Page 148 of Red Marked

Does he think I’m going to have sex with someone else? Flint and I were casual and all about the sex, but that doesn’t mean I make a habit of sleeping around.

I don’t.

I’m tempted to tell him that but think better of it.

Flint almost looks angry. Two lines have dug in between his eyes. I’ve seen that face with nothing held back in it, mouth open, shaking, his eyes locked on mine. For a second, I wish I could watch him come undone again.

I shove the thought aside. That was then, and this is now. Flint is my boss, and we still have to find whoever is responsible for everything.

We can’t have sex again, even if I enjoyed it far too much.

We stop at a door. He unlocks it and waves me in.

It’s an exact replica of his apartment. There’s one room with a kitchen counter along the wall and a sofa, with a door to the bedroom and another to the bathroom.

The glaring difference is that it doesn’t smell of him. It smells of fresh paint and floor cleaner.

He opens the refrigerator. There are some basic staples inside.

“You’ll find that all the basics are here and in that cabinet.” He points.

“You can order supplies. Whatever you need. They’ll go over everything in the induction tomorrow, including all the paperwork and the timelines. You will be fine until your first order.”

“Perfect.” I touch the side of his arm. “Thank you so much. I⁠—”

He looks down at my fingers on his skin.

I let go. “I appreciate everything.”

He nods once and puts the key on the counter between us. “I’ll send Rift over in the morning to bring you to meet Dr. Pryce. I’ll be there. It shouldn’t take long. Then Rift will take you to your induction. I probably won’t see you over the next few days. We can’t be seen together unnecessarily. This needs to look real.”

“I know.”

“I’ll organize a cell phone for you. If anyone asks, you lost yours on the way here. It must have fallen out of your bag.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll let you know if anything comes through from Magma. If you don’t hear from me or see me, then there’s nothing to report yet.”

“Got it.”

He walks to the door and stops with his hand on the frame. “Welcome, Pearl. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” He sounds like the male at the checkpoint, minus the flirting.

“Thanks, boss.” I give him a fake salute.

He doesn’t even smile. He just turns and walks out, and the door shuts behind him.

My hand is still up at my temple. I drop it.

His indifference stings, which is stupid. He’s doing exactly what we agreed. I pick up the key and go and unpack my bag.

43

Flint

Pryce’s door is open. I knock on the frame anyway.

“Flint. Come in, come in.” He waves me into the chair across from his desk. There’s a mug at his elbow with a tea bag string hanging over the rim. “How was the trip? According to the log, two of you landed yesterday. You brought back the new recruit.” He rubs his hands together.