“Can Atria hear me?”
“Yes. She’s right here.”
“Atria, this is Theodore Solbourne. Can you say something so I know you’re all right?”
Kaz flexed his claws. “She’sfine.”
“I amnotfine.”
Atria finally hustled across the room. Tossing her things onto her open suitcase, she fearlessly lunged into his personal space to reach for the phone. Kaz scowled and held it out of her reach as she went on in a rush, “I was followed onto the plane by this orc who says he knows me, then hekillsthree men in the Denver airport’s parking lot before he kidnaps me and drives me into the middle of nowhere! Sovereign,pleasetell—”
“First of all, I wouldn’t have had to kill those men if you hadn’t run away from me,” he snapped. Losing patience with her mad grabs for the phone, Kaz looped one arm around her waist and dragged her into his lap. She perched on his thigh as his arm held her tightly against his chest.
“Second,”he continued over her outraged protests, “my name isKaz.Notorc.”
“I don’t care what your name is! I just want you to let me go!” Atria squirmed, pressing her lush backside against his groin.
Swallowing a hiss of pleasure-pain, he growled, “Stop squirming andlisten,princess.”
Theodore’s voice was a crack of lightning through the speakers. “Kaz, what the fuck is going on over there? You killed three people in orc territory? Tell me they weren’t orcs.”
Kaz fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Things got messy and the witch is a damn troublemaker, but no, they weren’t orcs. They were gargoyles — some upstart dipshits from the McCoran clan. They followed her to Denver fromourterritory. They won’t be missed.”
“Oh, that’s different, then.” Theodore brushed the news off, clearly relieved that he wouldn’t have to work some diplomatic magic if word got out about one of his captains meting out the permanent sort of justice in an airport parking lot.
His brother cleared his throat. “Atria, listen, I know we only just met, but I need you to trust me when I tell you that Kaz is trying to help you. You can trust him with your life.”
Blessedly, his mate stilled. She swallowed hard before saying, “But he— he says he’s yourbrother.”
There was the briefest pause as Theodore began to understand just how much Kaz had revealed to her — and the very, very few reasons that might be. They didn’t tell Others that he was a Solbourne. Not unless they were very, very special.
Slowly, he replied, “He is my brother. Kaz and I share a father. He’s also a Commander of Patrol.”
That was his official title, anyway.Commanderwas more of a ceremonial title to denote rank. His real job was as a Captain of his small, deadly team, and that was the title he preferred to use.
Kaz felt Atria shrink a little as she turned her face up to gawk at him. In a hoarse voice, she asked, “You’re half elf?”
“Yes.” His arm loosened around her waist, but he didn’t remove it. Hecouldn’t.Instead, he merely adjusted their positions so she fit more comfortably against him. One hand spanned the width of her soft stomach in a possessive hold when he continued, “I’m Margot’s brother-in-law, just like I told you. I was at their fucking wedding.”
“But… I don’t remember you at all.”
He heard his brother choke. Kaz grit his fangs until they squeaked. He would never live that down.
The insult was at least marginally softened by the fact that Atria had lost some of her stiffness. She was soft against him, her expression clear of terror. It was replaced by a bashful sort of exasperation.
A marked improvement.
Instinct compelled him to lean into the opening her tentative trust provided. His thumb stroked the arch of her ribs beneath her satin nightie when he murmured, “As long as you trust me, I don’t give a shit if you remember me or not. I’m trying toprotectyou, Atria.”
Her gaze bounced around his face, assessing him, when she asked, “Fromwhat?I still don’t understand what’s happening or why someone would be after me.”
“Currently, I’m protecting you from a fifty-five million dollar bounty.”
A low curse came through the speakers. “I fuckingknewI should have sent guards with you. Now my wife is going to be worried sick about you both.”
Kaz used the hand on her stomach to press her back against his chest, which rumbled with a low growl. It was irrational, but the idea of letting someone else do his job made him want to tear the fucking motel room apart. “She has me. She doesn’t need any fucking guards.”
“…Right.” Kaz did not appreciate the way his brother drew out that single word one bit. “Well, that aside, I’m sending a unit to pick you both up and bring you safely back to our territory. We’ll keep Atria under guard until we figure out next steps.”
