I nodded and turned away. As an afterthought, I turned back. “Hey, can I give you my card? That way, you’ll have my cell. If you hear anything unusual that might tie into the runaway I’m looking for, maybe you can give me a call.” Just in case that wasn’t working, I gave him a gamine smile and tried to flutter my lashes.
Linc lifted a brow.
Flirtatious and charming. Obviously not my milieu.
“Sure, Colbana.” He stripped off his gloves and accepted the card I held out, giving me a solemn nod.
Linc was a sharp one, sharp enough that he’d probably pick up on the things I couldn’t say in front of my unwelcome bodyguard.
As I headed back out, I paused long enough to grab the sheet and pull it back up over the boy’s battered, broken body. “I hope somebody finds who did this,” I said to Linc. “I don’t care if it’s you, or the wolves. But somebody needs to suffer for this.”
Linc met my eyes, nodded shortly.
Without another word, I left.
Damon, thankfully, was silent.
Colbana.
The message popped up on my phone sometime past eleven that night.
Sprawled on my bed, going bleary eyed as I combed through yet another batch of runaways, I grabbed the phone with one hand and flipped the sheet over me with my other. I was just barely fast enough.
The door to my room opened a micro-second later.
I was dressed. Workout shorts, a tank top, decent enough, but still. Studiously ignoring him, I read the message and tapped back a reply.
The one and only.
That’s a relief. Can’t handle two of you, Linc texted back. So, exactly why did you make a point of giving me your cell number when I’ve had it for three years now? I mean, I called you to ask you out about once a week for a year.
I smiled a little as I deleted the message before replying. Linc had picked up on that, all right.
The shadow fell across my bed, although I didn’t hear him.
Rolling around, I casually settled with my back against the headboard and glanced up. “Any reason you’re in my room?”
Damon leaned a shoulder against the bedpost, stared at me. “Who is the message from?”
“A guy.”
Black brows ratcheted up. “You really think you got time to mess with that shit right now?”
“Hey, when you got an itch…” I shrugged and sent Linc back a reply. Just need a favor. When the results come back on the kid, can you email me them to my old email? Not the current—somebody reads them over my shoulder right now. He’s also trying to read my texts, BTW.
I deleted that message as the asshole in residence pushed away from the bedpost and prowled closer.
Sure thing, gorgeous.
I rolled my eyes.
Two seconds later, the phone was out of my hand.
“You asshole, give me my phone back.”
Damon read the message, then went to scroll back through the other messages. “Why are you deleting the messages?”
“None of your damned business!” I snapped. Rolling to my knees, I went to snatch the phone way.
I stopped as he lifted a hand and rolled out of his reach in a backwards shoulder roll before he could so much as touch me. Coming off the bed, I kept it between us as I stared at him.
He’d warned me there was a reckoning coming and while I figured it would happen sooner or later, I’d rather not have it happen just yet. My palm itched. Absently, I twisted it as the bones popped.
Damon wasn’t messing with my phone anymore. He threw it down on the bed and glared at me. “Would you quit acting like every time I move, I’m going to attack you?”
Call me…I’m here, I’m here—
The sword was on my bed and she burned unnaturally bright.
He glanced at her and said, “If you even move toward that thing, I’m going to bend it into knots.”
I curled my lip at him. “Like you could.”
He leaned forward. “Is that a dare, little girl?”
“No. It’s a plainly stated fact. Now…why don’t you do us both a favor and get the fuck out of my bedroom?” I jutted my chin out, rotated my wrist again as the itching and heat flared. The sword flashed brighter. I usually wasn’t this close to her without having her in my hand.
I couldn’t help it, though. Ever since he’d spouted off that little piece about a reckoning, I’d been on eggshells, just waiting for whatever the hell he had in mind. If he