Page 105 of Blood Stone

Chapter Twenty-Two

As Kate checked that the computer and other hardware had made the journey unscathed, Adrian looked through the trailer window out into the hangar at large.

“There’s another trailer out there,” he said. “Who… Oh.” He turned and sat on the edge of the sideboard. “You asked Garrett to stay in the hangar?”

“As opposed to running up hotel bills?”

“He’s a multi-billionaire. He can afford it.”

“I wanted him on site.”

“And handy.”

Kate just looked at him.

Adrian closed his eyes briefly. “Sorry,” he said. “Latent macho-ism. Of all the men in the world you could have used for this, you chose Garrett. Garrett threatens me. Deal with it.”

“Why does he threaten you?”

“Because he doesn’t do lust, Kate. He does love.”

The word hung between them, pulsing and turning.

She swallowed. “Is that a warning?” she asked.

He crossed his arms. “I suppose it should be.”

She closed her computer. “I’ll be careful.”

“Where did you get that?” he asked, pointing.

She picked up the slip of paper that had been lying underneath the lid of the laptop. There was a circle within a circle drawn on it. “It was stuck in the door when I came back to the trailer after dinner. Why?”

He shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before.” He stood up. “I’m going to get some air. Is there a rooftop or a high balcony around here, Kate? Somewhere private and high up, where I can get away from it all?”

“Sure. There’s a sundeck on the top of the hangar. We installed it when we moved in. Stairs are outside, at the end of the hangar. But it’s a hell of a climb so most people don’t bother. Key to the security door for the stairs is hanging just inside the exit.”

* * * * *

Garrett got to his feet when Roman finally appeared and leaned against the five foot high safety railing that ran all around the sixteen foot square sundeck. There were some deck chairs and a faded umbrella, but not much else up here. It all looked forgotten and sun-parched.

“I didn’t think you’d show,” Garrett told him.

“A summons to a meeting can’t be ignored, although I can’t think of a single thing we have to talk about.” Roman threw himself onto one of the deck chairs.

“Kate.” Garrett shrugged.

Roman launched himself to his feet again. Garret grabbed a fistful of his jacket. “You know we must. These are extraordinary times, Roman. Kate can’t get hurt, so we have to talk.”

“Using a summons is over the top, asshole,” Garrett ground out. “You could have handled this the human way.”

“Getting drunk in a bar?”

“A fight in a dark alley to settle our differences.Iwould have gone for that.” There was a glint in Roman’s eye that said he was still willing to.

Garrett let go of his jacket and stepped back, reducing the threat. “I hadn’t realized just how personal this was for you, until this morning with Donnelly.”

“I suppose I should thank you for that.”