“You’re joking. Why the hell would a TCA agent, even a shitty human one, bother with regular criminals?”
“They temporarily want you off of the Alden case,” Lucas replied, his words tinged with regret. Her stomach dropped. “Look, I get it. It sounds stupid. But a few years ago he said he wouldn’t hunt thermies anymore. TCA wanted to keep him around. They gave him this role under the condition that he continued to search for Edward in the background.”
“What’s the real reason?”
“For?”
“The TCA partnering me with the reality show himbo.” She sneered at the offended look on his face and took a few steps away, lowering her voice. “And for keeping him around. The TCA hates inefficiency. They wouldn’t waste funds on something that stupid. But mainly, taking me off of Edward. It doesn’t make sense. I’m the only one strong enough to fight him.”
“That’s a very good use of modern slang for someone your age,” Lucas praised, ignoring her question.
“I know where you live.” To any other TCA agent, the threat would be frightening. Lucas only sighed.
“They kept him around in case they needed a deterrent. They don’t trust you.”
“Already got drugged for that once today,” Ruby remarked.
“What? By who?” Lucas faltered. “Actually, I don’t want to know. We’re getting close to Edward. A few agents went missing recently. They know you’re not involved, but he has a way of…corrupting people. They want to keep an eye on you and they know of yourhistorywith Jonah. I think the assumption is that he could keep you in control, if needed.”
Not on his life. Not even if he didn’t completely erase her from his memory.“So he’s my babysitter?”
“With benefits,” Jonah chimed in.
Her left eye throbbed behind her sunglasses. “I’m not having sex with you.”
“That’s not…no.” Jonah shook his head. “I meant work benefits. Hunting and muscle and stuff.”
“Sure you did.” She approached Jonah, her steps measured, controlled. “Why do we have to do the show, then? Even taking me off the Edward case, which is bullshit by the way, why do I have to be on camera?” She aimed the question at Lucas.
Lucas hesitated. “Look, it’s not an amazing idea, but it’s out of my control. They want him watching you. They trust him. He enjoys doing the show and only agreed to the partnershipif you agreed to be on the show. You’ll take a break from tracking Edward, but Jonah will help with normal, non-filmed thermophile hunts, if that makes you feel any better.”
This conversation was going nowhere. Clearly, something more was happening here, something weird, but even if Lucas had the answers, he wouldn’t let them slip.
"Fine," Ruby muttered into the phone before hanging up, her hand shaking with barely-contained frustration.
Ruby brushed a hand through her tangled hair, fighting back the scream threatening to break free. Instead, she exhaled sharply and turned back around.
“Change your mind?” Jonah asked, rapping his knuckles on the hood of his truck and waving at the woman in the driver’s seat.
She stepped out and walked around the car—a short, curvy Indian woman with dark hair and a wedding ring sparkling in the light.
Ignoring him, Ruby directed a warm smile at the driver. She extended her hand. “Ruby.”
The driver shook it firmly. “Kavya.”
“Nice to meet you.” She aimed a dirty look toward Jonah. “You don’t seem that scared of me.”
Kavya crossed her arms, bracelets jangling with the movement. “Should I be?”
“Someonemade it seem like you were.”
“I’ve read your record. You’ve killed hundreds. It’s not the most comforting fact, but I wouldn’t work for the TCA if I was afraid of thermophiles.”
Jonah nudged her with his elbow, a silent warning.
Ruby looked away, scanning the lot for any sign of danger. She settled on the soft glow of the gas station sign. “How much do you know about me?”
Kavya stared back at her. “Just the basics. Your story is told at every orientation—like a ghost story at summer camp. Turned by Edward in the ’70s. Buried, then dug up. Consumption level in the hundreds.”
