“Good to know,” he drawled. “Who else liveshere?”
A shrug. “Uncle Lem. He’s at work, late-night conference call. Then there’s the chef and maids, but they don’t livehere.”
“Yourparents?”
“My dad died several years ago.” A flash of pain crossed her face and disappeared just as fast. “Mom took off earlier this year. Wanted her ownlife.”
Bitterness laced her tone as she zipped her luggage. She shouldered her knapsack, grabbed her jacket from the bed, and headed for the door, dragging the single suitcase behindher.
He frowned, following her. “Is this all you’retaking?”
“I’m leaving for a few days, not a vacation. I have everything I need until this mess is sortedout.”
Guess she’d learn differently soon enough. Dagan took the bag and knapsack from her. Her mouth opened then closed. The hellcat, speechless? That was afirst.
Yeah, he may be a bastard, but he did have some chivalrous qualities…when heremembered.
She put on her jacket, slid her hands into the pockets and frowned. “My cell, did you seeit?”
He retrieved it from his back pocket and handed it over. “You dropped it outside theclub.”
“Thanks.”
In the living room, she got a pen and a sheet of paper from a drawer in the small table there and jotted a note. He could easily read it despite standing a few feetaway.
Uncle Lem, I’m taking off for a few days. Work. Forgot to tell youearlier.
Will call yousoon.
Shae.
Nothing to worry about there, he let itgo.
She put the folded paper against the small vase on the table just as the Empyreanentered.
“Hedori?” Confusion crossed her expressive face. “I didn’t know you were here,too.”
“I was in town, thought I’d give you a hand with the luggage,” he coveredsmoothly.
“Thanks, but I’m all set, just one teeny-tiny case,” she saidsmiling.
Dagan followed her outside, and needing her distracted while Hedori put the wards back up, he said, “Here are the rules while living at the castle. You cannot just up and run back to the penthouse or anywhere you like. Youcannot—”
“Whoa, hold it!” A flash of temper brightened her eyes. “Who died and made you mykeeper?”
He lifted an eyebrow, didn’t bother to point out that he’d just saved her ungrateful hide. But she seemed to get the message when her seductive mouth became a thin, unhappy line. He continued, “Do anything I don’t approve of, I will lock you back in thebasement.”
Her delicate jaw tightened. “God, you’re such an arrogantbutthead!”
He rested a shoulder against a marble pillar, and found himself holding back a smile. “None would dare call me that to myface.”
“You’d probably beat the crap out ofthem.”
“No. I’d just killthem.”
Her lips wavered, almost in a smile, then pressed back into an annoyed line. Hedori nodded from behind her. Dagan drawled, “Glad we got that cleared up. Let’sgo.”
She wheeled around and stomped back to lock up, but his heightened hearing caught her soft mutter. “You’re a damn pain in myass.”
