AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And really, why else would he suddenly mention the Broken Mountains if he wasn’t involved in some way? Coincidences happened, but there were just a few too many occurring now for it to sit comfortably.
“Then perhaps our task today should be to go investigate that old base.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know—”
“It’s daylight,” he cut in. “Even if the place is infested with vamps, they should be out. And all we really need to do is confirm whether that base is the one you stumbled into.”
“And what about my follower?”
He smiled, but this time, there was nothing nice about it. “Let me worry about your follower.”
I hesitated again. “How will we get up there?”
“I’ll grab an all-terrain vehicle and meet you at the rear of the museum in two hours.”
I nodded. That would give me time to go home, change, and grab some weapons. I wasn’t about to go anywhere near an old military base that might or might not be infested with vamps without being fully kitted up.
“How will I know when it’s safe to leave?”
“You’re not leaving by the front door. Another reason we use this place is because it has an escape hatch. If you pull the bed away from the wall you’ll uncover a small trapdoor; it leads to a set of stairs that’ll take you to the roof. Jump across to the next building, then shimmy down the drainpipe. It takes my weight, so it won’t be a problem. The back of that building has fallen into disrepair—go through it, then move back onto Twelfth.”
“What about the occupants of other buildings? What if I’m spotted?”
“This is Twelfth Street,” he said, a trace of sarcasm in his voice. “People don’t care what you’re doing, as long as it’s not affecting them.”
“Fair enough.” I downed my coffee in several gulps and just about burned my mouth. “I’ll head off now, then—”
He caught my arm, his grip firm and oh so warm. Desire rippled through my body and spun through the air, entwining with his, creating a storm that threatened to overwhelm self-control—his as much as mine, if the darkening of his eyes was anything to go by. I licked my lips, torn between the need to keep safe and the desire to press closer, to breathe deep the scent of him, to let it flush through my body and claim me, as I suddenly wished he would claim me.
What in Rhea was going on? I’d never felt an attraction this fierce before. I might be designed to attract and be attracted to shifters, but this was something that had never happened
.
“Not yet. Leave it for ten minutes.”
His voice was little more than a husky growl, and even more alluring than the desire that spun around us. I wanted to lean forward, to taste the lips that were so close, but such an action could only end badly. He might want me, but he didn’t trust me and he certainly didn’t like me. I wasn’t that desperate for intimacy that I’d take such a risk with such a man.
“Fine.” I pulled my arm free from his grip and stepped away from him. Cool air rushed between us, chilling the smattering of sweat that beaded my skin. This man was dangerous in more ways than I’d ever imagined.
I walked across to the autocook and ordered a second cup of coffee. I didn’t offer him one. I didn’t dare risk getting that close again.
When I finally turned to look at him, he was just finishing his drink. His gaze was enigmatic when it met mine, the desire long gone, even if its scent still stung the air. “Two hours. Make sure you’re there.”
“I will be.”
He left, and a huge sense of relief swept me—though why it felt like I’d dodged a bullet when every bit of me still thrummed with need I have no idea.
The sooner I found those kids, the sooner I could get away from him and Nuri, the better, I thought resolutely.
And ignored that annoying inner voice that snorted in disbelief.
I took a sip of coffee, then placed it on top of the autocook and walked across to the bed. If the various bits of welding evident on the metal framework were any indication, the bed had been repaired more than a few times. It made me wonder just what went on in this room. Sex, however strenuous, usually wasn’t enough to break such a sturdy-looking bed, even if many shifters tended to be vigorous lovers.
Would Jonas be? Even as that thought entered my mind, I thrust it away impatiently and lifted the end of the bed. Dragging it away from the wall revealed a thick rope tied to one of the bed’s metal struts and the trapdoor. It was close to the floor and looked barely wide enough to squeeze my shoulders into, let alone Jonas’s. Still, he’d obviously used this exit; if he could fit, so could I.
Especially given I could shadow if there was no source of light.
But the rooftop and the street were nothing but light, and there was no way I was going to be seen in this form. I didn’t care how much he believed no one in the area would care; I’d learned the hard way that people would and could do the unexpected.
