Page 40 of Lucas
Without hearing from Lucas, Sergi might also suspect he’d been injured and would go to New Orleans. Sergi might have sent one of the teams from Savannah out to search for him.
Lucas had to stick with the mission. He would call Sergi once they were on the road, but first, they had to get moving. Ginger wasn’t wrong about that. He grinned. They were close. His nose for books picked up the scent the minute Beall revealed his knowledge of theDe første dage.
Ginger’s light moan pulled him out of his planning. She was close to waking. He played with the edges of her thick mane of hair. She snuggled deeper into the covers in a vain attempt to hold onto sleep. He brushed his knuckles along her cheek, and she brushed her hand against his as if swatting away a fly.
One eye popped open, and it took a moment for her to focus on him. Her arm snaked out and grabbed his, which moved to grasp her hand. Her eye widened, a grin followed, and shepopped into a sitting position with her hair haloed around her head. She’d forgotten to remove her mascara from the night before, and when she rubbed her eyes, it gave her a sultry, rumpled-in-bed look. The sheet had fallen to her waist, revealing her bare breasts.
He might have involuntarily licked his lips because her head tilted to one side, and her grin turned mischievous.
“It appears someone’s strength is returning.”
“I don’t know what it means for my ability to stand on two legs, but I can move them. I’d like to check the bandages and see if the wounds have healed.”
“Let me pee and brush my teeth, then I’ll grab the first aid kit.”
“At least your priorities are in order.”
“Trust me. You’ll be happy you waited.” After brushing her teeth, but before the first aid, she put the small four-cup coffee maker to work. She poured two cups and brought them over with the kit.
She took her first sip, then started pulling off bandages. The first cuts had completely disappeared, leaving fresh, unmarred skin. So far, so good. She appeared to be removing bandages in order of severity. A small gap in the skin was all that remained of the last injury. It would heal on his own, but one more donation, which he planned on getting once they were on the move, would close it up. They would be vulnerable for another day.
“These look amazing compared to what you looked like that first day.” She shivered. “Let’s not repeat that. From now on, we move as a pair. Those had been Devon’s orders, and the one time we didn’t follow them, you got hurt.”
“But I took care of the two vampires.” He squared his shoulders and felt powerful in the small motion. He was proud for taking two heads—the fact it almost killed him was secondary.
“You almost got dead. Don’t make me tattle to Devon.”
“You wouldn’t.”
She considered it. “You’re right. I wouldn’t have to. I’d just have to mention it to Cressa. You know, just an off-handed comment.”
“That’s hurtful.”
She kissed his cheek, but when he turned to catch her lips, she placed two fingers over them. “It’s for your own good. Are you up for breakfast?”
His stomach immediately rumbled at the thought. “White omelet with spinach and a better cup of coffee.”
“Ouch. I can only work with the supplies I’m given, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from an espresso snob.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and locked the door behind her.
He waited a couple of minutes in case she forgot something, then threw back the covers. He sat up, and while his stomach muscles screamed retaliation, he made it without any sign of blacking out. He bent one leg and then the other. They still seemed eager to cooperate.
He turned to the side of the bed, his legs following as if second nature. Which it was, and he couldn’t stop grinning. He was moving.
Now, came the hard part. He leaned against the nightstand and pushed himself up. His legs wobbled, and he reached for the bed to keep upright. He stood tall and took several breaths, giving his legs time to remember their job.
His initial steps reminded him of his sister when she was a toddler. During her first week of attempting to walk, she made the most curious faces, as if she wasn’t convinced whether standing was worth all the fuss. He hadn’t thought of Rosalynn for some time, and though talking about her with Ginger had been painful, it released dozens of wonderful memories.
He used the edge of the bed to make his way toward the bathroom. By the time he made it there, most of the wobbling was already receding. His second test before Ginger returned was to refill his coffee cup and walk to the table without spilling a drop.
He released a heavy breath when he placed the cup on the table and sat. He pulled over the map Ginger had marked up and calculated where they’d been, where they were now, and the next step in their search.
When Ginger returned, she was so surprised to see Lucas sitting at the table, she almost took a tumble with the two cups of coffee she held close to her chest and the paper bag hanging from her arm. She set the coffees and bag on the far side of the table.
“You didn’t wait for me.” She sounded hurt.
“I had to see if I could do it on my own.”
“And?”
