I was forced to move from my previous position because I didn’t think I would be able to resist the urge to do something to help her if I continued staring at her bound hands. Then, Reubens came in and I was glad he could not see my face while he was interrogating Lauren. Reubens and I had only crossed paths a few times, but he had always been attached to a band of hunters who took too many liberties employing the casualties of conflict clause a little too often. They were careless and callous toward anyone they deemed weak and unworthy. The words he spouted during the interview about Spotters rang truer to his character than his current sly attempts to trick Lauren into a confession.
Reubens ran a hand over his scalp, fingers tracing the lines of his tattoos, before he held the notebook out to Lauren. “Your fingerprints are on this notebook. Do you deny it?”
“If it is the one I lost two months ago, no.”
“But, you continue to deny that you are responsible for its contents?”
Lauren’s lips pressed together and her dark eyes were fathomless. Yet, she still maintained a calm dignified manner when she answered slowly, “I took down notes from the meeting with the other secretaries and personal assistants. If anything untoward or hostile against Halliman’s has been found in that notebook, I was not the one who put it there.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Because it is true,” Lauren countered with a slight lift of her eyebrow.
“What is my number?” Reubens threw the words out so quickly that I frowned at him.
Lauren stared at him. “I’m sorry?”
“What is my number? You’re a Spotter, see numbers, right? I’m curious, what is my number? A high one. The more powerful a paranormal, the higher his number, right?”
Lauren shook her head and I clenched my fist, which was hidden by my arm, as I forced down the instinctive warning. But her gaze never wavered from his eyes, never flicked up to the numbers only she could see. Good girl. She pursed her lips and then said steadily, “I don’t know what your number is since we’ve never exchanged numbers.”
Reubens let out a harsh bark of laughter. He raised his hand suddenly and every muscle in my body coiled in readiness to strike. Lauren flinched back, but he only pointed at her as he gave another harsh bark. “That’s funny. You’re cute.” The humor faded from his voice as he continued, “You also don’t want to anger me. No more jokes, no more deflection. I want the truth, Miss Hope. Are you a Spotter or not?”
“I thought you were here about the notebook,” she murmured.
“Tell me his number.” Reubens jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in my direction but never looked away from Lauren as he demanded, “Tell me Mathias’ number. He’s a powerful paranormal. Dangerous, deadly, so he must be a high number too. What is it? His kind aren’t very popular in most circles because they’re too dangerous, you know. Isn’t it your task, your reason for existence, to warn others about the dangerous ones? The high numbers? What is Mathias’ number?”
Lauren shook her head. “I won’t play this game.”
“It’s a simple question.”
Her dark eyes filled with turmoil and she refused to look at me. I tensed, fighting the urge to put a stop to everything. She would never make it out of the room if I got in a fight with Reubens here and now. And, now, he was chipping away at her confidence in me. Reubens looked over his shoulder at me, and I met his gaze unblinkingly. He scowled for a moment, and I knew he hadn’t been able to read my expression. When he turned back to Lauren, he wasted no time in changing tactics as he leaned back in his chair. “I don’t understand why you are refusing to cooperate, Miss Hope. Do you think Mathias is going to help you? Did he promise to keep your heritage a secret from the rest of Weard?”
Lauren didn’t say a word and her gaze dropped when he spoke.
Reubens tapped the notebook against his hand then gestured toward her with it. “I mean, I suppose I could understand if he persuaded you into thinking that he’s such a nice guy, a gentleman. Maybe you liked being around him, under his attention, in his bed. Thought you could trust him not to include the information about you or your encounters with Harry Smalls and the Lamia’s thrall in his reports to his handler. But, who do you think sent us your notebook?”
Lauren still wouldn’t look at him or at me. I clenched my jaw forcing myself not to react or to choke an apology out of Reubens. There was nothing I could do now save wait and watch.
“That’s right. Mathias is here on a hunt for Weard. We weren’t expecting you to be a Spotter at first, but when we learned there was a possibility we conducted a few tests. You passed and Mathias confirmed. We know who you are and what you are, Lauren Hope. A Spotter.”
When Lauren didn’t respond or look at him, Reubens growled and lunged forward. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “I know what you are! And, I know what you have done!”
Unable to stand by and watch Lauren be manhandled, I leaned forward and clapped my hand on Reubens’ shoulder. I squeezed and frost entered my voice as I warned, “You should remember to keep your hands to yourself when speaking with a woman, Reubens.”
Reubens released her, but there were still red marks decorating her chin from the force of his grip. I forced my fingers to relax, and I let Reubens go as I stepped back. Reubens twisted in his chair, hate burning in his eyes, as he hissed, “You should remember which of us has the ears of management now, Mathias.”
I didn’t bother to respond. Reubens and a number of his fellow brutes had risen high in the ranks of the company since management changed hands. Something I hadn’t realized until I watched Reubens, of all people, acting as a spokesperson for Weard instead of the Seelie Fae, such as a pixie, who normally handled public relations for the company. Or who had handled public relations at all.
The way he kept pressing Lauren about my number was . . . unsettling. But it was impossible for Reubens to know what I was since few people at Weard had ever known my species. It was why they had recruited me to be a hunter. Now only two of those people still lived. No. It was impossible for Reubens to truly know what I was hiding from the world. He was digging trying to catch Lauren in a confession and, possibly, to needle me into a reaction he could use against me.
Reubens had finally ceased glaring at me and was now facing Lauren once more. He tapped the notebook against his knee. “Miss Hope, I consider myself a patient man, and I have no desire to spend any more time in this hellhole than required. You feel the same, don’t you? Now, let’s just make this easier on the both of us. Are you a Spotter?”
Lauren was silent.
“Miss Hope, I don’t think you properly grasp the direness of your situation. I shall ask again. Are you a Spotter?”
Lauren’s gaze dropped and then she nodded. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, but didn’t allow any other reaction. Lauren quietly stated, “Yes, I was born a Spotter. However, I am not involved in this so-called conspiracy against Halliman’s. That is not what I do.”
“Well now, that wasn’t very painful, was it? Do you feel a little freer now that you’ve confessed such an essential truth?” Reubens leaned forward again as he continued, “Now, Miss Hope, you are a Spotter. Because you’ve admitted this, I can now offer you a way out.”
I didn’t know what he meant by that and I didn’t like it. Reubens was playing another of his games.
* * *
Lauren
I stared at Oscar Reubens as he leaned forward, his brown eyes gleaming wetly like dusty pebbles dabbed with water. He was crowding me with his presence, and it was difficult to breathe without hyperventilating as he said in a voice that didn’t match the viciousness I could sense lying just beneath the surface, “Everything you have been through, every attack on you and on Halliman’s, every rumor and piece of evidence linking your name to those unfortunate incidents, I can make it all go away. Restore your good name and even inform people that you are the paragon of Spotters if you wish.”
I stifled a hysterical laugh.
Pressing my fingers against the cool metal of the chair, I managed to keep from breaking completely. It was a risk admitting that I was a Spotter. But if Reubens was right about the fact that Mathias had already supplied them with all the information, then there was little point in denying it further. “That seems very generous. What’s the catch?”
Reubens grinned, but it added no warmth to his eyes. “Smart woman. I like that. In return for all that, you would only need to do one very simple thing. You agree to come work for Weard Enterprises, and everything here will be taken care of and forgotten.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I somehow kept my voice steady as I objected, “I am of no use to Weard. I’m just a Spotter.” I hesitated and then added, “The news report I saw earlier this week made it seem that Weard now believes Spotters to be festering wounds in paranormal society waiting to disappear or cause damage out of some sense of revenge. Which doesn’t make much sense to me. But, I am perhaps biased.”
“On the contrary,” Reubens countered, “the report was meant to draw more Spotters out of hiding. It is the best way to protect someone, draw them out so you can take them in hand before someone else grabs them. A little underhanded perhaps, but those are the choices we must make sometimes. Weard has a very special place in mind for Spotters once they’ve been confirmed and you’ve also confessed, which makes it all the easier. You’re much more reasonable than I feared. Your elders were quicker to cooperate for the most part once we took them in. Except for Mr. Levy, but that seemed to have been caused by the heart attack he suffered. A pity.”
He didn’t look the least bit perturbed by a man’s death. A shudder ran down my spine as I realized that most likely the refusal to cooperate and the older Spotter’s death indicated Weard was conducting a purge. The knowledge shook me to the core and I found my gaze had drifted to Mathias. The last remnants of hope and joy faded as hurt and humiliation burned through me instead. Had it all be a lie? A game? The time we spent together, the secrets about my past that I had confided to him, and that kiss . . . I never should have let my guard down around him. I should have left the firm and the city as soon as I realized he was a 10.
I looked away from Mathias, struggling to gain control of my feelings. Why did I decide to trust him? I knew what he was and who he worked for, I had no excuse. But I had wanted . . . It didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered now was finding a way out of this mess. Then, I would get in my car and drive as far from Olympia as I could without stopping.
“Miss Hope?”
My attention snapped back to Reubens. He was scowling at me. Once he seemed certain that I was paying attention again, he demanded, “Do we have a deal?”
“I won’t work for Weard Enterprises. Your company is full of liars and traitors.” My voice shook on the last word, and I pressed my lips together as I blinked away moisture.
Reubens scowled. “That is a very foolish decision. You should consider changing it before I decide you meant it.” He pulled out a folded paper from his coat and spread it. “Let’s see. An official letter of resignation by Lauren Hope.” He held it up as he asked, “Did you write this?”
“Yes.”
He gave a curt nod. “Well, let’s take care of things. An act of good faith if you will.” He extended the letter over his shoulder. “Mathias, take the letter up to Halliman. Tell him . . . we’ve recruited Miss Hope and she won’t be returning. Ever.”
Mathias took the letter and then walked out of the room, all without saying a single word. I watched him go and a sense of dread swept over me. I didn’t want to be alone with Oscar Reubens. But, Mathias wasn’t going to rescue me anyway. He was part of the reason I was in this situation. I turned back to Reubens. “I’m not going to work for Weard. I’ll vanish. I’ll swear to never use my talent again. But, I will not work for Weard.”
Reubens smirked. “I think you should give this some careful consideration. You have five minutes.”
* * *
Mathias
I strode into Halliman’s office without waiting to knock. Mrs. Pope was in the room and both of them looked concerned. Halliman immediately peered up at me. “Mathias, what is going on? Why was Miss Hope taken into custody by the chief warden?”
“A misunderstanding occurred. Miss Hope fell victim to a case of mistaken identity, but the charges have been dropped and the chief warden has left the building.” I paused and added solemnly, “I believe there will be a new chief warden at the holding facility soon.”
“Why hasn’t Miss Hope been allowed to return to work?” Mrs. Pope interjected.
I eyed the woman before handing her Lauren’s letter of resignation. “She intended to bring this to you herself today and to explain in more detail. I know she was sorry to make the decision.”
Mrs. Pope looked over the letter and then handed it to Halliman as her gimlet gaze fastened on me. “I don’t care if you are a consultant, you know more about this whole thing than anyone else. Why is Miss Hope leaving? She never mentioned leaving Halliman’s or Olympia even if she didn’t feel she was the best fit for the executive receptionist, something I still believe is ridiculous.”
“I believe it had something to do with her unfortunate encounter with the Lamia’s thrall Monday,” I stated quietly. “It would be best if you removed Lauren Hope’s name from your record of employ.”
Mrs. Pope’s eyes narrowed and then she swept around me and out of the room. I turned to Halliman and extended my hand. “I believe you will find the threats to your firm have been eliminated or established as false reports. I will be taking my leave of you.”
“The same false reports that swept our poor Miss Hope up, perhaps?” Halliman mused. But he still clasped my hand and gave it a firm shake. “Where will you go from here?”
“Weard wants me to return to Chicago as soon as possible,” I stated. “Thus, my plans are made for me.”
“Take care of yourself, Mathias, and if you ever want to retire to Olympia, I would be happy to take you on here.”
“Thank you for the offer.”
The niceties complete, I nodded to him and then strode out of the office. I had only made it to the reception area, where Beth Waters now sat, when I heard a call from behind me. “Wait!”
I stopped and turned to face Mrs. Pope as she bustled over to me. She frowned at me. “I still think you know more than you’re telling, Mathias. And, I don’t like it one bit. However, I am going to give this to you anyway.” She handed me a sealed envelope. “Don’t open it. It’s for Miss Hope since today is her last day. You will give it to her.”
I inclined my head as I tucked the envelope into my coat pocket. Ignoring Beth’s gasp and then her furious questioning of Mrs. Pope, I headed out the glass doors and into the lobby. I didn’t trouble myself with the elevator this time choosing instead to go down the stairwell at a run. I had little time to get back downstairs. Reubens had sent me up to get rid of me. The question was what had he decided to do to Lauren in that time.
* * *
Lauren
Mathias definitely hadn’t been gone five minutes when Reubens leaned forward and placed his hands on my knees. I repressed a shudder at the feel of his palms against my bare skin. His voice dipped to a rumble that made me think of a badger’s sawing growl as he said, “Time’s up, Lauren. You can work for Weard or you can be imprisoned by them. What do you say?”
“I won’t work for Weard. I won’t help you with a purge.”
He didn’t even flinch at the implication much less try to deny it. “You have no idea who you are attempting to defy, Spotter. You are not powerful enough to fight. Forget about winning. Best to appease than to provoke, don’t you think?”
“I won’t. I won’t be involved with Weard. I don’t care what you’ll do to me.”
Reubens sighed. His hands left my knees as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, that is disappointing. I was expecting more from a smart woman like you. It took a long time for your name to move from rumo
red to suspected for our lists of Spotters. It was more the genealogy than anything that gained our initial interest, but it made you look like a possible dud until the incident with Smalls. The experiment got a little out of hand but it made you trust Mathias, so it all balances out in the end. Now, it’s time to move our conversation to a different locale, and I can promise that the new one will make you want to agree to anything we decide to offer you.”
He rose from the chair and walked around behind me. For the first time, the strain on my shoulders eased as he released whatever was securing my handcuffs to the chair. I bit back a hiss as my shoulders protested the movement, but Reubens didn’t undo the handcuffs as I had briefly hoped. Instead he grabbed me by the upper arm in the same place Bergman had squeezed and pulled me out of the chair.
I staggered at the momentum, but managed to keep my feet under me. Reubens didn’t seem to notice or care as he started talking. “You know you’re in luck, Miss Hope. Normally, I would be certain to parade you through the firm and make sure enough of your peers saw you in handcuffs to forever blot your name at Halliman’s. However, that would take too great a detour and we have a plane to catch.” He chuckled then steered me toward the door, which slid back at his touch, as he added, “And, we wouldn’t want you to be late for your appointment in Chicago, would we?”
I didn’t bother to respond as I eyed the hall. It looked no better than it had when Warden Bergman had marched me down here. There was nowhere to hide. The hall was meant to contain threats. Even if I was able to get to the elevator before Reubens caught me again, it wouldn’t operate for me because I didn’t have the correct security badge. Not that I even had my badge anymore. Bergman had pulled it off when we were taking the elevator down. I couldn’t escape on my own. Not down here at least.
Reubens led me into the elevator and his hand hovered over the floor numbers. Specifically, over the seventh floor. His grip on my arm tightened, and I barely resisted yelping as a result. He glanced at me again then smiled toothily. “Well, as I said, I am going to spare you some humiliation today.”
Rogue Spotter Collection Page 16
