Or had he quickly moved past her brief presence in his life?
After all, he had his revenge to focus on, the one thing that seemed to consume him and be all he cared about.
Only as his gaze drifted up her body to rest on her face, she got the feeling that wasn't quite true. Because in his deep violet gaze, she could have sworn she detected concern and tenderness, maybe even affection too.
But when he spoke, his voice was brisk and detached. “You got everything you need?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“I've booked us a motel for the night, and we’ll regroup after you get some proper sleep and decide what our next move is going to be.”
Maybe she should ask more questions about that. Where were they going? What did he think their next move would be? Was he really going to care about her opinion anyway when he’d already proven he didn't think anything she said was of any value?
But Cassandra asked none of those questions.
Merely nodded and followed Dragon out the door and down the garden path to his rental.
Taking her bag from her hands, he left her holding the bunny and opened the passenger side door for her. Leg aching, she managed to push herself up and into the high SUV’s seat, but it cost her, and her body trembled with exhaustion.
Apparently, Dragon noticed it too, because he grabbed the seatbelt before she could take it and leaned over her to snap it into place.
It took everything she had in her not to lean into his comforting scent. Dragon had strength that seemed to go on for days. He never wavered, never faltered, he was so sure of himself and every decision he made. How nice that must be.
After he’d closed her door, deposited her bag in the back of the SUV, and got into the driver’s seat, she expected him to say something, but he didn't. Merely turned on the engine like she wasn't even there and took off down the street.
She really should ask where they were going, but Cassandra couldn’t find it in her to care.
Truth was, she was just tapped out.
With the year she’d had, she was running on empty, and the last thing she’d needed was for Dragon’s problems, which she’d already made the choice to walk away from, to come crashing into her life.
But it was what it was.
There was no going back.
This woman, who claimed to know about the drugs and Dr. Gardner’s plans for Dragon and his team, knew who she was. It might not make sense that the woman would send someone after her, although they couldn’t rule it out, but now Dr. Gardner seemed to know about her existence as well and her link to the guys.
That meant she would remain in danger until the guys were able to get to Dr. Gardner. She wished she knew more about who Dr. Gardner was and the details of what exactly the man had done to the Delta Team guys. She knew they’d been injected with drugs that gave them enhanced skills, but she didn't know a lot about how it had all come about.
Right now, though, she didn't have enough energy to ask questions.
Later.
When she’d recouped a little she’d be stronger.
Maybe.
She hoped.
Or maybe it would be really nice just to turn her brain off permanently, stop obsessing over who she was and what the revelation about her paternity meant. About whether killing her biological father made her more like him than she wanted to be. About why Dragon couldn’t give in to the attraction that simmered between them and how easily he could dismiss her like she meant nothing.
Neither of them spoke on the drive, and she hadn't really expected Dragon to. He had always been a quiet guy, most of the time they’d spent together had been in silence. Only this silence felt different. It felt deeper, uncomfortable, lacking the ease that had always been there before.
What if there really was no going back?
It had never been her intention to contact Dragon again after she’d left. If he found her important enough to fight for, he would have to come to her. Then again, she’d never expected to find herself in danger because of his past.
Dragon being there now felt too late. Or maybe it was because he hadn't come for her, just because she was in trouble.
