“You think it’s a trap?”
His jaw tightened. “Absolutely.”
She blinked at his blunt honesty. “Then shouldn’t we be somewhere that isn’t here?”
“Yes.”
She tilted her head to the side, regarding him in confusion. “Caine?”
He heaved a sigh. His every instinct screamed to toss Cassie over his shoulder and rush away from Salvatore’s lair at top speed. The very air whispered a warning.
But he’d spent enough time with Cassie to know that she wouldn’t be satisfied until she was certain that Harley had been rescued and was safely back in the hands of her mate.
“Shit,” he muttered. “What?”
“If I’m going to pick up Ingrid’s scent I have to get closer.”
Without hesitation she pushed herself to her feet, as always completely fearless.
“Then let’s go.”
“Wait.” He straightened, taking her hands in a warning grip. “I want your promise that you won’t leave my side. Not even for a second.”
Cassie hesitated, chewing her bottom lip. “I’ll try,” she at last conceded.
“Cassie.”
“That’s all I can promise.”
His lips twisted as he met her candid gaze. “I suppose it is.”
He grasped her hand and led her along the lakeshore, ignoring the stone steps leading to the house. Cassie fell into step beside him, a puzzled frown marring her brow.
“Where are we going?”
Caine led her past the boat dock and at last halted at a line of Dumpsters near the gravel service road. “The entrance to the secret tunnel is hidden inside the Dumpster.”
“Clever,” Cassie said, only to slap a hand over her nose and mouth as Caine broke the lock and threw back the lid on the green metal bin set slightly away from the others. “And pungent,” she muttered, taking an instinctive step backward. “Yow.”
Prepared for the spell of revulsion, Caine ignored the foul smell billowing from the Dumpster as well as the magical “push” to turn and walk away. “It keeps demons from sniffing close enough to discover the entrance,” he said, vaulting into the bin and holding out his hand.
“A very effective deterrent,” Cassie gagged out, reluctantly taking his hand and climbing into the Dumpster.
Once they were both through the barrier the spell abruptly vanished to reveal a scrupulously clean container with a trapdoor cut into the metal bottom. Caine bent down, sliding his fingers along the outline of the door until he found the hidden lever. With a faint click the door abruptly swung downward to reveal a tunnel dug into the ground.
Reaching behind him, he grabbed Cassie’s hand and tucked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans. “Hold on and don’t let go,” he commanded.
She wrinkled her nose. “Bossy.”
“No. Terrified.”
Without giving her time to reply, Caine dropped into the tunnel, landing on the cement floor with Cassie descending lightly behind him.
He paused, searching the darkness with his heightened senses. There was . . . nothing.
No lurking enemies.
No waiting traps.