“Calm the hell down, Meg!”
Meg was still as a stone, watching him with knowing eyes. That’s when he realized what he had been doing. He was touching her.
He leaped off her as if she were a pile of fire.
She cringed at the abrupt movement, but was struggling to get up to her knees on the seat—a position Gideon recognized immediately as a fighting stance. He had to admire her spirit.
“Who are you and what do you want with me?”
Just glad she wasn’t trying to cut off his breathing or bite his hand off at the moment, he responded: “I’m Gideon. I was sent to rescue you.”
Just then Meg flew out of the passenger door. She had been hiding her hand behind her back, to unlock and open it.
Oh, hell, he thought angrily as he hurried out after her, blood dripping from his palm where the she-cat had ripped off a chunk of skin with her sharp teeth.
She was fast for a girl who had been kept incapacitated for months. He watched her dark hair fly behind her as she ran in the dawning sunlight toward the airport. She was barefoot and wearing a hospital gown. This was going to be a tough sell if she were noticed.
“Wait,” he yelled deciding he needed to change tactics with her. “I’ll tell you everything I know, just stop running!”
Meg slowed and darted behind the back of an SUV. Gideon knew she was listening.
“You are Meg. Meg Winter. You were kept by a sick guy who happens to be your biological father. His name is Dr. Kenneth Williams and he only wanted to keep you for your blood. You are special, Meg. He discovered that your blood is a cure for him. Williams kept you in a coma so he could drag you around—to use you as a blood donor for himself and to hide you from Senator Arkdone.”
“You expect me to believe that crap?” The anger in her voice was unmistakable, but the sound of it came from a much closer location than the SUV she hid behind seconds before.
“It’s the truth. So is the fact that you’re a powerful empath and can read the emotions of others. I was warned not to let you touch me because you would be able to see right through the story I was told to tell you.”
“So you admit you’re lying!” she hissed. “Who warned you?” her voice was right behind him. He spun to see her standing beautifully. Though he knew her body must be hurting, she stood tall, chin held up defiantly. Her fists were balled at her sides as though it was all she could do to control her temper and listen to him.
“I’m not lying now. I can see the only way I can get through to you is by telling you the truth. And I was warned by Arkdone.”
“Senator Arkdone?”
“He’s a powerful man.”
“I remember a lot of things now,” Meg’s voice came in a whisper.
“The Senator has taken a keen interest in you. He planted me in Williams’ trusted circle years ago but had me blow my cover just to get you back. I was a double agent. Now I’m just trying to get you back to the Senator.”
“Why should I believe you?”
Gideon held his one good hand out to the girl. “See for yourself. Senator Arkdone warned me against this, but he also ordered me to get you to trust me. Here, hold my hand and do your empath thing.”
Meg frowned at the soldier. “I don’t know if I can,” she hesitated to tell him she doubted her ability because she was exhausted and hurting all over.
Misunderstanding her hesitation, Gideon reassured the frail-looking girl. “Arkdone was sure you would remember how to read my intentions once you had physical contact—something about your gift awakening that way. Just try,” he nodded toward his outstretched hand encouraging her to step forward.
Inside he was feeling waves of nausea as punishment for disobeying orders. He’d never done this before; questioned his innermost voice. He certainly never defied it. He could tell there would be punishment for this, but he was determined to get the fragile-looking girl to trust him. Somehow, Gideon was grasping to that part of his directive more than the other.
Hesitantly, she stepped toward the soldier and reached her hand to take his. The moment she registered his warmth against her cold fingertips, she felt something shift inside her mind. She looked up at the soldier and felt his uncertainty about what he had offered her.
“Say something,” she whispered, momentarily fending off a wave of fear for what she may discover of this man who held her hand during a very weakened and vulnerable moment. She wasn’t just risking discovering what he wanted, she was also risking him overpowering her.
“We need to get back to the car and get you some clothes. You’re going to freeze out here,” he said feeling stupid and sick at the same time.
“You’re telling the truth. You brought clothes for me.”
“They’re in the trunk of the car, yeah,” he nodded watching her, watching him.
“Why did you rescue me from Williams’ chateau?”
“I have orders to take you back to Arkdone.”