He shook himself. Not the time to let his mind go down that road when his thoughts were already veering from Platonic Avenue. “Thought I should call and tell you that you’ve fallen right into my trap. I’m going to sell this picture toEyes on Empathsand make enough money to retire young.”
“Please. If you suddenly came into a lot of money, you’d donate it all to charity.”
Reece huffed another half laugh. No one got him like Grayson. “I like the picture.”
“I’m a sweaty mess.”
“Shut up,” said Reece. “I know your looks are wasted on me since I barely notice that kind of thing, but even I can tell thatEyes on Empathsreaders would lose their shit over you.” He shifted to lie flat on his back on the couch, the hood of Grayson’s sweatshirt bunched under his head. “So. Where did you send this hot classified selfie from?”
“You think that’s not classified too? Or are you about to callnational securitya bullshit reason again because that empath compassion got needlessly riled up on behalf of a man without feelings?”
Reece ignored that. “I know it’s a gym in a hotel.”
“That’s already more information than you should have.”
“And yesterday you texted about being across the continent and you didn’t deny still being on Eastern time. Can we play twenty questions? Do the people in your current state sound like you?”
“I don’t sound anything like someone from the Carolinas or Tennessee or Georgia.”
“That’s cute, that you think I would be able to tell the difference.” Reece closed his eyes. “You’ve got a water bottle but you’re not sentimental enough to keep a favorite one with you. You were getting on a plane last night, so I bet you bought it in an airport gift shop. I don’t know what that ‘W’ on it means, but from what I know about you, I bet it’s for sports, maybe football, and the only thing with a ‘W’ I can think of on the East Coast is Washington, DC.”
Reece opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. “Except you’re standing next to cardio equipment, not weights, which you said would have to weigh more than me to help you think. So maybe the weights are too basic for you, which makes me think basic hotel, which makes me think you flew somewhere from DC and now you’re in a smaller city. You brought a sweatshirt with you even though presumably you didn’t need to leave the hotel to get to the gym, so you probably flew north where the buildings aren’t warm enough for your Southern tastes. You keep harping on about national security, as if it’s top of your mind, as if whatever you’re up to is a little moreinternational than usual, so maybe you’re up by the Canadian border. I’m bad at geography, so I’d have to look at a map, but maybe somewhere in Vermont or Maine?”
The other side of the phone was silent.
“Am I close?” Reece prodded.
He heard Grayson exhale. “You’re being careful, right?”
Reece frowned, stung. “What do you mean? I’m not using any extra abilities. I wouldn’t—”
“Nothing would work on me, but I know you’re not and I didn’t mean it like that,” Grayson said, which made Reece feel better. “I meant you’re not doing stupid things like running off by yourself or trusting strangers, are you? You gotta know there’s a lot of people who’d like to get their hands on an empath as intuitive as you. Tell me you can stay out of trouble until I can get back to Seattle.”
Reece broke into a smile. “You’re coming back to Seattle?”
“Did you hear any of the other words I just said?”
“When?”
“Are you being careful?”
“Soon?”
“Reece.”
“What?”
“Try to find even a thimble’s worth of the survival instinct everything else on this planet’s got,” said Grayson, “and promise me you’re gonna be careful.”
Reece rolled his eyes. “Fine, yes, I’ll be careful.”
Lie.Oops.
“Uh-huh.” Grayson sounded completely unconvinced. “Did you just lie to me?”
“No.”Lie.Reece winced.
“You’re still lying, aren’t you.”
