Dodge glanced over. The last thing I needed was him thinking I was useless dead weight, some stupid idealistic kid who would get him killed. Except I was, for the most part. I swallowed hard and pressed my forehead against my knees. I just needed to get into my apartment and lock the door so I’d feel safe, and then I could figure out a plan. I could run away. Move cities. If I left fast enough, they wouldn’t track me down.
I rocked a little, needing to feel like I was moving or doing something, but I knew that trying to open the car door, even as the car idled at a red light, would make Dodge react. Given his earlier... efficiency in getting me out of the kitchen, I wouldn’t get very far. I just needed to breathe. Breathe and think. It would all be fine.
It all had to be fine.
Chapter 12
Dodge
Dodge knew the moment Persephone got stuck in her own head and started to lose it. Her breath hiccupped and her shoulders hunched forward. She did a damn good impression of a hedgehog curling itself up into nothingness to hide from a predator. He wanted to reach out, to reassure her, but didn’t know what to say. He’d never been good at the touchy-feely bullshit when the team ended up rescuing hostages, all those stupid kids who thought God or their parents’ money would save them from the militias who didn’t care about anything but protecting their diamond mines. Dodge was better at the practical stuff – getting her out of danger, moving to a safer location, identifying the threats, finding the next step, making a plan. Keeping everything moving. That was his specialty.
He really wished he had Silas next to him, though. Silas would have known what to say to make Persephone feel better.
Dodge parked her car in the lot next to the apartment building, making sure it was in the open and easily seen, and turned off the ignition. She moved numbly, automatically, to open her door. His hand shot out to capture her wrist. He leaned over the console, his face very close to hers, as she froze. Dodge lifted his free hand to touch her cheek and kept his voice low. “This is how we’re going to do things. We’re going to pretend that we just had a fun date and you’re inviting me upstairs for a drink, okay? I’m going to walk around and open your door to help you out, because you’re going to struggle a little.”
“I will not,” she whispered, though there wasn’t much heat to it. Her wide eyes, dark and mysterious, stared at him from a few inches away. She was close enough to kiss. He wouldn’t even need to lean very far or put in much effort. Her lips stayed parted as she tried to breathe.
“You will,” he murmured, and caressed her cheek. Dodge couldn’t help himself and tried to justify it as part of the play, in case anyone had followed them or sent a team ahead to monitor the girl’s apartment building. He needed them to think he and the architect were about to go upstairs and have some fun. So he nuzzled against her cheek and breathed her in, grumbling in anticipation as she turned into him, her eyelashes brushing her cheeks as she looked down. He could barely drag his thoughts back to what he was supposed to be doing – saving their lives. “It’s the adrenaline, baby. Nothing’s going to work right. Don’t panic. Just lean on me, maybe gaze up at me adoringly, let me grab your ass, you know. Whatever sells it.”
That got her attention. She blinked and retreated, nose wrinkled. “Let you what?”
Dodge snorted. “Just making sure you were paying attention.”
He kissed the tip of her nose, since it was damn adorable like that, and levered himself out of the car before she got her thoughts together and decked him. Persephone was still sitting there, startled, as he went around and opened up her door. Dodge winked as he helped her up and shut the car door behind her, looping his arm around her waist to keep her upright as she swayed.
They got about halfway through the parking lot – him carrying her purse, too, since Persephone was still struggling with the adrenaline dump that would have knocked anyone down – before she turned to look at him in consternation. “How do you know where I live?”
“I googled you,” he