Page 16 of The Goblin in the Sink Drain
“Take the SUV.” Liam slapped the keys across her palm. “You need an escape route.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him if we got put in a situation requiring rescue that the SUV wasn’t going to save us. I had watched Mercer sneak out and disconnect the batteries on visitors’ vehicles to give the sentinels an edge if they needed one. The trick was reconnecting them before guests realized how little faith Dad placed in them.
“We should grab food on the way.” Sloane appraised me. “We’ll be questioned for a while, and there’s no telling how long they’ll hold us, so we ought to go in with full stomachs.”
That was an angle I hadn’t considered, and I could have kicked myself for it. I wasn’t used to the tactical mindset. I was too stuck in my role asdaddy’s little girl. To steal an advantage, no matter how slight, we would show up before Mercer dragged me to him. But that would only help me. Not Sloane.
The sentinels would press her for details on the Walsh occupation of Brentwood as well as the clan itself in the hopes they could identify a weakness. I would field my share of questions too, no doubt, but no one in the pack would take anyintel I offered at face value. They would, at best, verify promising details with Sloane to determine whether they were actionable.
From what I had seen, the Walshes were good people put in a tight spot because their magnus wanted me as much as Dad never wanted to let me go, and I wouldn’t betray them.
six
About to takethe coward’s way out and beat feet to the SUV, where I could hide behind tinted windows until the Walsh cousins were a speck on my horizon, I forced myself to face Rían. “Can we talk?”
“Yes.” He jerked his chin, telling his cousin to go on ahead. “Of course.”
Sloane grunted when Liam shackled her wrist and dragged her away to give us privacy.
“Get the contact information,” I called to her. “It’ll save us some time.”
With a thumbs-up, she marched off toward the salon to fulfil her mission.
Awkwardness descended in record time as Rían and I found ourselves alone.
“I don’t know what to say,” I confessed, “I just didn’t want to leave without saying anything.”
“This isn’t goodbye.” He reached out but let his hand fall short of my cheek. “I’ve waited my whole life for you, Ana. A few more days or weeks, however long you need, won’t change my mind.”
Unable to hold his tender gaze, I had to voice my greatest fear. “What if he won’t let me come back?”
“Do you want to come back?”
“I want answers.” I clenched my hands until my nails cut crescent-shaped marks in my palm. “I want to know who and what I am, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I don’t expect to receive those answers from Dad.” I pushed out a slow breath. “I have to go to him, have to talk sense into him and get Tara and the others released, but then…” I couldn’t stop myself from covering his scarred hand with mine, his skin calloused and warm. “I want to learn my history, discover my potential, and I think you’re the one to teach me.”
“Fayne is the better teacher, and she would barbecue me if I stole the chance for her to fledge you.” His fingers meshed with mine, holding tight to me. “But I’ll be right by your side the whole time.”
“I’m still not sure about the betrothal thing.” I owed him that much. “It’s a lot. Not you. All of this.”
“Thanks for your honesty.” He brought our linked hands to his mouth and brushed a soft kiss across my knuckles that shot tingles down to my toes. “As long as you’re not giving me a hard no, I’ll wait for you.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
Without an ounce of hesitation, he smiled a crooked smile down at our joined hands. “You’re worth it.”
“Hey.” I noticed a glimmer of red and orange where his lips had touched my skin. “What is that?”
“Hold it over an open flame, and it activates a location beacon.”
“You can find me wherever…?”Dad locks me awayI almost said but didn’t. “Will it hurt?”
“Most people have never willingly stuck their hand in a fire, so it’s not surprising you wouldn’t know you have ahigh tolerance for heat. After you fledge, no matter how hot flames burn, they won’t harm you.” He hesitated before adding, “Dragon fire is another story, but there are so few of us left, violence among our own kind is almost unheard of.”
“Thanks for this.” I traced it with my free hand, smiling when it reheated. “I’ll do my best to get out on my own, I don’t want to give my dad another reason to come after your clan, but it’s nice.” I dared to run my thumb over the top of his hand, and goose bumps rose on his skin. “To have someone watching my back.”
Trust was slow to come for me, but I wanted to believe in the fairy tale he was selling. I wanted to shift. I wanted to fly. I wanted to belong. Maybe even to him. But I had to sort myself out first before I hurt him with careless words that might end in empty promises.
“That’s what clan is for.” He pried his fingers loose then slid his hand free with effort, like our palms had been glued together and refused to unstick. “We’ll handle the pets here and at GSG. Jess is familiar with your system there, so I’ll ask Fayne to pitch in with making calls and travel arrangements. Rochele and Mindy can handle this salon’s pets since that process should go faster.”
