Edge of Danger

He slanted her a curious look, studying her from beneath those heavy lashes, and Saige had the strangest feeling that he could see right through her, into all the embarrassing longing and churning doubts that plagued her. “You just might be in for a surprise when we get to Colorado.”

“Look, I don’t know what impression my brothers have given you, but we’re not exactly close,” she said, her gaze sliding away from those dark eyes that made her feel too exposed…too bare. “It’s been that way since Ian started getting older. Everything began to change after that. My mother’s preoccupation with the family bloodline drove a wedge between me and my brothers, until not talking about the Merrick became the axiom of our twisted little family.”

“If that’s true, then I guess it would help explain why Riley never mentioned your warnings to Ian.”

“To be honest, I’m not surprised that he didn’t,” she offered quietly, her mind taking her back to the past. “Something happened when Riley was in his teens, after Ian had already run away, but he’s never told me what it was. All I know is that he never talked about the Merrick again from that point on.” She drew in a deep breath, staring for a moment up at the peaceful beauty of the clear, star-studded sky. “Whatever it was, it still haunts him. When things started happening to Ian, Riley probably did everything he could to convince himself there was an explanation, logical or otherwise, that didn’t involve the Casus and the Merrick. I can imagine how he reacted when he was finally forced to face the truth.”

Another low rumble of laughter vibrated in his chest, the wry sound confirming what she’d already guessed. “He definitely didn’t take it well when my unit contacted him, but once we explained exactly what Ian was going up against, he came with us to help. And after he saw what the Casus was capable of, it drove him crazy that he didn’t have any way of contacting you. He was ready to come after you himself when we couldn’t get in touch with Templeton, but Kierland Scott, who heads up our unit, refused to tell him where you were. Said Riley was only going to run off and get himself killed, when he needed to be at Ravenswing, learning how to prepare for his own awakening.”

“But he’s still refusing to stay at the compound, right?”

He nodded. “Says he needs to be in Henning, protecting the townspeople who trust him to do just that.”

“That sounds like Riley.” Saige tilted her face toward the slow-blowing breeze, seeking relief from the thick evening heat and her own burning frustration. “But maybe he’s doing the right thing, keeping an eye on everyone. I was so certain the Casus would only target the Merrick, without wasting their time on humans, and look how wrong I was.”

“Even with as much as you’ve managed to learn, Saige, you still can’t expect to know everything. Until this started, none of us knew what to expect,” he offered in a low tone, almost as if he were trying to put her at ease. “Hell, we’re still piecing it all together…still trying to figure it out. Why do they want the Markers? What are they really after? How are they escaping from the holding ground and why now, after all this time?”

A brittle laugh jerked from her throat. “It’s maddening, when you think about it. Every answer only leads to more questions…and more frustration.”

Lifting his hand, he rubbed at the back of his neck again, making her wonder how much stress he’d been carrying. “That’s why my unit broke with our code and made contact with your brother.”

“And that’s why you’re in trouble with the Consortium?” she asked, surprised by how curious she was about him. Not just about the events that had led him to South America, but Quinn, the man, and as they hiked together up the rustic road, there were instances where she actually left reality behind, and found herself simply soaking in the compelling patterns of his speech and the way he moved, the way he breathed…even how he laughed.

There was a wry edge to his words as he answered her question. “Our involvement with the Merrick awakenings hasn’t exactly been sanctioned by our superiors. But we all decided that it was time to do more than simply watch from the sidelines.”

“Speaking of watching, how did you miss the discovery of the Marker in Italy? You said before that it was Ian who told you about it, after you’d made contact with him and taken him to Ravenswing. But wasn’t there already a Watchman keeping tabs on me?”

Quinn gave another low, rugged laugh. “Kellan Scott was watching you at the time. He’s the younger brother of my best friend, Kierland, and a good kid, but he still has a lot to learn. Seems he was a little too easily distracted by the local female population when he should have been working, keeping an eye on what you were up to.”

Snuffling a soft chuckle under her breath, she accidentally brushed against him as she sidestepped a rusty bicycle lying in the street. Her breath caught at the feel of hard muscle and hot male skin…making her wonder if he’d be that hard and hot everywhere.

Ripping her mind away from the dangerous territory of that particular thought, she cleared her throat, saying, “I bet you guys were pretty pissed when you realized what he’d missed.”

He nodded, his tone gruff as he said, “Yeah, but we were already ticked at him for not doing his job and watching you the way he was meant to.”

She lowered her gaze, thinking of the last Watchman who’d been assigned to her. “Do you think Templeton is dead?”

With his hard jaw and grooved brow, Quinn’s expression revealed his worry and frustration. “He would have contacted us by now if he was still alive. It’s a sobering thought, considering Templeton wouldn’t have been an easy man to take down, even for a Casus.”

“I hope it was quick,” she said softly, the words thick in her throat. “I hate the thought of it torturing him the way you said the Casus tortured those poor women who Ian knew.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” he rasped, “Ian used the Marker to make that bastard pay. It made one hell of a weapon.”

“I don’t suppose you brought it with you?”

He shook his head. “We figured it was too risky, seeing as how we’re so far away from the compound. What exactly are you doing down here, anyway?”

“Didn’t Templeton tell you?”

“He said in his last report that he had his suspicions.” His tone was casual, but Saige could sense the keen edge of his curiosity. “To be honest, I’d rather hear it from you.”

Wondering how much to reveal—and how much she should keep to herself, at least until she knew more about him—Saige collected her thoughts for a moment as they made their way past a group of teenage boys sprawled on the front steps of a noisy building, the open windows allowing the layered, raucous sounds of music and voices to drift down from above. “I’m sure you already know,” she began, “that unlike my brothers, I chose not to run from what’s inside us. I’ve always been a believer, and I’ve spent my life researching the Merrick. I guess you could say that the pieces of the puzzle finally pulled me here.”

Quinn arched one brow. “Meaning?”

Wetting her lips, she ignored the annoying twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Until she knew him better, there was only so much Saige was willing to share. “Meaning that I have reason to believe a Marker might be buried here. I got lucky and was able to join up with a local dig that was already in process, and I’ve been secretly working toward finding it ever since.”

“We wondered if you were searching for another one,” he murmured, looking as if he didn’t know quite what to make of her. “Most humans wouldn’t be so daring.”

A reluctant grin curled the corner of her mouth. “But we Buchanans aren’t exactly human, are we?”

“No, you’re not,” he agreed, rubbing his hand over the shadowed angle of his jaw, the ink-black stubble only accentuating the wicked sensuality of his looks. “You’re also hell on a guy’s ego.”

“Why’s that?” she asked, finding it difficult to believe that anything could dent his masculine pride.

“I’m just spit-balling here, but it could have something to do with how you tried to brain me with that beer bottle,” he offered dryly.

“And here I thought the Watchmen were supposed to be so tough,” she snorted, eyeing his wounded temple. “It isn’t even bleeding anymore.”

“It’s not so much the blood that irritates me as the fact that you had no reason to attack me.”

The corner of her mouth twitched at his put-out expression. “Would it make you feel better if I let you hit me back?”

Saige had never actually watched a man’s lip curl before, and was fascinated by the sight. “I don’t hit women.”

“Just because I’m a woman,” she lectured him, “doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own. I grew up with two older brothers, which means I learned how to fight dirty early on.”

“Don’t worry,” he responded under his breath, turning his attention back to the shadowed street. “I don’t think you’re weak, Saige. I just think you’re crazy.”

Unsure if he was teasing or actually serious, she opted to remain silent until they reached the next corner. “Javier’s apartment is at the end of this block.”

“Just make it quick,” he murmured, looking over the area. It was difficult to tell where one building ended and its neighbor began, the various balconies and awnings giving the three- and four-story structures a look of crooked imbalance. They’d always reminded Saige of building blocks stacked by a child, on the verge of teetering over if the wind blew too hard. “I don’t like it here. We’re not that far from the jungle, and there are too many places to hide.”

“This will only take a minute,” she assured him, hiking her backpack higher on her shoulder. Stepping up onto the raised front porch of the ground-floor apartment, Saige lifted her hand to knock, every sound coming from the nearby buildings making her flinch. Obviously her nerves were still raw from her recent brush with death, as well as her worry for her friends.

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she knocked once…and waited. Then knocked again. Frowning, Saige started to reach for the door handle, when Quinn drew in a deep breath and grunted, suddenly grabbing hold of her hand and securing it in his steely grip.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, flicking him a startled glance. Like waves of heat, she could feel a strange energy pouring through the touch of his skin against hers, and her anxiety cranked higher.

“You can’t go in there,” he told her in a low, almost soundless growl.

Her eyes went wide. “No one in Javier’s family would hurt me. They’re my friends.”

“It’s too late,” he grunted, his expression one of grim resignation. “Come on.”

“What?” Saige pulled at his grip with her fingers and dug in her heels. “What are you talking about?”

“Casus,” he growled.