Word and Breath (21 page)

Connor didn’t speak any further. And he didn’t break down. But he didn’t move from the couch, and he didn’t pull his arm back or dislodge her.

They cuddled together in silence, and Riana took comfort in his undemanding companionship.

Eventually, the stress of the week caught up to her. She relaxed against him so much that she actually dozed off.

When she woke up, she was stiff and groggy—disoriented about her location and the time. She was still snuggled up against Connor.

He had fallen asleep too.

Mikel returned from his meeting with Largan in a good mood.

He wasn’t happy exactly—in truth, he wasn’t quite sure what pure joy really felt like—but he felt the sense of pleased satisfaction he always experienced when he’d accomplished something, made definite strides toward fulfilling a goal.

He hadn’t learned everything he wanted to know, but his trip down to the Office of Public Safety had not been wasted. He could see the beginnings of a plan take shape in his mind, and he started to hope he could actually find and rescue Riana’s sister.

He began to imagine Riana’s face when he did.

Mikel had a lot of ground to cover in making up for his deception and initial betrayal of her trust. He wasn’t blind to the fact that being vital in rescuing her sister might make some real advances toward that goal.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t the only reason he wanted to do this for Riana. But he’d always been somewhat selfish, and that part of this character hadn’t really changed. If doing what his instincts led him to do—helping Riana because she needed him—also earned back her trust and affection, then that was just another reason to do it.

So he was in a good mood when he returned to his borrowed apartment, which was where he’d arranged to meet Riana on his return.

His good mood faded as soon as he saw she wasn’t alone. Connor was with her. Not someone Mikel wanted to see.

And his good mood disappeared completely as he scrutinized them. They’d apparently been seated in the living room, waiting for him, but they both got up at his arrival. On the surface, their appearance was normal—Riana in a pair of borrowed jeans and her long braids, and Connor in his glasses and another one of those old-fashioned jackets.

But Mikel was nothing if not observant, and something about the resonance of the air between them felt different.

Riana was flushed and her eyes were groggy, and Connor looked softer somehow, more unfocused than usual.

They seemed more comfortable together than they had the evening before. Like they’d shared something in the time he’d been away.

He felt a flare of irrational anger. He’d just risked his life and career, while they’d been having some sort of cozy tête-à-tête?

Stifling the reaction, Mikel smiled at Riana and was relieved and gratified when she hurried over to grab his arm. “What took you so long?”

If her grumpy tone didn’t prove she’d been worried about him, he didn’t know what did. Some of his previous good mood returning at this evidence that she cared about him, Mikel replied, “I came straight here. The meeting took a little longer than I’d thought.”

She pulled Mikel down onto the sofa beside her. “So tell us. What did you find out?”

Connor took the chair next to the sofa. He’d put up his defenses again. Mikel could sense it in the set of the other man’s shoulders and the sharpening of his eyes. It was a sign of a competent man, he had to admit, that Connor didn’t let his personal life bleed into the tasks he had to accomplish.

That had always been true of Mikel too. He wondered if it still was.

“The meeting did what I hoped it would do,” he began. “I was able to learn a couple of things that might be useful.”

Riana was sitting right beside him, gazing up at him in a way that was very distracting. For one intense moment, he wished things were different between them—wished
everything
was different—so he could act, simply and naturally, on his feelings for her.

He would have taken her in his arms. He would have kissed her. He would have shown her exactly what he felt for her.

“Well?” she prompted. She didn’t look at all like she wanted to be kissed. She glared at him in frustrated impatience.

The ironic part of his nature couldn’t help but laugh at himself. And, to prevent any more distractions, he focused instead on Connor, who frowned at him thoughtfully. “As I told you yesterday, I couldn’t get close enough to read Largan. It would have been too dangerous, and he would have suspected something. But I did get to talk to his assistant—who, it turns out, is more fascinated with Breathers than I realized. I fed his ego, and he tried to impress me with all of the important duties he performs for Largan and the office. I was close enough to open a faint connection when I asked him if he knew anything about the kidnapping. He said no.” Mikel turned back to meet Riana’s eyes. “But he was lying.”

Riana sucked in a sharp breath—something between fear and hope sparking up in her eyes. “So you think he knows something?”

“He definitely knows something. Obviously, he’s bound to secrecy, so he wouldn’t tell me. But he was lying. No doubt about that.”

Connor leaned forward, pressing his fingertips together. “Were you able to sense anything more specific?”

“No.” When Riana looked disappointed, Mikel explained hurriedly, “That’s not the way it works. Remember, I can’t read minds. And I can’t forcefully extract information without causing permanent damage. It has to be willingly given, and even then the subject will know what I’m doing. All I can do in these kinds of contacts is get stray glimpses and general impressions. Enough to know he was lying but not enough to get specifics.”

Riana slumped a little. “Well, at least we know they know something, so we’re on the right track.”

Ignoring Connor’s presence, Mikel brushed her jawline with his knuckle, getting her to look up at him again. “You didn’t let me finish. I did learn a few more things.”

Perking up, Riana asked, “You did? What’s that?”

“When he was trying to show off his responsibilities to me, he listed out his to-do list for today. File reports, contact bigwigs in the capital, organize the findings of the investigation of the shootings, arrange a couple of conference calls, and order supplies.”

When both Riana and Connor just looked at him blankly, Mikel arched one eyebrow. “That last task sees a little strange, don’t you think? Taking the time to order office supplies in the middle of a serious crisis? And the way he said it made it sound important—like he had a secret he was just dying to tell. It made me wonder what kind of supplies he was ordering.”

Riana’s lips parted slightly as she considered this.

Connor said, “That is a good point. I don’t suppose you were able to sneak a peek at his files.”

“No.” Mikel was sure the other man hadn’t intended the comment to be a complaint, but it annoyed him anyway. “But don’t you have a man who works in finances? Maybe, with a more specific direction, he could track down the supplies that were ordered and what they’re to be used for.”

Connor nodded and glanced at his watch. “Donn. I’m meeting him this afternoon. I’ll get him to look into it.”

Riana reached out again and closed her fingers around Mikel’s forearm, holding onto him in her urgency. “Do you think those supplies might have something to do with Jannie?”

“I have no idea,” Mikel admitted, wishing he could be more certain and see more hope grow in her eyes. “But the sense of secrecy I got from him makes me think they might be important. At least, it’s a possibility.”

“Thank you for your help,” Connor said, after clearing his throat. He was watching the two of them closely, with a determinedly blank expression. But Mikel wasn’t fooled.

Connor didn’t at all like the way Riana was touching or looking at him.

“We wouldn’t have this lead without you.”

Mikel nodded, respecting the other man for saying what must have been hard. “You’re welcome. But there was something else.” He paused, as Riana and Connor turned to him in expectation. “I was able to come into contact with Smyde and open a very brief connection.”

“You were?” Riana gasped. “Did you find out anything?”

“He’s definitely hiding something. I couldn’t get any specifics. But he knows something he doesn’t want me to know, and he was lying in the meeting he had with me and Largan. What’s your sense of the man?”

The question was aimed at Riana, who answered it after a moment’s reflection. “I never really liked him. He’s efficient. He always follows the rules. And he’s loyal to the Union—so loyal it’s almost scary. He doesn’t have an open mind like most Readers do. He doesn’t even seem to appreciate the beauty of the written word. But I never would have thought he would do something like kidnap Jannie. I mean, what could be the purpose behind it?”

Mikel gave a half-shrug. “I have no idea. But he’s definitely hiding something.” He glanced over at Connor. “Is there any way he could be watched?”

“Maybe. It would be a risk.”

“I think it would be a risk worth taking.” Mikel glanced away, staring at the wall but seeing again the look in Smyde’s eyes during their silent confrontation at the door to Largan’s office. “He hates me.”

“Just because you’re a Soul-Breather?” Riana asked, empathy and understanding in her eyes. “I always suspected he had that kind of prejudice, although he never admitted it openly with me.”

“I’ll see what we can do about arranging a tail,” Connor said, his blunt voice breaking the gaze Riana and Mikel had been sharing.

“Good. And Donn will look into the supplies. We need to figure out our next step from here.” Mikel recognized, as he said the words, that it sounded like he was trying to take charge.

He supposed it wasn’t particularly diplomatic, and Connor’s expression verified this fact. But Mikel was tired of giving other people control of the situation just to keep the peace. Every day Riana’s sister was gone made it less likely they would find her unharmed. The slow, careful process of collecting and assessing information that Connor and the Front seemed to favor was not the way Mikel preferred to work.

He was a man of action. He didn’t mind taking risks. He wanted to give Riana back her sister, and he was tired of waiting around until someone else decided it was time.

“We’re waiting for some information,” Connor said, his blue eyes holding Mikel’s in an obvious challenge, “It would be foolish to act prematurely.”

Mikel didn’t back down. “I can think of at least one thing to do that might give us the information we need without waiting.” He heard Riana suck in her breath and felt her hand tighten on his arm. It was an encouragement, but he didn’t turn his eyes away from Connor. Something—maybe autonomy, maybe self-determination—was at stake here, and Mikel wasn’t about to lose it.

Connor didn’t break the gaze either. “And what is that?” His voice sounded faintly suspicious, as if he could already guess what Mikel would say.

Mikel said it anyway. “I have certain abilities we might as well use. Smyde would be too dangerous a target at the moment, but Largan’s assistant wouldn’t be. He knows something. I can find out what it is.”

The room was absolutely silent as Riana and Connor processed what he’d said.

“By force?” Connor asked at last. His eyes were colder and harder than Mikel had expected.

“It probably won’t come to that. As I said, he wanted to tell me and was only holding back out of a sense of responsibility. That’s pretty easy to overcome. I can think of any number of ways to get him to tell me willingly.”

“And if he wouldn’t?”

“Then I’d extract the information in a more direct way.”

There was a silent duel going on here. Both men knew it. While Mikel didn’t want to shock or upset Riana, he was also not going to back down in this.

“Doing permanent damage to the young man?”

Mikel gave a half-shrug. “If necessary.”

It sounded heartless. Maybe it was. But he’d never lied about who he was. He didn’t like to hurt people indiscriminately or for fun, but sometimes necessity led one to make certain decisions. Mikel had learned to live with the consequences.

“The priority here is getting Riana’s sister back safely.” Mikel hadn’t turned to look at Riana, but her grip on his arm was tighter than ever and he’d felt her tense up beside him. “To me, the risk is worth it.”

“We don’t do that kind of damage to other people,” Connor replied, his voice and expression unyielding. “We don’t forcefully interrogate them. We don’t hurt them physically or mentally. We certainly don’t risk killing them.”

“And if it’s the only way to find her sister?”

Connor wasn’t an idiot. He must know it might come to that—trading one human life for another.

“We don’t do that,” Connor repeated. “The Front is based on certain ideals, and we don’t break or bend those ideals, even to achieve ends we believe are just. If we did, we’d be fighting for nothing.”

He believed it. That much was obvious. Connor believed what he was saying with a force of conviction that Mikel had never felt for anything. It felt like a slap in the face. Every instinct inside Mikel resisted the purity, the narrow scope, of such belief.

It was almost frightening. He didn’t understand it.

And he wanted nothing to do with it.

Mikel didn’t believe in idealism. He was making changes because of Riana—not because his worldview had transformed.

And he wasn’t sure he wanted to work with people who were motivated by such things. If it wasn’t for Riana, he would have simply walked out the door.