Page 114 of The Mech Who Loved Me
AVA AND KINCAIDspent another restless afternoon traipsing halfway acrossLondon.
Exhaustion rode her hard, but she couldn't give in. Not while Garrett was lying there, trying to recover. Not while her friends—all the Nighthawks she'd ever worked with—were under a cloud ofdanger.
Ava finally stumped out of the last warehouse they'd been checking. The two main manufacturers on her list had never heard of any strange shipments or requests. Both of them supplied the Nighthawks and the Coldrush Guards who guarded the queen with a standard-issue dart gun, though they used hemlock darts, and not Black Vein. Neither of them knewanything.
"Three thousand vials of serum," she said, wearily rubbing her face. "No dart guns. How are they planning on attacking blue bloods? Individually? With a one-on-one injection?" It made no sense. Ulbricht and his SOG were sons of the Echelon. Pampered fops who thought dueling was the limit of violence. There could only be a hundred or so SOG members at most, hardly enough to take on a force like the Nighthawks. "Think, Ava," she told herself. "How do you kill over four hundred blue bloods in asinglehit?"
Kincaid slung his leg over the back of his velococycle. "You'll work it out. I believeinyou."
"But what if I'm too late?" she cried. "These are my friends, Kincaid. I can't afford towastetime."
"Then we need to talk tomyfriends. See what they know." He helped her onto the seat behind him. Ava sat sideways, hampered by her skirts today, but she gladly clasped her hands around hiswaist.
She was almost starting to enjoy riding through the streets behind him. "Are you going to return me toMalloryn's?"
Kincaid started the boiler pack, letting it heat. "No." He let loose a loud sigh. "They're good people, Ava, just misguided. The same way I was. And I think—if we want peace in London—then it's about time both races started getting to know each other alittle."
"Do you think they'll like me?" She swallowednervously.
He laughed. "Not at first. But nobody who ever knew you could dislike you,kitten."
* * *
Xander and Maggiewere setting up for the night when Kincaid rapped on the door of the inn, and called out, "Anybodyhome?"
"Good grief," Maggie called. "Twice in one week. One would almost think you'd remembered who youwere,K!"
"Either that or he wants something," Xander added, and then he turned from his seat at the bar. Xander's smile slowly died when he saw Ava hiding in Kincaid'sshadow.
He'd never brought a woman home. Nor had he ever introduced one to hisfriends.
"Ava, luv," he said, gesturing her forward, "this is my friend Xander McGraw, and his lovely wife, Maggie. Xander and Maggie, this is Miss AvaMcLaren."
"How do you do?" He could tell Ava was nervous. She was pressing her hair into place,fidgeting.
"The blue blood?" Xander saidbluntly.
Kincaid shot him an icy glare, but Maggie gave Xander a nudge with her elbow and smiled warmly. "A pleasure to meet you. I must say, I've been very curious about the woman who finally stole Kincaid'sheart."
"Oh, we're just...we're—"
He slid a hand over the small of Ava's back. "We're negotiating where we are in this relationship," he told them, "but we haven't had much of a chance to sit down and discussityet."
All three of them blinked at him. Then Xander arched a brow. "No weddingbellsthen?"
Yet.
Ava choked on something, and Kincaid shot her a look. She looked horrified, but not at the notion, he thought. More the idea of even mentioning it when things between them were sounsettled.
Maggie slapped the back of Xander's head. "Why did I marry youagain?"
"What didIdo?" Xanderprotested.
"Maggie, want to see if you can boil a pot of tea for Ava?" Kincaid suggested, gritting his teeth. "We've been running all over London today, and I haven't taken very good careofher."
"Tea?" Maggie looked momentarily stumped, though she was clever enough to realize when he wanted to talk to Xanderalone.
"Ava doesn't drink blood," he replied. "She's working on a formula to sustain herself, and shepreferstea."
