“Griffin would be there too,” he countered.
“Not twenty-four-seven he wouldn’t. In the wee hours, it would be just you and me. No distractions. No planes, trains, or automobiles for a quick getaway.” She rose and wandered aimlessly around the room. “So, here’s my theory. Over the past six months, we’ve gotten close. So close that I might actually slip over that ginormous wall you built around your heart. That’s why the very thought of us being stuck together for who-knows-how-long gives you a raging case of cabin fever. Up til now, you’ve always been able to dodge your demons by hopping a plane before you got in too deep. But not this time.”
He stared at her, still incredulous. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Obviously,” she replied matter-of-factly. “All part of the pythia gig, dude. Jumping out of my mind and into other people’s heads. Tonight, I got a grand tour of the inside of yours. I especially liked that secret room in the sub-basement of your brain with a padlocked door and a big sign that says, ‘KEEP OUT.’”
Erik snorted in disgust. “This is unbelievable. You’ve managed to turn this whole thing around so it’s all about you.” He hastily stuffed the rest of his crumpled clothes into the bag. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, toots, go ahead! Be my guest.”
She rounded on him. “It’s not about me or what I need to tell myself. I checked my ego at the door when I walked in here. This is about what’s true.”
“Stop making this harder than it already is!” he shot back.
She raised her hands in an attitude of surrender. “I’m not telling you all this to try to keep you here. I already know there’s no point because twenty-twenty won’t kick in until you’ve put seven thousand miles between us. Maybe from half a world away, some of what I’m saying will make sense.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he grabbed his gear and headed for the door. “The last airport shuttle leaves in fifteen minutes. I need to be on it.”
Cassie stood motionless in the middle of the room.
He paused with his hand on the doorknob. Without turning to face her, he said, “Cass, I’ll always have your back. No matter where I am. In the long run, that ought to count for more than anything that happened in the bedroom.”
She took one involuntary step forward before fiercely resisting the urge to run to him. Instead, she blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes. “On some level, I already know you’d put your life on the line for me if it ever came to that.” Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Your life but not your heart. Looks like only one of us is brave enough to do that.”
He stepped into the hallway without turning around. “See you around, toots.”
“See you, dude,” she whispered as the door slammed behind him.
***
The paladin strode quickly through the lobby and out into the open air. He took up a position by the curb, waiting for the van to arrive. Off in the distance, he heard a voice calling him.
“Erik! Over here.”
He turned to locate the sound. Griffin emerged from the shadows at the far end of the circular driveway.
Erik rolled his eyes. “What is this—some kind of tag team ambush? First Cassie and now you!”
The scrivener faced him impassively. “Cassie doesn’t know I’m here. I’d like a word with you, mate.”
“I’m not your mate,” Erik muttered though he crossed over to where Griffin stood—out of the range of the security cameras.
“Before you even start, I already got an earful from her,” the paladin protested.
“I’m not here to give you, as you so colorfully put it, ‘an earful,’” Griffin replied evenly. “I merely want to ask you a question.”
Erik dropped his bags and spread his arms wide. “Then hurry up and ask it. My ride’s due any minute.”
“How could you do this to her?”
“What?” Erik squinted at him in the dim light.
“How could you do this to her when you know how much she cares about you?”
Erik felt his indignation rising. “How is any of this your business?”
“It’s my business because she’s my colleague.” Griffin’s voice was tense with suppressed anger.
“Your colleague.” Erik gave a short bark of a laugh. “Yeah, right. You’re getting awfully wound up about somebody who’s just a co-worker. You ought to be glad I’m leaving. The field’s wide open for you, mate.” He enunciated the last word with cruel precision.
Griffin flinched as if he’d been struck. “You bloody wanker!” His fist came out of nowhere and clipped Erik squarely on the jaw. The unexpected blow sent the paladin sprawling onto the pavement.
The scrivener registered shock at his own behavior. “I... I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
Erik sat up, wiping away a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Wordlessly, he rose and retrieved his bags just as the airport shuttle rolled up to the hotel entrance. He glanced back briefly at Griffin who still appeared stunned by his own actions.
“Since I blind-sided both of you with this change of plan, I’ll cut you some slack tonight. But if you ever try a stunt like that again, they’ll be scraping you off the sidewalk for days!” He wheeled around and loped toward the van, leaving Griffin to stare after his retreating shadow.
Chapter 29—Distress Call
Faye jumped slightly when the cell phone buried at the bottom of her cutlery drawer rang. Its vibration set up an answering clang from the knives heaped on top of it. She’d hidden it there to avoid attracting Hannah’s attention. It was to be used only for official Arkana business, and she didn’t want the teenager asking awkward questions about why Granny Faye owned two cell phones. Of course, keeping the phone out of sight was of no help once it began making noise.
