Unlocked by Maya Cross Read Free Book Online

that help you find out who's behind it?"
    I shook my head. "We're still coming up empty on that, so far. But now that we know the investigations are linked, we'll be throwing everything we have at it."
    She nodded, although she didn't look particularly comforted. "Okay."
    "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," I said, moving over to sit next to her on the bed. "I know this situation is awful for you, and God knows that being in this place isn't making it any easier."
    "You mean the friendly Scotsman and his band of merry men?" she said.
    "Yeah. I know they're not the most welcoming lot, so I was thinking, what if you went away for a while? We have the resources to get you a new passport, a new identity, and obviously money isn't a problem. You could go wherever you wanted, and nobody would be able to track you down. It would be kind of like a holiday."
    Part of me hated the idea of sending her anywhere I couldn't watch over her, but my argument with Ewan had got me thinking about alternatives. Her presence here was certainly problematic, and it wasn't going to get any easier. In fact with everyone on such short fuses, it felt almost inevitable that something would explode eventually. This wasn't a world she belonged in, and taking a trip was the only way I could think of to extricate her while still keeping her safe.
    "And how long would I be gone, exactly?" she asked, her expression unreadable.
    "You know I can't give you an exact time frame, Sophia."
    I thought she was going to blow up at me, but when she spoke, her tone was calm. "I appreciate the offer, but I have a life here, Sebastian. The idea of dropping everything and disappearing with no return date in mind doesn't sit well with me."
    I closed my eyes, feeling a huge stab of guilt. Whether or not she went, her life was on hold. She could hardly wander back home in a few weeks if our enemies were still out there.
    "Just think about it, okay?" I said.
    "Okay."
    She continued to stare at me. There was a sadness to her expression, but also a glimmer of something else, something questioning. I realised then how closely we were sitting. There was barely a foot separating us. Her smell — orange blossom and vanilla — suddenly seemed to be everywhere. All I had to do was lean in and my mouth would be on hers. I could already visualise how she'd taste, how she'd tremble, how her tongue would feel curled around my own.
    I knew I should leave, but my muscles refused to obey. All I could do was sit there and drink her in. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to grab hold of her and push her down and show her that she was still mine. But, of course, that wasn't true.
    I didn't understand why she hadn't sent me away yet. Instead she just sat with her eyes locked to mine, her lips hanging ever so slightly open, like an illicit invitation. There was something smoky lurking in her gaze now, something that shouldn't have been there.
    It was almost enough.
    Closing my eyes, I sucked in a shuddering breath and got to my feet. "I have to go."
    She was still for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. For a brief moment, I almost thought she looked disappointed. It didn't make any sense.
    I fled.
    I needed to be alone with my thoughts, but as I headed for my room, I ran into the last person I wanted to see.
    "Sneaking in a quickie while the rest of us are slaving away, hey?" said Ewan, who was waiting for me around the corner.
    "I'm not in the mood, Ewan," I said, trying to swerve around him, but he stepped sideways, blocking my path.
    "Maybe I am," he said.
    I found myself fuming at his school boy antics. "Have you got something you want to say?"
    He chewed thoughtfully for several seconds, as if working an invisible piece of tobacco around his mouth. "Marcus filled us in on what he'd found. Looks like your girl is involved in all this, somehow."
    "Does that mean you're going to get off my back about it?"
    He laughed. "Hardly. Just because you went and created a weak spot