The world lurched.
Ewen’s stomach dropped through the floor as his reality twisted sideways. The hotel room dissolved into streamers of color and shadow. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t feel anything except Lamont’s arm locked around him like a vice.
Then the world snapped back into focus with a sound like a rubber band breaking.
Ewen stumbled, his knees going weak. Only Lamont’s grip kept him upright.
“Easy.” Lamont’s voice rumbled against Ewen’s ear. “You haven’t done this very often, yet. It takes a few seconds to get your bearings when you land.”
Ewen’s vision cleared slowly. They were standing in…My gods.Ewen’s eyes widened so far that they ached.
They were in a penthouse apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a nighttime cityscape Ewen didn’t immediately recognize. The furnishings were expensive but sparse, as if the person who owned the place didn’t spend much time at home. A leather couch faced a fireplace that looked like it had never been used. Bookshelves lined one wall, crammed with volumes in a dozen languages.
“New York,” Lamont said, reading Ewen’s confusion. “My apartment. Well, one of them. I have places in a few cities around the world.”
“Of course you do.” Ewen’s legs finally stopped shaking. He was still clutching the envelope and could feel the flash drive digging into his hip through his pocket. “You travel for work.”
“And now you’re with me, you won’t have to pay for hotel rooms anymore.” Lamont’s smile was gentle. “What’s mine is yours, mate. Including all the apartments, the bank accounts, and the extensive collection of historical artifacts, I probably shouldn’t have taken from the occasional archaeological site. But I promise I only took things I felt a connection to.”
Ewen managed a weak laugh. His fox was already relaxing, recognizing this space as safe, saturated with Lamont’s scent.
Then the reality of what just happened hit him.
“They saw you.” Ewen turned to face Lamont fully. “On those cameras. They know what you look like now.”
“I know.”
“They might have facial recognition software. They could track you, find out who you are, you’re a well-known investigative journalist with a far bigger following than I…”
“Ewen.” Lamont cupped his face with both hands. “I’ve been alive a very long time, you know this. Some thugs with government connections don’t scare me.”
“Well, they should.” Ewen’s voice cracked. “You don’t know what these people are capable of. What they did to me, what they’ll do to anyone who gets in their way…”
“Then they’ll learn what a hellhound is capable of.” Flames flickered around the edges of Lamont’s dark eyes, and Ewen guessed his hellhound was right there. “Those thugs who thought it was fun to scare the crap out of you are going to end up in Lord Hades’s court sooner or later. I find remembering that can be a great leveler in the grand scheme of things.”
Ewen wanted to argue. His need to protect his mate from the danger he’d brought into Lamont’s life was as strong as Lamont’s was for him. But the stubborn set of Lamont’s jaw told him arguing would be pointless.
“I’m not losing you again,” Lamont said quietly. “Not to them, not to anyone. Whatever’s on that drive, whatever you found that made them chase you across continents - that is all stuff we’ll handle together.”
Ewen’s throat tightened. Nobody had ever said “we” before. His whole life, every problem had been his alone to solve.
“Together,” he repeated, testing the word.
“See, it’s not a dirty word. Together.” Lamont’s thumbs brushed across Ewen’s jawline, stroking softly. “Now, how about you tell me exactly what you found that pissed off some random government or billionaire corporation so badly they felt the need to kidnap an American journalist in Egypt?”
Ewen looked down at the envelope in his hands. Inside was enough evidence to bring down a defense contractor worth billions, expose falsified safety reports that put soldiers at risk, and implicate at least three congress members in accepting bribes.
“It’s a long story,” he said.
“It’s a good thing we’re immortal then.” Lamont pressed a kiss to Ewen’s forehead. “We’ve got time. I’ll put the coffee on.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lamont filled the coffee maker with water and grounds he measured with experience rather than a spoon. He’d never really noticed how unlived in his apartment was until he brought Ewen into his space. But it was workable, and he could always buy or zap in anything his mate might need. His kitchen was well stocked. In his opinion, coffee was one of life’s better inventions, right up there with central heating and the printing press.
While the machine gurgled and hissed, Lamont pulled two mugs from the cabinet. One had “World’s Okayest Journalist” printed on it - a gag gift from Damon the last time he’d visited. The other was plain white ceramic, old but still unchipped.
Ewen had settled on the leather couch in the living room, still clutching his envelope and looking around with wide eyes. His fox was close to the surface. Lamont could feel him through their bond. The fox was a curious creature, taking in every detail of the new space.