Free Equinox by Lara Morgan Page B

out. “I brought you here for safety. This is my family’s place.” He was watching her very closely, measuring the distance between them in case she bolted. She wouldn’t get two steps in her present condition. She was feeling light-headed and really, really thirsty.
    “You work for Riley?”
    “I’ll prove it.” Without taking his eyes off her, he unzipped a pocket on the thigh of the black bike suit. “I’ve got a com here. Riley’s going to call any minute.” The com made a low urgent beeping noise. “Speak of the devil.” He held it out to her. “It’s Riley. Ask him yourself.”
    Rosie hesitated. He seemed sincere. She edged forwards and plucked the com from his palm. He didn’t move, but was watching her every step of the way.
    “We should go inside,” he said. “You don’t look so good.”
    “You keep saying that.” She hit the receiver and an image of Riley filled the screen. There was a deep crease between his brows and he looked mad and worried at the same time.
    “Rosie?” he said. “Are you safe?”
    “I think so.” She glanced at Dalton.
    “Dalton’s there?” Riley said.
    Her insides did a flip. So this was another thing Riley was hiding from her. “He says he works for you. Is that true?”
    “If he didn’t, you wouldn’t be there, you’d be locked up.” His tone was hard, but still Rosie wasn’t sure about this.
    “He’s a Central,” she said, keeping an eye on Dalton, who was watching her like he thought she was going to run. “And how did–”
    Riley cut her off. “You know those rogue news waves you keep seeing, about Helios?”
    Rosie hesitated, flicking her gaze between Riley on the com and Dalton. “Yeah.”
    “He makes them,” Riley said. “We’ve been working on them together. It’s okay; he’s safe.”
    Rosie was speechless. Dalton looked pleased and sheepish at the same time.
    “It’s true,” he said. “It’s how Riley found me.”
    Rosie didn’t know what to say, but it didn’t matter because Riley was back to barking at her. “Okay now?”
    She nodded.
    “Good. Go inside. I’ll call again on this com. Yours is compromised; don’t use it.” The screen went black.
    Damn. Rosie stared down at it for a second then gave it back to Dalton.
    “So,” he said. “You–”
    “Shut up.” Rosie walked past him to the house. Her head was pounding and she felt sick.
    Dalton picked up the helmet and opened the door, standing against it so she could enter. Three shallow steps down from the entrance was a large open room, floored with dark tile. A long white couch and a coffee table faced a fireplace set in a freestanding wall, and the back wall was an expanse of glass. It held a faint, wavering reflection of her, courtesy of the one lamp in the room that was turned on. Beyond the glass was the suggestion of a deck and the white roll of the sea. The house felt big and clean and empty.
    “We should look at that pulse burn.” Dalton moved past her, unzipping the bike suit. “Sit down.” He threw the helmet on the couch and peeled the suit off his torso, tying the arms around his waist. Underneath he wore a black tank top.
    Rosie followed. Her arm was throbbing like hell. Everything had happened so fast she felt spun off her axis. She’d been chased, shot and now she was here with Dalton. Who worked for Riley. Her ribs ached, but not as much as her arm. She lowered herself down slowly and couldn’t stop a hiss of pain at the movement.
    “You okay?” He moved to help, hazel eyes filled with concern, but she flinched back.
    “Don’t touch me.”
    “I need to have a look at the burn.”
    “Really, are you a doctor now?” The pain was making her snarky.
    “I’ll be back in a minute.” He headed off around the fireplace and down a dark hallway.
    Rosie tried to peel her jacket off and bit back a scream as agony flared right down to her fingertips. It felt like someone was scraping needles through her veins. The room went blurry for a moment