The Veil or know what lay beyond. Only the Deseran could use The Veil’s power. Excitement shuddered through her. This was a secret she must keep, at least for now.
But then, she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. Sean could have told her that although he was strong as a hound, he was many degrees stronger as a man. But he hadn’t wanted her to know. Because he didn’t trust her? She needed to know the answer to that.
chapter SEVEN
E xhausted but determined, Elin arrived at Gabriel’s in the morning when the place was awake and busy again. She had slept very little and couldn’t get the image of Sean’s furious face out of her head. Obeying his orders might be what he wanted her to do, it might even be a good idea, but she didn’t like feeling she had no choices.
Elin would not turn into a helpless female in need of protection from a big, strong male. She wouldn’t be foolish, of course. When going it alone was dangerous, she would gladly accept help. But she would not be ordered around or have her life taken over without asking questions. She had escaped Tarhazian to get away from being treated as if she should accept a submissive role. There would be no going back.
Freshly determined, Elin walked through Gabriel’s Place, heading for Leigh’s office.
She didn’t have to look behind her to know one of the hounds was following, or to check outside to know there was at least one backup. Sean would have been there if he had not been called to a fire. Only when Elin pushed him had Sean told her he was also the medic for the contract special operations force he belonged to with the rest of the Team.
“Hey, Elin,” Gabriel said with a wave and a grin. His tightly curled close-cropped hair was graying faster but his face didn’t change. The ex-NFL running back was a big, handsome man with dark skin that made even more of his disarming smile.
She waved in return. “Hey yourself. Is Leigh in her office or out back?”
“Office,” Gabriel said. “But Niles is out back working on the extension.”
The local can-do-anything man, Niles was adding several rooms to the back of the building, including a larger office for Leigh.
She nodded and threaded her way through tables where customers talked and laughed over their food. Cliff Ames, Gabriel’s chef, was famous for his ways with dishes that were ordinary in anyone else’s hands. And people came for miles to eat his pies and pastries.
“Innes,” Elin said, turning and meeting her bodyguard face-on as soon as they were both out of sight of the restaurant patrons. “I’m going to talk to Leigh. I don’t need to be watched in broad daylight when I’m with friends.”
A pair of very green eyes looked down into her face and she would have known he was laughing at her even without the grin on his very nice mouth. “You’re quite safe today,” he said. “I agree with you there.”
Innes’s dark brown hair was cut short, not usual among the hounds, and always looked as if he used his fingers as a comb. Elin had seen him ignore admiring female glances. She didn’t know what made him so aloof, but she understood the glances.
“So you don’t have to follow me around anymore, do you?” Elin said. “I’m grateful, of course, but from the way—I don’t think my nasty visitor from last night is likely to be back soon.”
He studied her. Lean, muscular, with an angular, hard-boned face, she knew what he was capable of as a man or a hound but she did allow herself to wonder, just a little, what he might be like if he was with a woman who interested him.
“Colin will be back, in his own time.” Innes shifted his weight. “Would you like to see me beaten to a pulp—then tortured?” he said.
Elin frowned.
“If I left you, that’s what Sean would do to me and the others would hold me while he did it. Once you’re in the office, I’ll wait out here, but I’ll let Niles and Campion know where you are.”
She puffed up her cheeks and shook
But then, she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. Sean could have told her that although he was strong as a hound, he was many degrees stronger as a man. But he hadn’t wanted her to know. Because he didn’t trust her? She needed to know the answer to that.
chapter SEVEN
E xhausted but determined, Elin arrived at Gabriel’s in the morning when the place was awake and busy again. She had slept very little and couldn’t get the image of Sean’s furious face out of her head. Obeying his orders might be what he wanted her to do, it might even be a good idea, but she didn’t like feeling she had no choices.
Elin would not turn into a helpless female in need of protection from a big, strong male. She wouldn’t be foolish, of course. When going it alone was dangerous, she would gladly accept help. But she would not be ordered around or have her life taken over without asking questions. She had escaped Tarhazian to get away from being treated as if she should accept a submissive role. There would be no going back.
Freshly determined, Elin walked through Gabriel’s Place, heading for Leigh’s office.
She didn’t have to look behind her to know one of the hounds was following, or to check outside to know there was at least one backup. Sean would have been there if he had not been called to a fire. Only when Elin pushed him had Sean told her he was also the medic for the contract special operations force he belonged to with the rest of the Team.
“Hey, Elin,” Gabriel said with a wave and a grin. His tightly curled close-cropped hair was graying faster but his face didn’t change. The ex-NFL running back was a big, handsome man with dark skin that made even more of his disarming smile.
She waved in return. “Hey yourself. Is Leigh in her office or out back?”
“Office,” Gabriel said. “But Niles is out back working on the extension.”
The local can-do-anything man, Niles was adding several rooms to the back of the building, including a larger office for Leigh.
She nodded and threaded her way through tables where customers talked and laughed over their food. Cliff Ames, Gabriel’s chef, was famous for his ways with dishes that were ordinary in anyone else’s hands. And people came for miles to eat his pies and pastries.
“Innes,” Elin said, turning and meeting her bodyguard face-on as soon as they were both out of sight of the restaurant patrons. “I’m going to talk to Leigh. I don’t need to be watched in broad daylight when I’m with friends.”
A pair of very green eyes looked down into her face and she would have known he was laughing at her even without the grin on his very nice mouth. “You’re quite safe today,” he said. “I agree with you there.”
Innes’s dark brown hair was cut short, not usual among the hounds, and always looked as if he used his fingers as a comb. Elin had seen him ignore admiring female glances. She didn’t know what made him so aloof, but she understood the glances.
“So you don’t have to follow me around anymore, do you?” Elin said. “I’m grateful, of course, but from the way—I don’t think my nasty visitor from last night is likely to be back soon.”
He studied her. Lean, muscular, with an angular, hard-boned face, she knew what he was capable of as a man or a hound but she did allow herself to wonder, just a little, what he might be like if he was with a woman who interested him.
“Colin will be back, in his own time.” Innes shifted his weight. “Would you like to see me beaten to a pulp—then tortured?” he said.
Elin frowned.
“If I left you, that’s what Sean would do to me and the others would hold me while he did it. Once you’re in the office, I’ll wait out here, but I’ll let Niles and Campion know where you are.”
She puffed up her cheeks and shook
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