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your choice,” he whispered, his hand sliding away from her
face as he took another step back. His eyes pinned her in place for a long
moment before he turned to go to where she’d indicated. He said nothing more as
he collected everything from within.
    When he was
finished, a large and heavy bag was slung over his shoulder, and he closed the
door to the room. Stepping up next to her, he held out a hand, palm up. Still
he said nothing, just gazed at her, waiting for her decision.
    She slipped her
hand into his and turned her face up to him. “I’ll come with you. I don’t know
you, but I trust you, and I want to know more of what this is.” She motioned
between them, the very thin, golden thread stroked by her fingertips.
    That earned her
another frown, this one confused. “We’ll talk once I have you someplace safe.
We’ll take the time to get to know one another well. Very well, I hope.”
    He lifted her
hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. The smallest of bites
caused her to jump, and he smiled slowly. “For now, let’s get you signed out of
here. You’ll need to do that part yourself. I can’t be seen lugging around a
bag I didn’t have before, so I’ll find myself another way out. When you leave
the building, head for the parking lot to your left. I’ll meet you under the
lamp there with my friend.”
    “You won’t leave
me, right?”
    In a quick move
he let her hand go only to wrap his arm around her waist and drag her into his
body. Lowering his head, he brushed his nose to hers. “I’m not going anywhere
without you, Riley. If I have to, I’ll tear this place apart, brick by brick.”
He stared into her eyes for a long moment before he pressed the barest of
kisses over her lips. “No more than fifteen minutes, or I’ll be coming back
inside, and I won’t be a very happy or pleasant man.”
    Riley shivered
at the kiss he’d given her. The promise of what might come next had her eyes
searching his, then a smile forming. “I’ll hold you to that.” She touched her
fingertips to his lips. “But you have to let me go first,” she teased.
“Although, truth be told, I kind of like being here in your arms.”
    In the end,
though, Riley watched Hector as he left the facility. She had to get her stuff
in order so that she could follow quickly.

Chapter Three
     
    Sixteen minutes
later, Riley was walking out of the facility with her bag on her shoulder and
head held high. She saw Hector standing beside a vehicle and shook her head.
“This one doesn’t fit you. Is this your friend’s car?” she asked and reached
out so she could touch him again.
    “No, our vehicle
is a little farther out. I wanted to be where you could see me.” He took her
bag and drew her in close. “You’re late. Don’t think I didn’t notice.” He gave
her a squeeze before loosening his hold enough for her to breathe again.
    Hector drew back
to look down at her for a moment before turning and guiding her through the
parking lot. He was headed toward a darkened area where a large, hulking
vehicle sat, with a massive man leaning on the bumper. When they got close, he
slowed down. “Riley, this is Gaius Julius Alexander. Gaius, this is Riley, and
she’ll be coming along with us.”
    Riley cocked her
head to the side. “Your parents had some kind of sense of humor, didn’t they?
Naming you after a Roman leader.” She couldn’t help but step closer to Hector.
This man was dangerous. Exceptionally so. He had the look of a man that would
kill you without hesitation if he thought that the world would be better off.
Or if you just plain pissed him off. “Hector made me an offer of truth I simply
can’t deny.”
    The other man
shot Hector a look and shook his head. “This should be interesting,” he
muttered in a deep, gravelly voice.
    “Gaius,” Hector
chided softly.
    She watched them
have some sort of wordless exchange that ended in Gaius shrugging. Then,
pushing off the vehicle, he moved around to