bandage from the medical cart, grabbing her arm as they entered the corridor.
'What's he doing?' he asked, as he began to patch the wound on her forearm.
'As a guess, wiping everyone's memory of what just happened.' She hesitated as Michael walked over to Dale. 'And probably forming some sort of block in Dale's mind so that Farmer can't use her like that again.'
'Well, at least something good will have come from this whole mess.' He finished bandaging her arm, then added, 'You want me to hang around when we get back to the hotel?'
She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his leathery cheek. 'Thanks, but I don't need a protector. What I need is a piece of two-by-four to knock some sense into Michael's thick skull.'
Jake hesitated. 'That's a two-way street, you know. You can't expect him to compromise his beliefs when you're not willing to do the same.'
Oh, great. Now Jake was stepping towards Michael's side of the fence as well. Or maybe Michael had simply rearranged Jake's thoughts. She scowled at him. 'What do you mean?'
Jake waved a hand toward Michael. 'I can understand your need to be a part of what he does. But you've also got to take into account that there will be cases you simply can't get involved in—for whatever reason.'
'Don't you think I know that?' she said, trying to curb her irritation. 'The whole problem I have is the fact that he won't let me get involved in any way. He won't tell me anything about the Circle, or Seline, or his missions. Everything I know I've dragged out of him. He has a whole separate life I know nothing about. We don't talk about it, ever.'
Jake raised his eyebrows. 'Sounds like there's a little jealousy happening there.'
She blinked. Was she jealous? Maybe. In many ways, the Circle and Seline demanded—and got—as much of his attention as she did. 'Put yourself in my shoes—or better yet, remember back to when you and Mary had just met. How would you have felt if Mary had a whole separate career you knew nothing about? One that involved lots of other men and took her away from your side a good half of the year?'
'I'd have been as pissed as hell.'
'Exactly.'
'You can trust Michael, though. He doesn't seem the straying type.'
She waved the comment away. She did trust Michael and certainly wasn't worried about him straying sexually. 'The point is, wouldn't you have at least wanted to find out more about Mary's other life?'
'Yes.' He paused. 'But that's not all you're asking for, is it?'
No. But was it asking too much to become a part of that other life—even if it was only a minor part?
She didn't think so.
Especially when he knew just about everything there was to know about her.
'What are you going to do if he continues to refuse?' Jake added softly.
She thrust a hand through her hair. 'I don't know.' Her gaze drifted back to Michael. 'I just don't know.'
But she had a horrible feeling that unless things changed dramatically in the next week or so, she might have to carry through with her threat to leave him. Because as much as leaving would break her heart, it was better than the slow death she suffered every time he went away.
She couldn't survive that happening time and again. Not for the next ten years, let alone the next fifty. Or one hundred.
Maybe she was being selfish. Maybe she should just shut up and be thankful she'd found a man who loved her as much as he did.
But she just wasn't built that way. She couldn't be part-time. And part of the reason was her memories of her parents relationship. They did everything together—even die—and right to the end they'd been extremely happy. Maybe she was fantasizing it a little—after all, they'd died when she was barely a teenager. Maybe it all wasn't as rosy as she remembered. But to this day she could still recall the looks they'd shared, the way they'd touched, the way they'd talked over every decision—and she'd always wanted that sort of relationship. The sort that lasted through thick and thin. The sort that shared good times and bad.And if Michael wasn't willing to shift from his comfortable plane of existence and include her more fully in his life, then the love they shared would mean little in the end.
Because she knew from bitter experience love just wasn't enough.
Michael leaned against the wall and watched the elevator numbers rise. When he'd finally calmed down enough to open the link between them, he found it locked down just as tight from her end. Nor had she argued when he'd curtly ordered her back to the hotel. Which undoubtedly meant she was furious, though why, he had no idea. She was the one risking her life with acts of stupidity.
He took a deep breath, crossing his arms as the elevator came to a halt on their floor. Nikki stepped out alone, which surprised him. He'd half expected her to drag Jake along to help argue her case.
She hesitated when her gaze met his, and anger singed the air between them. Then her gaze slithered away, and the anger disappeared. Or rather, was re-shuttered.
'You had a key,' she snapped. 'You didn't have to wait for me.'
'I know I didn't,' he replied evenly. 'I wanted to.'
'Didn't trust me to do as ordered, huh?' She swiped her key card through the slot then shoved open the door.
'I just wanted to make sure you got here safely.'
'Likely story.' She threw off her coat and stalked over to the minibar. 'Can't have the little woman straying too far off the leash now, can we?'
His own anger rose again. 'Damn it, Nikki, I had every right to be furious. What you were trying to do was stupid and dangerous, and you know it.'
'What I was trying to do was my job!' She grabbed a soda out of the fridge and slammed the door shut.
'I am a private investigator, in case you've conveniently forgotten that.'
'You also know how dangerous it is trying to enter someone's mind like that. Especially when the man who attacked that person has a psychic connection to both of you.'
She popped the top off the soda. Froth bubbled over the lip and dripped onto her shoes. She didn't seem to notice. Or maybe she just didn't care.
'So I should just sit around and do nothing?'
He clenched his fists, then flexed them when he realized what he was doing. 'I'm not saying—' 'Yes, you are,' she bit back. 'You don't want me using my talents if you're not there. You don't want me and Jake investigating without you coming along. So tell me, what else am I supposed to do?'
'What you're not supposed to do is run off and try some stupid stunt without me!' His voice had risen slightly, despite his efforts to keep calm. 'Do you realize your actions have basically destroyed any chance we have of getting information from Dale's memories? Farmer made sure he blurred them into an indecipherable mess. If there was ever a chance of finding a clue, it's gone now.'
Tears touched her eyes and were just as quickly blinked away. He half reached out to comfort her, despite the fury that still chased through him, but she spun away, moving to the other side of the room.
'Don't,' she said flatly.
He raised an eyebrow, confused. 'Don't what?'
'Don't touch me, don't kiss me. I won't be sidetracked, not this time.'
Exasperation rose. 'I wasn't trying—' 'Like hell. It's a ploy you've used many times before when the conversation turns to a topic you don't like.'
He stared at her for a minute then strode across to the refrigerator to get a drink himself—but something far stronger than a soda.
'I have no intention of sidetracking the conversation today, believe me.' He poured himself a bourbon and added a few ice cubes.
'At least we've reached agreement on something, then.'
He took a drink and turned to her again. 'Farmer is a vampire,' he said, keeping his voice flat. 'He's not a fledgling, and he could overpower you in a second flat. Especially when you've overextended your abilities, as you did today.'
She returned his gaze defiantly. 'Jasper took longer than a minute to overpower me, and I'd certainly
