“There’s got to besomething—” she started.
“There is,” he interrupted.“We recruit who we can, and we save kids like Bobby and train them.We fight where we can, we stay alive, and we wait.Someday we’ll have the odds in our favor, Ro.When we do, we’ll erase the motherfu… ah, we’ll strike where it hurts ’em most.Sooner or later they won’t have enough psionics to do any work, if we just quietly keep stealing them.That way we don’t have a lot of dead bodies.”
“Except my father.”Her eyes glittered.“And Hilary.”
“What do you want me to do?We’ve tried before.We can’t do it.They have too much help from the big boys in politics, angel.It goes all the way to the top.”
“Why doesn’t anyonetalkabout this?”she almost yelled.
That’s a good question, angel.“Sometimes they do,” he said quietly.“They end up in mental wards.Or with their lives destroyed, branded as nutcases.Or they have a heart attack or a car accident or they vanish and the cops say, ‘Maybe they just went to Reno, people vanish all the time.’Peopledovanish all the time, and if it isn’t reported on the six o’clock spot, who will ever put the pieces together?And most people don’t want to know…” He trailed off, seeing the fury on her face.Her hands were back to scrubbing at each other.
“You told me I’m a thirteen,” she said suddenly.“On this Morris scale.”
“Matheson,” he corrected automatically.
“Matheson.You told me I could incite riots.”Her eyes glittered, deadly sharp.
Oh, Christ.Don’t, Rowan.Don’t do this.“You could,” he agreed cautiously.“You’ve got the talent.”
“All right.I want to take classes.I want to know how to… how to use whatever this thing is.This psychic thing.”
That’s a relief.Whatever it takes to drive her through getting some control.I can always talk her out of it later, can’t I?But Delgado wasn’t sure he could talk Rowan Price out of anything, especially when all he could think of was how soft the fragile curve of her throat looked; how her eyes were full of depth and shading even now, when she was furious.“Of course.We’ll teach you everything we can.I’llteach you everything I can.”
“And then I’m going to do whatever I have to,” she said.“Will you help me?”
Oh, Jesus.“Rowan?—”
“Will you?”She was merciless.Those eyes bored into his, and the prickling intensity of her ran over his skin.He was almost used to it now, the way his body responded.This wasn’t reasonable or rational or logical.He was in deep trouble.“Please?I can’t trust anyone else, Justin.You know I can’t.”
That was exactly where he was most vulnerable, whether she knew it or not.He knew she didn’t think of him as anything other than a defense against the violent turn her life had taken.
“All right.”His heart was sinking fast.“But if you want to take on Sigma, you’ll need some hard training.You probably won’t like it.”
His last-ditch attempt failed.“I don’t mind hard work.”Her hands turned into fists.Delgado couldn’t help himself.He crossed the room, dropping onto the bed next to her with a weary sigh.He reached over, took one of her hands, and pried at her fingers until they uncurled.
“You’ve got to relax,” he said quietly.“If you go working yourself up, you’ll affect the patients.There are a lot of sensitives in here, Rowan, and you’re powerful.You could make evveryone very nervous.I’ve already told you I’ll help you.Just take a deep breath, okay?”
She stared at him for a few moments, her face unreadable.Then she shut her eyes and inhaled deeply.
Delgado watched her face.She took another deep breath, and another.The angry flush in her cheeks faded.
The prickling heat that ran through him from the touch of her skin did not.
No wonder they think I’m crazy.He examined the curve of her cheekbone, the soft vulnerable space beneath her lower lip.
“Sorry,” she said finally, without opening her eyes.“You’re right.I shouldn’t get carried away.”A long pause, silence ticking through the room.“Should I get a room of my own, Justin?”
“Only if you want to.”Don’t.
Hey eyes opened, caught him unawares.“You’re a nice guy.”As if she was surprised.
No, I’m not.You just haven’t seen me yet, angel.He had to concentrate before he could open his hand and let her fingers slide out of his.“I like having you around,” he admitted.“It’s… soothing.”
That’s probably the best way to approach her.Use that soft heart of hers, Del.If you’re determined, that is.If you’ve got the guts to try it.
He knew what he didn’t want.He didn’t want to manipulate her, didn’t want to move her through the game until he was where he wanted to be.
Too bad he was going to have to.If she planned on taking down Sigma, she would need him.
