Page 70 of Demon Loved
A thought crept into his mind, one he knew he would not speak aloud until he was alone with her. If she was afraid, he thought he knew how he could help…even though he realized she had been the one to save him during that encounter, rather than vice versa.
“Maybe not,” Brianna allowed. Her gaze moved toward Belshegar, almost pleading, and he realized then how tired she looked.
Beautiful, yes…but also at the utter limit of what she could handle in one evening.
It seemed her mother had thought much the same thing, because Hayley spoke up then, saying, “It’s getting late, and Bree looks like she’s about to fall over. I say we end things here. The rest of you have a lot you probably need to do, but there’s no need to keep her when I can tell she needs her rest.”
Brianna looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes, but managed to restrain herself. “Mom, it’s not even ten o’clock yet.”
“And?” her mother returned. “The time doesn’t matter. Your exhaustion does. And you need to be in bed.”
For just a second, Bree’s full mouth went tight. Then she seemed to realize there wasn’t any point in arguing, not when she must be feeling the same weariness the rest of them could so obviously see.
“Okay, you’re right,” she said. “I’ll pack it in, then.” Her gaze moved to Belshegar. “But I’ll take you back to your hotel first.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have protested and told her there was no reason for her to do such a thing, not when the Grand Hotel was less than a five-minute walk from the house where they all sat.
However, since her offer fit in neatly with what he’d already been planning, he only inclined his head. “That would be kind of you.”
She rose from her chair and he got up as well, and so did everyone else. Levi and Hayley walked Belshegar and their daughter out to the big Suburban where it waited at the curb, and they remained on the sidewalk until Brianna had started the engine and begun the laborious process of turning the bulky vehicle around on the narrow street.
“We’ll go to the hotel,” he said once they were pointing in the right direction. “But only so I can get some of my things. There is no way in this world or any other that I’m going to allow you to sleep alone tonight.”
The glow from the dashboard caught the ironic lift of her eyebrow. “Inviting yourself over? Don’t you think it’s a little soon for that?”
As most humans judged such things…perhaps. However, a tryst was the last thing on his mind.
Or at least, several other matters certainly came before any thought of becoming intimate with Brianna McAllister.
“You misread me,” he said, and hoped he didn’t sound too stiff. “I was not suggesting anything other than sleeping on your sofa and offering whatever protection I can.”
Some women might have pointed out that he hadn’t done a very good job of protecting her so far…quite the opposite, in fact. But Brianna wasn’t some women.
No, she was her own unique, beautiful self.
“Sorry,” she said, and let out a breath as she began to ease the Suburban into the hotel’s cramped parking lot. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that. Today…it’s just been a lot more than I was expecting.”
“I understand,” he replied. “Now, though, you’ll come inside with me while I gather my things, and then we will go down the hill to your apartment.”
Her lips parted, and he wondered if she was going to tell him that she would be quite safe here in the parking lot, since there seemed to be always someone who was coming and going from the hotel, and there was a far lower chance of the Collector and his minions trying to attack when they most likely would have an audience.
However, she closed her mouth without saying a word, which told him she’d realized she shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks, as unlikely as the prospect of another assault might be.
The two of them climbed out of the vehicle, and she locked it before following him up the steps into the hotel lobby. Luckily, one of the elevators was free — of both human and ghostly travelers — so they got inside and rode up to the third floor. The whole time, he couldn’t help wondering if the Collector or one of his servants might choose this moment to attack them in the cramped space…and what in the world they would do if such a thing should happen.
However, all remained peaceful, and they progressed to his room without incident. Once there, he packed as quickly as he could, deciding to take several changes of clothing with him since he wasn’t sure how long his tenure as guardian might last.
Forever would be fine with him, but he guessed Brianna might have a few words to say on that subject.
Soon enough, though, they were descending the stairs from the lobby and back in her lumbering vehicle, and only a few minutes after that, she’d pulled into the parking space at the rear of the building that housed both the gallery and her apartment. Not for the first time, he marveled at how she was able to fit the oversized SUV in such a narrow place, although he supposed she’d had plenty of practice.
As they got out, he looked all around them, using his sight and every other sense he possessed to determine whether a hostile being lurked nearby, but he saw nothing, no hint that anyone had been watching and waiting for their arrival. A motion-activated light had been installed on the rear of the building, and it turned on as soon as they approached, which made him feel slightly better. Surely no one who was used to attacking under cover of darkness would risk an assault under the glare of such harsh illumination.
He went up the stairs first, just to be safe, but the landing outside her apartment was similarly empty, nothing there except a painted metal flowerbox with some late-season blooms happily growing inside.
“I think we’re okay,” she said with a smile as she laid her hand on the door handle.
At once, the door swung inward. This time, he let her go first, but he was close behind.
