back. Lock me up if you want, but it won’t help you find her.”
“It has nothing to do with what I want.” Darla shoved him in the chest to knock him back a step. He barely swayed. “Breaking someone out of Area Nine is a crime . Breaking into the Crypt to steal files is a crime . You’re going to jail because of what you’ve done, not because I want you to be there.” Because she didn’t want that. If she was honest with herself, the thought of Lucien Wroth in a cell made her feel a little nauseated.
She struck him again, just to remind herself she should, and he captured her wrists, lightning fast.
“Stop.” He sucked all the angry energy he’d been throwing at her inside himself. Suddenly, he loomed larger and somehow more intimidating for being so contained. Darla almost took a step back, needing an extra few inches to regain some composure. Her blood was moving too fast through her veins, feeling too hot beneath her skin, especially where his thumb brushed the pulse point at her wrist.
“Isn’t there anyone you care about?” he asked, his voice soft and dark. “Anyone you would risk everything for without thinking twice?”
Yes.
She wanted to hate him. She wanted him to be villainous to his core, painted the easily identifiable black of evil. Instead all she could think was how badly she wanted to be the one he would take a risk like that for. She discarded the thought, clinging hard to her pretty black-and-white world. She didn’t have room for greys. “No one I care about would ever ask me to.”
“They shouldn’t have to,” he said quietly, but she barely heard him.
A green light flashed out of the corner of her eye. A lightning bolt shooting back up to the sky. Her signal. For the first time in her life, Darla saw that green bolt and hesitated.
Lucien’s mouth twisted mockingly. He dropped her wrists and backed away. “Your public awaits, DynaGirl.”
She could grab him. Drop him in a cell at the North Courthouse on her way to whatever the latest catastrophe was. There was no denying that was what she should do. But for once, the shoulds weren’t ruling her. Lucien Wroth rotting in a cell didn’t feel like justice.
She took a step back. Then another. When ten feet separated them and she could feel the breeze from the open balcony door stirring her hair, Darla stopped.
“This is twice now you’ve gotten away,” she said. “The next time I see you will be the last day you’re walking around free.”
He blinked, clearly surprised she wasn’t dragging him to the nearest cell. She just couldn’t. Not when, against all her better judgment, she’d begun to admire him. She knew a lot of people who were supposed to be good, but real integrity, real caring, wasn’t something she saw every day.
She studied him, memorizing the muscular strength, the day’s growth along his jaw and the dark, sinister cut of his features. Damn, the man is temptation on a stick. She’d never wanted anyone so badly, or been so certain she could never have him.
“Don’t let me catch you again, Wroth.”
Chapter Eight
Sibling Rivalry
“Dude, how long have you been schtupping DynaGirl?”
Lucien jumped, tearing his eyes away from the sight of Darla flying off to heed the city’s call and spinning toward the sound of his sister’s voice. Mirabelle leaned against the kitchen counter, rolling a peach between her palms.
“How long have you been standing there?”
She shrugged. “Not so long. Did I miss the good stuff? I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to make my presence known. I don’t particularly want to see my brother knocking boots with DynaGirl, even if that’s what you had to do to get me out. Not that I don’t appreciate it.”
He shook his head, dismissing the topic of DynaGirl entirely. “Are you ready to go?”
“Go?”
“We need to get out of town now . How do you feel about Indonesia?” Lucien strode toward the bedroom, intent on collecting the bag
“It has nothing to do with what I want.” Darla shoved him in the chest to knock him back a step. He barely swayed. “Breaking someone out of Area Nine is a crime . Breaking into the Crypt to steal files is a crime . You’re going to jail because of what you’ve done, not because I want you to be there.” Because she didn’t want that. If she was honest with herself, the thought of Lucien Wroth in a cell made her feel a little nauseated.
She struck him again, just to remind herself she should, and he captured her wrists, lightning fast.
“Stop.” He sucked all the angry energy he’d been throwing at her inside himself. Suddenly, he loomed larger and somehow more intimidating for being so contained. Darla almost took a step back, needing an extra few inches to regain some composure. Her blood was moving too fast through her veins, feeling too hot beneath her skin, especially where his thumb brushed the pulse point at her wrist.
“Isn’t there anyone you care about?” he asked, his voice soft and dark. “Anyone you would risk everything for without thinking twice?”
Yes.
She wanted to hate him. She wanted him to be villainous to his core, painted the easily identifiable black of evil. Instead all she could think was how badly she wanted to be the one he would take a risk like that for. She discarded the thought, clinging hard to her pretty black-and-white world. She didn’t have room for greys. “No one I care about would ever ask me to.”
“They shouldn’t have to,” he said quietly, but she barely heard him.
A green light flashed out of the corner of her eye. A lightning bolt shooting back up to the sky. Her signal. For the first time in her life, Darla saw that green bolt and hesitated.
Lucien’s mouth twisted mockingly. He dropped her wrists and backed away. “Your public awaits, DynaGirl.”
She could grab him. Drop him in a cell at the North Courthouse on her way to whatever the latest catastrophe was. There was no denying that was what she should do. But for once, the shoulds weren’t ruling her. Lucien Wroth rotting in a cell didn’t feel like justice.
She took a step back. Then another. When ten feet separated them and she could feel the breeze from the open balcony door stirring her hair, Darla stopped.
“This is twice now you’ve gotten away,” she said. “The next time I see you will be the last day you’re walking around free.”
He blinked, clearly surprised she wasn’t dragging him to the nearest cell. She just couldn’t. Not when, against all her better judgment, she’d begun to admire him. She knew a lot of people who were supposed to be good, but real integrity, real caring, wasn’t something she saw every day.
She studied him, memorizing the muscular strength, the day’s growth along his jaw and the dark, sinister cut of his features. Damn, the man is temptation on a stick. She’d never wanted anyone so badly, or been so certain she could never have him.
“Don’t let me catch you again, Wroth.”
Chapter Eight
Sibling Rivalry
“Dude, how long have you been schtupping DynaGirl?”
Lucien jumped, tearing his eyes away from the sight of Darla flying off to heed the city’s call and spinning toward the sound of his sister’s voice. Mirabelle leaned against the kitchen counter, rolling a peach between her palms.
“How long have you been standing there?”
She shrugged. “Not so long. Did I miss the good stuff? I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to make my presence known. I don’t particularly want to see my brother knocking boots with DynaGirl, even if that’s what you had to do to get me out. Not that I don’t appreciate it.”
He shook his head, dismissing the topic of DynaGirl entirely. “Are you ready to go?”
“Go?”
“We need to get out of town now . How do you feel about Indonesia?” Lucien strode toward the bedroom, intent on collecting the bag
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