“You okay?” Ronin pushed the elevator button and leaned against the wall. His lean body was perfectly relaxed now, but thirty seconds earlier, when the elevator doors were still open, he’d been an alert predator.
Emerson nodded. “Yes. Just always feeling a little nervous out in the open now. Wondering if someone will try to kill me sucks.”
“I get it,” Ronin said.
“Yes, I imagine you understand more than most,” Emerson said. “How did you go so many years living like this?”
He shrugged. “I won’t say you get used to it because you never really do, but you… adapt.”
“Right.” Emerson tried not to sound discouraged. They approached the floor to Burke, King, and Frost Securities, and Ronin stepped in front of her as the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened.
He stepped out of the elevator and scanned the entire hallway before holding his hand out to her. “You’re good.”
She took his hand, and they walked quickly to the security firm, Ronin’s gaze roaming the hallway as they did. When they stepped inside, he dropped her hand and gave her a quick grin. “See? Easy peasy.”
“Yeah,” Emerson said.
Ronin smiled at the tiny brunette human sitting behind the receptionist's desk. “Hey, Willow. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Ronin. Good. Hey, Emerson, it’s nice to see you again, although I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances,” Willow said.
“Hi, Willow.” Emerson had only met Willow once before, but Mal’s mate was sweet and likable.
“Bren’s already here. He’s in the boardroom with Kat, Mal, and Bishop,” Willow said. “Go on in. There’s coffee and muffins if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you,” Emerson said as she followed Ronin to the boardroom. Ronin closed the door behind them, and a tall, dark-haired human wearing a leather jacket over a collared shirt and blue jeans stood and held out his hand. He smelled faintly of sulfur and smoke.
She shook it as he said. “Bren Matthews.”
“Emerson Joyce. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well.”
She sat next to Kat as Bren returned to his seat.
Ronin took the seat next to Bren. He poured Emerson a cup of coffee, and one for himself as Kat smiled at her. “Did you get a new phone?”
“Yes, I added your number and texted you. Did you not get it?”
“I haven’t checked my phone in a while,” Kat said. “So, earlier this morning, I filled Bren in on everything you told us about Martin shipping the serum through your boss and about Owen and Clay,” Kat said. “He spoke with his captain and with a friend who works for the police department in your city. Right, Bren?”
“I did. I asked Li Jie to do some looking into Wilson Granger. He called me back as I was driving over here,” Bren said.
“What did he say?” Bishop asked.
“Wilson Granger owns the largest shipping company in Eastbourne. He has a spotless record. The guy hasn’t even had a parking ticket in the last ten years. There’s nothing that suggests he’s using his legitimate shipping business to run a drug smuggling operation.”
“He is,” Emerson said. “I’m not lying.”
“I believe you.” Bren’s voice was mild. “But not only is the guy clean, he’s a pillar of the community. He donates to charities throughout the city, including the police department’s ‘Toys for Tots’ charity. He’s on several boards dedicated to helping homeless vets find housing and medical care, jobs, and PTSD support. They awarded him the key to the city five years ago, and he’s been given several awards for his work with the Homes for Vets program that he helped initiate.”
“Shit,” Bishop said.
“Li Jie looked into Granger Shipping as well. The whole business is clean as a whistle,” Bren said. “Li Jie said he’d do a bit more digging, but everything points to the business being legit.”
“Because it is legit,” Emerson said. “Wilson is a stickler for following the rules. I used to admire that about him, but he only follows the rules because he’s hiding his drug smuggling.”
She took a sip of coffee. “I don’t think anyone who works at the shipping company knows about the heroin he ships.”
“Not even in the warehouse?” Mal said. “He needs to have someone loading the drugs into the trucks.”
“I don’t know,” Emerson said. “I mean, the men and women who work in the warehouse are… they’re good people. Hard workers, just trying to support their families, you know?”
“Most likely, he has a different crew come in and pack the drugs when the warehouse is closed,” Bren said.
Emerson stared at him, her cup of coffee forgotten. “Once a month or so, a night crew comes in to clean the warehouse from top to bottom.”
“Is that unusual for a warehouse?” Bishop said.
“When I did security shifts at Marika Belfry’s clothing warehouse, they didn’t have a specific crew come in for cleaning,” Ronin said. “The employees just,” he waved his hand in the air, “cleaned their areas as they worked.”
“It is strange,” Emerson said. “More than one worker who’s been at a different warehouse before working for Granger Shipping has commented on how strange it is. But Sang-hoon -”
“Sang-hoon?” Bren said.
“He’s the warehouse manager. He just chalked it up to Mr. Granger being particular about the warehouse and its cleanliness. Honestly, if you’d met Wilson, you wouldn’t find it that odd. He likes things a certain way.”
“Is it the same day of the month?” Mal asked.
“No, it’s near the end of the month, but never a specific day. Wilson tells me the day of, and I send out a company email informing the employees they need to be out of the building by six to allow the cleaning crew to work,” Emerson said.
“So, if we suspect that he’s packing up the drugs and shipping them out every month,” Bishop said, “is that enough to get a warrant to search the warehouse?”
“No,” Bren said. “We need probable cause, and a cleaning crew coming in every month is not probable cause.”
“What if Emerson signs an affidavit stating everything she witnessed Granger do,” Ronin said. “That might be enough to convince the right judge for a warrant.”
Bren mulled it over for a few minutes before shaking his head. “I don’t think it’ll be enough. The argument could be made that she’s lying because she’s angry Wilson fired her. A disgruntled ex-employee signing an affidavit won’t be enough to convince a judge.”
“So, there’s nothing you can do to stop him from smuggling the drugs or the suppressant?” Kat said.
“Not legally,” Bren said.
“Have you told Kaida?” Bishop said.
“Yes, but I’ve asked her not to share it with the other elders in the clan. There’s more than one dragon in the clan who is,” Bren paused, “upset about the humans suppressing Cadmus, Bones, and Kaida’s shifting abilities, even temporarily. If they find out that there’s a two-week suppressant now in a warehouse in Eastbourne, I’m worried they’ll take matters into their own hands.”
“Burn, baby, burn,” Ronin said.
Bren nodded. “Not to mention what they’d do to Martin Grimes if they ever found him.”
Kat frowned. “Would they be that reckless? I mean, they’ve only been outed to the humans for a few months. If they hurt a human, even a horrible one like Martin Grimes, it won’t turn out well for them.”
Bren grimaced. “I know, but you have no idea how important Cadmus is to the clan. He isn’t just their leader. He’s…everything to them. If they even have a hint of where Grimes might be, they’ll go after him and damn the consequences.”
He studied Emerson and the others. “Which is why it’s imperative they don’t find out.”
“You trust Kaida?” Emerson said.
“With my life.” Bren’s gaze didn’t waver from hers. “She’s my mate and carrying my child. I have no secrets from her.”
Bren glanced at Bishop and then at Kat before back to Emerson. “As I was saying, there isn’t anything legally I can do. We need proof that he’s shipping drugs. Photos, documentation of some kind.”
“Would there really be documentation?” Bishop said.
“You’d be surprised,” Bren said.
“So, basically, Emerson will be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life because Wilson Granger dots all his fucking i’s and crosses all his fucking t’s,” Kat said.
Bren’s look was sympathetic. “I know it isn’t right, but I have to follow the law.”
His gaze landed on Bishop, and the grizzly shifter grinned when Bren repeated himself. “I have to follow the law.”
“Yes, you do,” Bishop said.
Bren stood. “I’ll let you know if Li Jie finds anything even remotely suspicious with Granger’s company. Emerson, it was nice to meet you.”
“Wait,” Emerson stood, “what about Clay and Owen? Wilson is holding Owen prisoner.”
“Again, without more proof, I can’t do anything to help Owen. You could file a missing person’s report, and we can circulate Owen’s picture around Eastbourne, but that’s the best I can do.”
He paused. “And as far as Clay… the guy’s a criminal, and I should be arresting him, not helping him.”
Emerson swallowed hard, her hands gripping the edge of the table. “Clay just wants to help his brother. He’s doing a good thing.”
“This time,” Kat said. “But who’s to say what the next job will be. He’s dangerous, and he’s killed people.”
“Technically, so have I,” Ronin said. “Everyone in this room has.”
“It’s not the same,” Kat said.
There were a few moments of silence before Mal’s phone rang. He stared at the screen and stood. “Excuse me.”
He left the room, and Bren glanced at his watch. “I need to get back to the precinct. I’ll be in touch with anything new.”
He shook hands with them all, and they followed him out into reception. With a final handshake to Bishop, Bren left. Mal emerged from his office. Willow took one look at his face and stood up from behind the desk. “Mal? What’s wrong?”
“That was Davis. He’s on watch over at Kat’s place. He thinks a guy was scouting the house about ten minutes ago.”
“He thinks, or he knows?” Ronin said.
“He’s about ninety-five percent sure,” Mal said. “The guy saw him, but Davis doesn’t think he realized that Davis knew what he was up to.”
“Okay, we expected this,” Bishop said. “They won’t make their move in broad daylight. But we can expect an attack tonight.”
“We need more men,” Mal said.
Bishop nodded. “Yeah. Fenton’s on watch at Kat’s place tonight, but we’ll add you and me. With Ronin, that should be enough.”
“I want Big White there too,” Ronin said.
“Big White?” Emerson said.
“A polar bear shifter. He works for my brother as a bartender,” Mal said. “I can ask Porter if he’ll give Hudson the night off.”
“We don’t need him,” Kat said. “I’ll be there too.”
“Like hell you will be, Kitten. You and Emerson are not staying at the house tonight,” Ronin said.
“It’s my house, Ronin,” Kat said. “I won’t run like a scared rabbit from my own damn house.”
“Think of it more like a mini-vacation,” Ronin said with a grin. “My treat. I’ll book you over at that hotel you like. You know the one – it’s where we had sex on the -”
“Ronin,” Kat said before hissing at him.
His grin widened. “You’re so damn hot when you’re pissed off.”
“What about Clay?” Emerson said.
“What about him?” Kat said.
“We need to warn him somehow. They’ll be after him too.”
“I’m pretty sure the teleporting mercenary can take care of himself,” Ronin said.
Emerson chewed at her bottom lip as Kat took her hand. “Emerson, I know you think Clay is a good guy, but -”
“He saved my life, Kat,” Emerson said. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“You know it does. But it doesn’t negate the fact that he’s a hired killer who -”
“Enough, please.” Emerson pulled away from her sister and backed up a few steps from the others. She hated the way they were looking at her. Like she was a silly girl who’d fallen for the bad boy and couldn’t see he was just using her. “You don’t know him like I do. You just don’t. And if you did, you would see that there is a lot of good in him. Okay?”
“He kidnapped me,” Kat said. “Right here, in this office.”
“I know, but that was a one-time thing. Clay’s not going to kidnap you or me or anyone else who -”
There was a puff of cold air behind her. She smelled Clay’s scent before his arms wrapped around her, and she was pulled back against his hard chest. She heard Kat’s jaguar scream in outrage as the light turned to dark and the horrible spinning sensation dropped over her.
Clay rubbed Emerson’s lower back as she coughed and retched. “Deep breaths, Em. Take deep breaths.”
He pointed to the kitchen sink. “If you have to throw up, use the sink.” He rubbed her back again, surprised when she coughed a few more times but didn’t vomit.
She straightened as he grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and handed it to her. “Drink. It will help with nausea.”
He rubbed her hip as she drank. He really shouldn’t be touching her, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to touch her. It’d been almost twenty-four hours since he’d seen her, and the depth of how much he missed her was alarming.
She wiped her mouth and set the bottle of water on the counter before baring her teeth and growling at him.
He smiled a little. “It’s good to see you too, Emerson.”
“Asshole!” She shoved away from him. She staggered on her feet but pushed his hands away when he tried to steady her. “Don’t touch me, Clay. I am so mad at you right now.”
“You have every right to be pissed that I took you from your sister, but -”
She growled again, and fuck if his cock didn’t stiffen just a little. Christ, what he wouldn’t give to have her back in his bed.
“I’m angry because you left me! You just left without saying goodbye, and you didn’t call me or -”
“I don’t have your phone number,” he said.
She growled a third time, her eyes flashing jade-coloured fire, but the growl ended in one of those sexy little trills that heated his blood.
“Stop it,” she muttered. “I don’t care how fucking good he smells. I said no.”
He grinned at her, and she curled her lip at him. “How did you know I was at Kat’s office? Did you somehow bug me again?”
“No. I’ve been watching the security firm. I figured Kat would take you there at some point. I’ve been inside the office before, so I knew the hum.”
Yeah, when you kidnapped her sister. Taking Emerson was a mistake. One that will get you killed. There’s no way Kat hasn’t told her what you did. Do you think Em isn’t going to rip your intestines out now that she knows what you did to her sister?
Em yanked her phone out of her pocket.
“Who are you calling?”
“My sister, before she freaks the fuck out and really does try to kill you.”
She held her phone to her ear, and he could hear a faint ring before Kat answered.
“Kat, I’m fine,” Emerson said quickly. “Honey, I’m perfectly fine, I promise.”
She listened and then said, “I don’t know where I am.”
“You’re still in the city,” Clay said, “At my apartment.”
“I’m at his… yes, he said his apartment. No, you are not coming over here. Kat… no. Because. Because I’m fine. No. It isn’t… look, I appreciate your eagerness to help, but I am perfectly capable of slicing him into tiny bloody bits myself.”
Clay laughed, and Emerson shot him a dirty look before saying, “If he pisses me off, I’ll burn his shit, and you can follow the smoke to his place, all right?”
She paced back and forth before sighing loudly. “Why do you want to talk to Clay? No, it isn’t… Kat!”
She glanced at Clay, who held his hand out. “I’ll talk to her.”
She handed over her phone. He winked at Emerson and said, “Hello, Katarina.”
“If you hurt her, I will slice out your liver, barbeque it, and make you watch as I eat it for my fucking dinner. Do you understand, you asshole?” Kat said.
“Perfectly,” he said. “I won’t hurt her.”
“Give me the address of your apartment,” Kat said.
“I can’t do that,” he said.
“Motherfucker, do not fuck around with me,” Kat growled. “I will fucking kill you.”
“Kat!” Emerson had crowded close. He resisted the urge to cup her perfect ass, to lean in and nibble at her collarbone until she was making those delightful purrs he’d missed so much.
“Kat, enough,” Emerson said as she put the phone on speaker. “Clay isn’t going to hurt me. Are you, Clay?”
“No,” he said.
“You need to trust me, Kat,” Emerson said.
“I do, Emmy,” Kat said.
He could hear the deep breath that Kat took before she said, “Is there any possibility that Wilson and his men know where you live in the city?”
“No,” Clay said.
“You positive?”
“Yes. No one knows I have this apartment, not even my brother,” Clay said.
“Okay. Can Emerson stay the night with you?”
“Yes.” He decided not to mention that he’d planned to keep Emerson with him overnight anyway. Hopefully in his bed.
“What the? That’s quite the flip, Katarina,” Emerson said.
“You can’t be at the house, not when they attack,” Kat said.
Clay stiffened. “Wilson?”
“Who the fuck else?” Kat said. “They had someone scouting my house today. We expect an attack tonight.”
“Emerson is not going back to your house,” Clay said.
“Yeah, that’s what I just said, dick for brains,” Kat said in exasperation.
“They’ll be watching your house. If Emerson doesn’t show up, they won’t attack,” Clay said.
“Good,” Emerson said.
“Hold on a second,” Kat said. “What was that, Mal?”
They waited patiently for a minute or two, listening to the muffled sound of Kat’s voice and the others before Kat came back on the line. “We need you to bring Emerson back to the office.”
“No,” Clay said.
“Fuck you,” Kat snapped. “Keep your mouth shut and listen to what I have to say, you asshole, or I really will slice out your fucking liver.”
Clay was glad Kat wasn’t there to see his grin. She’d probably slice him open just because of it. Emerson looked embarrassed, but he understood why Kat acted this way. He acted the same way about Owen.
“Bring Emerson back to the office. She’ll go home with me after work so that Granger’s men see her at my house. You can teleport into my fucking house again later tonight and then teleport Emerson out.”
“You’re using her as bait,” Clay said.
“Yes.” Kat’s voice was flat. “We are.”
“Kat, no,” Emerson said. “Let them think I’m gone, all right? There’s no need to put you or your friends in danger.”
“He’ll keep hunting you until he finds you,” Clay said.
“Clay, hush,” Emerson said. “Kat, I can leave. I can leave and -”
“What if he takes your sister? Or your brother? Or your parents?” Clay said. “Em, he’s not going to stop.”
She stared at him, her bottom lip trembling and a look of horror on her face. He hated that he was scaring her, but she needed to know what Granger was capable of.
“He’s right,” Kat said. “We need to show Wilson Granger what happens when he fucks with a Frost woman, okay? Taking out the men sent to kill you will send a clear message.”
“What if you get hurt?” Emerson said. “I can’t live with that, Kat.”
“I won’t get hurt, Emmy. Don’t worry,” Kat said. There was a pause and more muffled voices before Kat said, “Ronin, I’m not leaving my house, I’m not… we’ll talk about this later.”
She returned to the phone call. “Emmy, everything will be okay. Clay, bring her back to the office now. The office closes at six. We’ll drive home with Ronin so the assholes can see her entering the house. It’s doubtful they’ll make their move until after midnight. You can teleport in just before then and take Emerson back to your apartment.”
Not willing to give up any time with Emerson, Clay said, “She’s safest here with me. I’ll bring her back to the office at six.”
“Motherfucker, bring her back right now or -”
He ended the call and handed the phone back to Emerson. She slapped it down on the table and crossed her arms over her chest as her phone immediately chimed with a text notification. “Kat’s going to kill you for that.”
“She’ll have to catch me first.” He grinned charmingly at her, but she had picked up her phone and was firing off a message, no doubt to her sister.
She set her phone down and stared at him. “Why did you bring me here?”
The bluntness of her question threw him off. He tried to think of something that sounded remotely plausible. “I wanted to know what you told Kat about my brother and me.”
“Bullshit,” she said. “Why did you take me? Tell me the truth, Clay.”
“I am telling you the truth,” he lied.
She stepped closer, and when her jaguar first trilled and then purred, it destroyed his willpower. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her in tight against his body before kissing her. He expected her to sink her claws into him. Expected her to pull back and slice him open for touching her despite the way she had purred and trilled, but to his surprise, she returned his kiss eagerly.
He deepened the kiss, urging her to open her mouth. He groaned when she parted her lips, and he could taste her sweetness again. He cupped her jaw, smoothing his thumb over her cheekbone as their kiss turned frantic.
He pulled away before he bent her over the table and fucked her right there. She hissed at him. Her dark eyes had gone green with narrowed pupils, and he could see the tips of her fangs peeking past her kiss-swollen lips.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “I brought you here because I missed you.”
He was shocked by his admission. He hadn’t meant to say that. But she squeezed his hips and brushed her mouth against his before saying, “I missed you too.”
He studied her for a moment, his thumb rubbing idly across her cheekbone as she met his look unblinkingly. He wanted to take her to his bed, he wanted to worship her body the way it was meant to be worshipped, but a few kisses and an admission that she missed him didn’t mean she would ever allow him between her smooth thighs again. Not a man like him. Not when –
“I want you to fuck me. Will you?” Emerson said.
Desire pushed past the shock from her request. Afraid she might immediately change her mind, he said, “Yes, Em,” and took her hand, nearly yanking her out of the kitchen and down the hallway toward his bedroom.
They were barely in his room before she was pulling at his clothes, making those soft purrs that drove him insane.
“Em, baby, slow down,” he said as she unbuttoned his jeans.
“I don’t want slow, and you don’t either. Do you?”
“No,” he said.
“Good.” She unzipped his jeans and then stepped back, reaching for the hem of her shirt. “Get those clothes off, Clay.”
He laughed and stripped off his clothes as she did the same. He’d forgotten just how glorious her naked body was. He stared hungrily at her as the sunlight through the window sent crisscrossing beams of light across her skin.
She purred to him before kneeling on the bed and planting her hands on the mattress. He stared at her wet pussy, his mouth watering and his dick dripping precum, as she trilled loudly and said, “Don’t make me wait any longer, Clay.”
He joined her on the bed, kneeling behind her and pressing the head of his cock against her entrance. She pushed back, sheathing him halfway, making them both moan as her wet warmth slid down over his dick.
“Fuck, you feel so good.” He gripped her hips and buried himself to the hilt inside her tight pussy.
“You too,” she panted before trilling. “I need you to fuck me. Please.”
He made a few leisurely thrusts despite the way his body screamed at him to move faster. Emerson stared at him over her shoulder and growled and bared her fangs at him. “Harder, Clay.”
New lust washed over him at her demand. He gathered her long hair into a ponytail and gripped the top of her shoulder with his free hand. “Whatever you want, baby.”
He fucked her hard, smiling at the way she cried out, and then purred. He tugged her head back until she stared at the ceiling and pressed down on the small of her back, forcing her to arch more for him as he slid in and out of her perfect pussy.
She met him thrust for thrust, low growls and purrs mixed in with soft trills as the sound of their mating echoed in the room. He managed to fuck her for nearly five minutes, managed to at least act like he hadn’t wanted to immediately fill her up with his come before he couldn’t control himself any longer. He reached under her and rubbed her swollen clit in small hard circles. “Come for me, baby.”
He sounded desperate, but truthfully, he was. He was so fucking close already. Being back in Em’s tight pussy was his slice of heaven. His ability to last even a few minutes longer in her pussy had utterly abandoned him. If she didn’t come soon, he’d come before she did, and he’d really fucking embarrass himself.
To his immense relief, her body stiffened, and she came around his cock with a growling purr that sent shivers up and down his spine. Her pussy squeezed tight, and he gripped her ass, shoving in deep as his climax washed over him.
He moaned her name, sliding rapidly in and out of her as her pussy took all of him and demanded more. When her shaking arms gave out, she collapsed on the bed. He went down with her, falling on her with a heavy thud.
She made a low groan. Clay immediately rolled off of her, turning onto his back and staring up at the ceiling as he reached for her with one arm. She curled up against him.
“Sorry,” he gasped out. “Didn’t mean to crush you.”
She half-laughed, half-purred. “It’s fine. You okay?”
“Yeah, you?”
“Hmm,” she said. “Much better.”
He traced his fingers up and down her spine as they relaxed on the bed. After a few minutes, he said, “Thank you for saving my life.”
“You’re welcome.” She kissed his chest.
He smoothed her hair back from her face then rubbed her back again. “I shouldn’t have left so abruptly, but I was confused as hell when I saw Kat and Ronin.”
“I know,” she said.
He hesitated. “Kat told you what I did to them.”
“Yes. I know you didn’t have a choice. Wyatt had your brother.”
He should have kept his mouth shut. But he wanted Em to know the truth about everything that happened that night. “I didn’t know that when I kidnapped Kat.”
She sat up, staring down at him with what could almost be compassion in her eyes. “I know. Kat told me everything, Clay. Including the part where you saved her life and Ronin’s life.”
He looked away from her gaze, but she cupped his face and made him turn back to her. “You didn’t have to save them, but you did, Clay.”
“I’m not a good guy,” he said. “Don’t start thinking that I am, Emerson.”
She shrugged. “I can think whatever I want to think. You’re not the boss of me.”
That made him laugh, and she leaned over and pressed a kiss against his mouth. “I’m glad your ability to teleport has come back.”
“Me too.” Glad didn’t begin to describe the sheer overwhelming relief he’d felt when he heard the hums again, but he didn’t know how to articulate it.
“Do you remember anything that happened after we left the cabin?” she said.
“Not much,” he admitted. “I’m assuming you had Ronin heal me.”
“I knew he was the only one who could help. I didn’t realize it would bring back your teleporting abilities too, though. Did you go back to the cabin?”
“Yes. The bodies are gone. Wilson must have sent in a cleaning crew.”
Her face paled a little. “I’m sorry I couldn’t go back to kill Dax. I just -”
He sat up and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. “I know. You don’t have to explain.”
She released a shuddering breath. “Maybe he died anyway. He was shot twice in the chest, right?”
“Maybe,” he said.
“But we have to assume he didn’t,” she said.
“I went back to Wilson’s house.”
She stiffened, her eyes widening and a surprised growl falling from her lips. “You did what? Clay! Do you have a death wish? Is that it?”
“I didn’t go back into his house,” Clay said. “Just outside.”
“Oh, that makes it so much better.”
The sarcasm in her voice made him grin. She hissed and poked him in the chest. “You’re lucky he didn’t capture you. You know that, right?”
“I had to go back, Em,” he said. “I needed to…”
“To what?” she said.
“To see if there was even a chance that I could find Owen in his house.”
The anger faded from her face. “Honey, it’s impossible. Even before he knew you had found Owen, Wilson kept him under tight security. It’ll only be worse now.”
“I know,” he said. “You think I don’t fucking know that?”
He winced and raked his hand through his hair. “Shit. Sorry.”
“I get it.” She took his hand. “I know you want to save Owen. I want that too. But you can’t do it alone, Clay.”
That was easy for her to say. She had family and friends who loved her. He had Owen, and that was it.
“I’m not alone,” he said. “I have a guy helping me.”
“Who?”
“His name is Saul.”
“Is he a teleporter as well?”
“No, he’s human and a… hacker. He’s the one who helped me figure out that Wyatt had given Owen to Granger.”
“Okay,” Emerson said. “So, he’ll come in and save you if Wilson captures you. That’s what you’re saying?”
He didn’t reply. Em leaned over, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Will he or won’t he, Clay?”
“Saul isn’t a… friend. He works for me, nothing more.”
She growled again. “So, if Wilson captures you, which he probably will, you’ll be his prisoner until you die.”
He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, staring moodily at the wall. “Give me some fucking credit, Em. I’m very good at what I do.”
“I know that,” she said. “But Wilson has a lot of men and now a serum that can stop you from teleporting. You really think you can rescue Owen on your own?”
Before he could reply, Emerson’s stomach growled. He stood and grabbed a pair of shorts out of the dresser. “Get dressed. I’ll make you some lunch.”
“Clay, you can’t -”
“You need to eat,” he said, “and so do I.”