only jeans, and walked to a garbage can. His gaze was on her.
“Is everything all right?” Eric asked. “Amy said she went by your place today and the door wasn’t locked.”
Uh-oh. “Oh. Did she . . . go in?”
“Yeah, when you didn’t answer the doorbell. She was shocked.”
“I can explain.”
“Why are you still changing your decor around every other week? I thought you did that because you were restless being locked in the Tomb.”
The Tomb was the name she’d given to the bomb shelter where they’d had to hide out. “I’m . . . bored.” Was bored. Wait. Hadn’t Amy seen blood all over? No, Eric would be freaking.
“It’s not like you to forget to lock your door. Where are you?”
“I’m . . .” She looked at the man who was stuffing what she thought were the clothes he’d had on into the can. The sight of his broad bare back and narrow hips made her mouth water.
“You’re . . .” Eric prompted.
“With Cheveyo. He came by to say hello.”
“Oh, that explains it. Dewy and gooey.”
“Yeah, that’s what it is.” She was standing next to him now, damp and smelling like a mixture of soap and pungency. “We’re spending some time together. I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he chided.
She disconnected. “My brother, Eric. He was worried because my door was unlocked. Apparently, Amy went inside but didn’t see anything that alarmed her . . . like blood smeared all over the walls, tufts of animal fur, furniture knocked over . . .” She took a deep breath, feeling hysteria rise.
“You didn’t tell him what was going on. Nice job.”
She tried not to beam like a sap at his compliment. “I don’t want to drag him into this.”
His expression hardened. “You weren’t supposed to be dragged into this either.” He touched her face, his fingers barely grazing her cheek before he dropped his hand. “I’m not pleased that Pope did that.”
“He tried to protect me. We didn’t go into or leave the restaurant at the same time, and we only talked for a few minutes. I don’t understand how Yurek figured out we were connected.”
“The bottom line is he did, and I hold Pope responsible.” His words were edged in anger. “Always protect the innocent, that’s the golden rule.”
“That’s why you stay away from me,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Maybe I’m not so innocent.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. “Just saying.” Time to divert the subject. “Would that hell dog have actually cleaned up my home to cover up?”
His eyes narrowed. “No. But Yurek might, if he’d come by and found it like that. Last thing he wants is your face plastered all over the news as a missing and possibly endangered person. Make his job harder.” He scanned the parking lot, then settled his gaze on the bags she carried. “We’d better hit the road.”
He opened the door and gestured for her to go first. A gentleman.
“You kept it under twelve minutes,” he said, closing the door behind her. “I thought for sure you’d take twenty.”
“I had twenty minutes?”
“I might have given you fifteen.”
“ Now you tell me.”
His dark wavy hair was still damp, and drops of water dripped down his chest. He wore a silver panther pendant on a chain that stood out against his olive skin. The cat was etched against a black background. What nearly stole her breath away was the scar that angled from his left shoulder across a well-defined chest, cutting across his nipple and extending two more inches.
“My God, what happened?” she couldn’t help but whisper. It was all she could do to hold back her hand from touching the faded weal.
“My first battle with an Otherling. He was quicker than I was, knife-to-knife combat.” He shrugged. “In my defense, I was twelve.”
“Twelve? As in twelve years old ? ”
He walked to the driver’s seat, grabbing a shirt he’d set on the counter. She followed, taking the shirt from
“Is everything all right?” Eric asked. “Amy said she went by your place today and the door wasn’t locked.”
Uh-oh. “Oh. Did she . . . go in?”
“Yeah, when you didn’t answer the doorbell. She was shocked.”
“I can explain.”
“Why are you still changing your decor around every other week? I thought you did that because you were restless being locked in the Tomb.”
The Tomb was the name she’d given to the bomb shelter where they’d had to hide out. “I’m . . . bored.” Was bored. Wait. Hadn’t Amy seen blood all over? No, Eric would be freaking.
“It’s not like you to forget to lock your door. Where are you?”
“I’m . . .” She looked at the man who was stuffing what she thought were the clothes he’d had on into the can. The sight of his broad bare back and narrow hips made her mouth water.
“You’re . . .” Eric prompted.
“With Cheveyo. He came by to say hello.”
“Oh, that explains it. Dewy and gooey.”
“Yeah, that’s what it is.” She was standing next to him now, damp and smelling like a mixture of soap and pungency. “We’re spending some time together. I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he chided.
She disconnected. “My brother, Eric. He was worried because my door was unlocked. Apparently, Amy went inside but didn’t see anything that alarmed her . . . like blood smeared all over the walls, tufts of animal fur, furniture knocked over . . .” She took a deep breath, feeling hysteria rise.
“You didn’t tell him what was going on. Nice job.”
She tried not to beam like a sap at his compliment. “I don’t want to drag him into this.”
His expression hardened. “You weren’t supposed to be dragged into this either.” He touched her face, his fingers barely grazing her cheek before he dropped his hand. “I’m not pleased that Pope did that.”
“He tried to protect me. We didn’t go into or leave the restaurant at the same time, and we only talked for a few minutes. I don’t understand how Yurek figured out we were connected.”
“The bottom line is he did, and I hold Pope responsible.” His words were edged in anger. “Always protect the innocent, that’s the golden rule.”
“That’s why you stay away from me,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Maybe I’m not so innocent.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. “Just saying.” Time to divert the subject. “Would that hell dog have actually cleaned up my home to cover up?”
His eyes narrowed. “No. But Yurek might, if he’d come by and found it like that. Last thing he wants is your face plastered all over the news as a missing and possibly endangered person. Make his job harder.” He scanned the parking lot, then settled his gaze on the bags she carried. “We’d better hit the road.”
He opened the door and gestured for her to go first. A gentleman.
“You kept it under twelve minutes,” he said, closing the door behind her. “I thought for sure you’d take twenty.”
“I had twenty minutes?”
“I might have given you fifteen.”
“ Now you tell me.”
His dark wavy hair was still damp, and drops of water dripped down his chest. He wore a silver panther pendant on a chain that stood out against his olive skin. The cat was etched against a black background. What nearly stole her breath away was the scar that angled from his left shoulder across a well-defined chest, cutting across his nipple and extending two more inches.
“My God, what happened?” she couldn’t help but whisper. It was all she could do to hold back her hand from touching the faded weal.
“My first battle with an Otherling. He was quicker than I was, knife-to-knife combat.” He shrugged. “In my defense, I was twelve.”
“Twelve? As in twelve years old ? ”
He walked to the driver’s seat, grabbing a shirt he’d set on the counter. She followed, taking the shirt from
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