friend.” He slid his hands down her back, making her skin melt. “And you’re my mate,” he whispered. He kissed her hair, trailing his lips down her cheek. “Not to mention you’re reckless and don’t take orders, and you bite. If I don’t keep you out of trouble, who will?”
Shay pinched his waist. “I’m just stressed about Renee. I keep thinking, what if he sees the others coming and hurts her, because I didn’t follow instructions?”
“They’re trained to protect and to fight. If she’s there, they’ll find her.”
Cody was right; the others would get there first anyway, and they were warriors, more capable of rescuing Renee than Shay. “Where’s Bree?”
“At home, with Faelan threatening to tie her up. In the meantime, Faelan’s coordinating with Sam, trying to track down the names you gave us. It has to be someone you both know. Problem is, it’ll be a disguise.”
“I never met her creepy client. There’s Mr. Ellis, my client whose table was destroyed. I just started working with him. He’s American, a little eccentric, but most collectors are. I don’t think he knows Renee.”
“Did he order the table?”
“No. He never saw it.”
“And this woman who canceled the order for the other table, did she seem… strange?”
“You mean like a demon hiding in a woman’s body? No. She seemed normal.”
“That’s the problem,” Cody said, his fingers trailing up and down her arm. “They all do. Sam’s also trying to trace the call Julie got from the man asking about the table. Maybe a lead will turn up. Try to get some sleep. Traffic should clear up before long.” He glanced at the beds, and she knew he was waiting for her to ask him to sleep with her. She wanted to, but she was afraid if she slept with him again, she would need to do it every night.
He took her silence for refusal and dropped a kiss on her head. “I’m going to shower,” he said, sitting on the chair. He started removing his boots and socks. From this angle, his hair covered his mate mark. He tossed one sock at her. “Bathroom’s small. If I get stuck, you can soap me up and slide me out.”
Shay threw the sock back. “I’ll call the lodge and let the old man take care of it.”
Cody pulled off the other sock and wiggled his toes. He had incredibly sexy feet. He started unbuckling his pants as he walked to the bathroom.
“Cody.”
He turned back at the door.
“I need you to know something. What I really want to do is get in the shower with you, rub that soap all over you, and make both of us forget that stalkers and demons even exist, but how can I do that, when Renee is in trouble?”
“I understand.” He smiled. “Although I kind of wish you hadn’t mentioned the part about putting soap all over me. Choose a bed. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
While he showered, she checked her purse for sugarless gum in lieu of a toothbrush. She had just plopped down on the bed farthest from the bathroom, when Cody came out in his underwear. Shay jerked her gaze to her faded green quilt. She was buying him PJ’s for Christmas. He climbed in his bed, propping himself on one elbow.
“You took your father’s talisman.”
Shay held it, her gaze steady on his. “Yes, and I’m not giving it back.” She’d had nothing that belonged to her father until now.
He watched her for a moment, then nodded. “Take care of it, then. It’s powerful.”
“Can anyone use it?” She was intrigued by the new world of which she was suddenly a part, and conversation could distract them from their awkward confines. Although their confines had been awkward from the moment she arrived.
“Only the warrior it’s given to. It’s designed to destroy demons, but just like a bullet, if you get in its way, you’re done.”
“What happens to the demons when they’re destroyed?”
“They just don’t exist anymore. We try to suspend them so they’re accountable for their evil, but sometimes we don’t have a choice.”
“What would happen if a warrior used his talisman against a powerful demon who wasn’t assigned?”
“He would die. The strength of the talisman depends on the warrior’s strength, and it’s matched to the strength of the demon.”
“I wonder if he—my father—killed a lot of demons with this.” Shay felt the warmth of the talisman against her hand.” She supposed the
Cody looked a little uneasy to see her touching the talisman. “Aye, he did. Your father was a powerful warrior.”
“Will you tell me about him?”
“If you’ll stop playing with the talisman,” he said. Shay dropped her hand, and Cody settled back against his pillows. “He was born in Scotland. So was your mother. They were childhood sweethearts—”
“Mates?”
“I don’t know. The mate thing doesn’t always work,” he said quietly. “It’s best if it does, but sometimes it just can’t be.”
