Page 30 of Damien’s Mate

Or maybe that was just bruises from yesterday. Yeah, that’s what it was.

He turned off the SUV, and after the engine died it seemed eerily quiet. Lila was the first to break the silence.

“Damien—”

“No.”

“You didn’t even know what I was going to say.”

Whatever it was, he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear her say she didn’t need him. “I’m pretty sure that whatever it was, the answer is no.” He got out of the car and grabbed the canvas bag out of the back.

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re seriously going to drag that all the way upstairs?”

“It’s the third floor, not Mount Fucking Everest,” he pointed out. “And I’m sure as hell not leaving over a quarter of a million in the car.”

“Then stay here with it. I don’t need you to babysit me, hooman.”

There it was. She didn’t need him. The already-familiar broken-glass feeling was there in his chest. He said, “First of all, you keep almost dying, so you totally need me to babysit you. Second of all, we made a deal, so you’re stuck with me until you’re healed. Then feel free to tie me to the bed and make your escape.”

“Fine then. Give me your backup piece.”

He didn’t like being without it—it had saved his life more than once. But whatever would keep her alive—he’d do it. Damien reached into his ankle holster and handed it over. “Try not to shoot me.”

“Don’t be a dick, and I won’t have to.”

Man, he was crazy about this woman.

They entered the building through the back entrance, moving like a well-oiled team, constantly exchanging positions and making sure each space was clear of hostiles before they continued.

They took the freight elevator to the third floor. The hall between them and Lila’s apartment was empty and quiet.

At the door, they stopped. “You have any way to check for wires?” he asked. If Rostov had been here, there was a chance he’d rigged her door.

Lila brought her face close to the doorway, squatting down to examine the doorknob closely. She was—was she sniffing?

She stood up. “He’s been here,” she said. “Rostov and some of his men. Sometime earlier today.”

“How do you know?”

She gave him a sidelong look. “They had their hands all over the door, and their gloves weren’t latex. I can pick up their scents.”

Well, shit. It came home to him that she really had an animal inside her. And apparently, she still had some of its senses even in human form.

“Is it wired?” he asked.

“I don’t smell anything. No det cord, no C-4. They probably don’t want to kill me until after they get the ledger.”

“They wanted to kill you before, and destroy the ledger.”

Lila ignored that. “Stand back, hooman.” She unlocked the door, and opened it a fraction. Nothing. She gazed at him. “Ready?”

He sighed. “Third explosion’s the charm, I guess.” Or more likely, third explosion was death. But what the hell.

He backed up and nodded, and she gave the door a kick, immediately springing to the side.

No blast.

They looked at each other, and then cautiously peered into the apartment.