Sabin, A Seven Novel by A.M. Hargrove Page B

his time, pulling my lower lip into his mouth as he nibbles, licks, and sucks. When he releases me, it’s a shock to find I’m wet for him.
    “Do you always kiss like that?”
    The corner of his mouth curls. “Why?”
    “Because I like it,” I tell him.
    “So do I. I think, Ms. Callahan, that you’re going to be trouble.”
    “I want you, Sabin.” His eyes widen. The statement surprises him, but it surprises me more.
    “I’m flattered, but that’s not possible. I have to go back to work.” He nuzzles my face and then sets me free. “This is a very bad idea,” he says.
    “Agreed, but the attraction can’t be denied.”
    “No, it can’t. But I must go. There’s still work to be done and the others need me.”
    I nod. He touches my cheek with the back of his finger and then tells me to join him in the sec center if I choose. I watch him leave, thinking how far-fetched and pure crazy this whole thing is. Did I just kiss an alien? My fingers trace the outline of my lips and I imagine I can still feel him kissing me. Get a grip, Serena. I pack all the little devices away and put the medical kit where I found it. Then I go to the sec center to find Sabin.
    He’s in the middle of a conversation with Rafe, who is inside Tara’s apartment.
    “And you’ve turned it upside down?” Sabin asks.
    “Yes. Tara claims it’s with another friend and that she never wore it.”
    “Do you know who?” Sabin asks.
    “A girl named Charity. Charity McKessen.”
    “Oh, no. Not Charity!” I cry. Sabin’s head swivels to me.
    “Why do you say that?” he asks.
    “Charity has been known to sell things on eBay.”
    “eBay? What the devil is eBay?”
    “It’s an online shopping site where you can either buy or bid for items,” I explain.
    “Great. Excellent. You humans and your shopping addictions.” Sabin is not happy.
    “What? Don’t aliens like to shop? I mean non-humanoids.”
    Sabin huffs, “Non- hominid .” The emphasis is unmistakable.
    “Oops. Sorry.”
    Edge looks at me and I can tell he’s holding back a laugh. The corners of his mouth are turned up and then he winks at me.
    “Serena, where does Charity live? Fast!” It’s Rafe talking now. I give him her address, which is not far from Tara’s. Sabin instructs Rafe and Verus to go and tells the others to scrub Tara.
    “Scrub her?” I ask. “Is she dirty?”
    Sabin ignores me. I observe the men as they move around Tara’s apartment, and not much later, they leave.
    “What did they do to her?” I need to know.
    “They erased her memory of them,” Sabin tells me.
    How did they do that? Then another thought strikes me. “Is that what you’ll do to me when all of this is over?”
    He doesn’t answer but instead asks, “Serena, do you know how long Tara had the necklace?”
    “Not long. Why?”
    “Do you know if she wore it?”
    “I don’t think so. I think she only kept it to piss me off. Why?”
    “She told Rafe she never wore it, but we need to make sure. The necklace will leave a trace of it behind. If she wore it, the Shaurok may still come back for her.”
    It leaves a trace behind. “So what you’re saying is even though I don’t have it anymore, they can still detect it on me? And will come back for me?”
    “Unfortunately, yes. It has left its imprint on you so therefore you will be in danger for a long time to come.”
    “Nice. Just what I wanted to hear.” I turn around and stomp out of the room. I don’t know why, because I have nowhere to go, other than Sabin’s bedroom or the kitchen. I choose the bedroom. At least I can stretch out on the bed.
    Where does this leave me? Those creepy fuckers will be chasing me forever. Or at least for the foreseeable future. My plans to continue with my studies are now crushed. What the hell did I do to deserve this? All I did was grab that rotten necklace from the bottom of the sea. Why didn’t I just leave it down there? Why does my stupid mother have to be right? Out of