She was still getting used to not calling him ‘wolf-man’ inside her head. They’d left him handcuffed in Declan’s custody. “Security will be tighter than a drum there. Sneaking in is too risky. If we can go in undercover and get Scott out before they even know we’re there, isn’t that a better option? You’ll be in far less danger. Aside from anything to do with Scott and Mr. Dearborn, if you think I’ll just let you walk into something dangerous alone when I could do something to help –”
She stopped talking as Beau took her hand in his, the other reaching up to cup her cheek. He looked into her eyes. “All right, Annie. I get it – I guess I’m not the only one with a protective streak toward my mate.” A smile flickered briefly over his face. “But you have to promise me, Annie – the second anything goes wrong, you get out of there. You don’t need to worry about me. You just go. I can take care of myself. And believe me, it’ll be more helpful for me to know you up and ran out the door. Okay?”
Annie nodded. She realized he was right – it’d be better for her to make a run for it so he didn’t have to worry about looking for her and rescuing her, if things came to that.
“Having said that, I’m not expecting any trouble,” Beau said. “We’ll have backup if things go south.”
“Okay,” Annie said, nodding, raising her own hand to cover his where it rested against her face. She shivered as his thumb ran over her cheekbone. “I got it. Now I just hope I can remember how to play poker well enough to not completely embarrass myself.”
Beau laughed. “Hey, don’t worry about the money – even if my expenses get denied, it’s not the end of the world.”
“It’s not that,” Annie said. “I have my pride! I was pretty good at one stage!”
“Well, if it comes to that, you can just distract them with your smile. I don’t see how anyone could concentrate if you turned on the charm with them.”
Annie could feel her face heating a little, and she laughed to cover up her nerves. “Maybe, maybe not, if all the other players are women – I mean, I guess some of them might be lesbians, but a table full? That’d be hard to come by.”
“Hey, if anyone could make someone consider it, it’d be you,” Beau said. He swallowed. “Annie, I wish I didn’t have to say this, but we need to go. The clock’s ticking, and we need to get this done.”
Annie nodded. Anxiety roiled through her stomach, and she firmly pushed it down.
This was definitely not where I saw this day heading when I woke up this morning, she thought. At some stage, she’d have to make the time to deal with it. But right now, she knew it’d be best to just focus on getting through the next couple of hours, one minute at a time.
“Pete made this place sound pretty remote,” she said. “Do you think we can drive up there?”
“Not a chance,” Beau replied. “I don’t think this place is designed to be gotten to by car.”
“Oh… so we walk?” Annie said doubtfully. “It’s pretty cold out there…”
She trailed off as she saw the look in Beau’s eye.
Wait. No. He can’t be serious.
“Are you scared of heights at all?” he asked.
“Uh, not last time I checked,” Annie said, but she still wasn’t quite sure she should really believe what she was hearing.
Is he – is he saying I should ride him?
She gaped at him, open-mouthed, uncertain how exactly to phrase that question out loud. But apparently Beau guessed what she was struggling to say anyway.
“Flying is the fastest way of getting there – and probably the only way,” he said. “I promise it’s not as scary as it sounds. I’d never let you fall.”
“I, uh, no, it’s not that,” Annie stammered. “It’s just… well, is it… rude? For me to do that? Like, just ride you around like you’re an ordinary, uh…”
An ordinary hippogriff weren’t really the words she was looking for, and she trailed off.
Beau just shook his head, grinning.
“No, it’s fine. Even if other shifters did find it rude, I wouldn’t mind. I promise.” He stepped back, though he kept a hold of her hand. “I don’t mean to rush you, but we better get going. But you’re safe with me, Annie. I swear it.”
Annie just nodded,