that. But if she’s telling the truth, then we can get started much quicker if we go to her place. She said all she needs is a plant to take cuttings from. I’ll keep a close eye on her. She won’t get away, Viper. I promise. From now on, I’m not letting the woman out of my sight.”
Viper considered him for a long, tense moment. Though Stoner didn’t want to leave the compound, Karen was safer away from here. If he had to alter his plans for a few days in order to keep her safe, so be it.
“I’ll think about it,” Viper said at last. “But I need to investigate her first. Find out if she’s married, if she lives alone, if she has a family...I’ll let you know in the morning. Now get that woman away from my sister or I will.”
He’d been dismissed. And ordered to get Karen under control.
Stoner headed for the table where she sat.
Karen’s head snapped up. Her gaze traveled down his body and back up to his face, making him grow warm all over. Damn, she had a way of looking at him with those dark “come hither” eyes that made him want to drag her up to his room that very second and explore every inch of her lush, curvy body.
“Did you win?”
He relaxed under her warm gaze and pushed his longing aside. Later, hopefully, he’d get the chance to love her in all the ways he wanted.
“No. I got murdered.”
She chuckled. Then she glanced at something behind him. Her smile disappeared.
Viper came up behind him.
“Tonya.” Viper glared at his sister. “What are you doing with this woman? You should be in bed at this hour.”
Tonya snorted, rolling her eyes. Much like Karen, she wasn’t easily intimidated. Stoner had witnessed her standing up to Viper more than once. “I’m pregnant, you idiot, not deathly ill. And I can stay up as late as I want. I’m an adult.” Pushing her chair back, Tonya maneuvered herself up into a standing position, her sprawling belly protruding out in front of her as she rose.
Karen bolted to her feet, her wary gaze on Viper.
“I guess I’ll see you later.” Karen touched the other woman’s arm. “If you need any help when the baby comes, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” Tonya squeezed Karen’s hand. The women exchanged a smile. “I will definitely take you up on that.”
Viper scowled. He was obviously not pleased with the friendship building between the two women. His gaze darted to Stoner.
Stoner took the hint. He grabbed Karen’s arm, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Let’s go.”
She didn’t resist, much to his relief.
Neither spoke as they left the dining area.
But as soon as they entered the hallway, Karen wrapped her hand around his arm. He paused, turning to face her.
“Tonya wasn’t raped by the man Viper killed. She loved him. But I’d already figured as much.” Her dark gaze filled with accusation. “You guys killed that man in cold blood.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Karen wasn’t stupid. She knew now why Viper hadn’t wanted her around his sister. The way it looked to her, Viper had committed a hate crime. And Stoner had been involved. She didn’t want to believe Stoner would be part of a cold-blooded murder. But what else could it mean? He’d been there with those other men. He hadn’t tried to intervene. He’d stood aside while Viper murdered a man.
Her stomach roiled. Her attraction to Stoner was real, yet she knew next to nothing about the man, except he’d been a drug dealer in his past life. She’d thought she’d sensed good in him. But had she? Or had she imagined it?
“I had high hopes that you weren’t a bad man,” she whispered. “But I was obviously wrong.”
Stoner stared down at her, his gaze hardening. “You don’t know me at all. The sooner you realize how bad I am, the better.”
“When I escape, you’re all going down. Especially you.”
A brow shot up. “ Especially me?”
“Yes. You could have stopped that murder, but you didn’t. You stood aside and let a man be
Viper considered him for a long, tense moment. Though Stoner didn’t want to leave the compound, Karen was safer away from here. If he had to alter his plans for a few days in order to keep her safe, so be it.
“I’ll think about it,” Viper said at last. “But I need to investigate her first. Find out if she’s married, if she lives alone, if she has a family...I’ll let you know in the morning. Now get that woman away from my sister or I will.”
He’d been dismissed. And ordered to get Karen under control.
Stoner headed for the table where she sat.
Karen’s head snapped up. Her gaze traveled down his body and back up to his face, making him grow warm all over. Damn, she had a way of looking at him with those dark “come hither” eyes that made him want to drag her up to his room that very second and explore every inch of her lush, curvy body.
“Did you win?”
He relaxed under her warm gaze and pushed his longing aside. Later, hopefully, he’d get the chance to love her in all the ways he wanted.
“No. I got murdered.”
She chuckled. Then she glanced at something behind him. Her smile disappeared.
Viper came up behind him.
“Tonya.” Viper glared at his sister. “What are you doing with this woman? You should be in bed at this hour.”
Tonya snorted, rolling her eyes. Much like Karen, she wasn’t easily intimidated. Stoner had witnessed her standing up to Viper more than once. “I’m pregnant, you idiot, not deathly ill. And I can stay up as late as I want. I’m an adult.” Pushing her chair back, Tonya maneuvered herself up into a standing position, her sprawling belly protruding out in front of her as she rose.
Karen bolted to her feet, her wary gaze on Viper.
“I guess I’ll see you later.” Karen touched the other woman’s arm. “If you need any help when the baby comes, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” Tonya squeezed Karen’s hand. The women exchanged a smile. “I will definitely take you up on that.”
Viper scowled. He was obviously not pleased with the friendship building between the two women. His gaze darted to Stoner.
Stoner took the hint. He grabbed Karen’s arm, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Let’s go.”
She didn’t resist, much to his relief.
Neither spoke as they left the dining area.
But as soon as they entered the hallway, Karen wrapped her hand around his arm. He paused, turning to face her.
“Tonya wasn’t raped by the man Viper killed. She loved him. But I’d already figured as much.” Her dark gaze filled with accusation. “You guys killed that man in cold blood.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Karen wasn’t stupid. She knew now why Viper hadn’t wanted her around his sister. The way it looked to her, Viper had committed a hate crime. And Stoner had been involved. She didn’t want to believe Stoner would be part of a cold-blooded murder. But what else could it mean? He’d been there with those other men. He hadn’t tried to intervene. He’d stood aside while Viper murdered a man.
Her stomach roiled. Her attraction to Stoner was real, yet she knew next to nothing about the man, except he’d been a drug dealer in his past life. She’d thought she’d sensed good in him. But had she? Or had she imagined it?
“I had high hopes that you weren’t a bad man,” she whispered. “But I was obviously wrong.”
Stoner stared down at her, his gaze hardening. “You don’t know me at all. The sooner you realize how bad I am, the better.”
“When I escape, you’re all going down. Especially you.”
A brow shot up. “ Especially me?”
“Yes. You could have stopped that murder, but you didn’t. You stood aside and let a man be
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