wagged her brows at Finn. “Who’s that?”
“I don’t know.” Finn frowned. “But I need to find out.”
***
“Hey, Connor.” Ella high-fived the owner of the Hot Bodies Gym and nodded at Lily, her favorite personal trainer. “How are things?”
“Not the same without you.” Connor grinned, then his gaze fixed behind her. “Who’s your friend?”
Finn was giving the machines a narrow look. He glanced at Connor, with just a hint of a scowl, then returned to his scrutiny of the place.
“He’s my new partner at work,” Ella said. “He’s also new in town and likes to keep in form. With the weather turning bad he decided to join me.” She hoped she’d covered the awkward silence.
“Yeah. Nice.” Connor sounded skeptical. Probably because Finn was still glaring at everyone and everything in the gym.
Ella elbowed Finn in the ribs. “Say hi to the guys. I’ve been coming here for years. They’ll whip you into shape in no time.”
“Whip?” Finn’s scowl deepened.
“In a manner of speaking.”
Finn, who had no need whatsoever to be whipped into shape, nodded reluctantly. Some day she’d find out why he mistrusted machines and doctors so much. Meanwhile, Connor and Lily gave them funny looks.
Um, yeah. Maybe their conversation had been a little bit unusual.
Lily stepped closer, stretching out her hand toward Finn. “Hi. Why don’t you tell me what you need and I’ll make you a program? Any health issues I should know about?”
Finn shook his head, grabbed her hand, bared his teeth.
Ella saw her wince, whether from the wolfish smile or because her fingers were being crushed, she couldn’t be sure.
She put a hand on Finn’s arm and tugged him away, seeing disappointment wash over Lily’s face. “Come on, let me show you my favorite machines.”
Finn tensed briefly, his muscles going taut under her fingers, then let her lead him away.
“Just play along,” Ella whispered as she guided him to the treadmills. The gym was full of people and noise. Music was playing on the speakers, people talked and laughed. A good place as any to meet with Sarah. At least there would be some interference with the transmission.
It puzzled her that she hadn’t been able to find the transmitter or the tracking device on Finn. Where were the frigging things hidden? What were they made of? She’d considered magic — but Dave was a robot, not an elf. Which begged the question — what was elven tech like?
And damn her if she had any answers.
Which was crazy, because she had an elf right next to her whom to ask. Only with Dave listening in, keeping the conversation innocent was a struggle.
Oh fuck it. “Hey, Finn...Are elven machines made of metal?”
Finn limped to a weight machine and stopped, leaning against it. “Yes,” he said, bending over to massage his calf.
Metal. But what if elven metals acted differently to the ones she knew? After all, Dave was full of machinery. Did he set off every scanner when he visited an airport?
Ella sighed. He probably didn’t fly.
“Hey.” Lily had approached once more. She smiled at Finn. “Wanna try the weight machine?”
Ella left them and climbed on the rowing machine across from them.
She had to find that bug. Had she missed a spot on Finn’s skin? Well, she wouldn’t mind running her hands all over him again, just to make sure. She grinned.
Where was Sarah? And had she told them her real reasons for wanting to exchange information, or was she a mole?
Did Dave need a spy? True, he’d lost visual with their apartment from the moment they’d started closing the drapes because of the sniper — but he’d had the bug planted.
Had he?
Dammit, this whole thing was nuts.
A whistle rang through the gym, and Ella looked up. People were gathering around the weight machine. Where Finn was.
Uneasy, she hopped off the rowing machine to see what the fuss was about. She peeked around the gawkers and blinked.
Okay,
“I don’t know.” Finn frowned. “But I need to find out.”
***
“Hey, Connor.” Ella high-fived the owner of the Hot Bodies Gym and nodded at Lily, her favorite personal trainer. “How are things?”
“Not the same without you.” Connor grinned, then his gaze fixed behind her. “Who’s your friend?”
Finn was giving the machines a narrow look. He glanced at Connor, with just a hint of a scowl, then returned to his scrutiny of the place.
“He’s my new partner at work,” Ella said. “He’s also new in town and likes to keep in form. With the weather turning bad he decided to join me.” She hoped she’d covered the awkward silence.
“Yeah. Nice.” Connor sounded skeptical. Probably because Finn was still glaring at everyone and everything in the gym.
Ella elbowed Finn in the ribs. “Say hi to the guys. I’ve been coming here for years. They’ll whip you into shape in no time.”
“Whip?” Finn’s scowl deepened.
“In a manner of speaking.”
Finn, who had no need whatsoever to be whipped into shape, nodded reluctantly. Some day she’d find out why he mistrusted machines and doctors so much. Meanwhile, Connor and Lily gave them funny looks.
Um, yeah. Maybe their conversation had been a little bit unusual.
Lily stepped closer, stretching out her hand toward Finn. “Hi. Why don’t you tell me what you need and I’ll make you a program? Any health issues I should know about?”
Finn shook his head, grabbed her hand, bared his teeth.
Ella saw her wince, whether from the wolfish smile or because her fingers were being crushed, she couldn’t be sure.
She put a hand on Finn’s arm and tugged him away, seeing disappointment wash over Lily’s face. “Come on, let me show you my favorite machines.”
Finn tensed briefly, his muscles going taut under her fingers, then let her lead him away.
“Just play along,” Ella whispered as she guided him to the treadmills. The gym was full of people and noise. Music was playing on the speakers, people talked and laughed. A good place as any to meet with Sarah. At least there would be some interference with the transmission.
It puzzled her that she hadn’t been able to find the transmitter or the tracking device on Finn. Where were the frigging things hidden? What were they made of? She’d considered magic — but Dave was a robot, not an elf. Which begged the question — what was elven tech like?
And damn her if she had any answers.
Which was crazy, because she had an elf right next to her whom to ask. Only with Dave listening in, keeping the conversation innocent was a struggle.
Oh fuck it. “Hey, Finn...Are elven machines made of metal?”
Finn limped to a weight machine and stopped, leaning against it. “Yes,” he said, bending over to massage his calf.
Metal. But what if elven metals acted differently to the ones she knew? After all, Dave was full of machinery. Did he set off every scanner when he visited an airport?
Ella sighed. He probably didn’t fly.
“Hey.” Lily had approached once more. She smiled at Finn. “Wanna try the weight machine?”
Ella left them and climbed on the rowing machine across from them.
She had to find that bug. Had she missed a spot on Finn’s skin? Well, she wouldn’t mind running her hands all over him again, just to make sure. She grinned.
Where was Sarah? And had she told them her real reasons for wanting to exchange information, or was she a mole?
Did Dave need a spy? True, he’d lost visual with their apartment from the moment they’d started closing the drapes because of the sniper — but he’d had the bug planted.
Had he?
Dammit, this whole thing was nuts.
A whistle rang through the gym, and Ella looked up. People were gathering around the weight machine. Where Finn was.
Uneasy, she hopped off the rowing machine to see what the fuss was about. She peeked around the gawkers and blinked.
Okay,
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