Free Mercy Burns by Keri Arthur Page B

different now than two days ago, when they’d tried to kill both Rainey and me?
    “Understanding the motives of evil men is often a difficult thing,” Damon said, philosophically.
    I looked up at him. His prominent nose gave his face a sharpness that should have been less than appealing. Instead, his features suggested strength and courage—much like the character of the man himself, I suspected. “We could go to the police. Tell them that those men kidnapped us.”
    It might work—might being the operative word. And really, could I afford to waste the time? Even if the cops caught our kidnappers, that still left at large theman in charge and the man who’d driven the truck, and it was them I needed caught.
    No, not just caught. Dead.
    A shiver ran through me. I rubbed my arms, raising static and causing sparks to fly from my fingertips. They spun across the darkness—bright chips of fire that were all too quickly snuffed out.
    Much like Rainey.
    “You could try,” he said, “but I very much doubt our captors would still be at the house by the time the cops got there.”
    “I could give them the name of the man who drugged me.”
    “His word against yours. And I bet he’ll have a watertight alibi.”
    That was almost funny, given we were talking about a sea dragon. “So we’re just going to do nothing?”
    “What you’ll be doing is keeping out of their way.” His voice held the whip of command. “I’ll sort out the problem of our kidnappers.”
    Anger rose and I clenched my free hand against it. I should have been used to dragon men bossing the rest of us around, yet it still irritated the hell out of me. But then, I guess it was something of a family trait to defy authority. My brother didn’t exactly take to being told what to do, either.
    “Considering how well you were doing on your escape plan before I got there,” I said, voice dry and holding little to hint at the annoyance, “that might not be such a good idea.”
    “If you have so little faith in me, then why are you still here?”
    His tone was amused, though there was little to beseen in his expression, which was as forbidding as ever.
    “We’re not out of the woods yet,” I said. “You might still come in handy.”
    Besides, I
did
trust him. To an extent, anyway. That was odd, considering I very rarely trusted anyone—and especially not strangers. But there was something about this man—something about his calm, dark strength that sparked a hint of faith.
    “Despite the heat I stole, I may not be up to the task if we get hit again.” He slanted me a glance that said our kidnappers had better
not
be on our trail—not if they valued their lives. “And you didn’t answer my question.”
    I must have looked confused, because he added, “About somewhere safe to go.”
    “Oh. I can go to my brother’s.” He probably wouldn’t be there, but I knew the security code and could get past the additional deadlock easily enough.
    Damon didn’t look happy with my answer. “That might not be the wisest move. It’s not hard to look in the phone book for his address.”
    “He’s my half-brother. And he’s not listed.”
    “Then that’s a little better.” He contemplated the fog ahead for a moment, and though there seemed to be little to threaten us, his tension was a living thing, filling the soupy darkness with a dangerous energy.
    But I really hoped no one else came after us. I’d had enough excitement for one day.
    “Where does your brother live?” he added, his gaze coming back to me.
    “Parkside. Twenty-ninth Avenue, near Taraval.”
    “Then we can get you home easily?”
    “We can,” I said. “But don’t feel obliged to escort me. I can look after myself.”
    “Consider it payback for getting me out of that place,” he said, a smile playing around the corners of his lips.
    My pulse did a happy little dance at the sight and I dragged my gaze away. It had to be a leftover effect of the drugs, combined with the fact