Her back stiffened. She spun around, eyes spitting fire. “How am I safe whenyouabducted me, brought me here against my will—and where ishereanyway?”
“You should be thankful I did, or you’d have had a bullet inyou.”
“Oh, right. I’m supposed to believe this…this fanciful tale that someone took a shot at me when you did your mumbo-jumbo and put me to sleep?” She narrowed those feline grays at him. “Don’t ever do that again! And how do you know the bullet was meant for me? With your charming personality, I’m sure there must be scores of people afteryou.”
Just to shut her up, Dagan tore open his shirt. It was ruined anyway with the damn bullet hole. He felt a small measure of satisfaction at her wide-eyed stare…then her gaze slowly swept down his torso before gliding up again.Andwouldn’t you know it, his damn cock stirred awake, not like it ever rested when she wasaround.
He cut her a flat look and stalked from the kitchen, the bullet an annoying twinge between his shoulder blades. A shocked gasp left her. Good, she’d seen the bloody hole in hisback.
Dagan jogged upstairs to his quarters. In his huge, gray-and-black-tiled bathroom, he willed the slug out, and it clattered to the floor. With the ruined shirt, he wiped his back free of blood, tossed it aside, and picked up thebullet.
A prickly sensation slithered through him as he studied the thing. This was no ordinary lead ammunition but a hollowed-out slug with a liquid center made to explode and immobilize the victim. Whoever was after Shae didn’t want her dead, but they didn’t seem to care if she washurt.
He’d see about that. Despite her annoying the hell out of him, he refused to have her harmed while under hiswatch.
Snagging another t-shirt from his closet, he pulled it on and headed downstairs. Frowning, he glanced around the silent, deserted kitchen, then at the open Frenchdoors.
Dammit! He sprinted outside and came to a deadhalt.
She crouched on the porch, stroking Bob, who lay like a furry rug on the tiled surface amongst the potted shrubs, purring and enjoying her touch. More irritation flowed that she’d scared the crap out ofhim.
Inside the castle, she was safe. But outside? Not so much. Shit could fly right to their doorstep. He’d learned that when demons had followed Blaéz here several months ago, leading to a deadly fight, and Blaéz almost losing hislife.
The cat blinked its amber eyes, pinning him with an unwavering stare as if warning him not to interfere in his moment ofbliss.
“Are you done?” hesnapped.
“In a sec,” she retorted, “I’m petting the cat. What’s your name, my felinefriend?”
“Bob.”
“Hey, you speak. But you sound an awful lot like him.” She stuck out a thumb behind her. “That’s too bad, ‘cause I like you.” Another scratch under the thick orange ruff surrounding Bob’s neck, then she rose to her feet and faced him. “Are you taking me back after thistalk?”
“So whoever took a shot at you can finish thejob?”
“You sure are a ray of sunshine, aren’tyou?”
Refusing to let her jibes prod a retort from him, which he was sure was her intent, he merely said, “You are in danger. Only a fool would disregard that. Followme.”
* * *
Shae glaredat his retreating back, finding it hard to believe that anyone wanted her dead, but if that were true, then she’d barely escaped with her life. And he’d put himself between her and the bullet.Damn.
Exhaling roughly, she hurried after him, through the kitchen and down a long, winding corridor. Fine, she’d listen to what they had to say, and hopefully, find out what the hell was going on because this year just seemed to grow worse andworse.
Not wanting to think of that, Shae found her gaze drifting over his wide shoulders and down his tall figure. It was his swaying, ropey hair that held herattention.
How long would it be if he left it untethered? Would it caress his tightass?
Oh, she’d love to see that. Just because he aggravated her like no one else could, didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a sexy man. Ugh, she guillotined thethought.
As if sensing where her gaze was, he cut her a narrow-eyed look over his shoulder. She gave him a disarmingsmile.
Nope, no reaction from those austere features—his face would probably crack if he so much as smiled anyway. He opened a door into a small study and waited for her to enter. She stopped short in the doorway of a room loaded with testosterone andgaped.
Michael was there with three other equally tall men. At her entrance, they turned. Man, these guys all had one thing in common. They were knock-you-on-your-ass gorgeous. Even her abductor fell into that category with his dark, brooding looks. Of course, being Others, they wouldbe.
“Shae?” Michael motioned for her to enter, still wearing his dark shades. “Please, sit.” He waved a hand to a leather armchair adjacent to the stonefireplace.
