homes, but the more she lived there, the more she liked the quaintness.
“You need a roommate.”
“I’m good. I’ve got some money Daddy left me if my paychecks suddenly stopped.” Which they could if she gave up her role as a Hunter.
“Tainted.” Ben scoffed. “Filthy.”
“Ben, that was my father. He was a good man. If he wanted to leave me money, then so be it.”
“I know who they were.” He curled his fingers under her chin. “I sometimes forget the irregularities in your bloodline. You don’t act like there’s a trace of Super in you.”
The nerve of him to insult her parents! She groaned. Both she and Ben had a trace of Super blood in their bodies, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to function as Hunters. They had to see the Supers in order to extinguish them. She didn’t want to hear the argument any longer. He liked having her power as a Seer, but claiming those powers was off limits. The asshole.
“Ben, I know we’re partners and all, but you can stuff the insults up your butt. My parents were Seers. So what? If you are a Hunter, it’s because you have Super somewhere in your bloodline. So drop the crap and shut up or the next time I hear you bring up my past, I’ll dump you as a partner. Got it?”
He snorted. “Em, I didn’t mean it to hurt you.”
“Yeah, you did.” She slung her bag and gun over her shoulder, and then picked up her boots and socks. “Let’s go.”
“Baby, I’m sorry.” He placed his hand on the small of her back. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Uh-huh.” She kept moving forward, but his words caught in her mind. The person in the nightmare called her baby—not Hagan. Maybe she’d been mistaken and Hagan wasn’t the enemy? As soon as they got this night over with, she’d change her life. She needed a break from Ben and the Hunters and she knew exactly where to turn.
****
Hagan flopped onto the bed and groaned. He’d once believed Ava was his girl. He wanted her to be his forever, despite knowing there was a space between them. He’d been with Emily for less than twenty-four hours, but he cared about her the same way he had about Ava. Emily saved him and gave him a second chance. Was this the beginning of his journey? Kind of looked that way.
He wished she’d removed the cuffs, though, but he understood. She didn’t trust him yet. Plus, Ben hadn’t exactly given her the time to find the keys. With Ben there, she had to move quickly. Their conversation had taken up too much time. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t like Ben. Not a bit. The guy had a complex.
Hagan hadn’t even seen Ben and he’d figured the man out. Ben needed to be the bad ass. He thrived on control. Without control, he’d become a loose cannon…just what Hagan didn’t want Emily to be around.
The argument as she’d left stuck with Hagan. The bastard wanted to insult her because of her parents? Fuck no. What kind of man insulted a woman he was trying to impress? Apparently, an asshole wanting to make up for something he lacked, that’s who.
The memory of the taste of her blood crept up in his brain. He liked having a part of her in his body. She was so much of what he wanted in a partner—she took charge without being a bitch, spoke her mind and kept a tiny piece of herself vulnerable. His neck ached from the headlock she’d put him in, but no one was perfect and he’d made the mistake of scaring her.
His thoughts turned to Ava. Unlike Emily, Ava wanted protection. Sure, she was strong, but she liked having someone at her side to keep her safe. Where was she now? Was someone keeping her protected from the Rogues?
Hagan picked up the tablet. The screen flashed. Huh. He’d only been stuck in Maslow’s organization for a year, but he couldn’t believe how fast the technology had evolved. He touched the screen. Something pinged and a photo of Emily brightened. He liked seeing her smile, but he wasn’t sure what he’d done to the device? Had he unlocked it? Or
Louis - Hopalong 0 L'amour