“Right outside on the street. Don’t bring it in here,” he responded dryly.
Corinne’s vivid green eyes flickered over him, then began to dance in spite of the gravity of the situation. “I wonder if I could. Where’s Dayan?” He had been with her when she fell asleep. She remembered that quite distinctly.
Cullen cleared his throat. “It’s a little early for him, but he’ll know where we’ve gone when he wakes up. He always knows.” He tried to sound reassuring.
Corinne’s hands stilled around the strap of her purse. “Why don’t you wake him up?” There was something in Cullen’s demeanor that made her suspicious, but of what, she didn’t know.
“He didn’t stay here last night. After you went to sleep, he left. He likes his privacy,” Cullen added a little lamely.
“Isn’t that strange, when he’s so quick to invade mine,” Corinne murmured. She snatched up her purse and headed determinedly for the door. “Come on if you’re coming. I want to make sure Lisa is safe.”
“I’m coming, all right, and I’ll have a few things to say to Lisa when I see her,” Cullen added, holding open the door for Corinne.
“It doesn’t do any good to get mad at Lisa,” Corinne counseled as she slipped into the passenger seat. “She doesn’t view things like other people. Yelling doesn’t work with her, it only distresses her. I don’t want her hurt, Cullen.”
“Isn’t that what we’re trying to prevent?” he asked between his teeth.
“That isn’t what I’m talking about. She’s very vulnerable. I’m sure she told you about her brother’s death.”
“Which is exactly why she should be taking this seriously,” he pointed out. “She’s too trusting.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, Cullen,” Corinne said gently. “That’s what makes Lisa Lisa. She is trusting and genuinely sweet and good.” She glanced at his set features. “I’ve never seen her with a man the way she is with you. She talks a great deal, but she doesn’t really fall for anyone. Don’t do anything to hurt her.”
Cullen laughed unexpectedly. “I believe she was planning to have this exact talk with Dayan about you.”
Corinne tossed her head, her hair swinging against the window with an independent little swish. “I am perfectly capable of looking out for myself. Lisa, on the other hand, is not.” Her eyes flashed at him in warning.
“I hear you, Corinne,” Cullen admitted with a small grin. “I’m not the playboy type. I can’t believe she even looked at me. And these same people who murdered your husband are after me. I know what they’re like. I would never have acted on my feelings if she hadn’t already been in danger. The minute I met her, I was attracted to her. I had no idea she would be at all interested in someone like me.” He drove fast but expertly. After Lisa’s wild driving, Corinne was appreciative of his skill. “I could easily fall in love with Lisa if I allowed myself to spend any time with her. In the last few years, I’ve never looked at a woman in that way.” There was a heartbeat of silence. “I never thought I could – not again.”
“What is Dayan like?” Corinne asked in spite of herself.
Cullen shrugged with studied casualness. “Dayan is a law unto himself. No one can predict what he might do. He’s a genius with a musical instrument, and his voice is beautiful. He’s loyal to a fault, but he isn’t a man another man would ever want to cross. I don’t know how to explain Dayan. But I’ve never seen him like this over a woman. Whatever he feels for you is genuine. He isn’t a ladies’ man.”
“Why am I hearing a but in there somewhere?” Corinne asked astutely.
“I didn’t say ‘but,’ ” he denied.
“You have reservations about Dayan,” Corinne guessed, “What are they?”
Cullen looked at her very soberly, concentrating on putting his vague uneasiness into words. Finally he shrugged, shaking his head. “He’s just different. Dangerous, maybe, I don’t know how to explain it to you. The entire band is different. Darius is a very scary man. Seriously, Corinne, Dayan is just different. I don’t know how else to explain it. The whole family…” He trailed off helplessly. There were no words to adequately describe Dayan’s family.