He pulled his hands from mine. “You’d be better off. I’d be landed with a complication I don’t really need.”
“Kindly remember the complication rescued your butt from hibernation and might yet have some information you need.” I picked up the coffee mug. It really didn’t provide the same sort of comfort as his touch, but it was better than nothing. I studied him for a moment longer, then added softly, “If you had the chance of saving a friend’s soul, wouldn’t you take it?”
“Yes.”
There was something in the way he said it that made me say, “I’m thinking your reason for tracking these people isn’t all that dissimilar to my own.”
His gaze met mine again. “You might be right.”
“Then don’t expect anything less from me.”
“I don’t expect anything of you—or from you—simply because I don’t know you.”
“That hasn’t stopped you from trying to boss me around.”
“I’m only trying to keep you safe, Mercy. I’d hate to see you end up like your friend and mine.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why my death even mattered to him when we were strangers, but I resisted the temptation. Most people didn’t like to see lives thrown away needlessly, and though Damon was far from most people, it wasn’t fair to think he wouldn’t feel the same.
“I’d hate to see me end up like Rainey, too. But you’re investigating the same thing, so you’re just as much at risk as me.”
He smiled again, but this time it held a bittersweet edge that tore at something deep inside. He reached for the other fork and scooped up some chocolate cake, and I knew in that moment I’d won.
But I didn’t feel victorious. I just felt even more afraid. Because I knew, without a doubt, that this whole quest had just gotten a lot more dangerous. Because of this man, and because of the world he appeared to walk in.
“The difference between you and me,” he said, “is the fact that I’m as deadly as they are.”
“I can protect myself,” I said softly.
He didn’t say anything to that, but he didn’t have to. I could taste his disbelief in the air. “Tell me about this Angus you keep mentioning,” he said instead.
I shrugged again and picked up my fork, scooping up some more cake. It wasn’t doing a lot to ease the ache of losing all I’d held dear, but at least it stopped my stomach from rumbling. “We were going to meet him when the truck hit us. I contacted him again after I got out of the hospital and arranged another meeting. You saw the end result of that encounter.”
“How much did you tell him before you met him?”
“He knew we were investigating the cleansed towns.”
“If he was involved in the death of your friend, then meeting him alone was a pretty stupid move.”
According to him, my life was full of stupid moves. I squashed down my irritation and forked up more cake. If he didn’t hurry, he was going to miss out on his share—and given the barbed comments he kept flinging my way, maybe he deserved to.
“He’s a sea dragon. Rainey was killed in the middle of nowhere. My guess is that there was no direct involvement.”
“You can’t be sure of that.”
No, I couldn’t. But in this case, I trusted my instincts. Angus might be peripherally involved with whatever was happening, but I didn’t think it went as deep as murder—I’d overheard him say as much in the van. “I’m going to interview him tonight.”
“We should go get the netbook first. Just in case those men decide to do a little desk investigation of their own.”
“It won’t do them any good. I wasn’t using my desk.” I hesitated, but couldn’t help adding, “I’m not that stupid.”
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “So there’s hope for you yet?”
“Apparently,” I muttered, unable to keep up with this man’s sudden mood changes. Although I couldn’t be annoyed by this one. Or that half smile. I glanced at my watch. “We’ve hours to spare.”
“But good disguises take time. Finish the cake, then I’ll show you some magic.”
I looked up into his dark eyes and saw the devilry there. I felt myself smiling. “Are you sure you’re capable of magic after being locked up for so long?”
“Why don’t you come back to my car and find out?”
Anytime, I thought, and I threw the fork down on the table. “Consider the cake finished.”
He rose and took my hand, pulling me gently upward. “Then let’s go.”
As I followed him out the door, I let my gaze wander up the length of him—admiring the way his jeans clung to his butt and emphasized the long, lean power of his legs. The silent, easy-flowing way he moved. The shoulders that hinted at the strength of the man, both within and without.
He reminded me of a predator, and I guess in many ways he was.
But however dangerous Death might be, however moody he might be, there was one inescapable fact.
He was also damn hot.
A wig, some artfully applied makeup, and a change of clothes later, and Damon did indeed look like someone else. He now looked and walked like a man twenty years older, and if I hadn’t seen the transformation myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. I certainly wouldn’t have looked twice at him on the street.
I watched him disappear into my office building, then glanced up and down the street. I couldn’t see anyone acting suspiciously, let alone anyone who seemed to be watching the entrance, but that didn’t mean anything. I hadn’t seen the watcher at the Ritz until it was almost too late.
Of course, Damon had insisted that I also undergo a change of appearance, which is why I was sitting at the bus stop with blond hair, a low-cut top that exposed way too much breast, and a miniskirt that bordered on indecent—all courtesy of a recent shopping spree. Damon’s theory was that if they were looking at my body they weren’t looking at my face, but the twinkle in his eyes as he’d said it suggested the bad guys might not be the only ones enjoying the look.
That was the sole reason I’d actually agreed to wear the outfit. Janelle might have warned me not to play with Death, but the inner dragon just wasn’t listening.
Not that I really expected anything to develop between us, because Damon seemed to be the ultimate loner. Besides, I knew from experience that dragons of his caliber didn’t consider half-breeds like me to be anything more than playthings.
I turned the page of the newspaper I’d been pretending to read and tried to ignore the rising chill in the air. I might have a dragon’s fire, but that didn’t mean I was immune to the cold. Especially when—like now—I couldn’t actually use my flame to warm myself.
Sharp music cut through the roar of passing traffic and it took me a moment to realize it was the cell phone Damon had given me.
Why Damon actually had spare cell phones sitting in his vehicle I couldn’t say—although it did seem to be packed with all sorts of useful items. Like spare clothes for himself, phones, the makeup that disguised us both, and a variety of guns and other weapons—although I’m not sure I was supposed to see the latter. Death might be a dragon, but he wasn’t beyond using human firepower.
I reached into the oversized red purse at my feet and grabbed the phone.
“Damon?” I said, without actually looking at the number.
“Wrong man,” Leith said. “And what the hell have you been getting involved in, woman?”
“Ah. You heard about the fires.” I didn’t bother asking Leith how he’d gotten the number. Janelle’s psychic abilities ran to the oddest bits of information sometimes. Like telling me that Angus wouldn’t be at his friend’s boat until tonight, but not telling me where he actually was this afternoon.
“Yeah, I heard about the fires,” Leith said, his voice dry. “Kinda hard to miss when it’s all over the news. You need help?”
“I’ve got help. Although don’t be surprised if I call you back in a day or so to take you up on your offer.”
“We’re always here.” He paused, and the sound of shuffling papers came down the line for several seconds before he added, “Haven’t been able to find out much more on that Angus fellow, but I’ve got some information on muertes.”