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What the agent enjoyed was it was not a straight kill, he would play with her first, compromise the structure of her mind, her body

Then she would die

It was inevitable She si his tracks through assaulting her first was a perfect cover for their real intent

The agent smiled as he swiped his thuy Untraceable thought pulse Pulse and disappear

He was a ghost

His sht there may be one that could disrupt his plan

The Cadaver-Manipulator Parker’s pet project Caleb Hart But he had a handle on that situation

An unbreakable grip He was unstoppable And Hart was just a boy Very nearly a man, but still malleable

The depressant would weaken hi to plan If Parker didn’t interfere

If things began to unravel, he would default to Plan B

Jade LeClerc

She had a vulnerability that appealed to the agent

Very much

The smile returned, filled with malice and pride

We were alone

In

Jade was pressed up against me and somehoe’d ended up in the back seat, the old car had an autoinal transear shift had been, on the floor and between the seats

Totally in the way forher body, gently kneading the s to her hips, we’d been pretty close to going the whole way for awhile, holding out for I didn’t know It was so hard to think in the stea line beneath me I propped myself up oninto her eyes, so green even in the dimness of the car

"I kno much you want to," Jade said in a low voice Breathy

Couldn’t hide a thing frouys that just wanted to take a girl for what he could and move on to the next I loved Jade

I always had

I stroked the hair away from her face "I’ether"

A tear rolled out of her eye

Talk about a ainst me "Tell me I’m not an Empath, Jade"

I was frustrated It wasn’t just that I wanted to have sex It was I wanted to with her No other girl Jade She was the one for ether In that way too

"I’m just not ready yet," she said

Her tone alertedwas up

"Is itto kiss my bicep, the feel of her lips a burnt o on

This was so else And I didn’t need E her chin towardthe pad of my thumb to wipe the tears

"It’s my dad," she said in a near whisper

"What about him?" I asked What the hell did he have to do with any of it?

She tried to look away and I said, "Don’t Look at me, Jade"

She did

Her lip tre on?

She felt my question in her mind and answered it before I could ask

"He came and threatened us Me and Andrea"

I felt e instantaneous

"Why?" I asked, seething, ot served the order and it sent hiotta tell me," my voice controlled, emotions in a riot

We looked at each other

Finally she admitted "He beat on Andrea"

Oh brother I hauled her up into a sitting position "Why didn’t you tell me?" I shook her "Why didn’t you tell the police? Garcia or Gale anybody?" My eyes searched hers

"He said he’d kill me if I told," she adonna have to go I could feel er in a cage I could barely contain So help me if I was there with LeClerc and zombies showed up I wouldn’t be able to stop the dead My intent wasn’t strong enough

Hell, I wanted this guy dead

Dead and gone

I looked down and Jade had paled

I noticedher arotten the streamlined version of her dad’s end My true fantasy

My fervent wish

She shook her head "That’s not the way Caleb"

"Listen to onna stop Soonna be there and I’m not Pulse the cops Put theressed the order," I said, tearing a frustrated hand through my hair

She nodded "I will"

"Let me be with you You don’t have to do it alone, ya know"

She nodded "I know"

We sat quietly for a lass

"What does this have to do with us being together?"

She looked up at me from the crook of my arm "He called me names, said I was " she didn’t want to repeat it, I could tell

"What?" I asked

"It’s ugly," embarrassed

I waited

"He said that you’d just ’tap me’ and throw me away That it’s what ood for That he knew you had already

Not true