Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(44)

“Sounds like a good kid.”

“He is, until he isn’t.” Felicity took a healthy swallow of wine. “When his temper goes, it’s legendary.”

Daire snorted. “Adam is like that.” When Adam really blew his fuse, they all got out of the way. “And Logan, the massive beast who’s been eating me out of house and home, is your baby.”

She set her napkin on the plate. “Yes. He’s a sweetie, right?”

Ah, no. The kid was cunning, dangerous, and deadly. But he couldn’t organize worth crap. “Aye. He’s a nice kid.” In fact, Daire liked him, a lot. Were he and Cee Cee getting close? He liked her, and she liked him, so what the hell. Secrets and lies were behind them, and maybe, just maybe, after they shut down Apollo, he might court her. A long courtship with lots of fun for them both.

She stood and grabbed the plates.

He fumbled. “I’ll, ah—”

“Go sit down.” She set down the plates and turned to hand him the cognac and a crystal glass. “When I make dinner, I like to clean up to finish the entire act. Please.”

If the woman wanted to be all domesticated and take care of him, he was totally on board. “I sure like this side of you.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “This side?”

“Aye. As opposed to the side that drugs me and gets me shot.” He turned and banked the fire before dropping into a chair and stretching out his legs.

She hummed as she cleaned up the kitchen, and a coziness filled the room. Finally, she crossed near him. “Family is family, Daire.” Her words held a hint of warning and a thread of sadness.

His instincts started to hum. He tipped back the cognac and set the drink aside. “What are you up to, Cee Cee?”

She smiled, the sight slightly lopsided. “Nothing for once. Just that I’m glad we’re working together. I’ll send you the file I have on Rudger. I hope it helps.” She sauntered over and poured him another glass of the cognac. “I should’ve given you the name earlier.”

His ears pricked. Numbness settled in his belly and spread out to be quickly quashed. Temper swirled through him and then blew out in heat. “Son of a bitch.” He jumped to his feet and grabbed her forearms. “You drugged me. Again.”

She winced. “I know. I’m sorry.”

His knees wobbled.

She shoved him back into his chair. “I really like you, Daire. I do.”

He tilted his head to the side, noting the rapid pulse in her neck. “What the f*ck?”

She sighed. “I just put a little in the drink, I promise. You won’t be out for long.”

He wouldn’t be out at all, actually. “Where the hell was it?” he ground out, trying to focus as his vision fuzzed.

“I’ve had a vial in my boot. Figured I might need it.”

His hold loosened on her arms.

She set his hands down and patted his knuckles. “Like I said, I’m so sorry. But there’s no reason for you to accompany me on the mission since you now have Rudger’s name and should probably run him down. Believe me, you don’t want the conflict of interest.”

What conflict of interest? Daire frowned as he sent antibodies to the poison in his gut. None of this was making sense, but he needed his faculties to cure himself before she got outside. She turned and quickly made her way to the door and opened it. Rain splashed inside.

He’d been so ensconced in the sense of comfy domestication, he hadn’t even noticed it had started raining. Man, a woman cooked for him once, and he turned into a moron.

He shoved himself to his feet. “Felicity.”

She slowly turned around, her eyes widening. “Wh-what?”

“You should probably know something about witches,” he said, his legs strengthening.

Her chin lifted and her hand went to the doorknob. “What is that?”

“We can create antibodies for a drug if we survive the first injection,” he said, gauging the distance between them and her ability to kick him in the face. “It’s a gift we’re hoping will be useful in dealing with Apollo.”

She swallowed. “Well, crap.” Quick as any cougar, she pivoted and ran into the rain.

He smiled, his muscles bunching. Oh, the race was on. He cleared the front porch without hitting one step and landed in the mud, his boots spraying. Rain mashed down, coating his face. A blur of white crossed his vision toward the river, and he turned to follow. With that blond hair, she’d be easy to spot. His blood thrummed in his veins, and his breath evened out.

The rain carried her scent toward him—woman and hyacinth. Even through the storm, he could smell her clean scent tinged with both fear and arousal. He loped into a jog, winding around trees, avoiding stumps. Every inch of the property was familiar to him, and he wasn’t surprised when she found the barely there trail to the river’s edge.

He reached the bank in time to see her bounding across the massive rocks he’d placed in the middle. The rain matted her hair down her back, but she fought against the wind and reached the rocky shore, as graceful as any doe. Her soaked clothing clung to her, showing every inch of her spectacular body.

The drug tried to cling to his system, and he burned it away, temper alighting anew. She had drugged him after making him such a nice dinner and getting him to relax. The idea that she still didn’t trust him bunched his fingers into a fist, and he ducked his head as he ran for the rocks and made it across the rushing river in record time.