Copyright © Sage Marlowe 2014. All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined Limited, T/A Totally Bound Publishing. Colin "Colin?" Mikey called from somewhere down the hall. We were at my place, having once again fled the cosy crowdedness of his parents' little terrace house in favour of the elegant but impersonal space of my penthouse flat. I was tempted to reach out for his thoughts, to have some kind of warning, but then I remembered that there was a reason I refused to connect to him that way. "What's up, love?" "Phone." "Who is it?" "Pete." My good mood evaporated as always when I thought of my partner and former best friend Pete. Two weeks had passed since he had told me the truth about my heritage and the gruesome tasks his circle of moral-free, power-hungry friends were going to set me. Stalking towards the sound of Mikey's voice, I found him in the kitchen where he balanced the phone between chin and shoulder while trying to spoon instant coffee into two mugs. "What does he want?" I mouthed, too upset to focus on blocking my mind. I must have transferred some of my emotions onto him because he was twitchy all of a sudden and promptly spilled some rusty brown grains on the worktop. "Just said he wants to speak to you," Mikey answered and clumsily tried to clean up the coffee but of course he only made an even greater mess when the damp cloth turned the crumbs into something yucky and sticky. Mikey and anything to do with the household just weren't the best of friends. "Oh, okay." I took the phone from him and covered the mouthpiece, then I reached for the cloth and gently twisted it out of his hand. He gave me a grateful little smile and blew me a kiss. I returned both but said nothing as I waited for him to add milk to one cup, sugar to the other and leave the room. No way was I going to talk to Pete while Mikey was within hearing range. The risk of him listening in and me giving away something was far too big. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Mikey caught me watching him shuffle down the hall. A frown flickered across his face but he shook it off and went to the bedroom I'd just left. I knew what he saw as he entered and I wished I could have been there with him. Sasha, the beautiful and sexy young man who'd joined our relationship just a few weeks ago, had been sprawled across the bed when I'd left him. The taste of him still lingered on my tongue. He hadn't woken to coffee but to my mouth and if it hadn't been for the bloody phone call, he'd be returning the favour now. It annoyed me, but I took some small comfort in knowing that Mikey would reap the benefits and maybe, if I was lucky—and fast enough—they'd make it up to me and distract me from what was likely to be an awkward conversation. Mikey closed the door and I raised the phone to my ear. "What do you want?" "As he said—I want to talk to you." Pete's voice sent a shudder down my spine and I closed my eyes in the futile attempt to block out the memories of our last meeting, those horrible minutes when my world had shattered. When he had shattered it. Part of me was relieved that I didn't have to look into the lying, scheming bastard's face, but a part of me was missing him more than I cared to admit even to myself. "Fine. Make it quick." Pete let out a low chuckle. "What's with the impatience, Colin? Got somewhere else to be?" I blocked all thoughts of Mike and Sasha from my mind, even though I knew that Pete couldn't perceive my feelings through the phone. Unlike voices, mental images didn't travel along telephone lines but thinking of them while his words were in my ear soiled the idea I had of them. "Not really, I just want this over with as soon as possible," I replied, not bothering...