Keepers & Killers (The Alchemy Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

cleared of any participation in interfering with the wormholes, he and Cormac had formed a tentative truce again. No one on this side of the hole, as we liked to call it, had actually seen Vitor. All correspondence had gone through messengers. But a subject like the senator was too sensitive to discuss through messaging.
    Did I want to be there? Hell yes! He knew it, too. So what was the price?
    "Yes, there 's a catch," he answered before I asked.
    "Which is?"
    "You're smart and tough. You're also determined to be involved; it would be much easier if we weren't at odds. I'm holding out an olive branch." He leaned his hip against my counter, crossing his ankles in a relaxed posture, like my answer wasn't that important.
    "What about my trailer? I want it moved back." I countered , picking at my fries, feigning equal indifference.
    "Can 't do it. They've already moved another into its spot," he shrugged his shoulders.
    "Which I 'm sure you had nothing to do with." I waved my fry accusingly at him before I ate it.
    "It 's done. Does it matter?"
    It did, but I wanted to hear what info Vitor would have , so I simply nodded. "Fine. Truce. What time?"
    "I 'll come get you at eleven tonight."
    I stood to get up and his large body followed me into the paneled hallway. My hallway barely accommodated me, so to say it was a tight squeeze was an understatement.
    "Why are you following me? Aren't we done?" I turned and asked. I preferred the hallway to my bedroom to find out what else he wanted.
    I pressed myself as close to the wall as I could and was still only a hair 's breadth away from him. "No more solo trips. We are either in this together or we aren't, and trust me, you want to be on my team." It was a statement, not a question.
    "Great, now back up. You 're getting awfully close for a guy that has a girlfriend." I stood still, and waited for him to retreat now that he'd said his piece.
    "I don 't have a girlfriend," his eyes were intent on mine.
    "Does Lacey know that? Maybe you should make it clear to her , because I think that's where she's heading." His scent surrounded me and did funny things to my senses.
    He leaned his forearm on the wall next to me. "There is nothing between Lacey and I. If I wanted Lacey, I would have had her, but that 's none of your business."
    "Hmmm, it appears you do have some boundaries after all. But, it is my business, she 's my friend. If you don't want a relationship with her, then at minimum you are screwing with her emotions. That's not cool." I stared back at him and refused to give up any ground.
    He came a hair closer and I could feel his body graze mine. "Since you want to get personal, if she's such a close friend, how come you never told her anything that happened with us?" he asked in a voice that was slightly deeper.
    "Because nothing of importance happened." Just because it comes to mind every time I see him, that doesn't mean anything.
    He placed a flat hand on the other side of my head as he leaned in. My breath held and stopped as he moved closer and then his mouth passed by mine and moved toward my ear. "You ran pretty hard from nothing." His breath sent shivers down my spine. I took a ragged breath in as he pushed off the wall and left.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    "Where are we going?" We 'd been driving for twenty minutes, into the middle of the desert, in a two seat Ferrari. I was on Cormac proximity overload. And why was it so goddamn sexy watching a guy drive a stick shift? Didn't matter, the last thing I wanted was to be sitting there like Lacey, all doe eyed. Nope, not for me. It was probably some kind of crazy Alchemist pheromones he was throwing off, giving me a contact high.
    "His estate. Would you rather have the windows down? I can turn off the air," he asked as I angled my face toward the crack in the window like a dog , searching for ,fresh air.
    "No," I answered. It probably wouldn 't help anyway. We'd been driving for a while in nothing