Flameout by Keri Arthur Page A

with the thick waves of viciousness rolling off him. “I have merely ordered them to sleep. Of course, I could also order them to stop breathing . . .”
    â€œDo that, and you’re ash,” I ground out. My fists were clenched so tight my nails were drawing blood.
    â€œOh, I’m
well
aware of your capabilities, Ms. Pearson, but the second I see flame, I
will
kill them. Do you really wish to test whether your fires are faster than my order?”
    No, I didn’t, and he was obviously banking on that. “What the hell do you want with us?”
    â€œInformation, as I said. But first, please hand over that backpack.”
    Jackson did so. Heaton opened it up, pulled out the scanner, and frowned. “You found nothing behind the false wall?”
    â€œNo,” Jackson growled. “The fucking fuse blew and we had no real chance to examine anything before Frank appeared.”
    â€œUnfortunate.” Heaton tossed the pack back. Jackson caught it in his free hand. “What were you looking for?”
    â€œThe same as you, undoubtedly,” I said. “Why did you risk coming here? If you wanted information from us, it would have been easier to confront us someplace PIT
isn’t
monitoring.”
    â€œThis place is as secure as any other, given I had Frank switch off the security system before I entered the building.”
    I snorted. “Like PIT won’t think
that’s
suspicious.”
    â€œOh, they undoubtedly will, but they won’t get anything from Frank.” He paused, then added gently, “Of course, if
you
report my appearance here, I would be forced to kill them both. You wouldn’t wish that, now, would you?”
    I had a momentary vision of his ashes falling like black snow all around my feet, and wished like hell I could make it a reality. But while I could flame in the space of a heartbeat, I really couldn’t risk his thoughts being faster than my fire.
    So I took a deep breath in an effort to calm both instinct and anger, and simply said, “Why worry about the security here when you didn’t appear concerned about it at our office? Or at Rosen’s office? You
were
the reporter who visited him there, weren’t you?”
    â€œYes, and more than once. The sindicati and the rats may need cruder methods such as drugs to get information, but I am above that.”
    â€œAnd modest, besides.”
    He smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant thing to behold. “Modesty has no purpose or use in this day and age.”
    But violence did. Though Heaton’s demeanor was urbane and pleasant, he was anything but. “And our office?”
    â€œThat was a mistake. I was not aware then how closely PIT was monitoring you.”
    Which begged the question—how had he become aware? Given I hadn’t spotted whomever PIT had assigned to tail us recently, I doubted Heaton would have. PIT had been careless twice in that regard; I didn’t think there would be a third time.
    But if Heaton was now aware of PIT’s interest in us, did he also know about my connection to Sam? I suspected he might, but again—how? Aside from Jackson and Rory, the only people who were aware of my past with Sam were Luke and Sam’s current lover, Rochelle. I doubted Heaton was involved, in any way, with Luke. He didn’t seem the sort to play second fiddle to
any
man. Or, in Luke’s case, monster.
    Which left Rochelle. While I suspected she might be Luke’s source of information, I couldn’t see her being connected with a vampire like Heaton. PIT was keeping too close an eye on both her and Sam now for that to happen.
    But if Luke was reading her from a distance, why couldn’t Heaton? While most vampires had to be close to their target to gain information, Heaton was obviously an unusually powerful telepath.
    But which faction was he connected to? Or was he connected with neither, and simply playing his own particular game