Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario Page A

now, Brynn. I won’t risk letting you loose and having something happen to you.”
    Her lips twisted into a frown. “So, what? I’m just supposed to pretend I’m happy with this whole scenario? I mean, I don’t even have any clothes to change into.”
    Shit. She was right. He hadn’t considered that.
    “Look.” She tugged at her hair, her eyes darkening with exasperation. “I just... I don’t do well locked indoors. And you can’t blame me for being a little concerned. You expect me to believe what you’re telling me, but you haven’t given me any proof that you’re the good guys.”
    Good guys. Yeah, right.
    “I’m not asking for much,” she said, her pleading making him feel even guiltier. “Just let me go home and get some clothes. If what you’re saying is true, then I’ll come back here with you of my own accord, and not as a prisoner.”
    “I can’t let you leave,” he told her. “Even if you promise to come back. It’s too dangerous. What if... what if I go buy you some new clothes?”
    Devil, had he just volunteered to go shopping for her?
    Brynn stepped toward him, a plaintive expression on her face as she touched his arm. He forced himself not to fidget at the spark of electricity. For all he knew, she didn’t feel the same way.
    “Keegan, I appreciate that. But please, let me go home and get some of my own clothes. You can come with me. Think of it as a show of faith. You do this, and I’ll come back with you, okay?”
    He gritted his teeth, knowing what his brothers would say if he agreed to this. To put it mildly, they wouldn’t be pleased.
    Screw it. She wasn’t asking for much, and with the four of them there, they could protect her. “Fine. Okay. Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
    Brynn sighed, her shoulders relaxing with relief. “Thank you.”
    With a brusque nod, Keegan stepped into the hallway and closed the door. He hesitated for a moment before walking away, leaving the door unlocked.
    He found Ronin and Taeg in the kitchen. Ronin sat at the counter, surfing his laptop, while Taeg scarfed down a huge bowl of cereal at the table with an open beer next to him.
    “You’re a fucking drunk,” Keegan muttered.
    Taeg shrugged, taking no offense. “I think better when I’m not sober.”
    “Hey, man,” Ronin said without looking up, “I’m researching Egyptian tombs.”
    “Yeah,” Taeg added, “we can’t just sit around on our asses waiting for the Council to find the Book .”
    Ronin nodded. “It’s a needle in a haystack, but we might as well start searching for where this Egyptian priest was burie—”
    “Get dressed,” Keegan interrupted. “And wake Dagan up, too.”
    That got their attention.
    “Where are we going?” Ronin asked.
    “We’re gonna take Brynn to her home so she can pick up some clothes.”
    Taeg sputtered, choking on his cereal. “Are—are you out of your mind?”

Chapter Seven
    “I love this deli. They have the best croissants,” Brynn said to Keegan as she inhaled the mouthwatering scent of baked goods. Her fear and doubt had begun to melt away as soon as she hit the sidewalk, especially since he’d let her use his phone to call her assistant, Amanda. She’d made up an excuse for why she’d left in such a rush and wouldn’t be back for a while. Amanda seemed suspicious, but Brynn didn’t want to involve her in any of this. Not if there really was a madman stalking her. In the end, she’d told Amanda she’d be keeping the gallery shut down until further notice.
    Keegan’s willingness to let her call someone backed up his claim that he wasn’t keeping her prisoner. Hell, the man had even volunteered to go shopping for her, and she hadn’t missed the look of distaste on his face when he’d said it.
    His brothers walked several feet behind her, though none of them appeared particularly happy to be taking this trip and Taeg kept mumbling to himself. Earlier, she thought she’d heard him grumble to Keegan,