until dawn. Come back to bed."
As wonderful as that sounded, Cassidy moved over and lay back against the pillows. "I’m fine over here. Thank you."
"Are you embarrassed?"
"Of course. I barely know you, and here I am in bed with you. Again!" Cassidy was sure her cheeks were bright red.
"Oh, that." Rail laughed. "I thought you were embarrassed about crying in front of me."
"That too," she huffed.
"Don’t be. You kept it together when you were needed. There’s nothing wrong with letting your emotions out when the crisis is over."
"Do you?"
"Yeah."
"Really? You cry?" Cassidy asked, dubious of his answer.
Rail stretched his powerful arms over his head. "No, I take it out on the heavy bag."
Cassidy shifted, feeling awkward as Rail caught her watching him stretch.
He had a fantastic body. The memory of having those powerful arms wrapped around her made her shiver. To cover her ogling, she rolled her eyes and pulled the sheet up a little further. "Of course you do."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Women cry. Men beat things up."
Rail considered telling her there had once been a time when he’d been able to cry. A long time ago. Before his world changed. But he got the feeling she would think he was lying. Instead, he asked, "Do you think it’s weak to cry?"
"No. You cry because you need to. Happy or sad. But I think it’s weak to use crying as a weapon. You know, to make someone feel guilty."
"You’ve never done that?" Rail rolled to his side, tucking the pillow under his head.
"Not since I was twelve. And J.J. didn’t give in anyway. Just rolled his eyes and walked away." She groused. "Brat. Called me a baby."
"Who’s J.J.?" Did that possessive growl come from him?
"My brother. Well, technically he’s my cousin. When his mom died, he came to live with us. His dad never really wanted him, so J.J. stayed with us." She shrugged. "After a few years, we got legal custody and adopted him." Cassidy wiped her eyes. "God, he’s probably going nuts. I told Dad not to tell him I was alive."
"About that…"
"Kaz isn’t happy with you, is he?"
Rail grunted in agreement. "Nothing new."
"I don’t care what he thinks. Besides, what did it hurt to say good-bye? I’m never going to see or talk to my family again. I know that. It’s just, I couldn’t leave them wondering again."
Stunned, he asked, "Again?"
Cassidy sighed and wiggled back into the pillows, twisting the end of the sheet in her fingers. "When I was a kid, we went camping—someplace near the Grand Canyon. Or in it. I don’t remember. Anyway, I saw a rabbit and followed it. I thought I was keeping the camp in sight, but before I knew it, I was lost."
"How long before your parents found you?"
A dark shadow flitted over her face. "I was out there alone, overnight. A ranger found me in the morning. He told me I was lucky; there had been a mountain lion attack nearby the night before." She shivered. "I can still remember feeling as if something was following me, watching me. Glowing yellow eyes staring at me from the brush."
Rail’s heart went out to that frightened little girl cold and alone in the darkness. An ugly thought clawed its way to the surface, making Rail's blood go cold. Had Cassidy narrowly escaped a demon attack as a child?
"So you see," Cassidy continued, "I couldn’t leave them hanging, wondering what happened to me this time. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t try to contact them again."
"You thought about it though, didn’t you?" Rail pulled the sheet down a little and took her hand in his, stroking it softly with his thumb.
"Of course I thought about it. I thought you guys were nut jobs. But after seeing Margarite, I think I understand things a little better. What you’re up against. What’s out there waiting. I won’t endanger you or this place. Kaz doesn’t need to worry."
"Thank you."
"For what?" Her eyebrows popped up in surprise.
"For admitting you thought about trying something. My impression of you would
As wonderful as that sounded, Cassidy moved over and lay back against the pillows. "I’m fine over here. Thank you."
"Are you embarrassed?"
"Of course. I barely know you, and here I am in bed with you. Again!" Cassidy was sure her cheeks were bright red.
"Oh, that." Rail laughed. "I thought you were embarrassed about crying in front of me."
"That too," she huffed.
"Don’t be. You kept it together when you were needed. There’s nothing wrong with letting your emotions out when the crisis is over."
"Do you?"
"Yeah."
"Really? You cry?" Cassidy asked, dubious of his answer.
Rail stretched his powerful arms over his head. "No, I take it out on the heavy bag."
Cassidy shifted, feeling awkward as Rail caught her watching him stretch.
He had a fantastic body. The memory of having those powerful arms wrapped around her made her shiver. To cover her ogling, she rolled her eyes and pulled the sheet up a little further. "Of course you do."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Women cry. Men beat things up."
Rail considered telling her there had once been a time when he’d been able to cry. A long time ago. Before his world changed. But he got the feeling she would think he was lying. Instead, he asked, "Do you think it’s weak to cry?"
"No. You cry because you need to. Happy or sad. But I think it’s weak to use crying as a weapon. You know, to make someone feel guilty."
"You’ve never done that?" Rail rolled to his side, tucking the pillow under his head.
"Not since I was twelve. And J.J. didn’t give in anyway. Just rolled his eyes and walked away." She groused. "Brat. Called me a baby."
"Who’s J.J.?" Did that possessive growl come from him?
"My brother. Well, technically he’s my cousin. When his mom died, he came to live with us. His dad never really wanted him, so J.J. stayed with us." She shrugged. "After a few years, we got legal custody and adopted him." Cassidy wiped her eyes. "God, he’s probably going nuts. I told Dad not to tell him I was alive."
"About that…"
"Kaz isn’t happy with you, is he?"
Rail grunted in agreement. "Nothing new."
"I don’t care what he thinks. Besides, what did it hurt to say good-bye? I’m never going to see or talk to my family again. I know that. It’s just, I couldn’t leave them wondering again."
Stunned, he asked, "Again?"
Cassidy sighed and wiggled back into the pillows, twisting the end of the sheet in her fingers. "When I was a kid, we went camping—someplace near the Grand Canyon. Or in it. I don’t remember. Anyway, I saw a rabbit and followed it. I thought I was keeping the camp in sight, but before I knew it, I was lost."
"How long before your parents found you?"
A dark shadow flitted over her face. "I was out there alone, overnight. A ranger found me in the morning. He told me I was lucky; there had been a mountain lion attack nearby the night before." She shivered. "I can still remember feeling as if something was following me, watching me. Glowing yellow eyes staring at me from the brush."
Rail’s heart went out to that frightened little girl cold and alone in the darkness. An ugly thought clawed its way to the surface, making Rail's blood go cold. Had Cassidy narrowly escaped a demon attack as a child?
"So you see," Cassidy continued, "I couldn’t leave them hanging, wondering what happened to me this time. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t try to contact them again."
"You thought about it though, didn’t you?" Rail pulled the sheet down a little and took her hand in his, stroking it softly with his thumb.
"Of course I thought about it. I thought you guys were nut jobs. But after seeing Margarite, I think I understand things a little better. What you’re up against. What’s out there waiting. I won’t endanger you or this place. Kaz doesn’t need to worry."
"Thank you."
"For what?" Her eyebrows popped up in surprise.
"For admitting you thought about trying something. My impression of you would
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