Downtown Atlanta, Georgia
Watching through the rain-misted air of predawn in the city, Adrianna crossed her arms, allowing her body language to warn she had no tolerance for anyone at the moment.
Certainly none for Isak, who had headed for her as soon as she stepped out of Daegan’s cloaking and into view.
Her McLaren sat crumpled, with steam rising from the hot engine after someone had intentionally crashed into her with incredible force.
That move had been part of a devious trap to capture Evalle.
Adrianna kept trying to sort through the timing. That could happen only if somebody had a way to know the very moment she entered the intersection prior to the crash.
Definitely a powerful preternatural involved.
The level of insanity to orchestrate all of that against someone under Daegan’s protection was beyond her imagination. All she cared about right now was finding her friend. Dealing with Isak would waste time.
Emergency vehicle lights flashed across the dark landscape, where humans were now busy trying to figure out what had happened. Most had their phones out to videotape the drama.
With Daegan and Storm gone from Evalle’s crash scene and teleporting everything, including the white van, to Storm’s place, the entire area had returned to the way it should look sans the second wreck site.
What about those cell phones? Had someone captured the before and immediately after images? Someone from VIPER would have to manage damage control with that and the traffic camera footage. She couldn’t deal with the potential human fallout right now.
Isak got larger the closer he came. Next to his mountain of a body, she’d look like an anthill, but she was the deadliest being present and he better remember that.
She was in no mood for his questions or his condemnation of nonhumans.
The last time they’d seen each other, Isak made it clear he did not want nonhumans near him or his family. That had been only hours after trying to get into her pants.
Okay, in fairness, she’d put out the welcome mat for that intimate episode, but no more. He was an enemy to her kind.
“Are you okay?” he asked, sounding panicked as he closed the distance between them.
She hadn’t expected those words to be first out of his mouth.
That didn’t change her feelings toward him. “What I am is busy and in no mood to answer questions, Isak. Take your men and go home.”
He stopped two arm lengths away. He had a hurt look in his eyes she’d never seen before, but he had no right to look hurt. She hadn’t been the one to stomp on his heart.
“I just got word about your car being wrecked and wanted to see that you were ... alive,” he said, sounding concerned.
How dare he act even a little bit caring after what he’d done? “As you can see, I am fine.”
“Your forehead is bleeding,” he argued softly.
Her chest felt like she’d gone five rounds with a professional cage fighter and one leg had been tied, but she would not allow this man to do anything for her.
Not again.
He was the only man she’d ever opened her heart to and she would not do that again.
Not for a human with his prejudice.
Cocking her head in a tart way that sent spikes of pain jabbing through it, she gritted her teeth and said, “As we both know, I can heal myself. Let’s not forget that I’m not like you.”
“Adrianna, I—”
He was not doing this here. She said, “Stop right there. I’ve got things to do. Someone will show up to deal with my car so your presence is not needed.”
The wounded look in his gaze grew darker.
He was not making her feel guilty. Not one bit. And that wasn’t the reason she softened her next words. “Please leave, Isak.”
“I also heard Evalle’s motorcycle was crashed, but it’s nowhere around. What happened to her?”
So much for trying to be nice. She powered her voice enough to let him know he was poking around in the wrong area. “This is not human business. You made it clear that you wanted nothing to do with our kind. So stay out of our way. Stay out of my way.”
He grimaced. “I know I said some harsh things and ... ”
Her heart cried and beat angry fists against her chest. “Don’t even go there, Isak. You have no idea the frame of mind I’m in right now. The last thing I have patience for is you.”
Running a hand over his face and lowering it to his side, he said, “I’d like to talk.”
“Is the word no not getting through to you? We have nothing to talk about and I have zero time to waste talking.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. “Okay, fine. If you don’t want to talk about us—”
“There. Is. No. Us.” Those words slashed across her soul, but she had to say them.
“What I’m trying to say is, I have a feeling something bad has happened to Evalle and I want to help. I have resources for tracking humans and, uh, nonhumans.”
He did have an intelligence network that rivaled that of human law enforcement agencies, and even some preternaturals, when it came to ferreting out information in this world.
What kind of friend was she to turn down any help that might save Evalle?
Isak must have taken her silence as an opening. He added, “I’m willing to offer all my resources with no strings attached.”
She chewed on it another few seconds.
“I only have one request, Adrianna.”
Her face shifted from one of concentration to suspicion. “Not that I’m accepting your offer, but what do you want?”
“For you to be my contact person.”
“Is that all?”
His face showed the first sign of hope. “That’s it. I don’t want anything else.”
“Too bad, because I don’t want anything to do with you, so the answer is no. We’ll accept any real intelligence, but one of the Beladors will be in touch with you.”
Power surged nearby and Daegan emerged from a shadow, striding toward her. “Is there a problem, Adrianna?”
Isak jerked toward the booming voice and what he would assume was a potential threat. Witnessing Daegan in both dragon and human forms was part of what had driven the big jerk over the edge into complete meltdown.
Adrianna said, “I’m certain you remember Daegan, dragon king of the Beladors, who helped save your mother.”
Daegan looked from Isak to Adrianna, clearly confused about Isak’s presence.
Adrianna explained, “Daegan, this is Isak Nyght. I don’t believe you’ve formally met, but you saw him in the battle with the Laochra Fola a few months back.”
“Yes.” Daegan nodded. “While in gryphon form, Evalle asked me not to kill you.”
Adrianna noted a moment of embarrassment in Isak’s face. He should be. Evalle had never discounted Isak for being a mere human and neither had Adrianna.
She told Daegan, “Isak has known about nonhumans for some time. In fact, his company develops weapons to use against our kind.” Daegan’s eyes narrowed. An uneasy tension crackled in the air, then one of his eyebrows twitched upward and his glare grew harder.
Slashing a hard look at Adrianna, Isak said, “That’s a bit unfair, wouldn’t you say? I’ve loaned weapons to Evalle for the Beladors in the past.”
She shrugged in reply, because he was right. But she’d never let emotions rule her decision-making, and clearly the emotions she still harbored for Isak interfered with her brain waves. That was unacceptable.
That was also the main reason she could not accept his offer.
She was honest enough with herself to admit she’d made a grave mistake by spending time around the nice Isak.
That made it difficult to keep remembering the jerk Isak.
Daegan wore a dark T-shirt and jeans like a native to this world, but his words still rang of ancient life. “ I owe you thanks for your aid in the battle against our enemies, but what business have you here, Nyght?”
“I’m offering help to find out what happened to Evalle.”
Before Adrianna could admit she’d refused to work directly with Isak, which would reflect badly on her for letting feelings get in the way of helping Evalle, Daegan handled it.
He said, “We want no aid from humans.”
“Why not?” Isak asked, clearly confused about being turned down twice. “I’m getting the feeling that Evalle was not just wrecked, but is missing. Doesn’t Evalle matter to any of you?”
Daegan’s power surged so fast and hard that Adrianna frowned and Isak rocked backward on his feet. The dragon king spoke in a voice that sent chills across Adrianna’s skin.
“Humans aided preternaturals in an attack on Evalle. Beladors have watched over humans for many years. I protected our humans thousands of years ago. Do not ever think to question me.”
Isak’s eyes widened at the remark about thousands of years.
Daegan seethed with anger. “Take heed, human. I will not tolerate any being, human or other, attacking one of mine. You would be wise to heed her words and leave.”
So Daegan had arrived in time to hear those words? Adrianna knew without asking that he’d returned to ensure her safety, but now it felt like a show of support, which felt nice considering her bruised heart.
The same stupid heart that had wanted to warm to Isak again.
Without taking his eyes off a clearly shell-shocked Isak, Daegan said, “Are you ready to leave, Adrianna?”
“Yes.”
All lights around them went out, tossing the three of them into darkness.
“Wait a minute,” Isak shouted. “I’m not through ... ”
Adrianna heard his words trail off as Daegan teleported her away.
She’d like to say it felt good to have had the upper hand in that meeting, but that would be a lie. Pain jabbed her heart almost as much as the night he’d walked away after she’d helped rescue his mother from dangerous preternaturals.
But after seeing Daegan’s unexpected reaction to Isak, she could not allow Isak to get involved now because she feared Isak’s life would be in danger as well.