James started to lean forward to kiss her but stopped himself. Just friends, that’s what he had said. Why the hell did he ever say that? He couldn’t be just friends when all he wanted to do was get her alone and repeat their lovemaking from last night. Man, he was so totally screwed. Hoping to dissimulate his intentions James took the momentum from the failed kiss to walk around the car and get in. “So where are they holed up in?” He asked as she started the car and they left the parking lot.
“Jessie has them in that seedy motel just off the south side exit,” she told him.
“You mean that seedy one everyone goes to for the one night stand or the get together with the secret lover?” He asked and Lily glanced over at him with a sly smile.
“Oh good I see you’re acquainted with it,” she teased.
“What? No! No way! I’ve just heard about it is all,” he told her quickly and she laughed at him with an exaggerated nod.
“Sure James, if you say so, but almost everyone has a tale to tell about the south side motel,” she told him, still grinning slyly. Okay, maybe when he was younger he’d been there once with a girl.
“Wait does this include you too?” James asked, wanting to let her feel the heat of the spotlight. To his surprise, she shrugged and admitted to spending some time there.
“I had a wild phase in my late teens and early twenties. I never did boyfriends much, just meet ups and that sort of thing and the guys weren’t always single so we’d go there,” she told him bluntly. It surprised him, but it also explained a lot.
“So what got you out of that phase?” He asked and she grinned at him again as she parked in the said motel’s parking lot.
“I figured out my vibrator gave less drama and performs a whole lot better,” she said and then burst out laughing as James stared at her with a look of pure shock. Out of all the things he’d expect her to say. “Oh, the look on your face! Priceless!” she laughed getting out of the car. Great, now he was stuck with a mental image that so wasn’t helping him stay in the line of thinking for friendship.
“Really though what did you expect me to say,” Lily asked, laughing. “I grew out of it and saw I wasn’t doing myself any favors. However truthful, that is a boring answer.”
“Only you Lily,” James said shaking his head but couldn’t help but return her smile. “Come on let’s see what the Aequivalere are up to.” James followed Lily into one of the rooms.
“Loba, report,” Jessie barked at Lily from the corner table where she sat and James glared at her silently.
“Well I’ve drunk from Silvano twice and I want to know what you’re going to do about stopping Silvano,” Lily snapped at her and he was happy to see she wasn’t taking Jessie’s attitude sitting down but apparently the human’s attitude was the least of their problems. Everyone jumped to their feet as soon as Lily said it.
“Damn it, Lily! Donovan, on the front. Evan watch the dog, Caesar get the windows blacked out and get Charlie in here” Jessie demanded and James growled at the blonde mess approaching him but when Lily touched his shoulder, he quieted. He glanced over at her. While her body was relaxed and calm, her eyes showed how pissed she was.
“If I was under his influence do you really think I’d ask you about how to prevent him feeding me again? No, in fact, I’d be looking forward to it,” she told them.
“Unless you were told to act like this,” Jessie replied.
“She’s not here by anyone’s wishes but her own,” James snapped at her and Jessie gave him a look full of criticism.
“Right because you’re so objective,” Jessie snapped.
“So what are you going to do? Interrogate the answer out of her?” he growled at her. His anger and beast’s already anxiousness made his skin feel tight as sparks of what felt like electricity run along its surface.
“It’s cool James let them do what they got to do,” she told him and he was amazed at just how calm she appeared when he knew she was pissed. “Speaking of which what exactly is it that you’ve got to do? Because I know it’s not protecting me,” she demanded not taking her eyes off Jessie for a second.
“I don’t appreciate the attitude Nawassa,” Jessie snapped at her and Lily laugh a short and very dry laugh.
“And I don’t appreciate my brother being told his pack, his children would be safe when they clearly aren’t,” Lily replied taking out and unfolding a piece of paper then shoved it into Donovan’s chest. It was the picture Bianca sent her of the children. “Now that we’ve shared things we don’t appreciate how about you answer my question?”
James smiled but wanted to fall in laughter at the ugly expression Jessie wore. “We’re trying to track down his lair since, by the time you alert us that Silvano is with you, he’s already halfway out the door,” she answered bitterly.
“Are you trying to put the blame of your failure on her?” James snapped, taking a step forward towards the human. The blonde woman standing in front of him stiffened, but it was Lily that stopped him.