Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(72)
Author: Gena Showalter

"I’m not planning it anymore," I said. "It’s been canceled." With the words, my remaining fear began to fade, tendrils of anger and hurt taking their places. One more emotion and I’d have the cocktail needed for wind. Great.

I had to get myself under control or I’d blow us from the building.

Okay, that caused the fear to intensify. At least I had my filter back.

"Why’s it canceled?"

"Are you kidding? You don’t even remember me, much less want to marry me."

"I could get my memory back at any time." As he spoke, he continued to climb, dragging me up with him. Finally we were there at the top and throwing our legs over that last ledge, sweet shadows enveloping us.

Safe now, I wondered what was happening inside our room. Surely Desert Slut and Cody – and however many people they’d brought with them – had reached it by now.

"What does your dress look like?" He was jiggling behind me. What the hell was he doing? "You must’ve bought one by now."

"I did, but I accidentally burned it."

"Got mad, did you?"

"Yeah. You kept calling me Homicidal Tendencies Wench and I BBQed all the clothes in your closet.

The flames leaped onto my dress."

"God, I bet that was hot."

Hot. "Ha-ha. Very funny. Anyway, I had planned to buy another one, but… Anyway, the first one was gorgeous. A Grecian cut with thin straps, a beautiful cream color and a flowing skirt. I was going to look like a goddess."

"You already do. Were we writing our own vows?" Rome slapped a hand beside mine, a weird-looking circle-thing clutched between his fingers. It was black, about two inches thick and as big as my palm.

I knew he was asking me these questions to distract me, but man, they hurt. "Yes, we were." I changed the subject. "What’s that you’re holding?"

"You’ll see." He stretched his arm toward the neighboring building’s roof, pressed the pad of his thumb into the center of the circle, and a silver arrow shot out and up, moving so swiftly I caught only the barest glimpse of a blur. "What were your vows?"

The arrow must have caught in something, because Rome’s arms jerked and I saw a thin silver wire was secured inside the circle. Clearly, we were going to propel. Fabulous.

"I don’t want to talk about the vows."

"Turn around and face me," Rome said. "Wrap your arms around me."

"There you go, kidding again." He wanted me to slide through the air, a massive drop below me and no net to catch me if I fell? Yeah, right.

"Do it. Now." No longer did he sound like my sweet protector. Now he was total commando.

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely. Jerk," I muttered. Slowly, shaking, I did as he’d demanded.

When I faced him, I found my nose buried in the hollow of his neck. Sadly, I could still see what he was doing.

He pulled hand holders from the circle, cutting it into two pieces. "Ready?"

"As I’ll ever be," I said on a sigh.

A moment later, my feet were jolted off the ledge and I was soaring, soaring…I wrapped my legs around Rome’s waist for added security, and my eyelids squeezed shut. Having the wind in my hair was enough. I didn’t need to see my progress.

The entire trip from one roof to another lasted about five seconds, but it seemed an eternity until we stopped. Rome used another device to hoist us to solid ground. I lay down, trying to catch my breath.

Rome rolled to his back and flipped his cell phone open, holding it up so I could see. On the screen were Desert Whore and Cody, as well as four others I didn’t recognize. OASS agents, presumably.

"I placed a camera in the ceiling of our room," Rome explained.

Ah. That’s what he’d done while I’d been searching for an unsuspecting civilian to frighten. "Why couldn’t we have just gone out our own window?"

"They might have been watching it."

Ah, again.

The four agents were digging through our stuff, not that we had much. They ripped what little clothing we had, then threw open the dresser drawers, looking for more.

With the downward angle, I had a perfect view of Desert Shithead’s hair. I hated to say it, but damn, those tresses were gorgeous. Golden-blond and silky. This had to be her DG persona, since Candace Bright was the redhead.

"You dragged me out at this ungodly hour for nothing! You told me they’d be here and they clearly aren’t," she said to Cody. Well, not said. Her voice was husky, rich, more a purr than anything. Knowing how pretty she was, when you added the voice into the mix the girl was walking sex. Men probably drooled for her. And then she probably mopped that drool up like a sponge, the water-sucker.

"They must have spotted us." Cody looked left, right, and sighed heavily. "I told you Rome’s security would be a problem. Good thing is, they packed in a hurry, only taking the essentials, so we were close.

Next time we’ll nail them."

"Do we still trust him?" I asked Rome, genuinely curious. What if Desert Gall was the one woman who’d inspired Cody to break his three-date min-max rule, and he truly was on her side now? On the bright side, if that was the case, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about him dating Sherridan.

"Yes," was the only response.

"I want her." Desert Whore dug her nails into her thighs. "I need her." I blinked. She needed me? Why? Jean-Luc had told me she hated me because her dad liked me. That didn’t necessitate a "need."

"I know," Cody said gently. "I know. We’ll get her. I swear." Desert Turd whipped away from him. "Get out," she said softly.

The men working around her froze, realized what she’d ordered, then hightailed out of the room as though their feet were on fire.

Cody remained in place. He closed the distance between himself and my greatest enemy and wound his arms around her waist. She stiffened. He didn’t pull back, though. Instead, he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Having her doesn’t mean your father will come back, though." Rome tossed me a confused look.

I shrugged.

"I know." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. A frustrated growl left her, and she raised her head, eyeing the ceiling, a harsh mask pasted on her features.

Something inside me recognized that mask for what it was: fake. She was crumbling inside but wanted to show the world how tough she was. Or, hell, maybe I was deluded. Maybe I wanted to see vulnerabilities in my enemy because that would mean I wasn’t up against an impenetrable force.

Cody tugged her tighter against him, glancing up at the camera as though he’d known it was there the entire time. I gasped, feeling pierced all the way to the soul. He reached up and extended two fingers, his thumb pressed in the middle of them. It was a sign. I knew it was, and suddenly trusted him as completely as Rome had assured me I could.