Tempting Fate

Fifteen: A Secret: Revealed

"What were you thinking?" Ronan asked Brynn as the two of them made their way swiftly from the alleyway.

Cell phone and flash drive tight in her hands, Brynn fought to keep up with Ronan's powerful strides. "I was thinking we came here for a reason–"

She cut herself off as Ronan stopped abruptly, glancing around the corner of the next building. The streets around them were busy, enough that they could easily slip themselves among the crowd. A few blocks down, the distant siren of wielder law enforcement had others on the street glancing towards the sound.

"Come on," Ronan grabbed her wrist and pulled her among the throng of people moving along the streets, unaware of the danger happening in the highrise just down the block.

If the Governor had wanted to keep things quiet, he hadn't done a great job of doing so. As they passed others on the street, a few mutterings had Brynn frowning.

"Did someone decide to finally go after the Governor?"

"Are we safe?"

"Isn't there a bank in that building? You don't think someone tried to rob it?"

None of those around her slowed down. Clad in their formal attire, the people in the business district continued about their day.

Ronan tugged Brynn into a shop just down the street. Brynn tried not to focus too hard on the warmth and strength of his hand on her wrist. But she still hyper-focused on the way his thumb cradled the side of her palm.

"Find a pair of shoes," Ronan told her softly as they entered. "And a new outfit."

The two of them split up. Brynn smiled at the shop attendant as she made her way towards the woman's casual wear. A pair of light jeans, a white t-shirt, and a dark zip up jacket were easy enough to find in her size. She also found a pair of slightly ugly sneakers. They would have to do.

Ronan waited for her at the register with his own pile of clothing. He pulled a small stack of large bills to pay with, then asked the attendant, "Do you have a room to change? We'd like to wear this out."

If the attendant thought that odd, she did not show it. "Of course. In the back on your right."

Grabbing their two piles, Ronan led the way into a large fitting room. Brynn held her hands out for her clothes. Instead, Ronan shook his head and, with a muscular arm around her waist, directed her into the fitting room.

"What are you–?" Brynn cut herself off as Ronan took off his hat and sunglasses. When his hands found the bottom of his shirt, Brynn whirled around.

"What are you doing?" Her cheeks were aflame. She tried not to hear the zipper on his jeans as he removed them.

"Get changed," he told her. "We don't have much time."

"I could've gotten my own fitting room," she grumbled.

At that, Ronan snorted behind her. "You could've gotten out of there earlier when I told you to as well, but you didn't. You're staying where I can see you."

Grumbling to herself, Brynn refused to look at Ronan as she grabbed her own clothes. She didn't want to look at him. If she did, how she would react to the sight of him mid-change? Of his powerful torso and muscled–

Even without looking, her breaths felt shallower.

Keeping her back firmly to Ronan, Brynn took off her work blouse and pencil skirt and swapped it for jeans and a T-shirt. She did her best not to look in the mirror, even though the temptation was high.

When they were both changed, Ronan took her clothes and his own, and threw them in the trash just outside the room.

Back out on the street, his hand still wrapped firmly around her wrist, Ronan led them down to the closest bus stop.