She smiled. “I’ll try to do better next time. If there is a next time.” She’d spent too many hours helping interrogate people, internalizing their pain. “I’m not sure I can consult any longer.” Plus, she really had to get out of town. Her own consciousness was unraveling, and if she tried to explain the situation to anybody, even to a good colleague like Bill, they’d find a padded cell for her.
Maybe she was crazy.
Bill checked his hip against hers. “You deserve a change, and you’ve worked hard to open your own clinic. Have you decided on which office space yet?”
“Not yet. I’m leaning toward the one near the river, although it’s more expensive.” She was ready to help people one-on-one and use her odd skills for good, to go deep and ease people, while she still could. For years, she’d been preparing for this, and she was ready.
“I like that view,” Bill agreed. “But you have to branch out and let people know how good you are, okay?”
She swallowed. “I will.” After losing her parents, she’d shut herself off a little bit, privately exploring her abilities but hiding them from most people. “I’ll stay in touch, too.”
“Good. Have you talked to Kyle yet?” Bill asked.
“No.” She absently ran her right pinkie over the ring finger of her left hand. Her now naked ring finger. “He’s supposed to get back after midnight, and we’re meeting for breakfast before I go on walkabout.”
“So you haven’t told him?” Bill asked.
She shook her head, her stomach hurting at the thought.
Bill chuckled. “Man, I hope I never piss you off. Yeah, he’s the bad guy, but still. You’re giving back his ring and then leaving town, and the moron has no clue.”
She fought a grin. Upon learning that her fiancé had taken his sexy new accountant with him on his business trip, and upon said accountant sending Honor naked pictures of her weekend with Kyle, the ring had lost all meaning. She’d cried enough for that loser. “The worst part? I feel better with the ring off.”
“I never thought you two fit,” Bill agreed.
There was no fit for her. She was too…weird. She just didn’t feel things other people apparently did. She and Kyle had seemed like a good match, and she’d liked him before he’d turned into a cheating asshole. “I’ll miss the ring, though,” she mused.
Bill burst out laughing.
Honor chuckled, finally letting go of that dream. She was fine alone and was excited about her new career path away from subterfuge and lies.
The officer inside the room slapped a hand on the table and his companion jumped, but the prisoner didn’t even twitch. Instead, his gaze lazily shifted to the mirror, meeting hers. Well, that was impossible. But he did look exactly where she stood.
“Wow,” Bill breathed.
Indeed. The man’s eyes were a sea green with a fierce tint of... gold? Just around the irises? His shoulders were too broad for the chair, and they narrowed nicely to his waist and long legs. He had to be around six-five or six-six, with black hair, thick and wavy, that curled beneath his ears. His bone structure was brutally cut, sharp with muscle and masculine strength. Everything about him was harsh angles and barely contained energy that most people probably couldn’t see. Right now, he was staring at her.
Bill shifted his weight. “I don’t think I ever really understood the term ‘male animal’ until right this second.”
Honor nodded. “Agreed.”
The two agents shoved away from the table and stormed toward the door.
The prisoner tilted his head, still watching her. Or himself in the mirror. She reminded herself that he couldn’t see her.
“You’re up,” Bill said. “Thanks for coming in, again. I know you want to flee town tomorrow, and you totally deserve the vacation you have planned.”
“I’m ready to take a break away from here and explosions and fires and bad guys.” She stared for one more beat at the prisoner. “Though I’m glad you called.” There was something about the cuffed man that drew her. Oh, she didn’t like her unusual gifts, and until lately, she’d been able to hide them, but this guy was a challenge. Even for her. “I’ll send you a postcard from Ireland. Or Iceland. Or wherever I end up.” She was ready for a walkabout, and it was time to write that book she’d always wanted to start, before she went completely crazy. Then she’d open her new office and make a fresh start.
The door opened, and the nearest agent shook his head. “This one hasn’t said a word. I’m not sure he’s even there. He did pass out when we first caught him.”
“Probably from the localized blast pressure,” Bill said. “Those two buildings exploded fast.”
Honor took a deep breath. “I’ll see what I can discover.” She moved efficiently past the agents and into the room, shutting the door behind her. Energy struck her so quickly, she took a step back before she could stop herself. Then she breathed deep and forced her body to move into the electric field generated by the prisoner.
She’d never felt anything like it.
Drawing out a chair, she sat. It was still warm from the other agent’s butt. “Hi. I’m Dr. Honor McDoval.”
For the first time, the prisoner reacted. His upper lip twitched.
She settled more comfortably in the chair. Her skin electrified, and her breathing stopped for a moment. This was odd.
“Sam.” The guy looked down at his hands, which were secured by cuffs to a bar set into the table. “I suppose these are for your protection?” His voice was a low rumble, slightly gritty.
She wet her lips. Why did she have a feeling he could get out of those if he so chose, but he just hadn’t bothered? “Yes.”
“I won’t harm you, Honor.” His gaze ran over her features, and in the dim light of the interrogation room, his eyes darkened to the viridian patina of a lost sunken ship of old. “You’re a special one, aren’t you?”
She cleared her throat and forced herself to remain in place. “I sometimes consult with Homeland Security, but I’m not an agent.”
“Why you?” he asked softly, that gritty tone licking over her skin.
What in the world was wrong with her? She lifted one shoulder. “I’m good at it. Reading micro expressions, noticing nuances that nobody else sees.” It was the best she could—or would—explain it. “Do you want to tell me why you blew up those buildings? Homeland has been tracking you for the last month, and it seems you’ve destroyed plenty of real estate. But you’ve been careful not to hurt anybody. That makes you a good person.” She kept her voice level. Soft and encouraging.