“I think I’ve made it clear that I disagree on that point, but in case you’ve forgotten my point of view: you ran from the truth. If I’d died that day two years ago, Ana, and if I didn’t stand right here right now, you might have gone to your own grave believing lies.”
“I didn’t mean to shoot you.”
His eyes sharpen with his tongue. “Liar.”
“Now I’m a liar?”
“You’re too skilled to accidentally pull the trigger, sweetheart, so dump that bullshit and be honest with yourself and me.”
“If you believe that, why not go to the police? Why did you lie about what happened?”
“The why doesn’t matter. The reason? I saved your badge,” he says. “Just be thankful I did.”
The elevator dings. “Let’s go call Adam.”
I’m obviously not the only one eaten up with hate. He is, too, and I don’t think he would feel what he feels if he’d coldheartedly killed Kasey. “Luke—”
“Lucifer, Ana. Lucifer. I get that you always refused to call me that and refused to see me as that person, but you always knew who I was. And I’m more him than ever. You of all people know that. You made that clear.” He doesn’t give me time to reply. “Let’s go call Adam,” he repeats, catching the elevator door as if the action is a push to get me out of the tiny space we’re presently sharing.
I draw in a breath and walk into the hallway. He joins me and motions to the left. A short walk later, we’re at our door, and he swipes the key. I enter the room first and while it’s a nice hotel, our room is small, so small we will be on top of each other every second we’re here.
We set our bags down in the entryway and I walk to the other side of the room. By the time I turn around, Luke has followed me, only he stops shy of the window where I now stand, leaning on the desk that sits even with the foot of the bed.
The bed. I’m hyper-aware of it because it’s the only place to sleep. Because I haven’t been in a bed with him in two years. Because I don’t know how to be in this room with him and not lose my mind.
He dials Adam on speaker. “You all cozy and comfy in your room?” Adam asks when he answers.
“You won’t believe how cozy,” I reply, “considering we hate each other.”
Luke’s eyes find mine, an intense burn in their depths that I’m too emotional to read properly. “Yes,” Luke says. “We’re all kinds of wonderful.”
Adam makes it clear that he isn’t sympathetic. “I bet it’s better than being trapped in a car with Savage, telling stupid jokes with his shoes off.”
And we’re clearly on speakerphone on Adam’s end as well, as Savage chimes in. “You dirty, dirty sinner you, Lucifer. Sleeping with the enemy.”
“Oh my God,” I murmur. “Can I punch him when I see him again?”
“As long as you don’t shoot me, darlin’,” Savage replies.
I walked right into that one, but I refuse to retreat. “A knee seems even better,” I reply.
“He’s a dick,” Luke comments dryly. “But a loyal dick.”
“Loyal dicks are the best dicks,” Savage assures me.
“Please save me from this conversation,” I plead, meeting Luke’s stare. “Please.”
A familiar, deep, sexy laugh rumbles from his chest. God, how I love his laugh. “There’s no saving any of us from Savage,” he assures me.
“And I’m in a car with him,” Adam replies. “Did I mention he has his shoes off? Put your damn shoes on, man.” I can almost hear Adam’s scowl as he says, “We’d better have this conversation before I can’t breathe anymore. We’re still in Denver. We dropped Darius at the FBI offices. He didn’t go home when he left. He’s currently at the Ritz Carlton, which is nine hundred dollars tonight for the smallest room. I get him wanting to stay away from his home, but this feels extravagant for an FBI agent that isn’t making money on the side.”
“Agreed,” I say, and little things about Darius’s behavior over time niggle at me now as I add, “We both make a decent living, not a nine-hundred dollar a night Ritz Carlton, decent though.”
“That’s what I wanted to know,” Adam replies. “As it stands, we managed to get a room in the same hotel, and thanks to Blake, we’re monitoring him through the hotel cameras. So far he’s had no visitors. It’s after noon now, and he hasn’t gone to work. Blake hacked his schedule. He’s due in at four.”
My eyes go to Luke’s. “How did he hack the schedule?”
“Blake’s a world-class hacker, sweetheart, but I doubt he went into the government system. It was probably on Darius’s phone. Do you expect him to go to work after what happened last night?”