Chapter 6

Mateo waited until he heard the snick of the bathroom lock before he yanked his boxers on and went to the door. As far as he could see, the man was alone, but who knew what—or who—was beyond the sight of the peephole? Shit.

The scent of the human on the other side wasn’t overly anxious or afraid. It didn’t matter if he was a hunter or just the guy delivering his laundered clothing. One way or the other, Mateo needed to open the door. Locked inside, they were sitting ducks. If he was the enemy, getting rid of him now was the only option. He had to get Sloane out sooner rather than later. He still needed to warn other dragons, and most of all, find a safe place to hide his mate until after he completed his mission.

He cracked the door open, ready to eliminate any threat to his mate, but the male didn’t move. After a moment, he lifted the laundry bag in front of him. “I have your laundry, sir.”

The man didn’t make a move to hand it over, just held it there.

“Thank you.” Mateo reached for the bag, but the man—Martin, according to his name badge—pulled it back a little before thrusting his free hand out.

“I had it laundered right away, even put a rush on it, sir. That kind of service deserves some kind of gratuity, I would think.”

Mateo stared unblinkingly at him for a moment. As steady as could be, the guy held his gaze. Mateo had stayed at that hotel on more than one occasion and had even used their laundry service before. He had never been asked for a tip. Not that he minded giving one, but the hotel policy forbade employees from requesting or accepting them directly. Tips were always added to the bill at the end.

Mateo peeked into the hallway, looking first one way, then the other, and finding it empty. Martin raised his eyebrows a touch higher.

“My manager has asked me to deliver these personally, sir,” the man insisted.

Martin’s exaggerated glance to the left and the slight tilt of his head, indicating the direction where the hallways intersected, convinced Mateo to take a chance. Whatever was going on, this guy wasn’t the enemy.

“Of course, I wasn’t thinking.” He stepped back, opening the door enough to let Martin in, then closed it behind him.

Even though Mateo didn’t get a bad vibe, he kept his body between Martin and the bathroom door.

“There are three men in the building. One is in the lobby with a newspaper, watching the elevators. The other two are going room to room, searching every floor. They have badges and are flashing pictures of your lady friend. They’re saying she’s a missing person. I assume that’s not the case?” Martin asked as he handed the bag to him at last.

“She’s not,” he said as he pulled his jeans out and put them on.

“I’m not,” Sloane piped in from behind the door, making him want to grin. Just the sound of her voice was enough to send a jolt through his blood stream.

“We figured as much. The hunters have gotten bold in the last few months. There’s a fire exit at the east end of the hall. It leads to the alley behind the building. The concierge has taken the liberty of securing a vehicle for you and has it parked at the back.” Martin handed him the keys.

“Thank you, Martin.” Mateo shook the other man’s hand. His car, or rather the one he’d rented, was of little consequence. The rental company fees would be worth it to keep Sloane safe. Hell, he’d pay for the car’s replacement if something happened to it out there on the street.

“Anytime. I’d hurry if I were you. The hotel isn’t as much of a haven as it once was.”

“Thank you,” Sloane’s muffled voice sounded through the door again just before the man left.

Mateo pulled his shirt on. “It’s safe to come out.”

“I guess the honeymoon is over?” Sloane asked as she exited the bathroom, her dress once again covering her delicious body.

She went straight for her shoes and picked them up before facing him. A faint pink hue tinted her cheeks, and her lips were puffy. Gorgeous.

“Not by a long shot. We just have to find a safe place first.”

“So, are you planning on telling me what’s going on? Why are they after me?” she asked without an ounce of fear to tighten her voice.

“There isn’t enough time for all the details, but the woman I met with today is a hunt organizer. She had a list for me with a bunch of names of dragons in the city. Your name was on there.” Fire churned inside, scorching his throat with the need for release at the thought of Sloane in that kind of danger.

Sloane gasped. “But in the city? That’s unheard of.”

It was. In fact, it didn’t make sense at all. The logistics of carrying out a hunt in the city were ridiculously difficult, yet the hunt was on. “That doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”

Grabbing his cell from the bedside table, he dialed Jace’s number. As much as he’d love to stay and hash it out with her, the enemy was closing in.

“Hey, I need a favor,” he told his clan mate as soon as Jace answered.

“Is the mission compromised? Do you need back up?”

Mateo leaned against the table, watching as Sloane pulled a tube from her purse and applied a fresh coat of red to her lips, making him groan.

“Mateo?” Jace asked, his voice more concerned than it had been.

“No, not yet. But I need to send someone to you. Do you have anyone in the area?”

Sloane met his gaze in the mirror, then turned to him, her eyebrows raised and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Nah, but I can have someone there in a couple of days. What’s up? Who do we need to escort home?”

He didn’t break her gaze as he stuffed his wallet into his back pocket. “My mate. The hunters have targeted her.”

Sloane’s jaw muscle twitched as she ground her teeth together. She fisted her hands, and the pink in her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

A long, pregnant pause came over the line. “Shit. Yeah, I’ll send someone. Where are you, man?”

Mateo took a step closer to his mate. He had no doubt she’d heard both sides of the conversation, and she was pissed. But then, she didn’t know the extent of danger she faced.

“We’re at the hotel on University, but we’re leaving. Hunters have compromised this location. I’ll send coordinates later.”

As soon as the call ended, Sloane opened her mouth to speak, but Mateo was already connecting another call, this time to Rory. He hadn’t known the man long and would have rather had his clan brothers to back him up, but none of them were available.

The phone rang twice before he answered. “I need to ditch the car. Can you pick us up at the Brooklyn Bridge Park by pier two?” Mateo asked without preamble. Hopefully, no one would be around by the time they got there.

“Yeah, sure.” If he’d woken Rory, it didn’t show in the man’s voice. “I take it you found her?”

“I did.”

“Right. On my way,” he said before disconnecting the call. The man didn’t talk much, which suited him Mateo just fine.

Sloane glared at him for the duration of the short conversation, her arms crossed beneath her breasts and her foot tapping the floor. She still looked sexier than hell.

“I’m sending you someplace safe until we deal with this threat against you,” he said before she could voice a protest. “After that, you and I can figure out what to do from there.”

Some of the tension left her shoulders, and she released her fists. “I’d rather stay with you. I’m a little rusty, but I can fight.”

He’d already witnessed her temper, even if she hadn’t unleashed it on him—yet. He’d almost bet she could fight, but whether that was the truth or not wasn’t the point. He wanted—no he needed—to get her as far away from danger as possible. After what he’d gone through with his mother and sister, his dragon wouldn’t tolerate anything else.

“I’d rather have you with me, too, believe me, but your safety has to come first.” He pressed his lips to hers, not pulling away until she melted into him, and then only because he had to. “But before we can do anything else, we have to get out of here.”

Sloane looked like she would argue, but then sighed and grabbed her purse. “Let’s go.”