Tugging at the neckline of her black shirt before rubbing at her shoulder and the irritation of the material, she followed him silently until they were safely locked on the other side of the door. The room they stepped into was shadowed and cool.
He didn’t turn any lights on, but it was far easier to see him now. He moved through the kitchen they’d entered before stopping at the coffeepot and flipping it on. The sound of hot water flowed into the filter as the scent of coffee reached her senses.
“Did you take one of the scent blockers?” he asked, his back still to her.
“Yes,” she answered, staring around the kitchen curiously. “I came through the tunnels, but the entrance to them should be safe.”
For the most part, Cullen’s home was devoid of personalization. The normal appliances were there, but little decoration with the exception of a small crystal fairy and a six-inch dagger with a mother-of-pearl hilt sitting on the small breakfast counter between the kitchen and darkened living area.
“It’s your apartment.” He shrugged. “Your scent permeates it anyway. Your escape should have been undetectable if anyone entered it.”
Turning back to him, she frowned at the comment. “If? Why would they have been there if not to come after me? They were surrounding the place like SWAT or something.”
He grunted at that. “They were there in a surveillance capacity alone. Trust me, if they were there to take you, you wouldn’t have seen them before they were in the apartment. The threat wasn’t from the Breeds sent to watch out for you, it’s the Breed who should be arriving at your place the moment he’s realized you’ve run from him. The security team was sent to protect you until he managed to get his head out of his ass.”
Her heart jumped in her chest. “What do you mean by that?”
Choosing two cups from the cupboard, he poured their coffee before picking them up and turning back to her to nod at the breakfast counter. “Have a seat. We have to talk.”
She suddenly felt like a teenager being called down by the principal. She’d not even experienced that in school.
“Why are Breeds surrounding my house, Cullen?” she asked as she slid into one of the high stools and pushed back the hair that had fallen over her shoulder.
She hadn’t even had time to braid it before running. It still hung down her back in a riot of carefully arranged curls as the front and sides fell from where it was secured at the crown of her head.
“This is a fucking mess,” Cullen sighed roughly as he lifted his cup, pausing at his lips as amusement flickered in his gaze. “Amusing, but a fucking mess.”
Her eyes narrowed at the casual arrogance in his voice.
“And what has you so damned amused?” Leaning forward, her forearms braced on the counter as her gaze narrowed on him, Gypsy promised herself she wouldn’t tell him what a complete asshole he was being.
“You have me amused.” Once he made that cryptic comment, the cup touched his lips and he sipped from the heated liquid.
He didn’t appear in any hurry to tell her exactly what had him so damned amused at her expense, though.
As he returned the cup to the counter, still watching her silently, Gypsy sat back on her stool, her head tilting to the side.
Crossing her arms over her breasts, she watched him angrily, waiting, and it wasn’t patiently.
He merely stared back at her with a hint of a smile on his face.
“What kind of game are you playing with me?” she asked him, suspicion beginning to grow within her. “And why?”