the
motorcycle onto a dirt road that led further into the woods. She wasn’t sure he
even heard her. When he kept driving, deeper and deeper into territory she’d
never been before, she suddenly realized where he was taking her. His Stronghold. Her hair whipped behind her as she mashed
her nose into his spine. Was he crazy? She had to get home and call her mom. And John. If they saw her on the news with him they’d be
frantic.
“Almost there,” he said, twisting slightly so she could hear him.
When he pulled up in front of a huge old stone house and parked
the motorcycle under an overhang, she clutched his waist, too buzzed from the
ride to move. The house loomed above them, the peaked roof dotted with
skylights. He swung his legs over the bike and helped her down. God, I must
look a mess, she thought distractedly, stumbling as she tried to find her
footing. Her eyes watered from the wind and she blotted at her face with her
sleeve.
“Easy,” he murmured, holding her steady until she pulled away. He
turned and shook a cover out over the bike, cinching it at the bottom.
“What are we doing here?” she asked. “This isn’t where I live.”
“I told you I was taking you home.” He pulled her up onto the
weathered porch. It looked old, but well-kept, and as she stared down, she
realized that it wasn’t really made of stone at all, but rather some other
material engineered to look like stone. Dried leaves blew across her feet.
“I didn’t realize you were taking me to your home,” she
muttered, checking her pockets. Whew. My cell phone is still intact. And I
didn’t lose Greyson’s ring.
“Come on,” he said, nudging the front door with his foot. It swung
open silently and he guided her inside.
Eva stopped the moment she crossed the threshold, stunned into
silence. The interior had vaulted ceilings and stained glass skylights. A
modern kitchen ran along the left wall while a giant stone fireplace sat in the
middle of the far wall, with windows and bookshelves on either side. In the
center of the room was a pillar made of the same material as the house, except
instead of stones, it was a long, seamless column.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Eva jumped when he shut the door behind her. “You said that
already.”
He lifted an eyebrow and dropped the keys for the motorcycle in a
glass bowl set atop a gorgeous wood sideboard. It looked ancient. And expensive.
“This is where you live?”
He nodded. “Sleeping chambers are down below.” He gestured to a
set of stairs next to the fireplace she hadn’t noticed earlier. “The entire
structure is set into a cliff, so the bedrooms have windows that overlook the
valley beyond.” He moved into the room, heading directly for the pillar. “I
also have a workroom set further into the ridge. There were natural caves here
when I built this place and it was easier to take advantage of existing
structures than fabricate new ones from scratch.”
Eva shook her head, not sure if she should pinch herself. What was
she doing here? “I’d really like to go home.”
He shook his head at her impatiently, then put a hand on the pillar. The stone facade wavered, then shimmered into a giant view screen. Eva sucked in a breath, putting a hand to
her throat as she looked through the viewer into a huge, bright room. Windows
circled the perimeter of the space, but otherwise, it was set up much like
Greyson’s stone house. She could vaguely make out the Manhattan skyline through
the glass walls. A man walked over and her heart gave a sick thump as she
recognized him. Unlike his television appearances, this man did not look happy
and calm.
“Greyson, for God’s sake, what did you do?” Bruno Day asked,
glaring at his brother.
Greyson sighed. “Another infestation, Bruno. I wasn’t there. If I hadn’t given Eva my ring, I don’t know what would’ve
happened.”
Bruno looked past Greyson and locked eyes with Eva. He nodded. Eva
bit her cheek, hoping the pain would
motorcycle onto a dirt road that led further into the woods. She wasn’t sure he
even heard her. When he kept driving, deeper and deeper into territory she’d
never been before, she suddenly realized where he was taking her. His Stronghold. Her hair whipped behind her as she mashed
her nose into his spine. Was he crazy? She had to get home and call her mom. And John. If they saw her on the news with him they’d be
frantic.
“Almost there,” he said, twisting slightly so she could hear him.
When he pulled up in front of a huge old stone house and parked
the motorcycle under an overhang, she clutched his waist, too buzzed from the
ride to move. The house loomed above them, the peaked roof dotted with
skylights. He swung his legs over the bike and helped her down. God, I must
look a mess, she thought distractedly, stumbling as she tried to find her
footing. Her eyes watered from the wind and she blotted at her face with her
sleeve.
“Easy,” he murmured, holding her steady until she pulled away. He
turned and shook a cover out over the bike, cinching it at the bottom.
“What are we doing here?” she asked. “This isn’t where I live.”
“I told you I was taking you home.” He pulled her up onto the
weathered porch. It looked old, but well-kept, and as she stared down, she
realized that it wasn’t really made of stone at all, but rather some other
material engineered to look like stone. Dried leaves blew across her feet.
“I didn’t realize you were taking me to your home,” she
muttered, checking her pockets. Whew. My cell phone is still intact. And I
didn’t lose Greyson’s ring.
“Come on,” he said, nudging the front door with his foot. It swung
open silently and he guided her inside.
Eva stopped the moment she crossed the threshold, stunned into
silence. The interior had vaulted ceilings and stained glass skylights. A
modern kitchen ran along the left wall while a giant stone fireplace sat in the
middle of the far wall, with windows and bookshelves on either side. In the
center of the room was a pillar made of the same material as the house, except
instead of stones, it was a long, seamless column.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Eva jumped when he shut the door behind her. “You said that
already.”
He lifted an eyebrow and dropped the keys for the motorcycle in a
glass bowl set atop a gorgeous wood sideboard. It looked ancient. And expensive.
“This is where you live?”
He nodded. “Sleeping chambers are down below.” He gestured to a
set of stairs next to the fireplace she hadn’t noticed earlier. “The entire
structure is set into a cliff, so the bedrooms have windows that overlook the
valley beyond.” He moved into the room, heading directly for the pillar. “I
also have a workroom set further into the ridge. There were natural caves here
when I built this place and it was easier to take advantage of existing
structures than fabricate new ones from scratch.”
Eva shook her head, not sure if she should pinch herself. What was
she doing here? “I’d really like to go home.”
He shook his head at her impatiently, then put a hand on the pillar. The stone facade wavered, then shimmered into a giant view screen. Eva sucked in a breath, putting a hand to
her throat as she looked through the viewer into a huge, bright room. Windows
circled the perimeter of the space, but otherwise, it was set up much like
Greyson’s stone house. She could vaguely make out the Manhattan skyline through
the glass walls. A man walked over and her heart gave a sick thump as she
recognized him. Unlike his television appearances, this man did not look happy
and calm.
“Greyson, for God’s sake, what did you do?” Bruno Day asked,
glaring at his brother.
Greyson sighed. “Another infestation, Bruno. I wasn’t there. If I hadn’t given Eva my ring, I don’t know what would’ve
happened.”
Bruno looked past Greyson and locked eyes with Eva. He nodded. Eva
bit her cheek, hoping the pain would
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