Darkest Flame (12 page)

He chuckled. “More like infamous, I’m sure.”

“What are you doing here?” Denae asked as she glanced at Kellan.

Banan started the SUV and put it in drive as he said, “He’s here in case we run into problems.”

“He means MI5 operatives,” Denae said. Her lips compressed tightly.

“I doubt I’m even a part of the company anymore since I left the office last night,” Henry said as he sat forward and buckled his seat belt. “I found out the truth about your mission, Denae. Matt might have said he was to wound you to use you as bait, but they wanted you dead regardless.”

Though Kellan knew she had learned to control her emotions and reactions, Henry’s words still upset her. She was motionless except for her hand that rested on her leg where she was rubbing her thumbnail back and forth.

“My superiors know what happened,” Henry continued. “They had big plans for you, but a few—namely those running your department—had other ideas.”

“MI5 should do some housecleaning,” Banan stated as he drove out of Dreagan over rough terrain, off-roading.

Henry chuckled. “They should, but they don’t always do as expected. The satellite office in Inverness will have already sent their people here. Are you sure they won’t know where we’re going?”

Kellan grabbed the back of Henry’s seat when Banan took them over terrain filled with large rocks. “They can try to follow us.”

“I know Jane isna happy I’m no’ with her, and if any of you tell her how much fun I’m having, I’ll make you pay,” Banan said, a wide smile on his face.

Denae put her hand on the window to prevent her head from slamming into it as the Range Rover crawled over the rocks. “There’s nothing like danger to make a man smile.”

“You’ve been in plenty of danger,” Henry said as he glanced at her over his shoulder.

She laughed, the sound shooting straight to Kellan’s cock and making him bite the inside of his mouth so as not to release a moan.

“Danger has become a way of life.”

Her statement had Kellan wondering just how many times her life had been on the line, and why she continued to put it there. But as he looked at her, it wasn’t the cowering female clutching his arm that he expected.

It was a woman who looked her enemies in the eye and figured out how to best them. She was capable, adept, skilled, and clever.

He might worry if he thought for an instant that he would give in to her. No matter how great the temptation was, he wouldn’t bend. Not with all he had been through with the humans.

Kellan tried to find the hate that always came so easily when he thought of the mortals, and when he did, it seemed … less than before.

Which couldn’t be right. Humans were liars, thieves, and murderers. They raped the land without a second thought to the future or consequences. They fought over land and thrones like vultures fighting over a carcass.

Why the humans lived and the dragons were gone was a question Kellan would never understand.

Suddenly, Denae’s eyes turned to him and her smile died, the light going out of her beautiful whisky eyes. He didn’t want to think them pretty, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“What is it?” she whispered.

Kellan looked away, but her gaze lingered. “Nothing,” he said.

“Liar.”

“Look out!” Banan called as they descended over the hill.

Denae flew forward, her seat belt the only thing stopping her from crashing into Banan’s seat. The SUV tilted precariously to the right, causing her body to be tossed right at Kellan.

He grabbed her without thinking and held her tight. Then he made the mistake of looking into her eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Denae reached up without thought and touched Kellan’s cheek. The surprise that flared in his eyes caused her body to smolder.

Before she could gather the courage to kiss him, Kellan sat her up and turned his head out his window. When she faced forward, her gaze clashed with Banan’s as he looked at her through the rearview mirror.

A glance behind her showed the cluster of rocks that had caused the commotion as they sped across the land.

Denae didn’t know what it was about Kellan that triggered her heart to beat faster or why she was drawn to him in ways she couldn’t begin to discern. All she knew was that she wanted his arms around her, wanted his lips on hers.

She didn’t understand why his appeal robbed her of thought and words, or why the fact his lips didn’t curve upward made her want to do crazy things just to see if she could get him to crack a smile.

The ride continued in silence for the next hour as Banan took them over increasingly more dangerous terrain. Every once in a while either Kellan or Banan would look at the skies.

It didn’t take her long to realize they were looking for dragons. Denae could only imagine how easily a dragon could take out a chopper or plane with a single swipe of a paw.

“We’re almost to the road,” Banan said.

Five minutes later he slammed on the breaks when they reached a small grove of trees, causing all of them to fly forward. The seat belt dug into her chest for the second time that day.

“What is it?” Henry asked.

Kellan didn’t say a word as he opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle. It was when he closed the door softly behind him that Denae knew he was going after something in the trees.

She reached for her door handle when Banan clicked the locks, preventing her from getting out. “Unlock the door,” she said.

“No’ going to happen,” Banan said.

“Then go help him.”

Banan snorted. “If you think he needs help, then I doona think you understand who he is.”

“Oh, I understand. What if he…” Denae trailed off as she recalled how the only way a King could be killed was by another Dragon King.

Banan met her gaze in the mirror again and nodded as realization dawned on her. “Exactly,” he said.

“Exactly what?” Henry asked in his British accent. “I’m getting the feeling I’m left out of some important fact.”

“Denae just remembered that Kellan can easily take care of himself,” Banan said to his friend.

Henry inhaled deeply. “Riiiight.”

Denae didn’t have to wait long for Kellan to return. He walked back to the Range Rover as if he’d simply gone for a stroll. When he was once more seated beside her, she noticed the few drops of blood on his shirt.

“It’s taken care of,” he said.

Banan pressed the accelerator to get them moving again. Denae stared at Kellan for three miles until he finally looked at her.

“How did you know?” she asked.

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You’re easy to pick out.”

She didn’t know if the “you” meant MI5 or humans, and either way, it was meant as an insult. Though she couldn’t blame him after what he had told her humans did to his dragons. If she were in his place, she would hate humans too.

It wasn’t long before they reached a road and they were able to go faster. The scenery sped by as Denae stared out the window. A light smattering of rain fell while pale gray clouds cloaked everything in a somber mood.

They passed few cars on the narrow road, and at the rate of speed they were traveling it was a good thing. The farther away from Dreagan they got, the more worried Denae became.

Kellan might have given her his word, but what did she really know of him? He saw her fight in his cave, and he had taken her to the manor. He told her a bit about his bronze dragons, and even a bit of his past, but she knew nothing of him.

What kind of man was he? What made him laugh, what made him angry? What would spur him to protect someone? And what would make him leave?

He had walked into the trees and killed at least one operative without so much as breaking a sweat. Then again, he admitted to killing a man for raping and killing a girl. Was everything black and white to Kellan?

She glanced his way to find him watching her with his celadon eyes, a hint of anger showing. “Still doubting me?”

“Can you read minds?”

He lifted a brow. “Nay, but I can read you.”

She had hurt him with her mistrust. Which was laughable. It wasn’t as if he trusted her much. Then again, he was trying to help her. At least she assumed he was. This trust thing was beginning to wear her down. “Where are we going?”

“To the sea.”

The fact he answered without hesitation relieved some of her distress. It also helped that Henry was there. He obviously trusted Banan a great deal.

Unless Henry was in on it.

Denae stopped that train of thought. If she let herself, she could come up with hundreds of different scenarios where people betrayed her.

What Matt and her department had done left a mental scar she wasn’t sure she could ever overcome. It would be bad enough that she was going to be on the run for her life. How could she ever trust anyone again?

Every meal she ate that she didn’t cook herself could be laced with poison. Every person a potential murderer. Every place a possible death trap.

There would be no nights of sleep. She would have to move every few days, making sure wherever she decided to lay her head was protected, as well as setting an alarm of some sort to let her know if someone was trying to get in.

That was not the life she wanted. It wasn’t a life she could live.

“Stop,” she told Banan. “Just stop and let me out. It might be better if MI5 killed me.”

“They won’t kill you,” Henry said as he turned to look at her. “They’ll torture you until they get the information out of you. Then they’ll kill you and make it look like someone at Dreagan did it.”

Denae closed her eyes and blew out a harsh breath. She knew that was exactly what MI5 would do, but she had never been on the receiving end of their attacks. If she let herself, she would begin to question every operation she went on. “I don’t want to be on the run forever. That’s not a life. That’s merely living. I can never have a family, never trust anyone.”

“It’ll get easier.”

She opened her eyes to glare at Henry. “No, it won’t. I’ll never be able to go home or even make friends. I’ll wonder if everyone I meet is connected to MI5 and a potential enemy.”

“It’ll keep you on your toes,” Banan said.

“It’ll be hell.”

Kellan asked, “You would rather die?”

She turned her head to him. “Isn’t what I’m about to do pretty much what you’ve been doing? Only you get to stay in one place. What would you rather?”

“Your choice is life or death, Denae,” he said. “Death is easy. Life is hard. But you have the ability to choose what kind of life you’ll have.”

The Range Rover slowed and turned. Denae looked out the window and saw the sea.

“We’re here,” Banan said.

She remained silent while they navigated through the docks until Banan stopped the SUV and turned off the engine. For a moment, no one moved.

Banan then unbuckled his seat belt and turned around. “Henry and I are going to go look around. Good luck, Denae.”

She couldn’t return his smile, but she gave him a nod. “Thanks.”

Henry held out his hand to her and she saw the dagger encased in black leather. “Take this,” he told her. “It’s always good to have a hidden weapon.”

Denae accepted the gift. “Thank you.”

“Kellan is right. You have a choice now. Safe travels.”

Her stomach was in knots by the time she and Kellan were left alone in the vehicle. She turned the knife over and over in her hand. “When will you wipe my memories?”

“Before you get on the boat.”

“And if we’re not alone? It’s just the four of us against whoever is out there?”

“Aye,” Kellan said. “No’ that you need to worry. I’ll be surprised if MI5 tracked us here. You’ll be on the boat shortly with a new identity and leaving all of this behind.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It is. Are you ready?”

Denae answered him by opening her door and stepping out. The smell of salt filled her nose as the wind brushed from the sea and over her. Gulls cried loudly while boats tied to the dock moaned against the waves.

Kellan waited for her at the front of the Range Rover. She walked to him, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

“What is it?” he asked when she kept looking around.

“We got away too easy. Way too easy.”

Kellan’s brow puckered. “We planned for that.”

“You don’t understand. They’ll have been watching.”

“It’s sixty thousand acres. They can no’ watch it all.”

She wanted to believe him, but that nagging feeling had saved her life before. She wasn’t going to ignore it now. “When do I leave?”

“We need to meet Con and Rhys for your identity packet. Your boat leaves in half an hour.”

She scanned the boats she could see, wondering which of them she would board that would take her far away from Kellan and his mesmerizing green eyes. “Where is it taking me?”

“There are several ports it’ll stop at. You get to choose when you want to depart. Come,” he said and directed her to a wooden building painted what was supposed to have been a cream, but so much paint had chipped away that it looked gray from the exposed boards.

Inside, it didn’t get any better. Denae expected it to fall down around her. She sat on a wooden crate and looked at Kellan. The wind had whipped his long hair about, and the way he ran his fingers through it was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen.

She had never liked long hair on guys. Until she met Kellan. Now, she wanted to tangle her fingers in it and beg him never to cut it.

“How long did you watch me in the cave?”

He jerked his head at her, surprise evident in his gaze. “I saw you come out of the water.”

“In other words, you saw it all.”

“Aye.”

“Are there no humans you like?”

He shrugged, but didn’t deny it. “There have been few mortals I encountered that were worthy of living.”

“It might have been better if you let me die in your cave. You could’ve remained, and I wouldn’t be in this spot.”

“You’re no’ angry with me?”

Oddly enough, she wasn’t. “You had to make a decision based on protecting yourself and the other dragons. Why would I be mad? It’s what I did every day for the past seven years.”