Free Whisper of Memory (Whispering Woods Book 2) by Brinda Berry Page B

think it possible, Austin got closer to Regulus’s face. “I guess it must be his pretty face because it’s not his personality.” He flicked a careless finger underneath Regulus’s chin.
    Regulus let go of me, and I lost my balance. Before I even knew what had happened, he was on top of Austin, and both were on the ground. They ignored me as Regulus began punching Austin in the face. Arizona grabbed Regulus’s arm and tried to haul him off Austin.
    I knelt to help break them apart. After I shoved myself between them, Regulus hit me on the arm. I cried out, and he finally stopped.
    Austin was glaring at me. One eye was already starting to swell shut. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth and his nose.
    Regulus extracted himself from the tangle and stood. Arizona offered a hand to help Austin, who got up on his own. Regulus turned his back on Austin, which was either stupid or arrogant in light of what had happened. I heard him taking deep breaths.
    Austin wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Blood was smeared on his cheek. “I’m done here. Mia, let’s go.”
    Astonished, I looked at his battered face. “Austin, you can’t drive right now. You won’t be able to see the road and you’re hurt.”
    “You staying or coming with me?” Austin demanded.
    “I’ll drive him, Mia.” Arizona went over to the man tied to the tree. We had all but forgotten about him. “I’ll drop this guy off at the portal first since we’ve been instructed to bring him to the Vault.” He began to unwind the rope.
    The man was smiling. His lack of concern about being taken to the Vault worried me.
    Regulus went to stand by his motorcycle. “I’ll take you home.”
    “Thanks,” I muttered awkwardly. My anger at both him and Austin had disappeared, replaced by a flood of relief at the thought of going home to bed.
    Arizona led the intruder to the Jeep without any struggle or force. I watched the man disappear into the dark backseat.
    “You get in and watch our prisoner in the back while I drive,” Arizona told Austin. Austin grimaced but didn’t argue as he got into the backseat of his own vehicle.
    The moon shone through the treetops enough to silhouette the three in the Jeep. I couldn’t see that Austin was looking at me, but I could feel it. The engine started, and I watched the Jeep lumber slowly away into the darkness.
    I wrapped my arms around myself and waited for Regulus to mount the motorcycle. He handed me a helmet, and I put it on before seating myself onto the bike. I wound my hands around his waist. He grabbed both my hands and firmly placed them to encircle his body.
    We didn’t talk and began moving. I was getting better at riding with him, but by the time we arrived at my front porch, I was too exhausted to think about all the things I wanted to say to Regulus. Sleep would be the best thing for both of us.
    “We need to talk,” he said, dismounting and helping me off the bike.
    “I know. But I’m too tired right now.” I must have sounded sad, but I could barely hold my head up.
    “The man. He wanted something from you, and I have to figure it out. That is the reason I lost control. I’m sorry.”
    “Austin means a lot to me. You have to respect that. And I know that he was trying to get your goat.”
    “Goat?”
    “Make you angry.” I smiled at him. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he didn’t know all the idioms.
    “Yes, he got my goat.”
    I smiled even bigger. “We need to talk about us and talk about what the man told me and Austin.”
    Regulus set his hands on my shoulders. He squeezed gently and then his fingertips moved across my collarbone and up the sides of my neck in a quick caress of silent apology.
    “What did he say?” he asked.
    He stood quite a bit taller than me and I tilted my head to meet his eyes. “Something about taking me to Goliath,” I said. At his quizzical face, I added, “A place down south a few hundred miles.”
    “How did you learn this?” He seemed so amazed