Chapter Two

Chapter Two

There was something in his tone that told her it wasn’t in her best interest to disobey him. And he used her complete first name as opposed to her nickname. Without a word, she avoided contact with him, walked through the observing crowd, and out the door. Behind her, his presence loomed around her, and she noticed that people gave her a wide berth. How the hell didn’t I know he was here? Lera knew the answer despite having asked the question. He had the ability to shield himself from detection if he wished it. Not that I have any powers to detect him anyway.

“Get in.”

Lera jerked her gaze to where he stood beside a large black vehicle. Why am I not surprised to see him with a Humvee? And not a pussy civilian Hummer either; this one screams military issue, a true Humvee. It was meant to go off-road and slog though terrible conditions, not stroke an ego of someone who lived in a city and was having issues with their masculinity.

She shook her head. “I have a ride.”

The look in his eyes said more than he did. And Lera knew how and when to pick her battles. He wanted to talk. So they would then they could go their separate ways. She swung her leg over her silver and gray bike and started the powerful engine before sliding mirrored glasses on her face despite the lack of light. Like a dutiful child, she followed the black vehicle to a hotel, ignoring the rebellion welling up within her. Lera parked next to him but backed into the spot. Her belly knotted briefly before she could control it.

Please, Kori wouldn’t have brought you here if there was danger around. The man walked by and started up a set of outside stairs without a single glance back. Just assumes I’ll follow. And she did. Followed his fine ass and the scent of the wilderness up to a corner room and inside the sparely furnished domicile. Her gaze skimmed it; she was not at all surprised to see a lack of items. He’d always struck her as a man who didn’t need material substance.

“What are you doing here, Lera?”

Kori removed his black leather trench coat and tossed it on the bed. He leaned against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest, reminding her just how strong they were. The sleeves of his black shirt strained with the seemingly impossible task of containing his biceps.

“Did my dad send you?” Just staring at him made a tingling begin in the pit of her belly.

He arched an eyebrow. “Dane doesn’t know you’re here?”

Shit. Well, that answers that. “I’m not a baby, Kori. I don’t have to tell him where I go all the time.”

He stared unflinchingly at her. “Maybe he should know if you do stupid things like you did tonight.”

For the first time in her life, she heard sentiment creep into his tone. Lera shook her head. It had to be my imagination. Cormac MacLochlainne didn’t get that way. Showing emotion was not a phrase she equated with Kori. “You do realize you could have berated me there and saved me a return trip. Are you done? I have to get going.”

“I am not berating you, Lera. However, you’re not going back there.”

It amazed her how there was such finality in his tone when it didn’t seem anything in it had changed.

“Pretty sure we just went over who my daddy is. And it wasn’t you. You have no say over where I go or not.”

“Is that a challenge, Lera?” He pushed away from the worn-down dresser and prowled toward her.

Lera lifted her chin. “Fact.” She refused to cower despite her instinctive need to avoid any contact.

Kori stopped a miniscule distance away and stared down at her. He was four inches over six feet, and with her being five-seven, he had this way of seriously intimidating her. Then, he circled her like a hungry wolf and moved back to the dresser.

“Tell me what you were doing there and where you learned to drink a shot like that.”

His tone just oozed confidence that she would do as he ordered. And she didn’t like that; he had no right to issue commands. Not to her. But, she also knew Kori and normal thought process didn’t necessarily apply with him.

“I’m looking for my friend, Rissa. And my drinking ability is none of your business.” Damn if I couldn’t use another though.

A glint in his eyes told her he believed it was. “Rissa?” He gave a small shake of his head. “I don’t know her. New friend?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly. “I think you know too much about me already. Rissa is a friend from school. One of the only real ones I had there.” Lera tugged on the cuff of a glove. “She went missing one night after we’d gone out on some dates.”

A low growl filled the room, and she snapped her gaze to him. His stare was deadpan, but he was watching her in an almost possessive way. What the hell? He never growls. Something was going on with him. Kori seemed almost wired. He was not acting normal; the calm way she was used to seeing surround him had vanished. He’s probably pissed he feels he has to save me.

“Anyway, Rissa isn’t from a prominent family or anything like that so the cops weren’t overly interested. I was. So I started looking on my own. It’s been a month.” Lera ran a hand over her face. “I tracked my last lead here, Butch Caine.” She walked over to him and said, “I can’t let this go, Kori. I won’t. I have to find her; she’s my best friend.”

His gaze dropped, and she lowered hers and jumped back. She had been touching him, her hand resting upon his arm. Quickly backing up, she fussed with her gloves, unwilling to make eye contact.

“Sorry.” Her heart had sped up, and she felt a bit lightheaded.

It was a well-known fact he didn’t like to be touched either. The door at her back stopped her. Kori’s gaze moved from the arm she’d touched back to her. He stepped toward her, an easy ripple of movement. Predatory motion. She saw it in his eyes. He was going to take her home.

No! Her mind screamed. She bravely glided toward him. “I’m not going home, Kori. And I am going back to that bar to find Butch Caine.”

He stopped, arms still crossed. “Those men would have torn you apart,” he said with a snarl.

“I’m not helpless, you know. Just because I don’t have abilities like you or Daddy, doesn’t mean I can’t protect myself.” She huffed and crossed her own arms, more than willing to do battle.

Kori’s look told her exactly what he thought about that. “There are things out there, Lera, much worse than those men.”

“Stop trying to scare me, Kori. I’m well aware of things that go bump in the night. I don’t care.”

“You should,” he whispered in her ear.

Lera refused to flinch when he materialized behind her. The speed at which he moved always impressed her. But then so did the man. He’d always fascinated her. More than she ever admitted. Or wanted to.

“Probably,” she said in her controlled tone. “But I don’t.”

“You’re not going to give this up.” His tone was resigned.

“No. I have to find her. One way or another,” Lera stated, proud her voice didn’t crack.

“Look at me.”

A command.

An order.

Delivered in a darkly seductive timbre.

Lera spun on her boot heel and found him still so close. She almost held her breath, thinking if her chest moved they would be touching. There was an odd look in his eyes, and she fought the urge to take a step back. Instead, she kept her mask of composure firmly in place.

“What?” she said.

“Listen to me before you say yes, beag amháin.”

He’s going to help me. She waited, her withering hope flaring, rejuvenated within her even as she tried unsuccessfully to translate what he’d called her.

“I will help you find your friend. But there are ground rules. When I give you an order, you’ll follow it.”

“So long as it’s reasonable.”

“I’m not done,” he bit off.

“Sorry.” Lera frowned over the intensity of his tone. It was extremely controlled.

“I give an order, and you follow it. I also need to know you can handle me touching you. At a lot of these places, they will need to know you are not available. Could you handle that?” His eyes gleamed in the light. “Can you handle everyone knowing that,” his tone dropped deeper and huskier than she could ever recall it being, “you belong to me?”