And, for the first time in her life, Sage stepped out of a car.
The wolf lay in a bloody heap in front of her, a dark pool seeping into the dirt and grass beneath it. That was all she needed. Her stomach rebelled, and she held on to the side of the car while everything came up. Just like last night.
Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath. Then Sage cast one last, long look at the sleek Beretta building, and turned to go.
And suddenly, Simon Japp was standing there. Right in front of her. Lean, and humming with tension. His expression was more than a little frightening.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Sage had to blink a few times to make certain she wasn’t hallucinating—and after what she’d been through, who’d blame her? Though why she should conjure up Simon Japp, in a tight black T-shirt and faded jeans, she couldn’t imagine.
“Sage?” he asked, and she felt his attention swipe over her. Then linger.
“I’ve got a few cuts. But nothing really bad.” She realized suddenly that the cut above her knee was really hurting, and that her jeans were sticking to its drying blood.
“You did that?” He gestured to the dead wolf.
Sage nodded and straightened her shoulders, showing him her knife. “I did.”
“Buena.”
Then he gestured to the blade, a sharp, short movement of annoyance. “But now you’ve got to clean it.”
She nodded again, trying not to notice how fast her heart was pounding, and that her hands were unsteady. Of course, anyone’s heart would be racing if they’d just beaten off a wild canine, puked their second meal within twelve hours…and were suddenly being lectured on cleaning their knife. By a handsome, secretive man with steady, dark eyes…who’d appeared from nowhere.
“Did you follow me?” she asked suddenly.
“No.” He shifted and she noticed how the sun filtered over him from one side, fringing his long lashes and smooth, tied-back hair, and all along a sharp cheekbone and chiseled jawline. Her mouth felt even drier.
“Are you sure?” Sage demanded, all at once annoyed at the thought of him watching her creep around the fence, and then as she desperately fought off the wolf. And, oh yeah, horking up her breakfast. Just wixy great.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d come upon her unexpectedly. He’d shown up on the roof last night. And then in the nick of time after she left the restaurant. Her heart began to pound again…and she wasn’t sure why. Was Simon following her? Was Theo right…was something going on with him?
“I’m sure,” Simon said, those dark eyes hard. “If I’d followed you, I’d have made sure
that
didn’t happen.” He shoved the wolf with his booted toe. “What the hell do you take me for?”
Sage recognized that he was truly irked and decided to believe him. And the realization followed. “You were here. In there,” she amended, pointing to the Beretta building. “Weren’t you?”
He hesitated a mere moment before giving a short nod.
“You saw me? How did you get past the
gangas
? There are
gangas
in there, aren’t there?” she demanded. Damn it. He’d figured it out before she had, and he’d already gone in and found whatever there was to find. “Did you learn anything?”
“How did you know to come here?” he asked.
“I found your search results—it was you, wasn’t it? On my computer? Searching for ‘Remington Truth Las Vegas condo’?”
His mouth twitched in a sudden flicker and Sage noticed. Yes, she definitely noticed…they were beautiful lips. Just perfect, with sharp angles and the right amount of fullness for a man—
“And you figured it out from that?”
Sage felt her telltale fair skin warm as she realized she’d been staring, distracted. “That’s what I
do
. I figure things out. Did you get in there, Simon? Really?” She tried to hide the wistfulness in her voice, the hint of petulance. “Is his place still there?”
“I think so. I didn’t get all the
The wolf lay in a bloody heap in front of her, a dark pool seeping into the dirt and grass beneath it. That was all she needed. Her stomach rebelled, and she held on to the side of the car while everything came up. Just like last night.
Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath. Then Sage cast one last, long look at the sleek Beretta building, and turned to go.
And suddenly, Simon Japp was standing there. Right in front of her. Lean, and humming with tension. His expression was more than a little frightening.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Sage had to blink a few times to make certain she wasn’t hallucinating—and after what she’d been through, who’d blame her? Though why she should conjure up Simon Japp, in a tight black T-shirt and faded jeans, she couldn’t imagine.
“Sage?” he asked, and she felt his attention swipe over her. Then linger.
“I’ve got a few cuts. But nothing really bad.” She realized suddenly that the cut above her knee was really hurting, and that her jeans were sticking to its drying blood.
“You did that?” He gestured to the dead wolf.
Sage nodded and straightened her shoulders, showing him her knife. “I did.”
“Buena.”
Then he gestured to the blade, a sharp, short movement of annoyance. “But now you’ve got to clean it.”
She nodded again, trying not to notice how fast her heart was pounding, and that her hands were unsteady. Of course, anyone’s heart would be racing if they’d just beaten off a wild canine, puked their second meal within twelve hours…and were suddenly being lectured on cleaning their knife. By a handsome, secretive man with steady, dark eyes…who’d appeared from nowhere.
“Did you follow me?” she asked suddenly.
“No.” He shifted and she noticed how the sun filtered over him from one side, fringing his long lashes and smooth, tied-back hair, and all along a sharp cheekbone and chiseled jawline. Her mouth felt even drier.
“Are you sure?” Sage demanded, all at once annoyed at the thought of him watching her creep around the fence, and then as she desperately fought off the wolf. And, oh yeah, horking up her breakfast. Just wixy great.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d come upon her unexpectedly. He’d shown up on the roof last night. And then in the nick of time after she left the restaurant. Her heart began to pound again…and she wasn’t sure why. Was Simon following her? Was Theo right…was something going on with him?
“I’m sure,” Simon said, those dark eyes hard. “If I’d followed you, I’d have made sure
that
didn’t happen.” He shoved the wolf with his booted toe. “What the hell do you take me for?”
Sage recognized that he was truly irked and decided to believe him. And the realization followed. “You were here. In there,” she amended, pointing to the Beretta building. “Weren’t you?”
He hesitated a mere moment before giving a short nod.
“You saw me? How did you get past the
gangas
? There are
gangas
in there, aren’t there?” she demanded. Damn it. He’d figured it out before she had, and he’d already gone in and found whatever there was to find. “Did you learn anything?”
“How did you know to come here?” he asked.
“I found your search results—it was you, wasn’t it? On my computer? Searching for ‘Remington Truth Las Vegas condo’?”
His mouth twitched in a sudden flicker and Sage noticed. Yes, she definitely noticed…they were beautiful lips. Just perfect, with sharp angles and the right amount of fullness for a man—
“And you figured it out from that?”
Sage felt her telltale fair skin warm as she realized she’d been staring, distracted. “That’s what I
do
. I figure things out. Did you get in there, Simon? Really?” She tried to hide the wistfulness in her voice, the hint of petulance. “Is his place still there?”
“I think so. I didn’t get all the
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