how he wanted her. The interstate blurred. He shouldn’t have created the bond with her. Not that way.
    A big mental push washed over him and black dotted his vision.
    Daisy. She’d dropped the wall she’d put up to keep him out.
    She’d never broadcast to him on a level so devastating and thorough before. With a swerve, he pulled to the breakdown lane, unable to see as he let his mind fall into hers.
    * * * * *
     
    With her banshee powers in full control, she sauntered into the camp. A few dozen cottages arranged around a small pond. Idyllic, if she liked that sort of thing.
    Several men grouped around a campfire, one with his arm around a woman. They stopped talking and stared when she entered the clearing.
    “What do we have here?” A skinny man in flannel and jeans stood and walked to her. His look boldly appraised her. With the heat of Sean’s hands still on her skin, she didn’t have the usual wave of lust to take this fairly attractive man back to his cottage and molest him. This was a new experience. She’d never, ever denied an opportunity to ravish a man in bed, or against the wall or in the bed of his truck.
    Damn Sean’s fine ass anyway. If she couldn’t at least lead this man on, play with him a bit, then her investigative powers would lose a powerful weapon in the arsenal. But being bound to a man she’d been slowly falling in love with for the past decade apparently sucked all attraction to other men completely away.
    In love? Was she?
    The blood washed from her face and left her cold.
    “Honey. Are you lost?” The lone woman approached and put an arm around Daisy.
    Yes , she nearly answered, but bit it back. She shrank from the stranger’s touch. “No. I just wanted to come check out the place. Plan on camping hereabouts in couple weeks.”
    “Well, we’re checking out today.” Despite Flannel Boy’s innocent enough comment, something about his tone brought up a snarling suspicion she ruthlessly throttled back. Wouldn’t do to play the banshee card too soon.
    She tried to sound as pitiable as possible as she ground her teeth and let the woman hug her again. She needed more time and a reason to look around so she forced a tremble into her mumble. “Do you have some water?”
    “You look tuckered out, honey. Come with me. You can have some water and rest a bit. Maybe you should have something to eat too. I’ll rustle something up for you.”
    She was tired. So very tired. She hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past day, and the connection with Sean had leeched her energy. He had the upper hand in this partnership and probably already drained from her. She’d kick his ass