Page 68 of Soul Sucker

He shrugged. “It is, but that’s all you need to know.”

“Says who?”

She forced herself to look away from his boxers and into his face. He smiled at her. Had he done it deliberately? Flaunted his perfect body to distract her? She’d bedded some awesomely fit surfer dudes, but she reckoned there wasn’t a single inch of fat on this man. Her fingers twitched and she made her hands into fists. She would not reach out and see if he was as hard as he looked.

“Ms. Walsh, all I’m concerned about is your safety. Rossa has nothing to do with this case. He’s just an annoyance, one that I can easily control if I have to.”

Ella thought back to the brief moment when she’d touched the Fae and felt his power. Was Vadim suggesting he was more powerful than that? She also knew from past experience that he was unlikely to tell her anything else.

“Fine. I’m going to bed. Alone.” She stomped back toward her bedroom.

“Good night, Ms. Walsh.”

She made the mistake of looking over her shoulder just in time to see Vadim shed his boxers to reveal his ass before stretching luxuriously. She closed her eyes and repeated to herself, “I do not sleep with coworkers. I donotsleep with coworkers.” But she wanted tosobadly… For the first time in her life she actually bolted.

12

“Hey,Sam. How’s that empath list coming along?”

Ella paused at her associate’s cubicle and concealed a smile as he jumped a foot in the air and hastily clicked away from whatever social media site he’d been on. His thick red hair stood up on end as if he hadn’t brushed it for a week, and she was sure he’d been wearing the same T-shirt for three days straight. He made even her look respectable.

“It’s going okay. I’ll have it for you by the end of the week.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her. “The survival rate for empaths isn’t very good, is it?”

“No.” She rubbed a small circle on the back of his faded T-shirt. This wasn’t something she could make light of with another empath. “But males tend to deal with it better than females.”

He didn’t smile. “I’m definitely getting a mate when I’m twenty-seven.”

“Good for you.” Ella straightened and turned away.

“Why haven’t you got one?”

She decided not to answer him, and instead headed for her office. She sat down at her desk and rubbed her hands over her face. It had been a horrible week. She’d attended both Christa and Laney’s funerals, Vadim and Alexei at her side, but there had been no sign of the Siren. Sam had confirmed that the OCOS correspondence between the empaths and their intended mates had been authentic and that both women were connected with the correct mates. They had also turned up nothing about the two men, who seemed to be just what they were supposed to be.

Everyone was on edge, knowing that another killing was likely unless they made some kind of breakthrough in the case. And yet there was nothing to go on. Nothing at all. The Siren had disappeared as silently as he had emerged.

Her birthday was fast approaching and Feehan was starting to give her concerned looks as her concentration wavered and her temper got shorter. Even Liz and Alexei had started to tread warily around her. The only person who seemed unaffected by her bitchiness was Vadim. In fact, he’d been almost too nice and over-protective of her for the last few days. But then he was convinced she was unstable anyway, and was already expecting the worst.

Ella sighed and peered through her fingers at her backpack. She’d had another letter from Otherworld and she was avoiding opening it. She stood up. Coffee first. The letter second.

When she returned to her desk, she shut the door and took out the now-familiar brown envelope from Otherworld. She placed it in front of her and slowly drank her coffee, hoping the kick of the caffeine would shield her from the contents of the note. She also spared a thought for the poor male who had been picked for her and who was currently oblivious to the fact that his fate hung in the balance. He would only find out about her if she agreed to go ahead with the match.

And she wouldn’t do that—would she? Her fingers trembled as she slit open the flap and then shook out the single sheet of typewritten paper.

Dear Empath,

As you approach your most significant birthday, OCOS is delighted to present you with the name and some basic information about your pre-approved mate…

She read it through once and then read it again. “God, no.”

If you wish to meet with this male, please reply with all speed to the address at the top of this form.

If you choose not to accept this offer, we wish you well with the remainder of your short and painful existence.

Yours in anticipation,

The OCOS team.

She shot to her feet, then stormed out of her office, straight for the smaller conference room where she could see Alexei and Vadim. They both looked up as she screeched to a halt in front of them.

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