Theo kissed her forehead. “I’ll gut him for you, Gin. Naval to neck, I’ll slice him open, yank out his guts, and stomp all over them.”
Now wasn’t that sweet? She actually loved the predatory vampire Theo kept carefully banked way down deep. “Are you courting me?” she whispered, trying to hide her grin.
“Maybe.” Theo’s breath stirred her hair, smelling like peppermint. “If I am, whatever you’re planning just became my plan. Only one of us is fighting Saul hand-to-hand, and it’s not the one of us hampered by a planekite anklet.”
Just when he was sounding reasonable, he turned all male on her. She sighed. “Maybe it’s better we didn’t—”
“Don’t finish that thought,” he warned, his mouth next to her ear. “We are nowhere near done with what we started earlier. Once you’re healthy, we’re taking some time. Some serious time.”
What the heck did that mean? She opened her mouth to ask, but she couldn’t find the right words. Just what did Theo want from her? Other than the Benjamin file, of course.
“I’ve got Saul,” Chalton said, his gaze on the computer. “Traced the call.”
Her head snapped up. Man. She’d forgotten there were other Reese men in the room. Wait a minute. They couldn’t trace Saul. She had to meet him. “What did you do?” she whispered.
Chapter 8
After supper, Theo kept an eye on the pacing woman, noting the blazing anger in her eyes. Man, she was gorgeous when riled. The New York skyline behind her didn’t do her justice. He kicked back on the sofa, his feet extended onto the coffee table. He had finally gotten some food into her, and the protein had seemed to help. “I wish you’d relax,” he said. Again. It had been a long damn day.
She whirled on him. “If you go after Saul, he’ll have my father killed.”
“No, he won’t,” Theo returned. Again. “We’ll take him, torture him a little, and tell him that if he doesn’t let your dad go, he dies. After he releases you from that damn anklet.”
She shook her hair, and curls tumbled down her entire back. “He’s not that dumb, Theo. Listen to me. This won’t work.”
He tried for patience. Truly, he did. The woman had been terrorized by this asshole, and she had a right to be frightened. His brothers were out preparing for the raid, and he’d spent the morning and afternoon gaining intel on Saul, his land holdings, and planekite. “We have confirmation that Saul is staying across town. He’shere, Ginny. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
She had the grace to blush.
He nodded toward his laptop. “The king sent me all the Realm documentation on Saul. I know everything about the bastard now, including the fact that he owns a home two hours out of the city—where we traced his call. But still, I don’t understand. Since your meet is set for somewhere in the city, or at least in this state, why wait?”
“Because Saul is supposed to bring my da from wherever he’s being kept,” she said. “I don’t release the flash drive until I see my father get in a car and drive away.” She swallowed. “Apparently Saul needed time to bring Dad here.” Her chin lifted. “It’s a good plan.”
Theo narrowed his gaze. “Yeah. It’s a great plan if we’re all on board with you sacrificing yourself. I’m not, and I’m sure your father isn’t, either.”
Her shoulders slumped. “That’s our only option,T.”
T. He’d wondered if she remembered how she used to call him that. A lifetime ago, when they’d been friends. Man, he’d missed her. To think of the years he’d spent being angry with her while not even truly knowing her. “You’re not a lamb, baby.” He wasn’t going to sacrifice her. Ever.
“I’m sick.” She looked down at her ankle. “The planekite has infected me. There’s no going back.” She shrugged, her jaw firming with the stubborn tilt he somehow knew well. “This is my last chance to save my father, and I’m taking it. You have to step down.”
“I think you’re right about the planekite poisoning,” Theo said, gesturing toward the laptop he’d pushed to the side. “The queen sent me all the research data she has on the mineral, and long-term exposure seems to be fatal. It also explains why you can’t create fire or even heal the bruise on your face.” Every time he looked at the dark mark, he got pissed off.
She cut him a look. “Don’t sugarcoat it.”
“Not going to.” He leaned back and clasped his hands behind his neck, stretching his torso. “I said no lying between us, remember?”
She shoved curls out of her face. “You surely did. So yes. I’m dying. Yay for the truth.”
Wasn’t she cute when she was dramatic? If he told her that, she’d no doubt punch him in the face. So he went for more truth. “So we need to get mated, then.”
She reared up to argue more, stopping suddenly. Her pink lips opened in anO. She closed them, her mouth moved again, and nothing came out.
He bit back a grin. So much for the woman leaping into his arms with gratitude. “Gin?”
Her lids half-lowered, and she pressed her hands against her hips. “You are not funny.”
“I am not kidding.” He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman in his long life. He liked her. Hell. He wanted to be with her. It made sense on so many levels. A voice in the back of his head laughed wildly, and he banished it.
