And despite my questions about his loyalties—despite my nervousness at everything that’d happened—he was still my friend and protector.
“Hi, Dil.” I plastered on a sunny smile, all while squeezing Lucien’s hand to behave. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“If you dare ‘Hi, Dil’ me again, I swear I’ll put you over my knee.” Dillon stepped toward me, his eyes locking onto mine and completely discounting Lucien and the panther.
Lucien bordered a bonfire again as Dillon swept his gaze over me—from head to toe, inspecting every inch like I was a car he was thinking of purchasing. “No wounds that I can see. No broken bones. No blindness or muteness or any reason whatsoever that you couldn’t pick up thegoddamn phone and CALL me.”
“Careful.” Lucien bared his teeth. “Yell at her and you won’t have a tongue.”
He was a little bit terrifying and frighteningly gorgeous, and Ireallyshouldn’t be so turned on by his jealousy.
Dillon spread his hands in a dramatic shrug. “Where have youbeen,Rook?” He took another step toward us—looking like he wanted to touch me—to make sure I was truly okay.
But a low growl from Lucien stopped that nonsense.
Whisper slinked forward, his shoulders low as if getting ready to pounce.
“Don’tyoustart, kitty cat,” I warned. “Dillon is a friend, not a snack.”
“Speak for yourself.” A trickle of heat flowed from Lucien’s body into mine. “He might end up being breakfast.”
Whisper snorted as if he was in on the joke and made a big show of revealing his fangs.
“You two.” I elbowed Lucien. “Stop trying to terrify my bodyguard.”
Dillon—to his credit—didn’t even seem surprised to see a full-grown panther acting like a guard dog. Then again...he had been in the Snowflake Corp labs, so I supposed he was used to it.
Before I could apologise for making him worry, Dillon reeled off more questions. “What are you doing here, Rook? What evenisthis place? Do you know how hard it was to evengethere? If you didn’t pay me so well, I would’ve given up right around the fifth rickety bus ride.”
Dillon looked exactly the same—broad-shouldered, white-blond, and dressed head to toe in tactical black. His arctic-blue eyes could see a threat a million miles away, and his black jacket had more pockets and hidden weapons than most undercover agents.
Playing meek—just like he would expect me to—I gave him a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mean to give you such a fright. I’ll give you a bonus. How about that?”
“I don’t want your money, you idiot. I just want you to obey me at least once in your life and allow me to do my job.”
“Obeyyou?” Lucien grew hotter by the minute. “Call her an idiot again and see what happens.”
“Can you just bugger off?” Dillon snapped. “I want to talk to Rookalone. I have questions.”
“The only way I’ll leave her anywhere near you is if you’re dead.”
“Lucien...” I shook my head with an exasperated sigh. “Stop it.”
“From where I’m standing,you’rethe reason she’s been missing for two months.” Dillon stood to his full height, glaring Lucien down. “You’rethe problem. Not me.”
Testosterone thickened in the air.
Great.
Awesome.
This was goingsowell.
“Look.” I smiled. “Let’s all calm down and—”
“Come here, Rook.” Dillon had the stupidity to hold out his hand, expecting me to go to him. To put my hand in his in front of the very man who’d captured my heart and had a little arson problem.
Lucien’s eyes glimmered with ember shards. “My patience is running out where you’re concerned.Leave.”
