the other end. “How is she doing?” Her frown deepened. “Of course. Yes, I’ll be there in about—” she glanced at her watch, then at Alex. “Hold on.”
She placed a hand over the receiver.
“I have a patient who’s just gone into labor under somewhat unusual circumstances. She isn’t handling it at all well—can you take a cab to your hotel?”
“Of course.”
“Five minutes,” Riley said into the phone. She hung up and stood. Taking her keys from her pocket, she dropped them onto the desk. “You’ll need your luggage from my car. Leave the keys at the information desk downstairs when you’re done. And the name of your hotel. And, Detective, just so you understand, we are far from being done here.”
Alex reached for the keys, noting that one of the bunch looked like it might fit a file cabinet. She weighed temptation against consequences; the possibility of the Apocalypse against Riley’s reaction to finding her rooting through confidential files.
The Apocalypse won.
“Doctor, is there a washroom I can use before I head out?”
Already on her way to the door and thoroughly distracted, Riley waved a vague hand. “Down the hall, first left turn, door on the right. If you get lost on the way out, one of the staff will direct you.”
The psychiatrist disappeared out the door. Alex waited, jingling the keys she held, watching the hands on a wallclock inch forward. When five minutes had passed without Riley returning, she stood, took a deep breath, crossed to the file cabinet, and inserted the key. Hoping to hell the doctor didn’t have a video camera set up to record patient appointments, she released the lock.
A hand closed over her wrist.
TWELVE
“J esus Christ!”
Alex wrenched her wrist from Seth’s grip, her heart threatening to explode from its new residence in her throat. Dark, fathomless eyes met hers. She drew a ragged breath and sagged against the file cabinet she’d been about to invade.
“God damn it, you took twenty years off my life—wait. How did you get in here?” She glanced past his shoulder at the office door. No attendant waited. She looked at Seth again. “Seth? How did you get out of your room? It was locked. And there’s a security—”
“Seth,” he repeated, his gaze clouding. His brow furrowed.
“That’s your name, yes. Seth Benjamin.”
He extended a hand and Alex stiffened when his fingers traced the scars left by Caim’s claws. Seth tipped his head to one side.
“Alexandra Jarvis. I know you.”
“You remember?”
Again a cloud passed across his eyes. “I don’t know remember.”
“You don’t know—” Alex frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? An idea whispered through her mind with diaphanous fragility, dissolving before she could grasp it. She shrugged irritably, certain she was missing something obvious. “Never mind. We have to get you back to your room before someone notices you’re gone.”
Crossing the room to the door, she peered into the hallway. No one. So no alarm had been raised yet, thank God. She could just imagine Riley’s reaction to finding Seth missing from his room. One more explanation Alex wouldn’t be able to provide. Turning, she found Seth standing at her elbow. She jumped. “Shit—you have to stop sneaking up on me like that!”
“I don’t know shit.”
“Yeah. I noticed.” Alex ran a hand through her hair. How would she get him past the security guard and the electronically locked door to his ward? And how the
hell
had he gotten out in the first place?
“I don’t know Seth Benjamin.”
Seth’s voice had risen and he moved closer to her. Alex took an involuntary step back. Even without that presence she remembered about him, he was still an imposing figure.
“I know. But I’m sure it will come back to you,” she soothed, “and I’ll try to help you remember whatever I can. You just need to give it time—”
His eyes snapped black fire and he scowled at her. “I don’t
She placed a hand over the receiver.
“I have a patient who’s just gone into labor under somewhat unusual circumstances. She isn’t handling it at all well—can you take a cab to your hotel?”
“Of course.”
“Five minutes,” Riley said into the phone. She hung up and stood. Taking her keys from her pocket, she dropped them onto the desk. “You’ll need your luggage from my car. Leave the keys at the information desk downstairs when you’re done. And the name of your hotel. And, Detective, just so you understand, we are far from being done here.”
Alex reached for the keys, noting that one of the bunch looked like it might fit a file cabinet. She weighed temptation against consequences; the possibility of the Apocalypse against Riley’s reaction to finding her rooting through confidential files.
The Apocalypse won.
“Doctor, is there a washroom I can use before I head out?”
Already on her way to the door and thoroughly distracted, Riley waved a vague hand. “Down the hall, first left turn, door on the right. If you get lost on the way out, one of the staff will direct you.”
The psychiatrist disappeared out the door. Alex waited, jingling the keys she held, watching the hands on a wallclock inch forward. When five minutes had passed without Riley returning, she stood, took a deep breath, crossed to the file cabinet, and inserted the key. Hoping to hell the doctor didn’t have a video camera set up to record patient appointments, she released the lock.
A hand closed over her wrist.
TWELVE
“J esus Christ!”
Alex wrenched her wrist from Seth’s grip, her heart threatening to explode from its new residence in her throat. Dark, fathomless eyes met hers. She drew a ragged breath and sagged against the file cabinet she’d been about to invade.
“God damn it, you took twenty years off my life—wait. How did you get in here?” She glanced past his shoulder at the office door. No attendant waited. She looked at Seth again. “Seth? How did you get out of your room? It was locked. And there’s a security—”
“Seth,” he repeated, his gaze clouding. His brow furrowed.
“That’s your name, yes. Seth Benjamin.”
He extended a hand and Alex stiffened when his fingers traced the scars left by Caim’s claws. Seth tipped his head to one side.
“Alexandra Jarvis. I know you.”
“You remember?”
Again a cloud passed across his eyes. “I don’t know remember.”
“You don’t know—” Alex frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? An idea whispered through her mind with diaphanous fragility, dissolving before she could grasp it. She shrugged irritably, certain she was missing something obvious. “Never mind. We have to get you back to your room before someone notices you’re gone.”
Crossing the room to the door, she peered into the hallway. No one. So no alarm had been raised yet, thank God. She could just imagine Riley’s reaction to finding Seth missing from his room. One more explanation Alex wouldn’t be able to provide. Turning, she found Seth standing at her elbow. She jumped. “Shit—you have to stop sneaking up on me like that!”
“I don’t know shit.”
“Yeah. I noticed.” Alex ran a hand through her hair. How would she get him past the security guard and the electronically locked door to his ward? And how the
hell
had he gotten out in the first place?
“I don’t know Seth Benjamin.”
Seth’s voice had risen and he moved closer to her. Alex took an involuntary step back. Even without that presence she remembered about him, he was still an imposing figure.
“I know. But I’m sure it will come back to you,” she soothed, “and I’ll try to help you remember whatever I can. You just need to give it time—”
His eyes snapped black fire and he scowled at her. “I don’t
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