his thoughts.
His voice crept in. Lay low for a while, he said.
Julianna nodded, ‘I like the city. Camping isn’t my style, and a lot of people depend on me.’
‘Your luck’s running out. They know where you are, they know who you are. Don’t fool yourself, Julianna…they know everything.’
‘You worried?’ she teased, but no laugh went with it. Her stomach sunk. Dread washed over her. She pushed the anxiety away; worried Caden might sense it too.
All the same, he could be close.
Surely not.
But the Militia guy was here; he might be here with him.
Stupid thought!
‘I’m a hard man to find, J Rae. I can’t keep you safe in these sectors with everyone watching you.’
‘I’m chasing things.’ The nagging feeling drew her attention to the wall behind her seat.
‘Chasing shadows.’ His finished cigarette stub dropped into the empty bottle. He threw her a comms. ‘Deliver it to the safe house for me?’
The clock above the doorway told Julianna her curtain call was in ten minutes; the comms activated, giving her the same time in the corner of its screen. She moved her finger along the bottom to shut it down.
‘Or we could deliver it together and you ride out with me afterwards.’ Caden stepped into her space to rest his hands on her forearms. His solid touch turned into a caress, gently stroking them.
‘Caden, I can’t.’
His caress brought them close. Cocking his head boyishly to one side to lower his gaze, he spoke quietly. ‘All the mod cons of nature…running river, warm tent, warm bed . ’ His lips nipped gently at hers. The dampness lingered from his drink. She stayed close. The taste of his cigarette and the smell of his scent made her desperate to follow him.
‘I really can’t,’ she whispered.
‘Sure you won’t?’ He nipped her bottom lip again. ‘Could use the company for sniper duty. Heard you were good—’
She kissed him back, the friendly nipping turning into a lingering kiss, her mind scrambled as his fingers stretched around her waist in his seduction.
Pulling away gently, Julianna reluctantly smiled. The longer Caden locked her into his gaze, the harder Julianna found it to refuse. She thought of the last watcher she kissed. Taris didn’t end so well.
Why can I feel Taz so close beside me?
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I can’t.’ The thought lingered into her words.
The door swung open. ‘Bloodlust, headaches, twitching. Find me when you want some help with that. Hate to see a pretty girl go wild.’
Her mouth dropped at the comment usually reserved for full-bloods, something she was certain she wasn’t. He left without the sound of a footstep, walking lightly, and the door closed as though a breeze had taken it. Julianna wiped her lip. Isis had sent him in good faith – maybe blind faith – and now the man she had thought about every waking minute since their meeting, had walked out the door.
Good luck. You’ll need it . His whisper echoed inside her still mind.
She studied the comms weighing heavily in her hands. The smooth glass reflected her image. The information Caden trusted her with, would delight Isis. It was the third for the day, and she hoped this would win her a warm shower and night off. Julianna placed it with the other comms’ in her delivery satchel. All bets were off if she didn’t deliver this one safely, and a pending sense of doom loomed as thick as death itself. She returned to the thin wall again.
‘Star, you’re back on.’
She turned around, dragged to reality. One of her support dancers stood in the doorway.
‘I don’t wanna’ go back on.’ She felt her garter. Caden’s touch still lingered over her leg and she pulled out the five he had left behind, bringing it to her nose, smelling it, and closing her eyes as its scent travelled through her.
‘If you want more of that and not the ass, you need your booty on stage, hun. Boss man is calling for you.’
Julianna folded the note and was surprised to see EAST
His voice crept in. Lay low for a while, he said.
Julianna nodded, ‘I like the city. Camping isn’t my style, and a lot of people depend on me.’
‘Your luck’s running out. They know where you are, they know who you are. Don’t fool yourself, Julianna…they know everything.’
‘You worried?’ she teased, but no laugh went with it. Her stomach sunk. Dread washed over her. She pushed the anxiety away; worried Caden might sense it too.
All the same, he could be close.
Surely not.
But the Militia guy was here; he might be here with him.
Stupid thought!
‘I’m a hard man to find, J Rae. I can’t keep you safe in these sectors with everyone watching you.’
‘I’m chasing things.’ The nagging feeling drew her attention to the wall behind her seat.
‘Chasing shadows.’ His finished cigarette stub dropped into the empty bottle. He threw her a comms. ‘Deliver it to the safe house for me?’
The clock above the doorway told Julianna her curtain call was in ten minutes; the comms activated, giving her the same time in the corner of its screen. She moved her finger along the bottom to shut it down.
‘Or we could deliver it together and you ride out with me afterwards.’ Caden stepped into her space to rest his hands on her forearms. His solid touch turned into a caress, gently stroking them.
‘Caden, I can’t.’
His caress brought them close. Cocking his head boyishly to one side to lower his gaze, he spoke quietly. ‘All the mod cons of nature…running river, warm tent, warm bed . ’ His lips nipped gently at hers. The dampness lingered from his drink. She stayed close. The taste of his cigarette and the smell of his scent made her desperate to follow him.
‘I really can’t,’ she whispered.
‘Sure you won’t?’ He nipped her bottom lip again. ‘Could use the company for sniper duty. Heard you were good—’
She kissed him back, the friendly nipping turning into a lingering kiss, her mind scrambled as his fingers stretched around her waist in his seduction.
Pulling away gently, Julianna reluctantly smiled. The longer Caden locked her into his gaze, the harder Julianna found it to refuse. She thought of the last watcher she kissed. Taris didn’t end so well.
Why can I feel Taz so close beside me?
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I can’t.’ The thought lingered into her words.
The door swung open. ‘Bloodlust, headaches, twitching. Find me when you want some help with that. Hate to see a pretty girl go wild.’
Her mouth dropped at the comment usually reserved for full-bloods, something she was certain she wasn’t. He left without the sound of a footstep, walking lightly, and the door closed as though a breeze had taken it. Julianna wiped her lip. Isis had sent him in good faith – maybe blind faith – and now the man she had thought about every waking minute since their meeting, had walked out the door.
Good luck. You’ll need it . His whisper echoed inside her still mind.
She studied the comms weighing heavily in her hands. The smooth glass reflected her image. The information Caden trusted her with, would delight Isis. It was the third for the day, and she hoped this would win her a warm shower and night off. Julianna placed it with the other comms’ in her delivery satchel. All bets were off if she didn’t deliver this one safely, and a pending sense of doom loomed as thick as death itself. She returned to the thin wall again.
‘Star, you’re back on.’
She turned around, dragged to reality. One of her support dancers stood in the doorway.
‘I don’t wanna’ go back on.’ She felt her garter. Caden’s touch still lingered over her leg and she pulled out the five he had left behind, bringing it to her nose, smelling it, and closing her eyes as its scent travelled through her.
‘If you want more of that and not the ass, you need your booty on stage, hun. Boss man is calling for you.’
Julianna folded the note and was surprised to see EAST
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