“A small one, but I should be able to get through it.”
“I don’t know,” I said, skimming my gaze down his body and keeping my voice dry. “Your ego is pretty damn large.”
He laughed. It was such a warm and carefree sound that it dragged a smile to my lips and made my heart do an odd little dance.
“You could be right about that,” he said. “Maybe I should send you through it instead.”
“Sorry, I know squat about sneaking.”
“Considering you’ve escaped from what I presume is a very secure research center, I find that extremely hard to believe.”
“That was a mix of luck and good planning more than any ability to sneak, believe me.”
The old woman brought in the plates of food. Trae gave her a smile and waited until she’d recovered from the power of it enough to head back into the kitchen before he asked, “Luck how?”
I snagged a piece of bacon from the nearest plate and munched on it meditatively. “Part of the research center was destroyed by fire. That took down the security system, as well as distracted a lot of the guards, which enabled us to get out.”
Of course, there was a whole lot more to it than that. More violence, more pain, more death. Escape hadn’t been easy, just like remaining free hadn’t been.
“Am I right to assume the fires were dragon-lit?” Trae asked.
“Actually, they weren’t. They kept the facility so cold that the air dragons couldn’t use their fires.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That sort of cold can be a killer.”
“So they discovered.” I hesitated, and grinned. “Of course, when it comes to kids and temper tantrums, the cold isn’t really a restriction. Trust me, a few things got singed over the years.”
“But never by Egan?”
I shook my head. “But we were being drugged. The kids weren’t.”
“So when you and Egan escaped, why didn’t you take the kids with you?”
“We couldn’t.” But I’d wanted to. Oh, how I’d wanted to. I’d fought with Egan for days about it—until Jace had stepped in. Jace—the fifteen-year-old who was so much older and wiser than his years would suggest—had calmly told me that it just wasn’t practical, and that he’d look after everyone until we got back with help. “The kids were in a separate section than us, and there were common rooms and research rooms between us. We couldn’t get to them without going through a whole lot of scientists and guards.”
“So how did you and Egan escape?”
“We attacked one of the feeders as he was coming into the cell, then ran for the kitchen area. Egan didn’t have his flame, thanks to the cold, but there were plenty of lighters laying about. We put them to good use to blow up the kitchens.”
“Wasn’t that a little risky?”
Brief memories of flames and heat, combined with the metal ping of bullets against walls, rose like ghosts through my mind.
I closed my eyes against them, but there was no fighting it. The flames meant to free us had almost killed us both. It was Egan who had saved us—saved me. Despite the cold, he’d tamed the flames the same way I could tame the sea. In the end, we’d come out singed but alive.
The same could not be said about sections of the research center. Or the scientists within it.
“Destiny?”
I blinked, then tore off a chunk of toast to dip into the egg yolk. “The kitchen was a fair distance from where the kids were being held. It wasn’t that much of a risk.”
“I meant for you and Egan.”
“Well, yeah, but we had to do something to divert enough attention so that we could escape.”
He considered me for a moment, his blue eyes somber, as if guessing there was more to my glib statement. “How did they find you in San Lucas? How did they track us here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t they kill you when they killed Egan?”
“Some of them were definitely trying.” And I had the scar on my head to prove it. “But I think I’m still alive because I’m the only female of breeding age they have. Mom’s too old, and Carli’s too young.”
He didn’t say anything, just studied me for a minute before flicking his gaze to the black car. “Looks like those men are getting antsy.”
Trepidation ran down my spine, but I resisted the temptation to turn around. It would only let them know I knew about them, and that could prove dangerous. “Meaning they’re likely to come in here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” His gaze met mine. Distant. Fiery. The dragon was getting ready to fight. “You know these people, not me.”
“I might know them, but that doesn’t mean I can predict everything they might do.” I picked up my coffee again to warm suddenly cold fingers. “All I know is that they prefer not to have witnesses, so we may be safe in here for a while. But the threat of witnesses won’t stop them for long.”
He didn’t say anything, just picked up his coffee and stared out the window for several minutes. Tension crackled through the air—evidence that he was not as calm as he appeared.
“Okay, one of them is on the phone,” he said, as he put his coffee down. His blue gaze came to mine, sharp with excitement. “I’ll head to the bathroom now. If you see any of them walking past the gas pumps, get up and head to the counter to pay our bill, then get into the bathroom. I’ll get you out from there.” He hesitated, and a grin twitched his lips. “Feel free to use some of the cash you stole to pay the bill, too.”
I raised my eyebrow. “I never said I stole the cash. I only admitted to stealing back the ring. Maybe you’re a thief who loses track of what he has in his pocket.”
“Sweetheart, I never lose track of anything that’s mine.” He rose, drawing my gaze up the long, lean length of him. “Remember that, if you intend on stealing anything more important than cash or credit cards.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what else have you got that I’d be interested in?”
He grinned. “I’m sure we could think of something.”
“I’m sure you could,” I said, voice dry. Just as I was sure I’d love it. Whatever “it” was.
He left the booth. I sipped my coffee and watched his retreat. Egan and I had never shared easy banter like that. Had never teased or touched or done any of those fun things most lovers do. He’d been too uncomfortable with the whole situation, too aware of the white coats and the cameras. Thank God they’d never installed microphones, otherwise he’d have never come near me. As it was, we’d only ever made love at night, with the lights off, when he had the illusion of some degree of privacy.
It wasn’t exactly the most normal introduction to sex and sensuality a girl could have had.
The old woman wandered over with the coffeepot. “Want a top-up, love?”
“Thanks.” I held out my cup, and pushed Trae’s forward. He might not get to drink it, because we’d probably have to run once he deflated the tires, but it was better to keep up appearances for our watchers.
“You two down here for a vacation?” the woman asked, as she poured coffee into Trae’s cup.
“Just passing through.” I shrugged. “Wish we could stay longer, though. It’s pretty.”
“Well, not so much around these parts. It’s pretty old and dumpy here.”
I smiled, remembering my distaste as we’d approached the old building. And yet, once inside, it had proved to be warm, homey, and friendly. Just went to show, the old saying about the book and its cover was correct.
“But the food is as good as any of those uptown places.”
She beamed. “Can I get you anything else?”
A life. Or maybe a leash for my hormones. I smiled and shook my head. “Just the bill. We’ll have to go once my partner gets out of the bathroom.”
“If he wanted to sneak out to let the air out of the tires of that car, he could have just asked to slip out the back. Has to be uncomfortable, a man his size squeezing through the bathroom window.”
I just about choked on my coffee. I coughed as the hot liquid slid down the wrong way, but somehow managed to say, “What?”