“Yeah. Metal not touching flesh doesn’t get re-formed.”
“Meaning we’ll have to go somewhere else to decipher the clue.” He paused, and a sudden, somewhat cheeky smile touched his lips. “My place is nice and close. And I probably still have some of your clothes hanging around.”
I blinked. “Why the hell would you still have those?”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t be bothered throwing them out. And it wasn’t like they were taking up a whole lot of space.”
“I bet that must have pleased the hell out of the girlfriends that followed me.”
“It wasn’t a problem because there weren’t any. Only bed partners.”
I snorted. “You seriously expect me to believe —”
“Yes, because it’s true.” His gaze held mine. “My work may be the most important thing in my life, then and now, but you were, believe it or not, the next best thing.”
“Being the next best isn’t exactly a compliment,” I noted dryly. “And it doesn’t exactly explain why you’ve had no girlfriends since.”
“Ours wasn’t the first relationship I wrecked over a story, but it was the last. I decided it was better for everyone if I just didn’t go there.”
I stared at him for a minute. “Good god, was that a touch of remorse in your voice?”
“More an acknowledgment that forming attachments to get a story probably isn’t the best way to go about things.”
Which was probably as close to a sorry as I was ever likely to get. I folded the piece of paper and slipped it into my pocket. “You could have decided that before you printed the story about my mom and destroyed what we had.”
“No, I couldn’t have.”
Because it had taken that destruction for him to see the light – although I had no doubt the threats from Uncle Rhoan, Aunt Riley, and Ilianna had also played a part. They’d certainly prevented him from printing the remaining part of the story. “I can see you becoming a very lonely old man.”
“Not lonely, because there has never been a lack of partners. Just alone.”
Meaning he’d faired better in the after-relationship sex stakes than I had. At least until Lucian and Azriel had come along to liven things up.>“Yes.” His fingers gripped mine. I couldn’t help noticing the slight tremor in them. “Although I have to say, the view from this angle isn’t half bad.”
I glanced down as I hauled him upright. My sweater had not come through the second shift at all well. Not only had I lost a sleeve, but there was a gaping hole down my left side that exposed one breast. And my jeans weren’t in much better shape, hanging on my body in shredded bits.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” I commented. “And your clothes haven’t fared much better.”
“No,” he muttered, glancing down. “Although it does explain the sudden feeling of freedom.”
I half laughed – which I regretted the moment the madmen in my head sprang into action with their pokers – and released Jak’s hand. “I think you’d better stay here while I check —”
“No way on god’s green earth,” he cut in. “If I’d hung back last time, I’d be dust like those walls. Consider me your shadow until we get out of this place.”
I couldn’t exactly argue given it was totally true. I took a careful step. The air stirred, and the hairs at the back of my neck rose.
Something else was here.
I stopped and scanned the room again. The dangling electrical wires swayed lightly, even though the place was hushed and the air up here still.
The images of snakes rose again. I swore under my breath and drew Amaya. She began to hum with excitement and flames flickered down the edges of her steel.
“Drawing your sword is not a good sign,” Jak said. “What can you see that I can’t?”
“Moving electrical wires.”
“Electrical wires? Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so.”