“Can I get you anything else?”
Adriana looked up at her and sighed.
“Yeah. How about a plate of those big-ass loaded nachos you serve and a margarita?”
“I take it he isn’t coming back,” the server said, seeming empathetic.
“You take it right,” Adriana told her. “Put the drinks and food on my bill and take the cash he left for yourself.”
“Lovely. Thank you.”
Adriana leaned back and closed her eyes. She was going to have to do better. Acting like an Omega was hard.CHAPTER SIXDane
Dane chuckled as he walked back to his apartment. It was only about four blocks from the bar where he had met the very interesting Adriana Lee. She was different from any Omega he’d ever met before. They were usually demurer and accommodating. Instead, she was inquisitive and enthusiastic about things that concerned her. He’d see her again, but he had to get home before the evening fog lifted.
Why he’d felt the need to fly back just to have a quick meeting with her was beyond him, but he had felt a pull toward her. She was even more attractive than her picture—definitely lived up to the reputations attributed to most redheads. All fire and ice.
Sweeping past the doorman, he made his way to the elevator and up to the penthouse, letting himself in and stripping down to nothing before making his way up the staircase that led to his roof garden. There, he shifted and took to the sky again. He’d hated to leave so quickly but knew the fog was due to lift soon. He needed to get up above it and out of the city before that happened or he’d be taking the long way back and stuck with two cars up at what he liked to refer to as his hideaway.
He was looking forward to curling up in his old bed and getting a good night’s sleep, but it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, he was met with lights and sirens as he approached. What the fuck was happening now?
As he grew closer, he realized that the workshop was on fire, and the place was surrounded by cops and firemen from the human side of town based on their trucks. With the exception of meeting a hot redhead, this day was turning out to be really shitty. Thinking quickly, he landed in the woods behind the house and pulled a bag out of a tree there, slipping into the exercise clothes inside.
He ran through the side path to where it joined the river and began slowly jogging up that until he was back at the house, a bit sweaty and looking as if he’d been out for a run. Hopefully, that would be enough to explain why his car was there but he wasn’t and how he had no idea his workshop was on fire, though the last part was completely true.
“What is going on here?” he shouted as he approached, headed toward the workshop.
“Whoa, hold on. Stay back. Are you Mr. Jenson? Is this your place?”
“Yes. What’s happened?”
“Don’t know. We were hoping you could tell us.”
“No. I went for a run, and it was fine when I left.”
“Well, the fire marshal will want to ask you some more questions once they’ve got this thing put out and he’s had a chance to determine a cause. Unless he has a problem, we won’t need anything from you.”
“I can tell you now that I didn’t set my own workshop on fire.”
“Why would you think we are considering that you might have?” he said, a single eyebrow raised.
“I’m just making sure you know that upfront.”
“Good to know,” he replied.
Dane stood watching quietly as the firemen pumped water from the massive truck. He’d seen them down at the river filling it dozens of times in the past when he still lived out here. Of course, he’d never thought he’d need them to come put out anything, but at least it was the workshop and not the house. Still, he was puzzled as to how it could be fine for so long, other than the damage he had found, and all of a sudden go up like this. Had he sparked something when he had gone in there earlier?
It took the better part of two hours to put it out with all the woodworking chemicals he had stored out there. They must have really sent it up even more than what he was seeing when he had arrived. When they were finally done, they began filing out. The workshop was gone. It had burned completely to the ground before they could put it out. They’d only kept pushing water to make sure it stayed out.
“Well, Mr. Jensen, not much I can see out here tonight. Your building is taped off with police tape. Keep in mind that it is treated as a potential crime scene until I’ve investigated it and do not cross the line.”