The sleeves of her tailored red blazer bore no wrinkles, even as she sat, elbows bent, with her fingers laced upon the table. The blouse peeking from underneath was whiter than I’d ever seen a piece of clothing, and against it, the black jade pendant she wore stood out like smoke against a clear sky.
The light-skinned man sitting next to the woman had remained quiet thus far. I guessed he was around my age, and he too was blessed with good looks. High cheekbones. A strong jawline. And piercing hazel eyes with green flecks. He wore a well-fitted navy suit that accentuated his broad shoulders, while a Rolex hugged his left wrist.
The slight curve of his lips hinted at a knowing smile before he spoke. “Joanna Sullivan.” Damn, I was a sucker for sexy-ass voices. “I’m Deandre Hill, Bureau agent.”
The Asian woman gave a subtle bow, though the frown on her face from my earlier outburst remained. “And I’m Sarah Li, Director of Operations.”
For the first time since they removed the hood from over my head, I realized we were alone. I looked around the stark, windowless room. The concrete walls were bare, interrupted only by the massive metal door several feet behind me. No furniture adorned the room save for the steel table and the four chairs that surrounded it, three of which we occupied…
“Where’s James?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes at the pair.
Li’s interlocked fingers tightened. “He’ll be joining us shortly, Miss Sullivan. We were hoping for a few minutes alone with you first.”
I shifted in my seat. “Care to enlighten me as to fucking why?” If the twitch of Li’s eye was an indicator, she was not fond of my foul mouth.
Hill arched his brow. “Because hunters are fascinating,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Becauseyouare fascinating, Miss Sullivan.”
I sneered at him, leaning back in the chair, trying to mask my nerves with indifference. “Are you trying to recruit me, Agent? I’m both flattered and not interested.”
“Miss Sullivan—”
“Okay, enough.” I despised people in suits calling me that. It felt like they were scolding me for misbehaving… because they usually were. “Let’s get those four syllables down to two, shall we? Joey is fine.”
Hill glanced at Li with a smirk on his face. “May I do the honors?”
Li slid over a manila folder bearing the NBSA insignia.
Agent Hill opened the folder but didn’t look down when he spoke. “Joanna ‘Joey’ Sullivan,” he recited, staring at me. “African American female. Twenty-eight years old.”
“One hundred and thirty pounds, AB-positive—are you done?” I scoffed.
He ignored me and continued. “Lost father to an illness at seventeen and her mother in a work-related accident a year later. With the settlement, she and her sister, Latoya Sullivan, lived comfortably until tragedy struck again, and a street gang brutally murdered the older sister… But we all know humans weren’t what killed her.”
I fought down the sigh of relief that threatened to escape my lungs.
The Bureau didn’t know my sister was alive.
“Joanna graduated from community college with an average GPA, no awards, and no job prospects for her…” Apparently, this was the only part of my life that Hill had forgotten. He looked down, scanning his file. “Communications degree.”
Heat flushed through my body. “What’s your point, Agent Hill?”
“You mean besides the fact that we most certainly are not trying to recruit you?”
Great. A smug bastard. I wanted to punch that condescending smirk right off his pretty face. But I wouldn’t, because even though she stayed silent, I knew ‘Director’ was a title Sarah Li earned, and I didn’t care to learn how.
As she studied my reactions, her eyes revealed it all: she was strong, even if Icouldn’tread her aura.
“The Bureau was curious, Joey. How someone as… normal as you stopped a supernatural uprising.” Hill leanedforward as if he were done with our jeering. “Joey, what exactly is your relationship with Marcus Blackwood?”
“Sexual,” I answered before I could stop myself.
Hill furrowed his brow.
“What can I say? He has a decent-sized dick.”
A minor crack appeared in Hill’s stiff lip. “What is it with you women forsaking your race?” He noticed the way my jaw dropped and swiftly covered his ass. “The human race,” he clarified, massaging his temples in exasperation. “I’m a soldier, Miss Sullivan, not a bigot.”
Li cleared her voice, cutting through the awkward air. “Joey, is it true you formed an alliance with the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack? And together, the two of you stopped one faction of the rogues?”
