“T-torch the SUV?” she echoed blankly. She knew what he was saying should make sense to her, but it didn’t.
Merek reached out and caught her chin in his hand. “Sweetheart, Alex told me Luca said vampires can track the scent of our blood. We were leaking a hel of a lot of it, so depending on how sensitive they are, they might find the SUV pretty easily.”
“It’s soaked with Alex’s blood.”
“Yeah. We’re ditching the car. I’m going to take it outside of town, burn it, dump it in the river we passed, and hope that throws them off a bit. I’l do what I can to mask my scent on the way back.” He returned to his room for a moment and came back with a revolver. “I’m leaving this with you. Anyone but me tries to come into either room, and I want you to use it. Understood?”
A jerky nod was the best she could do as she accepted the heavy weapon. “I ran over a man today. If that’s not proof I’m capable of hurting people before they hurt me, I don’t know what is.”
“Good girl, and thank you for saving my ass, too.” He ran a hand down her hair, which had been a windblown, tangled mess before he’d kissed her.
She gestured to the sleeping Alex. “You saved ours first.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” He flashed a brief grin. “Go take a quick shower. Then I want your clothes and al the dirty towels.”
Picking up her suitcase, she shuffled into the bathroom, and obediently scrubbed herself clean in the fastest shower of al time. She’d have liked to linger and pamper herself under the hot stream of water, but instead winced as the soap insinuated itself into al the little scrapes and bruises on her skin. Drying off used the last of the thin towels, and she was in a pair of yoga pants and a shirt under a minute later.
“Be careful,” she whispered and handed Merek everything from the bathroom, including the bloody bandage she’d fished out of the garbage.
“I wil .” And then he was gone.
Not letting herself peek out the curtain as he drove away, she set the revolver on the nightstand and pul ed up the one chair in the room next to Alex’s bed. He looked better, but he was bound to now that he wasn’t covered in his own blood. She didn’t know how long she sat there in tense silence, watching over Alex, feeling grit burn her eyes, listening for any noise outside. An eternity.
She jolted when the doorknob rattled, snatched up the gun, and held it at the ready. Relief made her wilt back into her chair when Merek’s voice came through. “It’s me.”
He was even filthier than he had been, dirt and sweat making streaks down his face. His gray eyes stood out in pale contrast. Exhausted strain made brackets around his mouth. “I’m going to clean up, get a few hours sleep. We’l take a cab to the smal airport here, which opens at seven in the morning. We’re going to be on the first flight out. I don’t care where it’s headed.”
“Okay.” She stared at Merek for a long moment, drinking in the sight of him. Some of the tension inside her eased at having him back with her. She knew that was dangerous, but they’d gone so far over the line tonight, she didn’t know if they’d ever get back to safe emotional ground.
His stride wavered a little as he walked into his room. Frowning, she hurried after him, shut the adjoining door so their conversation wouldn’t disturb the sleeping wolf, and fol owed Merek into his bathroom. He was gingerly tugging his shirt away from his arm, and it was then that she realized he was injured.
A long gouge ran up the length of one bicep and came to a ragged stop just above his elbow. It was ugly, swol en, caked with clotted blood. A trickle of red ran down his arm. “It broke open again on the way back.”
“Oh, gods,” she choked. “How bad are you hurt? Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” This, after everything with Alex, was too much for her. It piled on top of her until she felt moisture wel ing up in her eyes.
The pain, the gut-wrenching terror, the exhaustion.
“Sweetheart—”
“Gods.” A tear slipped down her cheek, something deep inside her crumpling under the force of her fear.
“How the hel did this happen? This can’t be real. I’m just a scientist. I don’t . . . I don’t hurt people, I don’t . . .
Alex was shot, for gods’ sake. I had to pul a bul et out of my godson’s gut.”
“Look at me, ” Merek ordered, cupping her face in his hands. “Take a deep breath.”
She sucked in a breath, and her chest hitched on a sob, but she locked her gaze on his dirt and blood-streaked face. The dried crimson stains did little to calm her, but she swal owed and forced herself to get a stranglehold on her control. Blinking away the tears stil clinging to her lashes, she let the air ease out of her lungs. “Okay. Okay, I’m calm.”
“Good.” He stroked his fingers down her cheek, and she leaned into the comforting touch. “I know this is nuts, honey, and nothing I can say wil make it less so.”
“I know.” She sighed. “It just . . . hit me al of a sudden.”
“That happens.” His smile was crooked. He dropped his hands and yanked his T-shirt over his head.
Even the blood crusted on his skin didn’t stop her mouth from watering at the sight of al that naked flesh. He unsnapped his fly, the hiss of his zipper loud in the smal bathroom, and then he was deliciously nude. “Once our flight takes off from here, we’l take a bunch of connections and bounce around different cities before we get off. I don’t know how or if they can track us from one plane to the next, but I doubt it.”
She thought about what she knew of vampiric hypersenses and tried hard not to stare at Merek’s sculpted ass. “It doesn’t seem feasible, no.”
To give herself something else to do, she leaned to the side and plucked up one of the threadbare hand towels provided by the motel, hosed it down in the sink, and started dabbing at his arm.
“Good. We’re not risking it though. We’l keep moving.” He flinched, but angled himself to the side to give her a better look so she could clean him up.
Pressing her palm over the wound, she closed her eyes and pul ed up the dredges of her magic to disinfect and heal the ugly gash. She felt the flesh close under her fingers, but the effort sucked away the few reserves of strength she had. When she opened her eyes, she saw the skin was stil swol en and pink, but it was as healed as she could get it. Wolves and vampires had magical healing abilities that left no scars, but unlike Alex, Merek would be physical y marked by this night forever.
The muscles flexed as he tested his arm. “Nice. Much better than I could do. Thanks, Doc.”
“Anytime.” She tossed the towel down and laid a hand on his chest, just to feel the vital warmth of him. He was here; he was alive. They were al okay. This time. Her fingers moved in circles on his skin, stroking unconsciously as she absorbed the reality of him.
Slanting her a sinful look that was her only warning, he looped his good arm around her waist and swung her into the bathtub. “Keep me company while I shower. Strip.”
“Are you sure you’re up for that? I mean, your arm stil has to be sore, and you must be bone tired because I know I am.” Her mouth snapped shut when he just took her hand and wrapped it around his hardening erection. She grinned a little. “I guess you’re up for it.”
“I guess so. Not enough energy left for any pleasure spel s, so we’re doing this the Normal way.” He shook his head, his smile rueful. “I’m half-dead, and I stil want you.” And then he dropped his mouth to hers and al but inhaled her. The desperation in his touch reached down deep inside her, and her own chaotic emotions imploded.