"He went on a bender the day you came back into his life." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you two have a history."
"Something like that," she muttered, sick at the thought of what Dorian had described, but trying not to betray what the knowledge had done to her.
Somehow, he knew. Taking off his cap, he put it on her head. "Suits you."
It was a gesture of affection, pure and simple. Her heart melted a tiny bit. "Thanks."
"And don't worry about Clay - he needed to cut loose." He grinned. "Man has a right to get drunk over a woman who matters. I'd have been more worried if he hadn't started acting crazy."
The words were light, but she got the picture. It seemed she hadn't been alone in putting her emotions in deep freeze. "If I wasn't already taken," she said, liking him for telling her what she needed to know, "I would kiss you."
"You're welcome to." He tapped his cheek. "Or how about one with tongue?"
She'd just begun to frown when she felt Clay's hand land on her hip. The growl that came from his throat vibrated into her bones. "Find your own damn woman."
Dorian shoved a hand through his hair, an unabashed grin on his face. "I kind of like yours, smart mouth and all."
"Clay, he said he's an architect - is that true?" she teased, easy now that Clay was back, but also because Dorian had grown on her. She was under no illusion as to how dangerous he was - his charm was a cover for an incredible amount of anger, but it was also a part of him. When he wasn't filled up with that deep-seated rage, she had a feeling he could charm the birds out of the trees.
"That's what it says on the degree on his wall."
Talin smirked, pretending amusement, though her stomach was a pit of nausea as she tried not to think about what Jon might be suffering at that very moment. "So, Boy Genius, what did you do - take an online course and get your degree in ninety days?"
"Clay, can I bite her?"
"No." Clay scowled at her. "I'll do it for you. We ready to go?"
"Yeah. You organized the other end?"
Clay nodded, reaching up to rub absently at his temple. "A guy I know will drop off a truck near the landing zone. It'll look beat up but it's been retrofitted for speed and defense."
"What about your snake friend? Any luck tracking her down?" Talin asked.
"No, so let's hope we don't need her. You're the easiest to disguise," he said, "so you'll drive into Cinnamon Springs, with - "
Her phone beeped. "Sorry," she said, scrambling to pull it out of her pocket. "Probably one of Rangi's kids." She flipped it open. "Hello."
Clay and Dorian were already turning to finish loading up the plane with what looked like surveillance gear.
"Talin. It's Dev." The Shine director's tone was edgy.
Very aware of both men returning to her side, she slid her arm around Clay and spread her hand against the stiff line of his spine. "Dev?"
"You with the cat?"
"Yes."
"He can probably hear this conversation then."
She looked up. Clay and Dorian both nodded. "Yes."
"Good," came the surprising response. "Someone's been trying to contact you through your Shine e-mail account."
Her hand clenched on the phone. "And you know this because you've been spying on me?"
"No." His voice turned cutting, then he sighed, as if in frustration. "Because of the kidnappings, I recently put in place a secret macro program. It scans everything going through our servers, red-flags and sends me a copy of anything that sets off certain triggers."
Her outrage disappeared. "You were trying to catch the mole."