Darkness Falls(14)

Jordan was pale with exhaustion, but tonight he’d make sure she had the release of sleep. Too long without and someone like her—like him, too—would start seeing things. Not real things, but not imaginary, either.
Millions looked up at the waitress, and Rook heard the word brownie again.
“Really,” Jordan said, “I shouldn’t.”
Millions didn’t have Chimera-level skills, so he was using chocolate to get to her. Simple approach. Sensual. Provocative. But not what she needed.
Rook watched them hand the menus to the waitress and then chitchat, though he could only hear every other word. He strained for hers in particular. He liked her profile, the slope of her neck. Forgot all about the person across from her. Watched her smile. Watched her take her first bite.
He watched as, ever so slowly, she turned her head, her gaze penetrating the shadowy pocket in which he stood.
There was no way she could see him unless she had darksight, too—and she’d only had one dip in Rêve, not enough to waken all of her talents. Nevertheless, still she stared right at him.
So he smiled back. Hoped it would piss her off as much as he was. This was fun.
Her full mouth mashed into a line—she could see him—and she turned back to Millions. Stabbed at her plate. Took another bite.
For the first time in ages he thought, God, it’s good to be alive.
    







 
    Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance by Jennifer Ashley, Alyssa Day, Felicity Heaton, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Bonnie Vanak and Caris Roane
    
 


 
CHAPTER 4
Jordan turned the deadbolt on her apartment’s front door, then gave in to her mounting panic—exacerbated by skull-scraping exhaustion—and moved her narrow entry table to block the door. At the very least it would clatter over if someone tried to get in and she could call 911.
He’d been watching her at lunch.
When, speaking low, she’d told Vince about the meeting with Michael—she didn’t include the Maisie-related details, just that a guy from the Rêve had come to see her, wanted her to do work in Rêve for him, that she felt uneasy about him—Vince had been concerned, too. Had said he’d look into it personally.
So that was something, at least. Vince could tell the police who’d murdered her, if she didn’t get through the night.
Tomorrow she’d pursue a restraining order.
Jordan turned around and found Maze standing in her living room, toothbrush stuck in her mouth. She must have heard the loud scrape of the table against the floor and come to check out the racket. Lil’ sis was staying with her until they figured out all the angles.
Still frothing, Maze pulled the brush from her teeth and used it to point to the table blocking the door. “Really?”
Jordan didn’t care if barricading was stupid. “He came to see me at work. Followed me to lunch. What’s to stop him from coming here?”
“Better him than Mr. Blandman.”
Very funny. Vince Blackman was not coming, either.
Maze pointed to her head with the toothbrush. “Besides, he’s not going to break through the door. He’d going to break into your head.”
“You’re spraying.”
Maze jabbed the toothbrush back in her mouth, turned on her heel, and went back into the bathroom. Slammed the door.
Jordan dropped onto the sofa and flipped on the TV to distract herself. The screen flashed with action but the light only hurt her eyes.
“Jory,” Maze said from the hallway behind her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d take to Rêve like I did. It’s supposed to be rare. I thought you’d just have a good time, maybe let yourself have a dream fling. God knows you need to unwind a little.”#p#分页标题#e#
Jordan hit the menu button to scroll through her viewing options, refusing to look around. “What do you courier? For whom?” She was accepting no apologies until her sister came clean.
“Ugh! It’s not your problem,” Maze said. “I’m handling it.”
Jordan snorted. “I witnessed how well you were handling it.”
Her sis came around the side of the sofa and dropped down next to her. “Yeah, well, I might’ve met someone who can help me. He’s with some sort of organization that polices Rêve. He’s legit.”
“And you know this how?”
“He seemed official. Was super uptight.”
Uptight? Jordan shook her head. It was impossible to know whom to trust. Rêve was ripe for opportunists and speculators. Maze certainly couldn’t tell the difference. Criminals could be uptight, too.
“I’d like to meet him.” And judge for herself.