Quinn's Quest

Chapter Two

The phone rang twice before it occurred to Bethany that the middle of the night might not be the best time to call anyone asking for help, especially not with the crazy story she had to tell. “Damn.” She thought about hanging up but she was committed now. She tightened her hand around the receiver.

“Yeah.” The voice was male and hoarse with sleep.

She cleared her throat. “Is this Quinn Lawton?” She prayed she’d remembered the number right. She didn’t know what she’d do next if this wasn’t Chrissten’s brother.

There was some rustling in the background and the voice was more alert this time. “No.” Bethany’s heart sunk. Maybe she’d dialed the number wrong. Before she could apologize and hang up, the man was speaking again. “Just give me a second and I’ll get him.”

Hope surged inside her. She hadn’t failed. The phone number was the right one. Her knees threatened to buckle so she sank into the chair that Margaret had vacated. Her stomach felt queasy and she was still very weak. She could still hang up the phone and let the police handle this. All she’d have to do is tell them she was kidnapped. No need to tell them about the rest of it. Quinn Lawton would never be able to find her. There was no way to trace the call back to the shelter.

She clutched the receiver in her hand and took a deep breath, knowing she could never do that. She was committed now. No turning back. Footsteps sounded through the receiver and she knew the man who’d answered was taking the phone to Chrissten’s brother, who was a half-breed werewolf just like Chrissten. Just like she was.

Bethany still couldn’t quite wrap her head around that one, but she was trying to understand it. She hoped Quinn had answers for her.

“Yeah.” The voice was low and gruff and masculine. Every cell in Bethany’s body reacted to the sound. The fine hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her nipples contracted. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Who is this?” The voice was more demanding now, all trace of sleepiness gone.

Bethany forced herself to speak. “Is this Quinn Lawton?”

“Who wants to know?” She almost hung up on him. His impatience and arrogance bled through the phone line. But she’d promised her friend.

“Do you have a sister named Chrissten?”

“Where is she? Who are you? Where are you?”

Bethany was so startled by the angry outburst she dropped the receiver. She could hear Quinn yelling at her through the line. She grabbed the phone and hung up, panting hard for breath. He was one scary man.

She sat there for about thirty seconds before she grabbed the phone and punched in the number again.

“Hello. Are you there?” he demanded.

“I’m here.” This was for Chrissten, she reminded herself. And for yourself, a little voice in the back of her head said. You want to know more about who you are. What you are.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” His low tones made her shiver and she wasn’t sure she believed him. Even his apology was short. A voice in the background was urging him to stay calm. She recognized it as the man who’d originally answered the phone. She was beginning to wish she’d talked to him instead.

“Umm, I need to talk to you about your sister.” She had to do this face-to-face. This wasn’t something you talked about over the phone. “Where are you?”

“I’m in Chicago. Where are you?”

Bethany was shocked to find out that help was close at hand. She hadn’t expected that, but would take it as a good sign that maybe her luck was changing. “Where in Chicago? I want to meet you.”

“Tell me about my sister.” His frustration was palpable and she almost blurted out everything she knew. But she had to meet him in person. She’d promised Chrissten she’d get help and that meant more than simply making a phone call. Plus, she was curious about him, about what he was. What she was.

“Where shall I meet you?” Bethany could be just as stubborn as he was.

“There’s a bar in Wicker Park. It’s called Haven. Meet me there.”

“When?” Bethany glanced at the clock over Margaret’s desk. It was half past four in the morning.

“Now. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“I don’t have any money to pay for a cab.” It was demoralizing to admit she needed him to pay for her to get there. She couldn’t walk, as she had no idea where she was going. Even if she wanted to take public transit she still had no idea where to find this particular bar.

“Just get here. I’ll take care of the cab fare.”

She sucked in a breath and said, “Okay,” as she exhaled. The quicker she did this the better for her peace of mind.

“What’s your name?” The urgency in his tone brought home just how desperate he was for news of his sister.

“Bethany. My name is Bethany. As of less than a day ago your sister was alive. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” As she hung up the phone she knew she was no longer alone.

“I don’t know what kind of mess you’re involved in, Bethany, but you be careful, you hear me.” Margaret walked behind her desk and set down her mug of tea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. She opened her desk drawer, lifted out a small metal box and drew out two twenty-dollar bills.

“I can’t take that.” Bethany held her hands in front of her as if to ward off Margaret’s kindness. “You’ve already done enough.”

“Child, you don’t want to be out in the world without some money in your pocket.” Margaret walked around the desk and put the bills in Bethany’s hands, curling her fingers around it. “It’s not much, but it should get you where you’re going. You come back if you need to. You hear me?”

Bethany had been alone since her mother died. Those years had been hard and cold and lonely. Add the kidnapping and the uncertainty of her life, and it was little wonder Margaret’s kindness brought tears to her eyes. “Thank you.”

Margaret wrapped her arms around Bethany and hugged her. The older woman smelled like cinnamon, like home. It felt good and helped ground her. Bethany drew in a breathe and pulled herself together.

“You do what you got to do,” Margaret told her. “But remember, you’ve got a place here if you need one.”

Bethany swiped at her eyes and nodded, touched by the sincere offer. “I appreciate it.” Not that she’d be coming back. She didn’t want to bring any trouble to the shelter or to this amazing woman. “I need to call a cab.”

Quinn paced back and forth across the floor of the bar, stopping to peer out the window every few seconds.

“Will you relax? You’re making me dizzy.”

Quinn whirled around to face his brother, who’d joined him downstairs. “How can I? This woman has seen Chris.” He still couldn’t believe the early morning call. Craig had kept Quinn’s old cell phone number just in case Chrissten ever tried to call home. It had been a long shot and it had finally paid off. It hadn’t been Chrissten who’d called, but it was someone who claimed to have seen her. This was the closest he’d been to his twin in the long, bleak months since her disappearance.

“It’s crazy to get a call like this on the same night we talk to Damek.” Craig took off his glasses and cleaned the glass lenses on the tail of his shirt. “You think the vampire had anything to do with it?”

Quinn shook his head. “Not enough time. This is—” Quinn broke off, not quite knowing how to put his thoughts into words. Every muscle in his body was coiled and ready for action. All he needed was a direction to focus on. This woman, Bethany, had information about his sister. The first news after all this time. He tried not to get his hopes up too high but it was impossible not to. Any news was better than the nightmare of not knowing.

His heart was racing and his palms were clammy. Chris was alive. He’d known it in his heart, but having tangible proof had given him a renewed sense of hope.

Of course, the rest of the pack had stirred when they’d heard the ringing phone. Any middle-of-the-night call was usually cause for concern. Isaiah had been the one to come and ask them what had happened. They were all cautiously optimistic. They were also on guard just in case this was some kind of trap.

The entire pack was upstairs, awake and ready to help. They’d agreed to stay out of sight only because, if this was on the up and up, they didn’t want to frighten away this woman, whoever she was.

Quinn wasn’t about to let her go. Not if she knew where Chris was. He’d keep her chained to his side if he had to. He wasn’t about to lose his only link to his twin.

A cab pulled up in front of Haven. Quinn practically ripped the door off the hinges in his haste to get to the woman in the vehicle. She handed the driver some money and climbed out of the cab. It pulled away, leaving them staring at one another.

She was slender with shoulder-length brown hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing jeans, canvas sneakers and a gray fleece. She wasn’t beautiful, not in the classical sense. But with her heart-shaped face and delicate features she was lovely. She was also afraid. He could smell her fear.

Quinn took another deep breath and his heart stopped. A second later it started pounding to a deep, primal rhythm. Mine. His wolf howled inside him as her sweet, womanly scent filled his nostrils, making his body harden.

It was intoxicating and totally inappropriate for him to be reacting to her in a sexual way considering the circumstances of their meeting. He shook his head to clear it but couldn’t shake the notion he was about to meet his destiny.

Bethany trembled, but only partially from fear. The rest, she was afraid, was pure unadulterated lust. The man standing in front of her was several inches over six feet. He was lean, but every inch of him was sculpted of hard muscle. His jeans clung to strong thighs and emphasized his trim waist. The short sleeves of his T-shirt fit over his large biceps like a second skin. His blond hair was short and barely skimmed his neck. But it was his eyes that struck her. She recognized those pale blue eyes.

“You have her eyes,” she blurted out.

He moved then. So fast she couldn’t stop herself from taking several steps back. Her foot hit the edge of the sidewalk and she teetered on the edge before regaining her footing. Another step back and she’d be standing in the road. He froze in front of her, his eyes taking her in from head to toe. “Bethany?”

She easily recognized his voice from the phone. This was Quinn Lawton. In person, his voice was even more compelling. She wanted to walk to him, put her cheek against his chest and listen to him talk, feel the vibration against her skin. Must be fatigue making her so loopy. She’d never wanted to do that to any man before. She’d chalk it up to one more strange experience in a long series of them.

Instead, she nodded and held out her hand. “Bethany Morris.”

He wrapped his fingers around hers and led her toward the entrance of a building. She glanced up at the sign and, sure enough, it read Haven. His hand was so much bigger than hers, his skin darker and rougher. Warmer too. His heat soaked into her skin, reminding her just how cold she was.

It struck her all at once that no one knew where she was. She hadn’t told Margaret where she was going. She figured the less information the director had the safer she and the other women at the shelter would be. There was no way to link Bethany with the Angel of Hope Shelter.

Bethany only had Chrissten’s word that her brother was one of the good guys. Once she stepped inside the empty bar and the door closed behind her she’d be completely at his mercy.

As though he sensed her trepidation, Quinn paused and raised her fingers to his mouth. The sight of his lips touching the back of her hand mesmerized her. Heat surged through her body, pooling between her thighs. The cool, crisp air receded and was quickly replaced by a blast of heat.

“I won’t hurt you.” With that promise, he drew her inside and shut the door behind him. The finality of it echoed through her like a shockwave. She had no idea what was ahead of her, but there was no longer any going back.

Quinn was torn between dual desires. He had to find out every scrap of information about his sister and her whereabouts. That need burned in his blood and ripped at his guts. But the woman next to him had started a fire in his soul. He wanted to strip her naked, take her down to the rough wooden floor beneath their feet and make love to her until she clutched at his shoulders and screamed his name in ecstasy. Which was crazy considering she was a complete stranger.

He took another deep breath and almost moaned at the sweet scent that filled his nostrils. Damn, she smelled good. Like honey and violets with a hint of something dark and spicy. He fought the urge to rub his cheek against the top of her hair to see if it was as soft as it looked.

She was about six inches shorter than him, her build slight. Her eyes had flecks of brown and green. Chameleon eyes. They could be either color depending on the light. They were also filled with a wariness that jolted him back to reality. He’d done nothing but stare at her since she’d arrived and that wasn’t going to put her at ease any time soon. It was time to take control of the situation.

“Sit.” He’d pulled several chairs down from off one of the tables and held one of them out for her.

She glanced at him and then at the door before she finally sat and folded her hands in her lap. Her gaze settled behind him and her eyes widened when she realized they weren’t alone. Quinn could feel his brother waiting impatiently for him to get on with things.

“This is my brother, Craig.” His brother inclined his head in greeting, but said nothing, letting Quinn handle the conversation. He got right to the point, which he should have done the moment she stepped out of the cab. “What can you tell us about Chris? When did you see her?”

Bethany licked her lips and Quinn fought back a groan as another wave of lust surged through him. Unacceptable. His body was responding to her proximity in a way that was totally foreign to him. Quinn didn’t like it at all, and that made him snap. “Well?”

She sat back in her chair and cast another nervous gaze toward the door as if gauging how quickly she could escape. He could have told her she was wasting her time. No way was he letting her go until she’d told him everything she knew. Still, he loosened his shoulders and relaxed his hands by his side, doing his best not to appear too intimidating. From the anxious look she shot him, he wasn’t succeeding.

She twisted the edge of her fleece jacket in her fingers and he could sense her trying to order her thoughts. He wanted to shake her and yell at her to hurry. But the mere thought of touching her in anger was totally abhorrent to him.

“It was this morning.” She rubbed her forehead. “No, yesterday morning now. It’s close to dawn, isn’t it? I’m sorry. Time is all confused.”

Craig apparently decided it was time to get in on the action. He pulled out a chair and seated himself next to Bethany. “Tell us what you know. Please.”

Quinn barely suppressed a growl. He didn’t like the fact that Craig was sitting so close to her. What the hell was wrong with him?

Bethany shoved a hand through her tousled brown hair. It shook with fine tremors and Quinn was struck by the need to calm all her fears. The instinct annoyed him. Bethany Morris was nothing to him but a means to an end. She was a link to his sister, nothing more. Even as he thought the words he knew he was lying to himself, which only served to increase his annoyance.

“I was kidnapped a couple of weeks ago.” She glanced at Quinn and he wanted to roar at the fear filling her beautiful hazel eyes. She looked away and continued. “There was another woman there. Chrissten Lawton. Your sister.”

He closed his eyes briefly and said a quick prayer of thanks. “Who had you? Where were you held?” He fired the questions off in rapid succession. He needed answers so he could mount a rescue.

“A scientist. A Doctor Philip Morton.” She shivered and he resisted the urge to pull her into his arms to warm her with his body heat. His cock flexed and pushed against the zipper of his jeans, totally on board with that idea.

“As for where,” she continued. “In another part of the city. Deserted mostly.”

He frowned, his suspicions growing with each passing second. Her story had big enough holes in it to drive a semi through. “How can you not know where? What kind of game are you playing?”

Quinn shoved his chair back and glared down at her. Bethany jumped to her feet and he knew she was going to try to make a run for it. He couldn’t let that happen, and not just because she was the only one with information about his sister. It went deeper than that. She belonged to him, with him.

He grabbed her arm, closing his fingers around it, holding her with little effort. Quinn shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It wasn’t easy with anger burning his brain, lust tearing at his guts and heat searing his groin. Bethany beat at his chest with her free hand, but he subdued her easily, wrapping his large arms around her.

Craig was yelling at him, but Quinn couldn’t make out the words. In spite of all the problems in his life and all the horrific memories that stained his tattered soul, he felt whole for the first time in years. Having Bethany in his arms soothed the aching void within him.

Everything inside him settled and sounds began to seep back into his consciousness. Craig was yelling at him to let her go. Bethany was all but gasping for air, her hands pushing and shoving against his chest. But it was the low sob from deep in her throat that broke him loose from the strange thrall encasing him.

Shame washed over him, quickly followed by a wave of remorse and he loosened his hold. He hadn’t meant to frighten her. “I’m sorry.” He whispered the words in her ear. “I won’t hurt you. Not ever.” That’s a promise he could easily keep. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to hurt her either. This woman was precious, and not just because she had information he needed.

He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. His hold turned from a prison to one of shelter against the world. He rubbed one hand up and down her back and used the other to cup her face. There were no tears on her cheeks, but her face was pale, her eyes luminous.

She tried to pull away but he held her there, needing the physical contact with her. “Talk to me.” He needed to know everything she did. “Help me understand.”

She stopped struggling and took a calming breath. Her jacket was open and the motion pushed her breasts against the front of her top. He tried not to notice the way the worn material cupped the substantial mounds.

His dick flexed again. He ignored it, never taking his eyes from her face. “Tell me about this doctor.”

Craig interrupted before she could begin. “I think everyone should hear this.”

Bethany tensed in his arms. “Everyone?” Fear strained her voice and he didn’t blame her in the least. She was a woman alone with strangers. And if she’d been kidnapped and held with Chris, as she claimed, then God only knew what she’d been through these past few weeks. What Chris had been through these long months.

His arms tightened reflexively around her and he had to force himself to relax. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to relax his knotted biceps. “It’s okay. They’re friends and they want to help.”

He knew Isaiah and the rest of them had been listening, waiting for their cue when he heard footsteps on the stairs. They all filed into the room and were an intimidating group, large and lethal. Bethany sidled a bit closer to him. Pleasure at the small action filled him even though he knew it was only because he was one of the two people she knew so he was better than nothing.

“I’m Isaiah Striker.” Isaiah studied Bethany and the way she was sitting in Quinn’s lap. Quinn didn’t care. Crazy and irrational as it was, he’d staked his claim and wasn’t about to take a step back. “Welcome to Haven. Our home.”

Bethany fought to keep from being totally overwhelmed by the group of people surrounding her. There were seven men and two women, besides Quinn, in the room. They were all tall and moved with grace and ease. But it was the big man in front who scared the crap out of her. He reminded her of Brian in the way he moved, in the animalistic grace of his movements. A sense of power, of barely leashed strength surrounded him.

She took a deep breath and froze. Terror flooded into her veins as a musky scent filled her nostrils. He was one of them too. A werewolf. She sniffed again, certain she had to be mistaken. How many werewolves could there be running around the city? Many scents struck her at once, all individual, and only some were partly human. There were several more of them who had the same underlying natural perfume to their skin that Brian had.

All of these people were werewolves, or at least part. She frowned and sniffed again. Except for maybe Craig. She didn’t get the same scent from him as she did from the others. He smelled totally normal. Totally human.

And the fact she was now smelling people for identification and could differentiate between human and nonhuman told her she was in very unfamiliar territory. She’d never done anything like this in her life, at least not on purpose. Not until Chrissten had nagged her into trying. She’d humored the other woman, putting off the difference in scents between them and Brian and the doctor as normal, even though she’d never smelled anything like it in her life until then. She’d always had a keen sense of smell but hadn’t thought anything of it until two weeks ago.

The big man with the shaggy brown hair was still waiting patiently for her reply. “Thank you.” What else could she say? She was beginning to think she should have done all of this over the phone.

No. That was the cowardly way. She had to make certain they rescued Chrissten. This wasn’t about her.

She looked down at her lap, at her clasped hands, and launched into her story. “I was taken about two weeks ago by two men—Doctor Phillip Morton and Brian. I don’t know his last name. They used some sort of drug to knock me out and when I came around I was in a room with another woman. She said her name was Chrissten Lawton.”

“Chris.” The word was barely a breath on Quinn’s lips, but Bethany could hear the depth of emotions, the love that existed between brother and sister. It gave her the courage to continue sharing her horrific memories.

She told them about the testing and how the doctor had kept them both weak, practically starving them. She didn’t talk about the rapes that Chrissten had been subjected to. That was Chrissten’s story to either tell or to keep to herself, as she chose.

“How did you escape and not her?” The question from Isaiah was mild, but she flinched, sensing the anger, the mistrust beneath it. She did not want this man for an enemy.

“Bethany?” The quiet questioning in Quinn’s voice gave her the courage to continue. He deserved to know about his sister.

“The doctor came to take blood from both of us, but Brian was agitated. He had…other things on his mind.” She didn’t want to tell them that he’d wanted Chrissten and her. She shivered at the memory. Quinn’s arms tightened around her, warming her chilled body.

A low growl came from one of the males. “He’s a werewolf, isn’t he?”

“Michael.” Isaiah snapped at him and the male subsided.

Bethany nodded. “You have to understand. Until two weeks ago I had no idea there was such a thing as a werewolf, or a half-breed, for that matter. Chrissten talked about such things but I figured she’d been held captive so long she was beginning to believe the crazy doctor.”

“You didn’t know what you were?” The disbelief in Quinn’s voice slammed into her, hurting her more than she’d thought possible.

Something inside her snapped and she bolted from the dubious safety of his lap. The shelter, the support he’d offered her wasn’t real. All he wanted from her was information. If she hadn’t been so tired and confused she would never have forgotten that. She’d had enough of this interrogation, this mistrust. She’d been through hell. Had lost her entire life. Her identity.

“How could I have known?” She stared at them all one by one. “My entire life my mother dragged me around from city to city, never settling, never staying. I’d never lived anywhere longer than six or eight months until my mother died six years ago. Maybe she knew something I didn’t, but she never told me anything. She wouldn’t talk about my father at all. Forgive me if I never figured out I’m supposed to be a half-breed werewolf, whatever the hell that is.”

The last of her anger drained away and, with it, her energy. She swayed but stepped away when Quinn reached for her. She couldn’t depend on anyone else for help. As always, she was alone. She locked her knees and stood straight, facing all of them. Who the hell were they to judge her?

“Things got out of hand. The doctor was forced to shoot Brian. It was a tranquilizer and it took him down hard. Chrissten lunged for the doctor. He got off a shot. The dart grazed her.” The memory still hurt her to think about. Her friend had sacrificed her freedom so Bethany could have hers. That’s the only reason she was here—she owed her life to Chrissten.

“I checked the gun but it was empty. I rolled the doctor into the cell and slammed the door shut. I didn’t have the keys and could only use one bar to secure it. I thought we’d have time to escape.”

Bethany couldn’t help but think about Chrissten. What must she be going through? Had she waited for help that never arrived? Did she believe Bethany had abandoned her?

Her legs and arms trembled, but she kept on telling her story. Better to get it all out at once. “I dragged her up the stairs, but we could hear Brian tearing through the door of the cell. She made me leave.” Bethany looked at all of them, willing them to understand. “She made me. I tried to get her out. But it was either just one of us or we’d both go back.”

“You did what you had to do.” Quinn offered her his hand. She stared at it but didn’t take it. She didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust any of them.

“I ran and ran and ran. I had no idea where I was, what city I was in.” Those terrifying hours came back to her in a rush. “When I couldn’t run anymore, I collapsed in a vacant store front and really started studying my surroundings.” She swallowed hard, remembering her burning lungs and aching legs, the darkness that had threatened to take her under.

“I knew I couldn’t go to the police.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Who would believe me? I’d have ended up on the psych ward of a hospital or worse.” She could feel all their eyes on her, watching, listening, judging.

“There was a chance the doctor might find me if I ended up in a local hospital. I don’t know if he’s actually a real doctor or not. But if he is, he might have used his credentials to get me back. I have no family, no one to fight for me.” Bethany shivered at the thought of being that vulnerable.

“I didn’t know where else to go, so I found a homeless shelter.” She didn’t tell them about the men who’d tried to catch her, their intent to do her harm obvious in their taunts. Or about the people who’d stared at her like she was something they needed to scrape off the bottoms of their shoes. Oh, she knew many of them thought she was a drug addict or a crazy person off her meds. It didn’t take a genius to figure that much out. Not with the way they’d shied away from her, getting as far away as possible as quickly as they could. Not that she blamed them. Not really. She’d have probably done the same thing.

“I was only wearing a thin cotton pants and top, I had no money and was half-starving and nearing exhaustion. I’d only planned on eating and having a short rest before I called.” She made herself look at Quinn then, willing him to believe her. He looked so big and powerful looming next to her.

“She made me memorize your phone number. Chrissten told me you’d help if I contacted you.”

“She was right. I’ll find her if it’s the last thing I do. No matter how long it takes or what it takes.”

She believed him. The conviction in his voice was rock solid. What must it be like to be loved like that? Bethany tried not to be jealous but it was incredibly hard not to be. Chrissten had family who loved her. She, herself, was alone.

“Where were you? What landmarks did you see?”

Bethany closed her eyes and answered Quinn’s question, forcing herself to think back when she’d much rather forget. Slowly at first, but then more surely, she described everything she remembered, the first street sign she’d seen. She talked and talked, answering questions when he asked them. When she was done, her voice was slightly hoarse and she was mentally and physically exhausted.

She opened her eyes, ignoring all the raised voices around her. They were already planning to launch a rescue. She prayed they’d be in time to find Chrissten, that the doctor hadn’t moved her. Worry gnawed at her gut, but there was nothing more she could do to help.

Her job here was done. It was time for her to leave.

Bethany gathered the last of her strength and headed toward the door. The sun was beginning to rise on a new day. She had the rest of her life ahead of her. She just had to figure out what the heck she was going to do with it.

She’d taken two steps when a pair of heavy, masculine hands came down on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. “Where are you going?”

She knew it was Quinn from his touch and his unique scent—woodsy and warm and tinged with his own masculine spice. His low, deep voice simply confirmed it. She shrugged. “Home, I guess.” Even as she said it she knew she couldn’t go back to her apartment. The doctor and Brian knew where she lived. No, her home was lost to her forever. She’d never feel safe there again.

She’d have to see if any of her things were left or if the landlord had disposed of them all when her rent had come due a week ago and gone unpaid. Maybe she could salvage some of her belongings. Then she’d find a new home and a job. There were so many things she needed to do, not the least of which was how in the heck she was going to get back to Detroit to get her things if the landlord hadn’t already tossed or sold them. The task seemed daunting, but she knew she could do it. There was no other choice.

Quinn whirled her around to face him. The harsh lines of his face seemed carved from stone. “You can’t do that. It’s too dangerous. They know where you live.”

She knew that. She might not be thinking as clearly as she normally did, but she wasn’t stupid. It was easy for him to tell her what she could and couldn’t do. He had a home and a life and family and friends. She had none of that. Frustration and exhaustion pulled at her. She hated that she felt weak and wasn’t anywhere near to her full strength. If that wasn’t bad enough, the strange unsettling heat was back, rippling just beneath her skin, making it extra sensitive. “What else am I supposed to do?” she snapped, finally reaching the limit of her patience.

“Stay here.”