Page 108 of The Light Within
Come on,Elliot urged himself.Get him.
They neared the end of the bridge. If the man cleared it, he could easily lose Elliot in the thick foliage. Elliot lunged forward with a burst of final, powerful energy. He grabbed the guy by the collar, hard, spinning him around.
The panting man staggered, partially slumping against the stone railing.
Yes!
Elliot wouldn’t have lasted much longer at that pace.
Locking the guy in place with an arm against his chest, Elliot had to tilt his head up slightly to address him. Though the man was slightly taller, Elliot could easily overpower his thin, lithe build now that he had him pinned. He was sure of it.
Elliot allowed himself a few breaths. “You!”
It seemed as good a start as any.
Elliot appraised the flustered figure in front of him, pushing him firmly into the stone while he hooked a leg around his, lest he get any clever ideas.
Sweat dripped from his captive’s forehead. His deep brown eyes were set beneath a strong brow, framed by high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. His dark complexion was complemented by full, expressive lips, which he licked.
Breath coming in ragged gasps still, he took a moment to say, “Elliot. You caught me.”
“Damn right I did,” snarled Elliot, giving him another push for good measure. He didn’t like the way he’d said his name—like he had power over him.
The guy had the audacity to smile.
“You won’t be smiling in a minute.”
He was unable to take his eyes off the other man’s face. His lips in particular.
That smile. It’s familiar.
“What’s your name?”
“Malik,” said the man, with a calm confidence that didn’t belong to someone currently being held prisoner.
Malik…
Nope. It didn’t ring any bells.
“What’s that accent?”
“I grew up out on the West Coast, moved to New York for the hub there a few years back. Then a few months ago, I guess adventure came knocking.”
Elliot rarely got homesick for the States, but the tiniest pang shot through him now. The shit Swiss January weather was likely to blame.
“West Coast? Oregon?” Where Elliot himself was from?
“Nah, California.”
Why was Elliot making idle chit-chat with this dude? He shook his head, then looked Malik squarely in the eye. Fellow American or not, the guy was trouble. “You’ve been watching me. Watchingus.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.” Malik didn’t look sorry. Didn’t look sorry at all.
The strange man wasn’t struggling against Elliot’s hold on him. Rather, he seemed almost relaxed, as if this confrontation was more of an inconvenience than a threat. A faint smirk played on his lips, and his eyes glinted with amusement. This wasn’t how Elliot imagined this would go at all. Unease crept up his spine, and he loosened his grip, just slightly.
“Guess the game’s up, huh? Took long enough. You four were all over the place. But hey, it wasn’t a bad gig. Definitely helped having some eye candy around.”
Elliot scoffed.This guy.“I’ll be sure to pass along your compliments.” He’d meant it sarcastically, but thinking about it, it probably would tickle Julien’s ego. More than a bit.
