I’d taken a lot of physical abuse since I’d begun hosting Lugh, but most of the time he’d been able to heal the damage so that the suffering didn’t last terribly long. But this beating he hadn’t healed, and I understood why. No one was supposed to know I was possessed, so I couldn’t miraculously turn up uninjured after I’d taken a thumping like that. I cussed him out for it anyway. Hey, pain makes me grumpy.
I’d gone back to lying on the couch, moving the ice pack back and forth between my eye and my cheek, when the front desk called to let me know Adam had arrived. The walk from the couch to the door seemed to take forever, and my face throbbed to the beat of my heart. I detoured to the kitchen to dump the ice, which was mostly melted by now anyway, before opening the door to let Adam in.
“Wow,” he commented as soon as he saw me. “You look like shit.”
I scowled and tried not to slam the door behind him. “Thanks. Your compassion knows no bounds.”
He laughed, and I seriously considered decking him just to vent a little of my frustration and fury. But no, I was bruised and battered enough already. The last thing I needed was to start a fistfight with Adam.
“Tell me what happened,” he said as we sat on opposite ends of the couch.
I did. I wasn’t able to give much of a description of my attackers. Short, squat, powerfully built, with blah-brown hair and no identifying marks. At least, none that I’d been able to see while I was being pummeled. It wasn’t a whole lot to go on.
“I’ll check with building security,” Adam promised. “See if I can figure out how they got in. One assumes they aren’t residents.” I gave him a sour look, but didn’t comment. “Do you have a theory on who they were?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I assume they’re in league with Brewster.”
Adam looked thoughtful. “Maybe. But let’s keep an open mind. Who else has reason to want you to leave Brewster alone?”
My stomach did a backflip as an unpleasant possibility came to mind. “I had dinner with Claudia Brewster tonight. She was suddenly very anxious for me to butt out. She wouldn’t confirm or deny it, but I’m sure someone must have threatened her.”
Adam didn’t look any happier with that idea than I was. “I’m not sure she has the connections to hire a rent-a-thug on such short notice, but she certainly has the money. Anyone else been bugging you about the case?”
“Well, there’s you.”
He grinned. “Love, if I wanted you roughed up, I’d do it myself.”
I was too miserable to work up a good retort, so I settled for a dirty look. “There’s also Raphael,” I said. “Maybe he wasn’t as forthcoming with me as he claimed. Maybe there’s more to the Houston project than he was willing to admit, and he wants me to stay out of it.” I bit my lip, remembering my last conversation with him. “He did tell me to back off. He claimed it was because it was a hopeless cause, but maybe he had other motives.”
Adam looked grim. “I suppose that is a possibility. Damn, that guy is a pain in the ass.”
I had other, less charitable ways to describe him, but I’d voiced my opinion on the subject plenty of times already. “Is there any point in questioning him?”
“Doubtful. I don’t think he’s going to come clean if he’s the guilty party, and if he’s not, he could be offended.”
I snorted. “Like I care about offending him!”
“Your brother might care.”
I winced at the reminder. I might not be able to convince myself whose side Raphael was on, but one thing I did know—he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Andy to punish me if I pissed him off too much.
Adam folded up the little notebook he’d been jotting notes in and tucked it into an inner pocket in his jacket. It would have been nice if he’d forgotten all about Lugh’s little “suggestion,” but of course, he hadn’t. “So,” he said, his voice conspicuously neutral, “what’s the request Lugh wants you to make?”
I swallowed a groan, hopefully before any sound left my throat. I did not want to do this. And I wasn’t sure if this could technically be considered a compromise, seeing as Lugh and I hadn’t agreed on the terms before he’d taken matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, my options were limited in the extreme. Despite the threat I’d made earlier, I really, really didn’t want to be at war with the demon who possessed me. My life was tough enough now.
I nearly jumped out of my seat when Adam’s hand came to rest on my shoulder. I’d been staring at my hands, which were clenched in my lap, but now I looked up to meet his eyes. And I saw something in his expression that I’d never seen before, at least not directed at me—concern.
“What is it, Morgan?” he asked, and damn if I didn’t feel the prickle of tears in my eyes.
I swallowed hard, taking in a deep breath and banishing that hint of tears. “Have you told Dom about your extracurricular activities yet?” I asked.
Adam’s hand slid off my shoulder, and his posture stiffened. “What does that have to do with anything?” “Did you?”
The concerned expression disappeared as if it had never existed. Perhaps it hadn’t. Perhaps I’d just wanted him to look concerned. Now he was wearing his hard, cold face, the one that probably scared the shit out of any criminals who found themselves in his custody.
“No.” His voice was curt and clipped, and I had the feeling a full-fledged explosion of anger was on its way.
“Good.”
That took him by surprise. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. “What did you say?”
I knew he’d heard me, so I didn’t bother to repeat it. At least Dominic wouldn’t already be in a vulnerable state of mind when Adam asked him to host Saul again. I swallowed the lump in my throat and mentally reminded Lugh what I thought of him at the moment before I continued.
“Lugh’s decided to set up his court here on the Mortal Plain,” I said.
Adam nodded cautiously. “That seems like a reasonable thing to do.”
“You’ll be part of his inner circle, of course, and he’s counting on Raphael to be there, too, though he and I disagree on that.” I stalled out.
“Okay. Now tell me about whatever bombshell you’re going to drop.”
I clenched my hands in my lap so tight I heard my knuckles crack. But there was no turning back now. “He wants Saul to be in that inner circle, too.”
Silence descended like a heavy winter fog, dense and thick. Adam’s face closed off entirely, not a hint of expression showing through his impassive mask. But I knew thoughts and worries were pinging back and forth behind that mask. At least, I hoped they were. They sure were having a field day in my head, and my own mask was far from secure. A tear trickled down my cheek.
Damn. I thought I’d managed to suppress them entirely. I wiped the single tear away and willed myself to stay calm as I waited for Adam’s inevitable answer.
This shouldn’t matter to me so much, I told myself. Yeah, I liked Dom and considered him a friend, but it wasn’t like we were super close. He wasn’t someone I’d turn to in times of trouble. But then, who was? I noticed I was grinding my teeth and forced myself to stop.
“The suspense is killing me,” I said, trying to sound dry and sarcastic. It didn’t work. I noticed Adam’s hands had clenched, the knuckles turning white. His mask wasn’t perfect after all. But he didn’t say anything.
Minutes ticked by—at least it felt like it—and the tension grew worse and worse. I suppose I must not have been as sure of Adam’s answer as I’d thought, or else why would I have been such a wreck?
When I finally couldn’t stand it anymore, I stood up and headed for the kitchen. A cup of coffee wouldn’t cure all that ailed me, but at least it would be hot and soothing and delicious. Adam remained unmoving on the couch while I went through the ritual of making a pot of coffee. Not until I’d poured a mug and started to doctor it did he leave the couch and come to join me in the kitchen.
“May I have a cup?” he asked. Whatever he was thinking or feeling, he was still keeping it off his face.