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Stepping within the long shadow cast by the heavy edifice, Diane stopped, her gaze narrowing against the predawn light as she committed her surroundings to memory. Then, with a soft breath of air, she imitated the happy little chirp of one of the birds singing out so sweetly.
The answering call had her lips tilt up in fondness.
“We’re going to get our asses killed.” Thor stepped from the shadows of an overgrown pine several feet away and made his way to her.
Dressed in black, a cap covering his white blond hair, his utility belt strapped with a variety of weapons and tools, he looked like the highly efficient warrior he was.
Diane snorted at the prediction. “Are you scared?”
“Pretty much.” He sighed, his gaze restless as he canvassed the area.
“Want me to send you home to momma for a diaper and nap, Thor?” she mocked.
“You’re a bitch, Di.” He sighed again. “A true hard-core bitch.”
“Yeah, yeah, so you keep telling me.” Her tone conveyed a deliberate lack of concern, but she could feel her heart racing with fear.
The fear that something would happen to him. That if push came to shove, then he too would throw himself in front of a bullet for her.
“I have her schedule,” Thor told her before she had a chance to ask if he had managed to get the information she’d assigned him while she and Lawe were at the hospital to check on Ashley.
“Good.” Diane nodded. “What is it?” She glanced up at him, wondering if she was going to have to drag every piece of information out of his ass.
“She leaves the house at daylight,” he said softly. “She had stopped running after her friend Isabelle was nearly raped by a date. He was stalking Isabelle and the friends were terrified he would strike at them in retaliation. It was the same bastard who nearly kidnapped Isabelle and shot Ashley.”
“The same one Gideon killed,” she murmured. “Gideon beat us here, Thor.”
“But we expected it.” Thor shrugged easily. “And what’s with this ‘us’ bullshit? There was no ‘us,’ boss. You forgot to tell me about this little side trip. I had to guess, remember?”
“Still put out, Thor?” she asked as she leaned back against the memorial to wait for daylight and the woman she was going to track down this morning.
“Still put out,” he agreed, though his tone wasn’t nearly as relaxed as it had been. “You and I are a team, no matter what. Or so I thought until you ditched me.”
She shook her head wearily. “There was too much riding on this, too big a threat to Liza as well as Honor Roberts, if I managed to find her. It wasn’t fair to her to add additional danger to her life.”
“We both know I’m no fucking traitor,” he hissed through the darkness. “Give me a break. And if you believed that crap that just spewed from your lips, then I wouldn’t be here now.”
Her lips twitched at the angry tone and the descriptive words he used.
“You’re right,” she agreed. There was really no sense in arguing the point.
She must have surprised him, though, because he didn’t say anything for long moments.
“It’s because of Padric.” He sighed again. “Hell, Di, you can’t wallow in guilt forever, you know.”
Actually, she could, if she wanted to.
“I’m not trying to wallow in guilt,” she told him. “I simply wanted to protect you from Gideon. He has no compunction about killing a man, but he’ll allow a woman more leeway. In that respect, he’s like any other Breed.”
Thor simply grunted, an indication that he still felt his question hadn’t been answered.
“So you tracked this Liza girl down,” Thor muttered. “What makes you think she knows where the Roberts girl is, or who she is?”
Diane shrugged. “She’s the best bet. She works closest with Terran, Ray and Orrin. She has since she was sixteen. Her family is close friends with the Martinezes and she and Terran meet often with Ray and Orrin Martinez for long discussions. If she’s not privy to inner secrets then she’s sleeping with all three of them, and I simply can’t see that one happening. Just because I agree doesn’t mean I like slipping around like this.” He sighed. “You and Lawe have an agreement.”
“And he refused to listen when I tried to tell him I need to meet with her alone.” She sighed.
“He’s been damned patient,” Thor pointed out. “And he’s done his best.”
