And despite his anger, his determination to keep his emotional distance, here he sat, with his arms wrapped around Angelique.
And dammit, it felt right.
Not good. Not good at all.
He pushed away and stood, looking down at her. “You okay now?”
She nodded, swung her legs over the bed. “I’ll be fine.”
“Get dressed. Pack what you can in five minutes. We’re getting out of here now before the Sons of Darkness send in round two.”
He pivoted and walked away from her, needing the distance. He’d do his job. He’d protect her and he’d bring back the black diamond.
But that’s all he was going to do with Angelique. He wasn’t going to care about her.
CHAPTER TWO
Ryder had found them a new place to stay-clear across the island from where they had been.
This house was as remote as one could get. Like a stronghold on top of a hill, it was a tiny stone cottage, one story, with jutting rocks surrounding it and brush weaving in and out as camouflage. No other houses in the vicinity, either. None for miles, actually.
Angelique was glad for Ryder’s company, because they would be utterly isolated here.
When they’d first arrived to case the area, instead of using the driveway, Ryder had walked them down to the water’s edge and examined the cliffs. Definitely inaccessible enough and only one way in, and it wasn’t via the steep cliffs. Without adequate climbing gear, no one could get up the back way and hide deep within the rocky crags. One slip and they’d be dead meat.
It was a perfect house to hide out. And it had been vacant. Ryder had contacted the rental agent first thing in the morning, and offered up an obscene amount of money for an immediate move-in. Maybe the place was so remote no one wanted it. The rental agent had given them the keys, and an hour later they were back at the house.
Ryder had been strangely silent while she packed up her essential things last night, then shoved her and them in his car along with his gear. She’d stayed silent as well, though she knew it was only a matter of time before Ryder would demand information.
She’d slept only fitfully in the car while Ryder had done all the driving. She’d been way too keyed up, too afraid of monsters jumping out at her around every corner. She’d sleep when she calmed down.
Or maybe never. Would she ever get the vision of that creature waking her up out of her mind? Its cold hand slamming down over her mouth to drown out her scream? The threats of cutting her throat, the powerful strength of its body pressing down upon her as she lay helpless in her bed?
What if Ryder hadn’t been there? What would have happened?
She shivered and pulled her sweater around her chest. Despite the warmth of the sun pouring in through the open windows of the vehicle, she could still feel the demon’s icy fingers touching her.
She might never be warm again.
Ryder drove into the open garage and they hopped out, unpacked and stepped through the door leading from the garage into the house.
“This is lovely, Ryder.”
He seemed to be paying no attention to the inside of the house, only peering outside before looking back at her. “Uh-huh.”
She, however, was looking her fill. “It’s quaint and small and intimate. And the garden is lovely. There’s even a small pool out back.” She wandered through the kitchen and out the back door.
The pool was small, but it was sunny, and well guarded by the high stone wall and lots of greenery. Beyond the edge of the wall was the cliff. No way someone could come at them. Unless they materialized in a puff of smoke.
She shuddered at the memory.
How had they found her, anyway? Both the demon and Ryder? Another question she filed away for later.
The living room had two sofas. Stone sofas, actually, with thick pillows like futons. Stone coffee table and end tables to match the rock walls. It would stay cool in here without air-conditioning.
One bedroom and a king-sized bed.
“You can take the bedroom,” he said to Angelique over her shoulder as she leaned against the doorway to the room.
“Where will you sleep?”
She turned around to face him, noticing he backed up a step.
He shrugged. “I don’t sleep much. When I need to conk out I’ll use the couch.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle, confused by the distance he put between them. “I see.”
“We’ll have to share the one bathroom, though.”
“Of course. Unless you want to bathe in the pool.”
“I’ll pass.” He walked away and out the back door.
Okay, so her attempt at humor had failed. Ryder wasn’t in a good mood. Not that she could blame him. She probably wasn’t his favorite person right now, considering her theft of the black diamond. He’d no doubt been assigned to retrieve it, and her, and hadn’t expected to fight demons in the process.
She hadn’t expected to be awakened by one in her bedroom last night. Memories of those glowing eyes in the darkness still made her stomach twist. Shaking her head to block out the visual, she walked outside and joined Ryder. He leaned against the post on the covered porch. She took a seat in the white rocker, enjoying the bliss of the warm day, the fragrant flowers, wishing this were a vacation, that she had no cares in her life. She wished a lot of things were different.
But that wasn’t the case.
“How did the demon find me, Ryder?”
He continued to look out toward the sea. “I don’t know. You must have left them some clue to your whereabouts.”
“I didn’t leave any clues.”
He turned his head and looked at her. “I found you, didn’t I?”
“You’re human. And you have the Realm of Light to help you along.”
His gaze narrowed. “And they’re demons. They have connections even I don’t have. Don’t ever underestimate them.”
“Point taken.”
“Where’s the black diamond, Angie?”
She shook her head, not at all surprised. “That didn’t take long, did it?”
“Did you really expect me to beat around the bush?”
She pulled her knees up to her chest, too tired to do battle with him but knowing it was inevitable. “I guess not.”
“Answer my question.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Obviously. I searched the house last night. So where is it?”
His voice was cold, his tone clipped. She bristled, wishing for the warmth, the patience he had shown her last night. “It’s safe.”
“Where?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You mean you won’t.”
“No, I won’t.”
He inhaled, then let it out in an audible sigh that spoke of frustration. Tough. She was frustrated, too, and had been for months now. She had questions for which there were no answers; she had been searching endlessly for her sister, with no results. So he could just join her in her disappointment party.