was nothing but demand, an order. Her temper flared, and she dropped her hands.
“I probably just saved your life — and you want to order me around?” she asked, incredulous. Her voice was scratchy. She could only guess what sort of sounds she had been making while she slept. Once before she had had the same nightmare, and Chris had shoved her awake, pissed that she had woken him from his sleep. Apparently, she had been screaming like a banshee.
“It wasn’t so hard to listen, was it.” The abrupt statement confused her at first. Then a smile curled her lips.
“Shut up.” Her chagrin statement was met with silence as she sat up, arranging the heavy duvet around her body. Yes, her Columbia was still on, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t freezing her ass off. The chill in the air was abnormal.
It came from him. A burst of frigged air came from his body, the shock of it making it feel like a frost against her skin. Jamie backed away, pressing against the headboard. The look in his eyes was dangerous enough to make a tiger cower.
“You plan on making an escape.” Once again, he said it not as a question but as a statement. Jamie nodded, rubbing her arms.
“I can’t just stay here,” she said, gazing around her. She should have been angry, scared, but the way he had stared down at her flushed away any thoughts of that origin. Her cheeks were still damp with tears, lashes heavy and eyes watery. As she stared at him, she realized she had no reason to be embarrassed.
He must have had his fair share of tears.He might not show it, but she knew that he sure as hell felt it.
“I am to go with you,” he said, nodding. His large, now clean arms, wrapped around his chest. The straining muscle bulged, the fact that he must have lost a large amount of body weight nonexistent.
Jamie answered his question with a nod. “I would really appreciate it if you did,” she said in a murmur.
Talon’s arms loosened around his chest. He stared at her, trying to understand. Something about her screamed determination — but the scream that he had heard from her earlier belied that. She was as weak and broken as he was. He recalled his deal with Auro in distaste. He didn’t want to do this, to betray her. Talon tried telling himself that he didn’t care about her, but... Hell, that was a lie.
The way her eyes looked at him affected him as none other had. There was no fear in their pale blue depths, nothing that said she was repulsed by him. A normal woman would have run screaming, but she stayed — if only because there was no way out. Yet he thought of her plans to help him escape. Adrenline rushed through him as he thought about finally taking in fresh air, of finally feeling the sun on his skin in all its glory. The window in that cage had been a small reminder that he was not meant for freedom.
To feel a full ray of light on his skin would be spiteful to Auro — and he was more than okay with that.
Talon was torn. Her hands were small, delicate, nails clean and dainty. What would he feel as he watched her plead for her life, reaching for him with those very hands? Auro believed that he would not care — but the more Talon thought about it, the stronger the territorial rage in his chest expanded.
Her voice was soft, compliant, undemanding and caring. Would she scream for him, cry for him? Would she rage her betrayal to him after he took her — and Auro held her in his hands? Should he even take her —
“Talon, we need to leave tonight.” Her voice broke him out of his dangerous mindset. Her face was pale, and she had not moved from her spot.
His head shook. The woman was crazy, he would give her that. The strength that she possessed would get her killed in the long run. Only one time had he tried to escape, and his punishment had been traumatic. His eyes turned haunted as he stared at her.
Jamie reached out a hand, hesitating as he started to pull away. “We need to,” she said, conviction in her feminine voice. Tears welled in her pale blue eyes, making his heart turn. He kept a straight face, though, staring at her with dead eyes.