claustrophobia overwhelmed her, needed out of the car, the cuffs …
“She’s hyperventilating,” she heard Kell say, and there was rustling—at the same time her hands were freed, a paper bag was placed over her mouth. The truck began to move, the windows opened and fresh air poured in.
Breathing became easier and she felt less closed in. After several minutes, she moved the bag away from her mouth, realized Kell was watching her, but he’d shifted, so they weren’t touching.
That was good, because she realized she did notwant him near her. “What happened back there?” she asked finally.
“Don’t worry about that now. Come on, sit back and try to relax,” he told her, his voice slightly hoarse, his face bruised, and she realized how close they’d both come to being seriously hurt. Again.
She complied with his request, as if in surrender. But she was far from actually doing so. Reid continued to peel down the streets, finally merging the truck in with the light nighttime traffic on one of the main streets.
“How did those men know you?” she continued.
Kell didn’t answer her and she pressed, “Those men weren’t after me, they were after you. I’m in more trouble with you than without you.”
Or it could be in equal amounts, but still. She’d known that since she’d heard them fire their rifles earlier, when she’d first stumbled into them.
Neither man said a word to her as the truck whipped through the streets, although Reid made a cryptic phone call that she assumed was about the attack. Her gut tightened and the abrasions on her arms and palms began to sting. Her muscles were sore and tight from the running and the stress and she was sure she’d see a mess of bruises when she took her clothes off.
She wanted out, but she had nowhere to go. “I know you killed people when you had me handcuffed in the Jeep—I heard the shots. Who was it then? Was that connected to this?”
Kell gave her a long look. “Better you don’t know a thing, sweetheart. You’re in enough trouble of your own.”
“You need to answer me. Who were those men in the alley?”
“No clue,” Kell said finally, and she didn’t know if he was lying.
“What did they want with you?”
“Seemed like they wanted me dead,” he said mildly, infuriating her further. “I know what you want—but I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“I saved your ass,” she spat, and Reid snorted.
Kell drew closer to her and suddenly the backseat seemed far too small. “You think your little stunt helped matters? I told you to run—you put yourself in danger by not doing it.”
Then she wouldn’t have seen what she had. These men were deadly. She knew that, but watching Kell single-handedly take on the three in the alley …
The violence had been mind-numbing. And still, he’d saved her life. Again. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” That was the truth, spilling from her before she could stop it.
In the light that shone in from the storefronts and street lamps, she swore she saw his expression soften, but his tone didn’t reflect that. “What do you want? You want us to bring you someplace where there’s no danger? Right now, for you, that simply doesn’t exist.”
The implication that it might never wasn’t lost on her.
“You have no idea what I want.”
He turned to face her. “You think you’re safer without us. You’re wrong. You might even be thinking you’re safer with the marshals right about now. You’d be wrong again.”
She would be wrong—because Kell was the better choice to keep her safe from the men who’d murdered her family.
It took like to fight like. And right now she needed that on her side.
CHAPTER
5
D ylan took Riley to dinner, and then instead of heading straight home, he took the route past the Adirondacks, telling the woman he planned on spending the rest of his life with that he had a quick errand to run.
Partial truth, and Riley was full and happy from dinner and wine, so
“She’s hyperventilating,” she heard Kell say, and there was rustling—at the same time her hands were freed, a paper bag was placed over her mouth. The truck began to move, the windows opened and fresh air poured in.
Breathing became easier and she felt less closed in. After several minutes, she moved the bag away from her mouth, realized Kell was watching her, but he’d shifted, so they weren’t touching.
That was good, because she realized she did notwant him near her. “What happened back there?” she asked finally.
“Don’t worry about that now. Come on, sit back and try to relax,” he told her, his voice slightly hoarse, his face bruised, and she realized how close they’d both come to being seriously hurt. Again.
She complied with his request, as if in surrender. But she was far from actually doing so. Reid continued to peel down the streets, finally merging the truck in with the light nighttime traffic on one of the main streets.
“How did those men know you?” she continued.
Kell didn’t answer her and she pressed, “Those men weren’t after me, they were after you. I’m in more trouble with you than without you.”
Or it could be in equal amounts, but still. She’d known that since she’d heard them fire their rifles earlier, when she’d first stumbled into them.
Neither man said a word to her as the truck whipped through the streets, although Reid made a cryptic phone call that she assumed was about the attack. Her gut tightened and the abrasions on her arms and palms began to sting. Her muscles were sore and tight from the running and the stress and she was sure she’d see a mess of bruises when she took her clothes off.
She wanted out, but she had nowhere to go. “I know you killed people when you had me handcuffed in the Jeep—I heard the shots. Who was it then? Was that connected to this?”
Kell gave her a long look. “Better you don’t know a thing, sweetheart. You’re in enough trouble of your own.”
“You need to answer me. Who were those men in the alley?”
“No clue,” Kell said finally, and she didn’t know if he was lying.
“What did they want with you?”
“Seemed like they wanted me dead,” he said mildly, infuriating her further. “I know what you want—but I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“I saved your ass,” she spat, and Reid snorted.
Kell drew closer to her and suddenly the backseat seemed far too small. “You think your little stunt helped matters? I told you to run—you put yourself in danger by not doing it.”
Then she wouldn’t have seen what she had. These men were deadly. She knew that, but watching Kell single-handedly take on the three in the alley …
The violence had been mind-numbing. And still, he’d saved her life. Again. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” That was the truth, spilling from her before she could stop it.
In the light that shone in from the storefronts and street lamps, she swore she saw his expression soften, but his tone didn’t reflect that. “What do you want? You want us to bring you someplace where there’s no danger? Right now, for you, that simply doesn’t exist.”
The implication that it might never wasn’t lost on her.
“You have no idea what I want.”
He turned to face her. “You think you’re safer without us. You’re wrong. You might even be thinking you’re safer with the marshals right about now. You’d be wrong again.”
She would be wrong—because Kell was the better choice to keep her safe from the men who’d murdered her family.
It took like to fight like. And right now she needed that on her side.
CHAPTER
5
D ylan took Riley to dinner, and then instead of heading straight home, he took the route past the Adirondacks, telling the woman he planned on spending the rest of his life with that he had a quick errand to run.
Partial truth, and Riley was full and happy from dinner and wine, so
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