Free Zero to Love by Em Petrova Page B

and he locked her between him and the wall, holding her firmly with his mouth and mind.
    Her thoughts and emotion blossomed. Her emotion was nothing like Magda’s—Elise possessed an obsession with him. He allowed himself to suck one tiny scrap of her obsession into his body, swelling with the food.
    If he looked into her eyes, he might end up stealing a thought instinctively, and that couldn’t happen. The approaching Mindchanger changed direction, leaving them alone.
    Her chest rose and fell as she twisted her face a fraction so their lips connected.
    A sharp pain on his lip sent a spike of adrenaline through his system. He shoved her away and clapped a hand to his bleeding mouth.
    Elise’s eyes flared wide, fear and shock rippling in their depths. Sprigs of her black hair bounced around her face as she trembled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
    He probed her mind and saw that she really hadn’t meant to bite him. But Magda’s flavor was there on his mouth, and a primal hunger had driven Elise to do it.
    Staring at her hard, Monroe swiped away the blood oozing from his lip. The sting. I need it . Hadn’t Magda’s mind practically chanted that while they kissed? What was going on?
    Elise plastered herself against the wall as if trying to sink into it and disappear. “This target they’re seeking, it’s a human woman. She belongs to them already—they claimed her when she was a child.”
    He nodded. “I’m aware.”
    “The Free Wills, they promised Rock and the others all the food they could consume if they joined their ranks and helped them find her.”
    “And where are they looking?”
    “The south side. They say she works there.”
    At the university, yes. The bastards.
    “Then you must stick close to the south side, Elise. I’ll pay you handsomely.”
    For once she didn’t gush desire when he told her this. Instead her gaze flashed to his lip, and she drew another deep breath.
    He tried not to stumble when he put distance between them. No, that honey belonged to him. And how did she know about it anyway? The urge to get to Magda as quickly as possible made his synapses snap.
    Poking a finger at Elise, he said, “Find out everything they say about the target.”
    “And what?” Hips rocking, she sashayed forward on high-heeled black boots. She was gorgeous, and she knew it. But Monroe could only see a head of flaming hair and white limbs.
    “And I’ll let you come around me, Elise.”
    Her head fell back at his words. She issued a ragged sigh, then turned and started down the sidewalk away from him. “Back into the dark streets I go, Monroe. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
    “Maybe sooner.” He watched her walk away.
    What Elise had provided was a small crumb of information—not enough to find out why they wanted Magda, and not where they were meeting to talk about taking over the city. But the Free Wills were definitely recruiting, and apparently Mindchangers were moving to the enemy lines.

Chapter Six
    When Magda entered her house, the rich cherry scent of a cigar greeted her. Ordinarily it would give her a fuzzy feeling associated with her father. But right now it brought back all the things Monroe had told her.
    I’ve been cleaned out in a Free Will attack, and my family hid it from me.
    Closing the heavy wooden front door, she called, “Daddy?”
    No reply, so she crossed the gleaming hardwood, weaving around antique furniture to the study door. The main living space was dotted with more bouquets of flowers than usual. Tall urns bulging with daffodils, gerbera daisies in myriads of color in squat vases.
    She pressed a hand against the study door and found it unlatched as always. It swung inward.
    Her father sat behind his walnut desk, glasses too far down on his nose as he stared at a document. He glanced up at her, a smile on his lips. But it faltered the more he looked at her.
    Setting the paper aside, he stood. “What’s wrong? And why do you look disheveled?” His