Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(50)

She got another nod from Lanna before the girl turned around and headed on, but this time without the misery that had been in her face a moment ago.

Smart young woman.

Gripping her forehead, Evalle fought to calm herself and lower her skin temperature.

Thinking of Storm seemed to push her emotions closer to the surface than anything else. She had to come up with something to tell him about her plans for the next twenty-four hours that wouldn’t light up his lie detector. She hated lying, especially to him.

But she’d do whatever she had to do in order to keep him safe.

The elevator stopped with a jolt, and Lanna exited first. She took one look around and started toward the only black Expedition parked there.

Evalle pulled out the key fob and pressed the unlock button for the rear gate. It popped open by the time they got to the truck. “Sorry again about before, Lanna.”

“No problem.”

“Yes, it is a problem, but I can’t explain right now, and it’s also a problem because it was wrong to be rude to you.”

Lanna smiled at her and Evalle felt forgiven. The girl had given her time to calm down and regroup. She deserved a reward. Evalle offered, “How about some dinner?”

Lanna shoved the suitcase into the back and closed the hatch, smiling big-time. “This sound wonderful.”

“I’ve got a great place—”

The words died in her throat when Storm stepped out from behind the SUV. Arms crossed, eyes like flint and mouth rigid.

Evalle relaxed her fingers, determined to stay calm, or she had no chance at outmaneuvering him.

“Storm!???” Lanna bubbled, full of happy again.

“Hi, Lanna. Going somewhere?” He gave one of his devastating smiles to the young girl, and Lanna sighed so loudly that Evalle worried the girl might pass out from hormone overload.

Lanna pulled herself together and answered, “I go to stay with Evalle.”

“Oh?” Storm’s gaze swung back to Evalle.

Evalle jumped in before Lanna could say too much. Handing the keys to Lanna, Evalle said, “I need a couple minutes, okay?”

With a quick look at Evalle and Storm, Lanna walked to the passenger side, climbed into the truck and closed the door.

Evalle walked away, stopping at a spot in a shadowed corner that allowed her privacy while still being able to see the SUV.

Storm followed her. “Where’s your bike?”

This was where it got tricky.

Snorting at his question, Evalle asked, “Do you think Quinn would let me put Lanna on a crotch rocket? At least we don’t have to ride around in a limo this time.” She hoped he’d accept her insinuation that Quinn was behind the SUV. Storm knew her underground apartment was a quick ten-minute walk from the hotel.

He admitted, “No. Can’t see him allowing Lanna on a bike, but she’d probably go for it. Why have you got Lanna?”

Relieved to get away with that, Evalle filled him in on Grendal.

His gaze swept over her and stalled at her arm. “Did you get rid of the armband?”

“No, and I haven’t been able to tell Tzader about the ABC yet. There’s a lot going on at VIPER that I need to tell you about.”

Storm didn’t rush to fill in the pause that followed.

She’d told the truth, even if it was misleading. She hadn’t been able to tell Tzader because of the warning he’d given her before she’d left headquarters, but Storm’s silence was getting to her. “What?”

“You still have that Volonte, and now you’ve got to watch out for a crazy wizard.”

“Lanna thinks he’s in the city, but Grendal hasn’t actually located her yet. My apartment is underground and warded. He won’t find her there.”

Appeased for the moment, Storm asked, “Why didn’t you come by my house?”

The truth would work best right now. “I was afraid.”

He made a sound of disbelief.

“Wait.” Hoping to smooth out the bristling tension between them, she put a hand up. “You know I’m not afraid of you. But I haven’t got the best control right now and I . . . don’t want to humiliate myself again.” If he could change the subject, so could she. “Where were you when I called?”

“I went back to the Beast Club site this afternoon to track Imogenia.”

“Why?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Something wasn’t right about Imogenia. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me that she’d stuck that armband on your arm, as if she knew what the bone would do to you.”

“But that would mean she knew who I was and expected to see me at the Beast Club,” Evalle pointed out, feeling her body cool off with the change in topic. “I’m the one who went looking for her.”

“I know.” Storm turned his head, gazing out to where night surrounded the parking deck. “But . . . I don’t know, something’s off about all of this.”

“Did you find out anything else?”

“Maybe.” He faced her again. “You recall smelling a smoky scent of licorice around the Beast Club last night?”

“You mean that old vendor’s incense?”

“Yes. I tracked Imogenia and her Alterant to where she left the area in a car. Her trail diverted around a clearing in the woods. I went to check it out and found that smoky scent.”