“I’m sure you aren’t, but bears do have one advantage over you—agility. These are the sort of shifters who aren’t beyond sliding beneath you and jamming an explosive pack between your scales. They don’t mind kamikaze tactics for their cause.”
Greyscales studied him for a moment, considering what he’d said. He finally nodded.
“They’re a scourge, that’s for certain. I’ll make some calls. I won’t give you any promises that aren’t mine to give. That’s all I can offer.”
“I’ll take it. Time is running out. I don’t mean to rush you, but to delay will do me no favors,” Niall told him.
“Understood. Want to hang about for a bit while I contact some of the Alphas down there? I can offer you a meal and some private space to eat it. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be very welcomed in the main hall.”
“That sounds good,” Niall told him, standing and offering his hand.
Greyscales waved it off. “Save it for if I have anything worth shaking on,” he said, picking up his portable radio and speaking to someone on the other end, “Two for lunch in my private dining room. Pick them up in my office now.”
Only seconds later, the same dragon who’d confronted them at the car appeared in the doorway and motioned for them to follow him. He made no apology for his earlier behavior, and they didn’t expect any. Instead, he led them to a small room with only a breakfast table and a kitchenette. For all the room lacked in character, it made up for in its view through large glass panes from the cliffside on which it sat, overlooking the Irish Sea.
“Your food will be here shortly,” the dragon guard told them before leaving the room.
“Fuck, this place is nice,” Ronan said once he was gone.
“Likely bugged too,” Niall cautioned.
Ronan nodded and turned his gaze to the sea. Niall did the same, both of them lost in thought. He had no idea what Ronan might be thinking, but he was lost in thoughts of her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Deidre
The exchange had been quick. She’d returned to the building where she’d gone three days before and knocked. The same woman opened the door and handed her a large manila envelope. She didn’t wait for any questions, quickly closing the door again once it was in Deidre’s hands.
Deidre returned to the bus stop and made her way back to her room. She was anxious to look inside but didn’t dare right now. Instead, she tucked it into the second-hand backpack she’d purchased at a charity shop and waited until she was behind closed doors.
She first noticed that the woman behind the desk was not the one who was usually there. Instead, there was a man she didn’t recognize, and something about him put her on edge.
“What room are you in, love?” he asked, his accent distinctly Irish rather than Liverpudlian.
“Ten,” she lied.
“You here for long?” he asked.
“A few more weeks,” she lied again without fully knowing why.
“Aye. Enjoy your stay.”
“Ta,” she replied, making a quick dash up the stairs.
Inside, she locked the door. Her heart was racing. Something was off, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Then it dawned on her. Her things had been moved, mostly in the slightest of ways, but her bag was on the floor rather than the bed where she’d placed it before leaving.
She looked around carefully, making sure no one was inside, and then went to the bathroom, pulling open the lid on the back of the toilet and reaching in. Her hand landed on the plastic bag inside, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The money was still there.
Still, she now felt completely ill at ease. It could be that whoever had come in while she was gone was only looking for things to steal and found that she had nothing worth taking. Then again, it could be much more than that. There was a reason that the man downstairs had asked questions, and she realized now why she had lied about her room and length of stay.
If he was being bribed for information, to watch for her, then he probably knew she was lying about her room number and that, but she’d thought if he was reporting back to someone, he might think she was staying with someone else instead of the room she’d secured and intended to be there for the rest of her stay. It would mean whoever was coming for her might not be in as big a hurry as they would if they thought she was leaving sooner than that.
Her decision was made quickly. She grabbed her bags and threw the few things she had in it. Slipping quietly out the door, she eased down the hallway, avoiding the creaky stair area that led back down to the lobby. Instead, she went upward, climbing to the third floor and exiting to the garden that sat atop the center roof area. Walking toward the edge, she saw what she was looking for: a fire escape leading off the roof.