Her eyes sought out Grey, needing a reminder that he was okay. “Before he could get away from the box, it blew up. He’d warned me to get back, so all I ended up with was a ringing in my ears. But Grey hit the side of the house and was taken to the hospital. Luckily, it turned out that all he got was a few bruises and a slight concussion.”
She avoided looking at Grey. It was hard to lie to the detective about the severity of Grey’s injuries. He was sitting right there in the same room, yet even so, the memories of those moments when he wasn’t moving were too fresh to be forgotten.
The detective asked a few more questions before moving on to Grey’s version of the events. It was pretty much the same but varied a bit on the details. He described what the bomb had looked like, or at least what he could remember before being knocked unconscious. Then the detective patiently backed each of them up and went over it again and again, taking notes and asking questions when he wanted clarification.
It was exhausting work, and Piper was relieved when at last he stood up to leave.
“We’ll be in touch.” He pulled out several of his business cards. “Here’s my number. Call if you think of something or if you get another one of those e-mails, Miss Ryan.”
Kerry walked the detective out. As soon as the door shut behind him, Piper sagged back in the chair and closed her eyes.
“Piper, are you all right?” Kerry asked when she returned.
She nodded and mustered up a small smile for the Dame. “What is it about talking to the police that makes you feel guilty even when you’re innocent? Like you should confess something—anything—just to make them quit looking at you like that.”
Kerry stood beside her. “And don’t they know it? But then their perspective is a bit skewed considering how many people lie to them day in and day out. We all have secrets.”
Although she knew Kerry was talking about her role as Dame, it didn’t keep Piper’s stomach from knotting up. She didn’t know about the rest of them, but she definitely had secrets she didn’t want to get out.
It was time for her to leave. “Well, unless you need me for something else, I’m going to head on home. I’m pretty much wiped out.”
She stood up and stretched, all too aware that Grey was watching her every move. The man had definitely perfected the skill of masking his thoughts. Right now she’d give anything to know what was going on behind his stoic expression.
When she realized Kerry was talking to her, she tore her eyes away from Grey.
“I’m sorry you had to come in today after I told you could have the day off, Piper. Take tomorrow for sure. We could all use some downtime.”
“I may take you up on that, Kerry, but I’ll definitely be in on Friday.”
Piper made it all the way to the porch only to remember that Sandor had taken the sedan because his other car was a two seater. He’d planned on returning it to her when he brought the kids back to the house.
“Now what?” she muttered to herself.
She really needed to get away from a certain individual, and the sooner the better. Between class and the detective, she hadn’t had more than a handful of minutes to call her own since she’d bolted from Grey’s hospital room. She needed to stop thinking about that kiss, but so far that wasn’t happening.
“Is something wrong?”
She jumped about a foot. She’d been so intent on getting away from Grey that she hadn’t noticed he’d followed her outside. She smacked him on the arm.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
By the gleam in his eye, she could tell he found her reaction amusing rather than painful.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, but I wasn’t exactly sneaking. I’m leaving, too. You’re not the only one who is ready for … bed.”
Light blue sparks flickered briefly in his gaze, making her suspect he wasn’t talking about sleep. And now that he’d put that thought in her head, she wasn’t either. She wanted to believe their kiss had been a reaction to the stress of the past twenty-four hours. But she’d be lying to herself if she thought that was all it was.
Back to the matter at hand. If he was leaving, she’d be all right waiting for Sandor to come back.
“I forgot Sandor took the sedan, so I’ll have to wait for him to return.”
“Let me take you home. I was going to drive by there anyway.”
How did he know where she lived? What was he up to? He answered the question before she asked it.
“I assure you my motives for looking up your address were not sinister. After everything that’s happened, I want to make sure you get home safely.”
“I’m a big girl, Grey.”
“It’s my job to make sure our people are safe, nothing more.”
She didn’t know why that made her even madder. She stared up at the night sky, caught between the need to get away from Grey and the desire to get a whole lot closer. That would be absolute insanity; at the moment she was definitely feeling a bit on edge.
“What’s it going to be? Are you going to let me take you home or are you going to keep Kerry and Ranulf up, not to mention me, while you wait for Sandor to show up?”
“Fine. Take me home.” She clarified her comment. “I mean you can drop me at my apartment building.”
“That was my plan.”
He walked past her toward his car, leaving Piper to follow as she would. That was okay with her. Despite their earlier encounter at the hospital, it wasn’t as if they really even knew each other at all. The moment had been born out of turmoil, not any real attraction between the two of them.
Of course, if that was true, then why was she so aware of how well those jeans fit him? He gave her a smug look as he opened the car door for her.
Okay, so she’d been caught ogling—again. Which just showed how far off her game she was. She had no business admiring anything about Greyhill Danby except maybe his work ethic.
She endured the ten-minute trip to her apartment in total silence. Grey seemed uninterested in carrying on any kind of conversation. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t feeling like a font of sparkling repartee either. But the closer they got to her home, the worse she felt.
Whoever was behind the attacks had done it through her e-mail account and had timed that package to arrive while she was at work. A chill ran up her spine.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice when they arrived at her building. And instead of stopping by the front door to let her out, Grey pulled up to the entrance of the underground parking lot and stopped. He kept his eyes forward and his expression serious.
“What’s the code?”
Oh, no. He wasn’t coming in. She couldn’t let him cross that line.
“Let me out here, Grey. I appreciate the ride, but there’s no need to see me inside.” She reached for the door handle.
He hit a button on his side, taking control of the door lock away from her.
“Grey, let me out. Now.” She gritted her teeth and added, “Please.”
“I want to know you make to your door, Piper. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re safely in your apartment. Let me do this.” He flipped the switch again, leaving the final decision to her.
“Because it’s your job?” Her pulse surged fast and hard as she waited for his answer, not sure what she was really asking him.
“The code, Piper.”
“Fine.”
After rattling off the numbers, she leaned back in the seat, relieved he hadn’t answered her. Of course it was his job. He’d signed on as Kerry’s Chief Talion, responsible for the safety of her subjects. Well, she didn’t really consider herself one of Kerry’s subjects. Of course, if Piper admitted that, she’d have to explain exactly who she really was and why it had been so important for her to get the job working for Kerry. Maybe Grey would understand because he took his duties so seriously.
After all, a big sister’s job was to protect her little sister.
• • •
What was goi
ng on inside that pretty head of hers? Grey steered his car into the parking spot with Piper’s apartment number painted on the ground. She was out of the car and on her way to the elevator before he’d even set the emergency brake. Her rush should’ve been irritating, but instead he smiled. If she was that anxious to get away from him, it meant he made her nervous. Very nervous.
The only question was why? Was she remembering that incident in his hospital room or regretting it? Or was there something else behind her frown? He was probably reading too much into her reaction.
And if he didn’t get moving, she’d be locked inside her apartment without him. Grey hustled after her, catching up just as the elevator door slid open.
“You really don’t need to walk me to my apartment, Grey. This is a security building. No one can get inside without the codes.”
While she talked, she punched the button for her floor and then stared at the digital display above the door as if actually interested in the numbers marking off their progress. He considered standing close enough for her to feel his body heat, but he didn’t. Taking up position in the back corner accomplished two things. First, he could stare at her all he wanted, and second, it kept her from realizing his eyes were glowing again.
A soft ping announced their arrival on the fourth floor. Piper moved closer to the door as if those few inches would make a difference. Once she escaped the confines of the elevator, those long legs of hers carried her down the hall in purposeful strides. He walked beside her, letting her set the pace until they reached her door.
As she inserted her key in the lock, she tried one last time to send him on his way. “Okay, you’ve seen me door to door. Your job is done. Go home, and get some sleep.”
“Not until I check to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises waiting for you inside.” He’d changed the rules of the game on her.
She started to protest, but then resigned herself. She wouldn’t get rid of him until he was sure she wasn’t in danger. She opened the door, reached inside, and flipped on the light switch.
“Knock yourself out, sport. Don’t forget to look in the fridge. I haven’t cleaned it out lately, so there could be some rogue mold in there just waiting to pounce the next time I open the door.”
“Cute.”
She stayed in the doorway while he looked around. Ignoring her impatient toe tapping, he took his time checking each room. He’d known before he’d taken two steps that they were alone in the apartment, though. He would have sensed another heartbeat if there had been one.
He knew this might be his only chance to see where she lived. And there was much to be learned from someone’s space. Piper obviously loved bright colors, which didn’t surprise him. Her living room was awash with reds and greens, giving it a warm feel. The haphazard stacks of books around the said she was a reader, one with eclectic taste.
He moved on to the kitchen, where he peeked in the refrigerator. “Good news! You’re safe from mold attacks.”
“Very funny, Grey. Go home.”
“I haven’t checked the bedroom yet.”
He gave her his most innocent look, although he had no doubt Piper saw right through it. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited him out.
If the living room decor had come as no surprise, her bedroom was a true shock. Knowing Piper’s preference for black clothing, he’d expected her most intimate room to reflect some of that edge. Instead, the queen-sized bed was covered with a handmade quilt made in riot of colors. Heavy lace curtains reinforced the old-fashioned look, and her furniture appeared to be family hand-me-downs. While life had etched a few marks on the oak here and there, it was solid and would last for generations to come.
In the living room, Piper had her back to him. What was she up to now? She reached out to touch something on the small table on the far end of the couch. What had been there? Oh, yes, her telephone and answering machine.
Terror washed over him when he saw the rapidly blinking light. It shouldn’t come as a shock that Piper might have friends who would leave perfectly innocent messages for her. But he was already hurrying across the room toward her when an eerie voice, neither male nor female, spoke. The mechanical sound, probably computer generated, was all the more frightening because of its placid monotone.
“Piper Ryan, I’m glad you’re finally back. I was concerned when you didn’t come home last night. I really wanted to know how you liked my little surprise. Oh, well. I’m sure you enjoyed it more than your friend Grey did. Tell me, should I have sent him flowers while he was in hospital? I wasn’t sure. Maybe next time. Good night, Piper.”
The machine beeped and went silent. Piper shuddered.
“Who the hell would do something like that?” She turned on Grey, her dark eyes wide and wild. “Is that some idiot’s idea of a joke? Well, it’s not funny, not at all.”
He wanted to take her and run, drag her out of the apartment to someplace with thick walls and a stout lock. Right now. She’d fight him on it, but he wasn’t about to leave Piper alone here.
“Go pack enough things to last you a couple of days.”
She was already shaking her head. “If you think I’m going to be run out of my home by a phone call, you don’t know me at all.”
“I know stubborn when I see it.”
She backed away from him, putting the width of the room between them. “I’m not being foolish, Grey. Whoever is doing this knows way too much about where we are and what we’re doing. Running out the door won’t change that. Heck, he could be waiting out there hoping that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
Damn it, she was right, but that didn’t mean he liked it. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“I know—it’s your job.”
“It’s more than that, Piper. And you know it.”
She ignored him. “I’ve got a locked door between me and the rest of the world. You’ve checked to make sure that no one is lurking under the bed. I promise I will stay inside for the rest of the night.”
“And what about tomorrow?” He was losing the argument and knew it. “Will you stay home?”
“I’ve got classes in the afternoon.” She edged closer to the door. “I can take care of myself, Grey. I always have. As long as I stay lost in the crowd at school, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“And if this stalker decides that killing a few extra people doesn’t matter? What then, Piper? What if he follows you into that crowd?”
He was hitting her hard with ugly possibilities. She had to understand that pretending the crazy person they were dealing with had any limits was not only foolish, but also dangerous.
She was starting to crumble around the edges. Her eyes darted to the answering machine and then back to him.
“So what am I supposed to do, Grey? The detective wanted me to report anything else that happened. I’m assuming you don’t want me to do that. So other than barricading myself in my apartment until you track the bastard down, what do you expect me to do?”
Good question. He had no answer—well, except for one. He could stay here with her. The more he thought about it, the better he liked the idea. He’d have to come in through the back door, though, if he wanted to convince her to let him.
“Come back to my hotel with me. We’ll both sleep better that way.” He fought to control his expression, showing nothing but concern for her well-being.
Just as he expected, she wasn’t buying it. “You forget, I’ve seen your room. One bed. No food. No deal.”
“Okay, then I’ll stay here.”
Piper punched her pillow, wishing she had something far more satisfying to whale on. Or someone. She’d been in bed for over three hours and hadn’t managed to sleep for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. Flopping over onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling.
Counting sheep hadn’t worked. Neither had listing all the reasons she shouldn’t have let Greyhill Danby camp out on her couch. But no matter how many negatives she’d managed to come up with, the one positiv
e outweighed them all. The minute he’d announced his intention to stay, her stomach had unknotted and her pulse had slowed to somewhere around normal.
That phone message scared her far more than she wanted to admit, even to herself. And Grey had seen right through her bravado to the quivering mass of terror underneath.
The only question was why she still couldn’t sleep, even knowing Grey was out there on her sofa, ready to defend her from any threat. On second thought, she knew the answer. She couldn’t sleep because Grey was right out there on her sofa.
She’d managed to dig up a new toothbrush for Grey and an extra pillow and blanket. Before she’d made it back to her bedroom, he’d already stripped off his shirt and was reaching for the fly of his jeans.
He’d taken a shower before turning in, while she’d stayed safely on her side of the bathroom door. Two inches of wood weren’t enough to block her imagination though. She wondered how he looked in her shower, his skin slick with soap and hot water. In her next life, she wanted to come back as his washcloth or even his towel. Anything to get closer to all that masculine beauty.
Because, man oh man, he was seriously ripped. She’d be dreaming about him for months to come. Well, she would if she could get some sleep.
Maybe if she read for a while. Unfortunately, in her haste to put some space between her and Grey, she’d left her book out in the living room. She turned over onto her side and forced her eyes closed. It didn’t help. Neither did envisioning the last Hugh Jackman movie, except with a heroine who had pink streaks in her dark hair.
Nope, nothing was working. She really needed that book.
Maybe if she tiptoed, she could make it out and back without disturbing her guest. The plan worked fine until she bent down to reach for her book. When she stood back up, the couch was empty.
“Looking for me?”
He startled her for the second time since she’d walked out of Kerry’s house. The man had to be part cat to walk that softly. She turned to face him and saw that the feline analogy fit in another way. Grey looked ready to pounce—on her.
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