way he sank back in his seat was an acknowledgment of the truth of her statement.
“How did you know where to find me?” he asked. “I don’t advertise that I’m the former king of Callistoya.”
“I overheard Vasily talking about you. He has spies in this world who discovered your whereabouts.” She had intended to deliver the bad news in stages, but, under Ged’s direct gaze there didn’t seem to be any hiding place from the truth. “He still sees you as a danger, and if he suspected you were going to return to Callistoya, he would have you assassinated.”
Ged had a very expressive mouth, she noticed. It was particularly evident now, as his lips curled in contempt. “Would he now? Vasily must have grown himself a spine since the last time we met.”
“All I know is he has my father locked up.” She got to her feet. “Can we go now?”
“Lidiya—”
“It’s Lidi. No one ever calls me Lidiya.” Why was she worrying about what name he was using when her father was depending on her?
“Lidi.” He ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “If you know why I left Callistoya, you must also know why I can’t go back.”
“No.” The word was almost a sob. “We can work with the resistance, get the people we need. Together with your uncle and my father’s friends, we can fight Vasily.”
He got to his feet and she felt the impact of his nearness all over again. He was too potent. His height, his presence, his masculinity...they all had the effect of driving everything out of her mind except the need to be in his arms. Determinedly, she clung to the image of her father languishing in a prison cell.
“There is more to it—”
“I know that thirteen years ago, Vasily told everyone you left Alyona Ivanov to die at the hands of the same men who murdered your father.” The words burst from her lips before she could stop them, and Ged flinched as she said the name of his murdered fiancée. “I don’t believe the story that you abandoned her...or that you killed her, then murdered the others to cover it up.”
“I can’t go back.” If Ged cared that his stepbrother had spread a rumor that he was a spineless coward, or worse, it didn’t show. There was no inflection in the words, only finality.
Lidi had come prepared to beg, to plead, to offer her family’s wealth, her own fortune and allegiance. Anything. Nowhere in her schemes had she allowed for this scenario. One in which she faced a man who differed so completely from her expectations. She had believed the romantic folk stories about Gerald Tavisha. There were rumors about an exiled king who devoted his life to the rescue of endangered shifters. When she looked into Ged’s eyes and saw the blank look in their dark depths, she was forced to question the truth behind those legends.
Her whole body slumped in defeat. She had pinned every hope on finding Ged and persuading him to help. Now she faced a return to Callistoya and the prospect of discovering another way. Giving in to Vasily’s plans wasn’t an option, but her choices were limited to her own ingenuity.
Squaring her shoulders and stiffening her spine was hard, but she managed it. Turning away from Ged? That proved more difficult. How had she reached this point so fast? Dependence on another person wasn’t on her agenda. It never would be.
To her annoyance, she felt tears sting the back of her eyelids and burn her throat. Back home, she was known for her stubborn chin tilts. This one didn’t quite work.
“I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
* * *
Ged muttered a curse as he crossed the room. Lidi already had her fingertips on the door handle when he reached her. Placing his hands on the wooden panels either side of her shoulders, he leaned in close.
“Don’t go.” What was happening to him? He didn’t do empathy or tenderness. He certainly didn’t change his mind. Yet, the second he had turned Lidi down, he was regretting the harshness of his response.
She turned around, the action placing her in the circle of his arms. Not quite touching, but temptingly close.
“I have no reason to stay.”
“We both know that’s not true.” Getting up close to her had been a mistake. The attraction between them couldn’t be forgotten, no matter how much they might wish to fight it. Lifting a hand, he cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb along her jawline.
“Don’t.” Lidi turned her head away. “For the last three weeks, I’ve only been able to wash in rivers and streams. I can’t imagine what I must smell like.”
“You smell incredible.” That was part of the problem. Lidi’s scent was driving him crazy. She smelled of the forest. Of fresh air, new rainfall and pine needles with a hint of the wild honeysuckle that reminded him of home. He rested his forehead against hers briefly, fighting the temptation to do more. “God knows, I don’t want to change anything about you, but why don’t you take a bath? Then I’ll deal with those injuries to your arm and you can get some sleep. Even if I can’t come back to Callistoya with you, I can help in other ways.” He smiled. “I can book you on a flight to Siberia faster than you can steal a car.”
She regarded him thoughtfully and he could see she was weighing her options. After a moment or two, she relaxed and nodded. “A bath would be heaven.”
Ged showed her to the bathroom. Once he could hear water running, he took out his cell phone and called Rick.
“Any problems?”
“Other than the fact that you’ve got a crazy woman in your room?” Even though they were friends, Rick rarely crossed the employer-employee boundary when he was working. Now Ged could sense the anger and frustration in his voice. “Yeah, everything is très bien, as they say around here.”
“The two guys who were with you, are they okay?”
Rick snorted. “Well, Marty’s gonna be talking like an overexcited schoolgirl for a day or two, but the hotel guy’s nose isn’t broken. I managed to persuade him it was all a misunderstanding. When I say persuade, I mean I gave him a barrel full of cash to forget it.”
“Thanks.” Rick always came through for him and for the rest of the band. Although Ged had never shared the truth with the other man, Rick must know there was something unusual about Beast. Even if he hadn’t guessed they were all shifters, he had seen enough over the years to figure they were different. He had covered up werewolf attacks and dragon flights, as well as a few less dramatic supernatural events. “Can you get me a first aid kit?”
“Are you hurt?” He could hear the concern in Rick’s voice.
“It’s not for me. And bring some women’s clothes to my room.”
“What sort of women’s clothes?”
“How the hell do I know? The sort women wear.” Ged drew a breath, reminding himself it wasn’t Rick’s fault his whole world had been turned upside down a few hours ago. “Go to the boutique in the lobby. Make up some story about your niece losing her suitcase. Tell them she’s tall and slim. They’ll do the rest.”
He ended the call
