“Yeah.”
We spend another hour in the same comfortable silence. Eventually, she gives up on waiting for her dad, and stands from the couch. I stand, too, gazing down at her.
“Will you be okay?”
She smiles. “I always am.” She gives my arm a squeeze, turns, and disappears into the house. I stay on the porch long after all the lights go out, searching the sky for the constellation she was looking at.
I don’t find it, but I don’t have to. Flameismy constellation; the one constant, dependable person in my life. I fear I might always look forherwhen I search the stars.
Chapter Nine
Max
Ember’s already awake when I return from the car. Eyes droopy, looking slightly dazed, but half-conscious.
My brows pull together. Does sheeversleep? It seems like she subsists on rage and fear alone.
Twenty-three-year-old Ember is a sharp, shocking contrast to the girl she was. Still whip-smart with an even smarter mouth, but she used to be quiet. A little shy. Occasionally withdrawn.
There’s nothing shy about her anymore—at least, not in the ways she once was. She doesn’t mince words. Doesn’t care about cursing up a storm. Doesn’t seem to care aboutanythingaside from getting back to Dagon.
“Morning, sunshine,” I say brightly, dropping the duffle on the foot of the bed. “Now, you passed up a shower—true shame, I’d have loved to watch you soap yourself up—but youwillget an option regarding tonight’s sleeping arrangements.” I check my watch. It’s nearly 5a.m—it’ll be dawn soon, and I don’t want to be back on the road before 10p.m. “I can either knock you out with a sedative, or you can sleep like you are.” I grin. “With those lethal hands tied to the headboard.”
“Didn’t you say something about punishing me?” she asks groggily, blinking. “Or are you only capable of empty threats?”
“I always follow through on my threats, Flame. I’m a lot of bad shit, but I’m still a man of my word. That much hasn’t changed.”
“Your word.” She scoffs. “Anassassin’sword.”
“Not worth much in theory, but worth quite a bit in practice. At least when it comes to me.” I jerk my chin at her. “I’ll sort out your punishment when I’m not fucking exhausted.”
“When will that be?” her eyes sharpen. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home,” I say simply. Icouldtell her about the Nighthawks, but I think dumping all the information on her would give her anexcellentreason to kill me, and considering what she managed with a plastic toothbrush and a shower curtain, I’m not eager to get in another fight with her.
“I don’t think there’d be room for me in whatever hole you crawled out of,” she remarks.
I don’t rise to the bait by revealing anything. “Sedative, or the good ol’ natural way?” I ask.
“No drugs,” she hisses. I waver. There’s a story behind that—one I’d like to pry out of her, but now’s not the time. I’ve barely slept for the last three days; I need a good sleep as much as she does, after all the fighting and exertion.
“Alright. Rules for avoiding the needle are simple. If you try to escape, I drug you. If you scream, I drug you. Basically, if you doanythingbut sleep, I’ll drug you.” My smile falls. “I might not look it, but I’m exhausted and fuckingpissed,Ember. It’d be in your best interest to avoid pissing me off further.”
Her lips seal, she gives me a careful up and down, appraising me, before offering me a small nod of agreement. I hope tofuckthat means she’ll let up, at least for now.
“Quick question.” I point at her. “How come Dagon didn’t install a tracker in you if he’s so desperate to have you by his side? If he intends to make you hisfiancée?”
“Do we need to do a Q&A this very moment?” she asks.
“Yup,” I reply. “Talk. I could, of course, persuade the answers out of you—”
“How do you know he didn’t put a tracker in me?” Her gaze is a thousand mantles being thrown at my feet. Ilovehow she turns everything into a challenge.
I repeat; this girl is going to beso much funto tame. I’m having a hard time staying mad at her, even though she tried to kill me less than an hour ago.
“Two reasons. First of all, I checked you while you were unconscious—I have a scanner for microchips and tracking devices. Second, if he had one in you, I assume he’d have already come for you. At least, considering how…possessivehe sounded over you.” My gaze locks on her bare ring finger. I think Iwouldlike to see a diamond there, but not one that belongs to Dagon.
“He didn’t put a tracker on me because he knows I’ll always come back to him.” Her jaw tightens, and once again, her eyes flash with anger.
