“She just needs time to sort it out.”

“Aye. Between us, maybe we can help her. I think I’ll like having a sister again, even if by marriage.” His smile was genuine, but she saw the shadow underneath. He lost his real sister when the demon locked him in the time vault.

“I can always use a brother-in-law,” she said, returning his smile.

“And if you need help keeping Cody in line, just let me know, aye?” He patted her head, as he usually did. “Tell Bree I’ll be there in a few minutes with her tea.”

Shay stepped through the archway, and her mouth fell open. “Jiminy Christmas!” The room was huge, two stories tall, with floor-to-ceiling shelves lining the walls and a ledge that ran around the top for access to the upper level.

“Isn’t it grand?” a voice called from somewhere above her head. Bree had one foot and hand on the ladder, stretching out to reach a book.

“Are you trying to give your husband an ulcer?”

“There’s a book, just there.”

“Won’t the ladder move closer?”

“It’s stuck.”

“Come down, and I’ll get it.”

“I’ve almost got it.” She stretched farther, perilously unbalanced.

“Faelan will kill you if he sees you up there.”

“Why do you think I’m trying to hurry?” Bree turned to grin at Shay, and her foot slipped.

“Damnation!” Faelan stood frozen in the doorway. The color drained from his face. He ran for the ladder, curses blazing from his lips.

“Don’t curse at me in Gaelic,” Bree said, regaining her footing but still reaching for the book.

“What are ye trying to do? Kill yerself?”

“You can judge his temper by his accent,” Bree said calmly, finally grasping the book. Gripping it to her chest, she started down the ladder. Faelan plucked her off, ranting at her. When she was safely on the ground, he pulled her into his arms and crushed her in a hug.

“Did you bring my tea?” she asked, voice muffled against his shoulder.

“You daft woman, what am I going to do with you?”

Shay left them hugging and went to see what was taking Cody so long. She tapped on the door.

It opened, revealing a woman dressed in a no-nonsense dark suit and crisp white shirt, but her face and body looked like a model’s. Short blond hair accented her striking face.

“Sam,” Cody called from the bathroom. “Did I hear the door?”

Shay gaped at the woman. “You’re Sam?” she said, backing away.

“Yes.” She turned as Cody called again.

“Sam—” He stepped into view, a towel wrapped low on lean hips. His eyes met Shay’s. He started to say something, but Shay turned and hurried to her room. She bolted the door and sagged against it, feeling her breakfast climbing up her throat.

“Shay?” Cody banged on the door. When she didn’t answer, he tried the knob. “Open the door, Shay.”

After a few moments, she picked herself up and cracked the door. He stared at her. “Can I come in?”

She didn’t answer, but turned and walked toward the balcony, trying to calm her thoughts.

He followed her, still wrapped in a towel. “That was Sam.”

“I figured it was when you called her Sam.” She hadn’t realized Sam was a woman, a drop-dead gorgeous woman.

“She got here last night.”

Shay still didn’t say anything.

“Shay, look at me.” Cody turned her so she faced him, while he gripped the towel with the other hand. “You don’t think there’s anything going on between Sam and me, do you?”

“She’s in your bedroom while you’re wearing a towel. What should I think?”

“She came to get some papers. I was in the shower.”

“If you say so. What business is it of mine, anyway?”

“What business… what the hell does that mean? How can you say that after what we’ve done? After what you told me. And this.” He thumped the tattoo on his neck. “I swear you’re the most stubborn, infuriating woman I know. That’s why cavemen dragged women around by their hair.” He followed by digging a hand in her hair and kissing her, hard, demanding, and possessive. She struggled for a minute before her lips betrayed her. The kiss softened, and he lifted his head until they were separated by an inch. “Do you think I could kiss you like that if I wanted Sam?”

“You’ve seen her! How could you not want her?”

“Women!” Cody growled and kissed her again. “Listen to your heart; your head’s obviously screwed up. There’s nothing between Sam and me.”

“Never?”

He groaned. “How do women always know the one wrong question to ask? Once. A couple of years ago.” He leaned back, forcing Shay to look at him. “You have my word. Come on. I’ll introduce you, and then we’ll go to the police station and get some things from your house.”

Sam was nice, but Shay was still stewing over the matter, even after they left the police station. There was no evidence against Shay, so they couldn’t hold her, but they did ask her not to leave Scotland for the time being.

“You’ve known Sam how long?” Shay asked as they drove to her house.

“A few years.”

Great. “She’s married?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Lesbian?”

“No.” His responses were dry.

“She’s beautiful.”

“She is that.” Cody gave Shay an exasperated look. “Don’t make something out of it. We have other things to focus on, like a nearly thousand-year-old demon.”

“So it’s fine if you and Jamie go at each other like rabid wolves,” Shay said, although they were being civil now. “But I’m not allowed to say anything when some gorgeous woman shows up who you’ve slept with?”

“That’s different. You almost married the guy. I slept with Sam once. Once. How many times did you sleep with Jamie—” Cody growled. “Don’t answer that.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been an ass, but it was hell watching him near you, knowing you were mine. I probably didn’t react well when I found out he’d been keeping a lot more than his eyes on you—” He sighed. “Can we not talk about this?”

“Fine with me.”

Cody grew quiet for the rest of the drive. He turned toward her house without having to ask for directions.

“How many times did you come by my house?”

His jaw twitched. “Several.”

All those years she hated him, he kept watch over her, making sure she was safe, knowing she was his mate and that he couldn’t do anything about it. A spark of anger toward Renee flared in Shay’s chest, but she remembered Renee’s dead, staring eyes and ached with sadness instead, for Renee, the victims, Cody, and herself. Renee had seen how upset Shay was after it happened. She probably believed she was protecting Shay. Everyone seemed to want to protect Shay, but she had paid the cost.

“Will you show me where my parents lived before we go back?”

“Sure.” They rounded the corner, and Cody screeched to a halt in front of Shay’s house. Black smoke rolled from the upper windows. Cody jumped out of the vehicle. “Call for help. Stay here.” He raced up the steps and put his hand against the door, testing for heat before he opened it. A puff of smoke seeped out. He covered his mouth and nose with his shirt and disappeared.

Shay jumped out of the car and ran.

Chapter 16

Smoke filled the house. The kitchen was in flames, the striped curtains she and Lucy had made three months before, ablaze. The oriental rug and sofa it had taken Shay months to find was smoking. Her stuff. Her life. Gone. She ran to her bedroom and met Cody, loaded down with a laundry basket, the phone at his ear. “Get outside! I got clothes and your laptop. Go. Now! And cover your mouth.”

She covered her mouth and nose. Cody let his drop and took her arm, pulling her out of the bedroom, tugging at her when she stopped to grab a picture Renee had given her. The living room and kitchen were fully engulfed with flames. Heat blasted Shay’s skin. She and Cody were both coughing as they hurried for the door. Shay turned back for one last look at her sanctuary, in flames.

On the porch, she gulped in fresh air. Cody led her onto the lawn. Tears streamed down his face from the smoke. He set down the laundry basket, and the distant wail of fire engines sounded.

“Damn!”

“What?” Cody yelled over the screaming fire engines.

“My jewelry box—no! Cody, don’t!” She clutched at his arm. “It’s not worth it!”

He pulled free and rushed toward the house. Fire glowed red at the windows. Red eyes. Death. Shay had a vision of Cody fighting the vampires. “Cody!” she cried as he covered the lower half of his face again and ducked inside the monster’s mouth.

She ran toward the house, feet sluggish, heart thumping out each second like a ticking bomb. Between beats she heard shouts as the fire truck rolled to a stop. An explosion rocked the house. “Cody!” she screamed.

A big arm caught her around the waist, holding her back. “You can’t go in there,” a firefighter said.

“Cody’s in there,” Shay shrieked.

“Someone’s inside,” the firefighter yelled over his shoulder.

Shay struggled with him, trying to pull away. She had to find Cody, but each time she was blocked. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She sank to her knees, the grass cool beneath her as waves of heat rolled off the fire. She stared at the flames, unblinking, as the firefighters moved toward the house. A smoky form materialized in the doorway, and Cody burst out, coughing, his face and arms streaked with black, her jewelry box cradled under one arm. He uncovered his mouth, gasping for fresh air, as the firefighters hurried him off the porch. Shay searched his face, sooty, but not burned. With a soft cry, she flung her arms around him.

“It’s okay,” he said, squeezing her tightly.

Someone eased her back and checked Cody for injuries. He refused oxygen, and after a minute, he pulled her close, his arms sheltering her as they watched her house burn.