Crap! The darn thing was too heavy. Heaving it, she stepped protectively in front of Reynner and struggled to appear calm—and hopefully dangerous—wielding his weapon.
The man closed in on them. The moonlight revealed dark hair falling in careless layers over wide shoulders. Shades covered his eyes, despite it being night.
Eve pointed the blade at him, her hands shaking like a leaf in a squall. She prayed she didn’t drop the weapon. Heat seeped into her palm, connecting with the metal she held.No, no dammit! Not now.
“Stop right there.”
He did. His gaze dropped to the sword she clutched and then came back to her face.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Michael.”
She recognized the dark cadence of his voice from their brief conversation on the phone minutes ago, and relief flowed through her. He must have been close by to get here this quickly.
“You have to let me tend to him, before he worsens.”
“Yes-yes, of course.” Eve stepped back and gratefully lowered the heavy weapon. The enormous man hunkered beside Reynner, pulled him forward, and examined his back. “Helluva place you chose to nap.”
“Ritz…not available.”
Michael snorted, then he glanced at her. “I have to take him with me.”
“She comes, too.”
“Why?” A cool note entered the man’s voice.
“Fuck—” A pained groan left Reynner. “Gonna keep me in this roach-infested dump ’til I answer your damn questions?”
“You know the rules, Empyrean—free will.”
Empyrean? Free will? What the heck were they going on about?Reynner needed help.
“Eve…” Reynner’s voice slurred. His dark gaze lifted to hers. “Come…with…me?”
“Of course, I’ll go with you,” she reassured him. He’d saved her, taking the hit that surely would have killed her.
“There, Michael…happy?” Reynner’s indistinct words held a mocking edge.
“I’d kick your sorry ass if you weren’t already down, but we need to get out of here.”
At his statement, Eve’s fear increased. “You can’t move him—he’s hurt. I’m calling 911.”
“Your doctors can’t heal him. We have to go now. Come here.”
Warily, she eyed him. “What do you meanmydoctors?”
“Explanations later. Do you want his death on your conscience?”
When he put it like that—darn it. Eve hurried over and prayed this Michael knew what he was doing. “What do you want me to do?”
“Hold on and don’t let go.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
The big man shook his head. He picked up Reynner’s sword then touched him on the shoulder. “You will soon enough.”
He held out his hand. Eve eyed it as if it contained a nest full of vipers. “I can’t...”
