electrified.
"It's...it's fine," said Liana, though she was having trouble keeping her voice steady.
"It's him, isn't it?" Nick said. There it was – that silence, that helplessness. "The guy from New York. The one you were talking about." That was another side of Nick that surfaced in his eyes. That fire, rage, so intense it scared her. She'd seen it when he used to look at Noel sometimes, and she saw it now. It made him dangerous.
"His name is Jack Camus," she said. "He’s a cop."
Nick was already on the move. "Go up and get your stuff. We're getting out of here."
But Liana didn't move. "I don’t understand," she protested. "I was so careful, Nick. I didn't even tell my roommate where I was going. I bought my ticket in cash. Hell, I was even careful not to walk in front of the security cameras. I didn't leave a trace. How could he have known?"
"It doesn’t matter. You can't stay here tonight," said Nick.
"It's fine,” she insisted. “You don't need to protect me. We'll lock the doors. We'll--"
"He's right, Liana," said Kirrily, entering from behind. She must have put Kizzy to bed, and Liana cursed herself for bringing an innocent child within the sphere of this madness. Liana had had to grow up with Noel; Kizzy didn’t need to know what it was like to feel unsafe in her own home. "Much as I hoped we'd be able to protect you here, our cover's blown. You've got to get out of here, at least until Tryg gets back to town and we can rally the Sparks to protect you in case something goes wrong." She looked at Nick. “Do you know any place she can stay that nobody would think to look?” Nick opened his mouth, but Kirrily interrupted his train of thought. “Nothing associated with the Black Sparks. Chances are he's already made the connection.”
Liana swallowed. "Alone?"
Nick felt his hand slide down into his pocket. Of all the numbers in his phone, he could think of only one that might allow Liana some protection. He pressed a button and placed the phone against his ear. "Helena?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Later that night, after Liana retreated safely to bed in a guest room she told him was the size of her entire New York apartment, Nick stood by the picture window at Helena’s, holding an expensive Scotch, feeling like a supervillain, even though the only reason he was there was to protect Liana.
"Can you trust her?" Liana asked. Her voice sounded tired, unsure, almost defeated, the voice of someone who thought she'd won a victory, only to find herself back at the starting line.
It wasn't like she didn't have enough spare rooms. “Trust me, she could lodge an entire circus troupe in this house with room to spare,” he’d told Liana.
She’d stood alone in the center of humongous room, bathed in moonlight, half-undressed, looking lost. He’d wanted to kiss her forehead, to take her hand, to be a gentleman about it. To say “at your service, milady.” But there was too much between them already to be that flippant. In the end he’d shut the door gently, letting out the biggest breath he’d ever held once he was out in the hall. He wondered if there ever again would be that lightness, that honesty between them, without a million pounds of sorrow and recrimination weighing it down.
Helena, behind him, put her hands on her hips. "You need sleep, Nicholas," she scolded, snaking up behind him and linking her arm into his. Nick had told Helena the barest minimum of Liana's backstory. She'd agreed instantly, and Nick didn't have enough time to explain more, or doubt her sincerity. He knew he probably should have, but Liana was safe for tonight, and that was all that mattered.
"I shouldn't," he said with a yawn. "Sleep is when things go wrong. You let your guard down, that’s when they come for you." He was so tired he wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore.
"When who comes for you?" she asked.
He couldn't help but smile at his
"It's...it's fine," said Liana, though she was having trouble keeping her voice steady.
"It's him, isn't it?" Nick said. There it was – that silence, that helplessness. "The guy from New York. The one you were talking about." That was another side of Nick that surfaced in his eyes. That fire, rage, so intense it scared her. She'd seen it when he used to look at Noel sometimes, and she saw it now. It made him dangerous.
"His name is Jack Camus," she said. "He’s a cop."
Nick was already on the move. "Go up and get your stuff. We're getting out of here."
But Liana didn't move. "I don’t understand," she protested. "I was so careful, Nick. I didn't even tell my roommate where I was going. I bought my ticket in cash. Hell, I was even careful not to walk in front of the security cameras. I didn't leave a trace. How could he have known?"
"It doesn’t matter. You can't stay here tonight," said Nick.
"It's fine,” she insisted. “You don't need to protect me. We'll lock the doors. We'll--"
"He's right, Liana," said Kirrily, entering from behind. She must have put Kizzy to bed, and Liana cursed herself for bringing an innocent child within the sphere of this madness. Liana had had to grow up with Noel; Kizzy didn’t need to know what it was like to feel unsafe in her own home. "Much as I hoped we'd be able to protect you here, our cover's blown. You've got to get out of here, at least until Tryg gets back to town and we can rally the Sparks to protect you in case something goes wrong." She looked at Nick. “Do you know any place she can stay that nobody would think to look?” Nick opened his mouth, but Kirrily interrupted his train of thought. “Nothing associated with the Black Sparks. Chances are he's already made the connection.”
Liana swallowed. "Alone?"
Nick felt his hand slide down into his pocket. Of all the numbers in his phone, he could think of only one that might allow Liana some protection. He pressed a button and placed the phone against his ear. "Helena?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Later that night, after Liana retreated safely to bed in a guest room she told him was the size of her entire New York apartment, Nick stood by the picture window at Helena’s, holding an expensive Scotch, feeling like a supervillain, even though the only reason he was there was to protect Liana.
"Can you trust her?" Liana asked. Her voice sounded tired, unsure, almost defeated, the voice of someone who thought she'd won a victory, only to find herself back at the starting line.
It wasn't like she didn't have enough spare rooms. “Trust me, she could lodge an entire circus troupe in this house with room to spare,” he’d told Liana.
She’d stood alone in the center of humongous room, bathed in moonlight, half-undressed, looking lost. He’d wanted to kiss her forehead, to take her hand, to be a gentleman about it. To say “at your service, milady.” But there was too much between them already to be that flippant. In the end he’d shut the door gently, letting out the biggest breath he’d ever held once he was out in the hall. He wondered if there ever again would be that lightness, that honesty between them, without a million pounds of sorrow and recrimination weighing it down.
Helena, behind him, put her hands on her hips. "You need sleep, Nicholas," she scolded, snaking up behind him and linking her arm into his. Nick had told Helena the barest minimum of Liana's backstory. She'd agreed instantly, and Nick didn't have enough time to explain more, or doubt her sincerity. He knew he probably should have, but Liana was safe for tonight, and that was all that mattered.
"I shouldn't," he said with a yawn. "Sleep is when things go wrong. You let your guard down, that’s when they come for you." He was so tired he wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore.
"When who comes for you?" she asked.
He couldn't help but smile at his
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