Joe’s was somewhere between a dive and a neighborhood bar whose heyday had been twenty years ago. The smell of smoke, spilled booze, and body odor slammed into her as soon as Lucius opened the door.

  How much worse is it for him?

  She glanced up at him and away. She owed him an apology for acting bitchy when none of this was his doing. I could fall in love with him. Maybe she was even halfway there. Which, of course, explained why she’d been so bitchy earlier. Better to push him away before he could leave her. It was her fallback, her fail-safe against being hurt.

  I promised I wasn’t going to keep doing that.

  Easier said than done.

  “There’s an empty table in the corner.” Big hand spanning her lower back, he guided her toward it. Every eye in the place was on them, some curious, others suspicious. She doubted this place saw many strangers.

  Uncomfortable being the center of such scrutiny, she hurried and slid into a chair. Lucius took his time, scanning the entire room before finally sitting. The chair groaned but held.

  A woman who looked to be in her early thirties with dark hair bundled up in a cascade of loose curls scurried over to the table. “My name is Sally. What can I get ya?” She cast a long look at Lucius and licked her lips. Raine wanted to smack those red painted lips.

  “Do you have a menu?” Her tone was sharp.

  “Nope, it’s all on the board.” Hip cocked and hand on her waist, she pointed to a large sign behind the bar. “Fish and chips, nachos, burgers, fries.”

  Ignoring the woman, Lucius leaned toward her. “What would you like?”

  “Nachos and a coke.”

  “And what can I get you?” The waitress was either dense or not deterred by Raine’s presence. “I can get you anything.”

  “I’ll take two of everything. And a beer.”

  “Two?”

  He tilted his head to one side. “Is that a problem?”

  “No problem. I’ll put your order in.”

  When they were alone, or as alone as they could get in a bar, she scooted her seat closer. “If this is the place Mack was supposed to meet his friend, how do we gather any information? It’s not like we can ask, not unless we want to raise suspicions. This doesn’t look like a talkative crowd.”

  He tapped his ear. “I listen.”

  Right, preternatural hearing. Toe tapping to the classic rock song on the sound system, she rubbed her finger over a spot on the table and dug around in her purse for hand sanitizer.

  Sally returned with their drinks and hovered. “Thank you.” Raine gave her a pointed look, which sent her on her way. Honestly, could her interest in Lucius be any more obvious?

  I’m jealous.

  Propping her elbows on the table, she rested her chin on her hands and let her gaze wander over the room. Best not to think about their relationship. It could be only short-term, no matter what they wanted. She was human, and, hello, he was immortal. Or was he?

  “Are you immortal?” Her life had taken a huge turn that a question like that was now normal conversation.

  “Hmm, no idea. Dragons live for tens of thousands of years. We’re the first and only drakons, so there’s no way of knowing.”

  Mind-blowing. Giving her head a shake, she concentrated on the other patrons. Four tables were filled, mostly with men. Two women sat in one corner, eyeing a group of three men, who were eyeing them back.

  “I think that’s Mack’s friend.” He tilted his head to two men who were huddled over bottles of beer. “He’s complaining his buddy was supposed to meet him. How Mack bragged about having a big job with plenty of money involved but wouldn’t give details. His friend bailed because he didn’t want to get into anything illegal.”

  “That saved him,” she murmured. Life was odd that way. You never knew which decision might prove to be one that would change everything—for better or worse.

  Just look at her.

  The waitress returned with a tray loaded with plates. She slapped the nachos in front of Raine. Smiling at Lucius, she began to unload the rest. “Here you go, handsome. I’ll get the second load. I love a man with a big appetite. And your eyes are amazing. Love those contacts,” she added before heading back to the kitchen.

  Unable to refrain this time, Raine rolled her eyes and dug into her meal.

  “I know it’s frustrating this was another dead end, but it was a long shot that we’d hear anything useful.” He picked up a burger and took a big bite.

  She took a long pull on her coke and slapped the glass onto the table. “Really? You think that’s what’s bothering me? Men,” she muttered.

  “What?” He honestly seemed perplexed.

  “That waitress is all but crawling on your lap.” She stuffed another nacho in her mouth to keep from blurting out anything else. They were surprisingly good, all things considered. Or maybe she was really hungry.

  A slow smile curved his lips.

  Don’t smile. Don’t smile.

  He leaned toward her, a sexy gleam in his eye. “You’re the only woman I want.” With his hair falling around his face and the soft fabric of his shirt straining at the seams, he’d be right at home on the cover of any romance novel. He was a rogue. No, a pirate.

  She sniffed. “Not my business.” He was going to break her heart, no two ways about it. He wouldn’t mean to, but it was inevitable. Fate—or their enemy—had thrown them together, but at the end of the day, he was a drakon and she was a human. Once he found his footing in the world, he’d say goodbye and leave her with nothing but memories.

  Smile fading, he cupped her jaw. “It is very much your business.” His eyes began to glow just as Sally bustled back to their table. Raine shook her head and rubbed her finger against the corner of her eye. He sat back and lowered his head.

  “Can I get you anything else?” She addressed her comment to him, but Raine answered.

  “Just the check.” The waitress flounced away, taking her disappointment with her. Shaking off her gloomy mood, she picked at the nachos while keeping an eye on the other patrons. Best to remember why they were here in the first place.

  Lucius plowed his way through six plates of food, ignoring the waitress when she slapped the check on the table. When every morsel was gone, he sat back with a sigh. “That takes the edge off.”

  “You really do eat a lot.” Feeding him was going to take a lot more money than she had. She dug into her purse. “I think I have enough cash to pay for this.”

  His brow furrowed. “I will pay you back.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He’d been sleeping for hundreds of years and literally had nothing but the clothes on his back.

  He caught her hand when she pulled out her wallet. “I will repay you. I have treasure cached in remote areas all over the world. I also have money I left in trust with the Brotherhood.”

  Holy shit! A real drakon’s treasure. It wasn’t myth but reality. She swallowed back the dozen questions on the tip of her tongue. Talk about highlighting their differences. Her lifespan was a mere blip of his, while he’d had thousands of years to build enormous wealth. Then the rest of what he’d said registered.

  “With the Brotherhood? The same people you don’t currently trust?”

  His jaw tightened. “Yes.”

  Talk about a dilemma. “Listen, I appreciate the thought, but I’m more concerned about figuring out who wanted you awake and why.” If she survived, she’d worry about the state of her finances. She set the money on the bill, even including a tip, although it was smaller than it might have been if the woman had kept her eyes to herself.

  “What’s this?” He held up a napkin with a number scrawled over it and a lipstick kiss beneath it.

  Gaze narrowing, she stood and zipped her purse shut. “Her phone number. I’m going to the bathroom.”

  “Not alone.” He pushed away from the table and followed her.

  “You can’t go in the ladies’ room with me. You should use the men’s room.” And she’d never be able to pee with him in there with her.

  “Be sure to come back,” the waitress called out.

  He detoured toward her and dropped the napkin into her outstretched hand. “I won’t be needing this.”

  She didn’t exactly do a victory dance, but her steps were lighter. When she finished, Lucius was waiting for her. Taking her hand in his, they left the bar behind.

  There was only one next logical step. “I guess we’re heading to New York.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Raine sat forward, not wanting to miss anything. Everything about New York City was vibrant and alive. The buildings reached for the sky, while the people reached for the stars. She rolled down the window, letting the cold wind and raucous noise of traffic surround her.

  Lucius was still driving. He was alert while she’d slept for most of the night and into the morning, waking only to visit an ATM and when they needed fuel, for themselves and the car. Probably not smart, since he didn’t have a license, but he handled the vehicle like a seasoned pro, merging in and out of traffic, following the GPS directions to a moderately priced hotel she’d found online earlier.

  “Have you ever been here before?” he asked.

  “Once, but it’s been years. I’ve always meant to come back but never managed to make it. Too much work, not enough money or time.” And that was a crime. “There’s so much to see and do, from museums to shops and restaurants and entertainment. This city has everything.”

  “I was here about twenty years before I headed to the cave in North Carolina. It’s nothing like when I saw it last.”

  She couldn’t even begin to imagine how it had changed. Their lives and experiences had been so different. Shivering, she put the window up and cranked the heat. The cool air had given her a boost, but exhaustion was pulling at her. They’d agreed the best thing they could do was get some rest and have a good meal before setting out on the next part of their quest.

  The chain hotel wouldn’t strain her already-tight budget and put them close to where they needed to be. After parking in a nearby garage, which wasn’t cheap, they collected their belongings. Lucius remained alert and allowed her to check them in, while keeping a watch on everyone and everything.

  All this was new to him, but you’d never know it by the way he handled things. She envied his easy confidence. She was hanging on by the tips of her fingernails. Part of her wanted to run home, crawl under the covers, and hope that all this was nothing more than a bad dream. But that would be cowardly. This was the adventure of a lifetime. She was a real-life Indiana Jones, or better still, Lara Croft. If only she could kick ass like they could.

  She really was getting loopy if she was focusing on fictional characters rather than face her own reality. On the elevator ride up to their floor, she began to weave from side to side. With his hand on her back, she managed to make it down the hallway without banging into the wall. When the door finally closed behind them, she dropped her bag and fell onto the bed with a groan, bouncing once before settling.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Her voice was muffled by the pillow. She managed to roll to her side and watch through half-closed eyes as he removed her boots and socks.

  “You need rest.” He was frowning again, his lips set in a hard line.

  “If you want to go to the Angel Foundation now, we can.” She might fall asleep on her feet, but she’d manage.

  “No.” He sat beside her and reached for the fastener of her jeans.

  “What are you doing?” More bemused than concerned, she allowed him to unzip her pants and tug them off, leaving her lower half bare but for her underwear.

  “Helping you get comfortable.”

  When he went for her sweater, she placed her hand over his. “What’s wrong?” He shook his head and sighed, staring at their hands. The bleakness in his eyes when he finally looked at her shook her to her core.

  “What if I discover Maccus is behind this?”

  Relief flooded her. Finally, he was ready to talk, to trust her. It was a huge step forward. “You said he was the leader of the Forgotten Brotherhood. Why would he do such a thing?”

  His hair swung when he shook his head again. “I don’t know, but he’s an angel.”

  “A fallen one. That’s what you said.” She’d studiously avoided thinking about it until now, having enough to deal with, but could put it off no longer. “Would he have given off the aura of an angel if he’s fallen? Oh my God, is he like Lucifer?” If angels were real, the devil must be, too. Horrified, her entire body broke out in a cold sweat.

  “No! Not many know his story, but Maccus was betrayed by an archangel, his wings stripped, and tossed into Hell. He fought for millennia until Lucifer feared him so much he kicked him out.”

  Surely I didn’t hear that right. “You’re telling me Lucifer, the devil, feared this Maccus guy so much, he threw him out of Hell? He’s been kicked out of both Heaven and Hell?” Her voice rose with each word until she was practically yelling.

  Just when she thought things were as bad as they could get. She hadn’t really put much credence in the entire angel thing until now. Avoidance was her friend, allowing her to function in a world already gone mad. Her throat closed; breathing became difficult. Ragged gasps tore from her aching lungs. This is not the time for a panic attack.

  “Raine.” He pulled her into his arms, wrapping himself around her, his warmth seeping into her cold skin. “I’ll keep you safe.” He peppered her face with kisses. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Grabbing his shoulders, she held on. He was solid and strong, but would he be powerful enough to go up against such an adversary? She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe deeply. Last thing he needed was a hysterical woman on his hands.

  Several deep breaths later, she was able to continue. “So he’s a fallen angel. He was your friend, right? Or was he more like a boss?” She had no idea how the whole assassin Brotherhood thing worked.

  “Maccus was one of the few I trusted. He brought us together as a group, but none of us are the type to take orders.”

  “I can only imagine.” Talk about a scary bunch of people or paranormals or whatever they called themselves. It would be so easy to bury her face in the curve of his neck and forget everything outside this room, but it would still be there waiting and eventually would come looking for them. “Why would he wake you?” That’s the part that didn’t make sense. “You weren’t causing any problems where you were.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been away a long time.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Things changed. People changed. “Let’s take this one step at a time. We’ll go to the Angel Foundation. If that’s a bust, we’ll find this Maccus guy. We can find him, right?”

  “The Forgotten Brotherhood lives in the shadows, to protect themselves and others.”

  “It’s not easy to hide in today’s world.” An idea struck her. She reached for her bag, but he kept his arms locked around her, not allowing her to leave. “I’m okay now,” she assured him. “I just had a mini meltdown.” Who wouldn’t? Angels were real and so was Lucifer. He was someone she never wanted to come face-to-face with.

  “I need to touch you.” Seemed she wasn’t the only one having a difficult time coming to terms with things. He was facing the possibility of a friend’s betrayal.

  “I’m here.” She might not be a supernatural being with preternatural abilities and strength, but she could offer comfort and understanding. “We’ll figure things out. How can we not with my brain and your brawn?”

  That teased a smile from him.

  “Or maybe it’s your brain and my brawn.” She flexed a bicep.

  “Raine.” The way he said her name had butterflies exploding in her stomach. Pink eyes glowing, he pressed his lips against hers. Sighing, she sank into the kiss, needing his touch as much as he needed hers.

  …

  Holding her made everything make sense, or at least easier to deal with. He knew better than to jump to conclusions, but there was compelling evidence.

  He hadn’t mentioned this to her, but Maccus had known the area he’d planned to settle in and sleep. It would be easy enough for him to find Lucius if he put his mind to it. This land had been sparsely populated at the time, with few around other than the indigenous tribes who had always given him a wide berth, sensing something different about him.

  The sounds of pleasure she made as they kissed drove all thoughts of the past and future away, leaving only the now. She likely thought herself weak for having a panic attack, but courage wasn’t the absence of fear. It was doing what needed to be done despite it.

  His dragon shuddered when her hand stroked his face, starved for her touch, her caring. It was a strong hand with slight nicks and calluses, left over from her attempts at escaping the cave. She was slender but resilient, bending rather than breaking in the face of adversity.

  He lifted her so she was sitting astride his thighs, letting her feel the hard press of his erection against her stomach. Another of those whimpers of pleasure made his scalp tingle. He slipped his hand beneath her sweater and top, finding the warm, smooth skin of her back. Her spine arched like a cat as he stroked upward.

  She was wearing one of those sports bras she favored. They were utilitarian and sturdy and made his mouth water. He shoved it up and skimmed his hands around to the front to cup her breasts.

  “I love your hands on me.” Her nails scored his upper back and raked lightly over his biceps. “They’re so big and hard.”

  They weren’t the only big, hard thing. His cock was painfully swollen. “I want you.” Never had a woman been as vital to his well-being. It made him vulnerable, gave him a soft spot his enemies could exploit, made her a liability. But the only thing that mattered right now was having her.

  “Yes.” She grabbed the hem of her sweater. Her elbow swung toward his nose. He jerked out of the way in time to keep from getting hit. “Sorry.” It didn’t stop or slow her down. Her enthusiasm was both sweet and arousing as hell.