He chuckled then groaned upon bending to enter his SUV. “I’d love to see the expression on her face when you call her that.”
“You okay?”
“It’s just my stomach rebelling at the Nocumat’s touch. The drive to Amanda’s should give me enough time to regroup. Don’t worry. I can manage enough energy to send us to Foreia.”
“About that,” I began. “I don’t think —”
“Don’t think. Lexa wants you there, you go. Besides, this might help Ellie resolve her feelings about herself. Because until she does that, she’ll never have any peace in her life. Not to mention the small fact Sin Garu knows where she lives and that she’s got ties to Storm Lords. She’s not secure here anymore,” he reminded me.
Needlessly. “Okay, I get it. Ellie has to go. And her mother too, if that will keep them both protected.” I meant it. I would make sure Ellie and her mother accompanied us to Foreia.
Ellie needed to be safe, and she needed to be happy. Without quite knowing why, I made it my mission to see that joy found my little Djinn.
I only hoped the confrontation sure to follow wouldn’t put me any worse in her affections than I already was.
Chapter 12
Ellie
ELLIE
My mother laughed in delight. “Jonas, what a pleasant surprise.”
I left the kitchen and stared in surprise at my mother hugging Jonas. The man standing behind him made my pulse skyrocket. There was no mistaking the broad shoulders and smoldering gaze that roamed my body with familiarity.
“Who’s your handsome friend?” Mom asked.
Jonas muttered something under his breath but pasted a smile and said, “This is Cadmus Storm, Mandy. Cadmus, Amanda Markham.”
Cadmus’ lips curled up in a smile, and my heart threatened to pound out of my chest. Get a grip, girl! Remember, keep your distance. I worked hard to appear calm, to tamp down the heat that rose to the surface the longer I stared at him.
He took my mother’s hand and kissed the back of it, like some kind of gentleman. “It’s truly a pleasure, Mrs. Markham.”
My mother gushed, “Please, call me Mandy.”
“Mandy. It’s obvious where your daughter gets her beauty.”
Smooth one, Romeo. I look exactly like my father.
His eyes flew to mine at the unintended mental connection, and his grin widened. “You’ll forgive me for saying so, Mandy, but you look more like Ellie’s sister than mother.”
“Oh, I like this one. So you’re a friend of Jonas’, hmm?” She followed his glance toward me, and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to ask if you know my daughter.”
“Know her? I?—”
“Cadmus, how nice to see you again.” I had no idea what he might say and didn’t want to chance it. “Are you two stopping through on your way somewhere?”
“Nope. I just couldn’t wait to see you again, honey.” His shit-eating grin amused me, though it shouldn’t have. Honey? I bit back a groan when he added, “I can’t believe you never told your mother about me.”
Jonas eyed Cadmus warily, and it was all I could do not to slug the sly Storm Lord for making a fuss in front of my mother.
“How did you two meet?” Amanda asked, her excitement obvious.
So help me, if I had to suffer the I-want-grandchildren speech again because of Cadmus, I’d kick that sexy ass of his all the way to?—
“Foreia.”
“What?” I asked out loud.
