“Stop that,” I said as I slowly raised my head. My vision swam for half a second, then cleared. I was okay.

Yeah, everything was just peachy.

I hadn’t expected Adam to obey me, but he stopped rubbing my back and moved back to the chair he’d originally been sitting in.

“Better now?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Except for my overwhelming embarrassment at having fallen apart like that. Usually I’m a pro at hiding my feelings, delaying my reactions until I can have them in private. Then again, I’d never had to face my worst nightmare come true before. That can do funny things to a body’s insides.

I cleared my throat. “So am I, like, stuck with him until I die?” The panic beat at the door of the safe, but so far, it held.

“Likely,” Adam answered, and if I hadn’t known better, I would have called his voice gentle. “He’s very powerful, Morgan. I doubt there’s anyone, human or demon, who could cast him out. Even when he’s trying to cooperate.”

“Great. Just great.” I took a deep breath. “So who is he?” I looked up and locked gazes with Adam, whose expression gave away nothing. “Come on, Adam. I know you know who he is. You recognized his name when I said it.”

Adam looked chagrined. “I’ll have to work on my poker face.”

“Cut the crap and tell me who the hell is hitchhiking in my body!”

He licked his lips. “Let’s just say he’s a VIP and leave it at that.”

“Adam — ”

He held up a hand. “All right — let’s just say he outranks me and I’m not telling you unless he gives me the okay.” He grinned and made a fist with his right hand, pounding it into the palm of his left. “Would you like me to ask him?”

I flipped him the bird and he laughed. I wondered if backhanding me like that had satisfied his earlier desire to hurt me. I figured probably not, since I hadn’t actually been conscious long enough for it to hurt.

“Well, Adam, you’ve been a big help.” Not! “Thanks a lot. You can go about your business now.”

“Why do I get the feeling I’m being dismissed?”

“Um, because you are?”

His grin held a touch of evil. “Not that easy, love. There are people out there trying to kill you. Or had you forgotten?”

No, that’s not something I was likely to forget. “Your point being?”

“My point being this isn’t a good time to play Lone Ranger. I know how hot you are for independence, but you can’t do everything alone. And you definitely need help with this one.”

I sort of knew that, though I didn’t like it. “Are you offering?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Why? It’s not like we’re friends.” Actually, we were closer to enemies, I figured, but we hadn’t quite reached that stage yet. Though if he hit me again, that might be the last straw.

“No, we’re not. But I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Lugh.”

For reasons I didn’t want to examine, that stung. I hoped like hell it didn’t show on my face. “So what’s your plan?”

“First, we get you out of this hotel. This is not the place to go incognito.”

“You got a better suggestion?”

The predatory gleam in his eyes told me before he spoke that I wasn’t going to like the suggestion one bit.

“My place,” he said. And no, I didn’t like it.

“No fucking way.”

“No one would think to look for you there. And Dominic and I can watch your back.”

Bad enough to think about staying in a house with just Adam. Adam and Dominic together was just too much. Way too much.

“Which part of ‘no fucking way’ didn’t you understand?” Okay, so it wasn’t the most original comeback in the world, but my brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders at the moment.

The wicked, evil grin was back. “Let me put it this way: you’re staying with me, where I can keep an eye on you.”

I stood up. He could overpower me easily, but I’d make one hell of a commotion as he dragged me through the hotel halls.

He stayed in his chair and smiled up at me. “We can do this one of two ways, love. You can come quietly…” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Or not.” He dangled the cuffs from the end of his index finger. “Which do you prefer?”

Well, shit. In all my indignation, I’d forgotten the little detail about him being a police officer. I could make all the commotion I wanted. All he’d have to do is flash his badge, and no one would lift a finger to help me.

One thing was for sure: I didn’t want Adam putting handcuffs on me. I’d have to put on a show of going along quietly. When we got to the lobby, I’d see if I could find a good opportunity to make a run for it. I wasn’t sure where I would go, but anywhere seemed better than with Adam.

“I guess I’ll come quietly,” I said, grimacing.

He swung the cuffs around his finger, staring at me. I guess I must be getting predictable in my old age, because he smiled and said, “I think not.”

He stood up, and my heart lurched. I didn’t like the look in his eyes, not one bit. I held up my hands in a protective gesture.

“No, really. I’ll cooperate. You don’t need the cuffs.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You’re actually frightened, aren’t you? I would have thought it’d take more than a pair of handcuffs to frighten you.”

I tried to reason with myself. Even if Adam wasn’t a demon, he’d have a height and weight advantage on me. In reality, if he wanted to attack me, I’d be just as toasted with my hands free as with them in cuffs.

Reason wasn’t helping much.

Adam raised his eyebrows. “What’s the matter, love? Don’t trust me?”

That pissed me off enough to put the fear temporarily to the side. “Not as far as I can throw you.”

He nodded. “Exactly. And that’s about how much I trust you, though I suspect I could throw you farther than you could throw me. So turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

I shook my head and shivered. If he was going to put those damn things on me, he was going to have to work for it.

His voice and his expression softened. “Morgan, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m honestly trying to protect you.”

“You mean protect Lugh,” I shot back.

“Right now, it’s the same thing.”

“Please, Adam. I promise I’ll come with you. Just don’t — ”

I guess he decided persuasion wasn’t going to work. He was on me before I even knew he’d moved. He turned me around and shoved me face — first onto the bed, then put his knee in my back as he grabbed my flailing arms and slapped the cuffs on my wrists.

He moved his knee as soon as the cuffs were on, hauling me to my feet by my upper arm. My heart beat rabbit-fast, and cold sweat broke over my body.

Adam stood behind me, close behind me, holding both my arms. I felt his breath on my ear as he bent his head to mine.

“Remember to breathe,” he said, his voice soft as a caress.

Once again, I fought my panic. I breathed in deeply through my nose, then let the breath out through my mouth. Some of the tension left me, so I tried it again.

After a couple more deep breaths, I felt almost normal. Plus, Adam had released one of my arms and given me some room.

“Let’s go,” he said, leading me toward the door.

I cast a longing glance at the shopping bags that held all my worldly possessions. He saw my glance and snatched them up with his free hand.

Still fighting the remnants of panic, I let him lead me downstairs to his waiting car and tried to ignore all the curious stares of the hotel patrons.

Adam had driven to the hotel in an unmarked police car, so I had the pleasure of riding in the back like a criminal. He didn’t take the handcuffs off. It didn’t improve my disposition.

The last of my fear faded, replaced by good, old-fashioned fury. I stared at the back of Adam’s head and wished I could bore holes in his skull with my gaze. At the next stoplight, he adjusted the rearview mirror so he could look at me without turning his head. I met his eyes in the mirror and hated the laugh lines that crinkled the corners.