Page 8 of The Sinners Touch

All the fight went out of her, and Kade almost thanked the old man, but he kept his expression stern. She was going to fight him on this, and he knew it, but this was one fight she wouldn’t win.

“Get your things, Angel.”

She frowned. “But the detective just said…”

“Yes, I know what he said. He’ll be waiting here with Miss Brown while I take you home.”

“The hell you will.”

“The hell I won’t,Mrs. Kincaid.” He stalked over to her and braced his arms on either side of her on the desk. “You can either leave here willingly or you can leave across my shoulder for the entire Boston area to see on the morning news. Your choice.”

“Mrs. Kincaid?” Bailey’s strangled voice drifted to him, but he ignored it and focused his entire attention on the spitting mad redhead in front of him.

“I am not your wife!”

“Oh, but you are, sweetheart. I never got the marriage annulled.”

“But it wasn’t real.” Her eyes widened. “It was a lie…part of your undercover operation.”

“I used my legal name, Angel. YouareMrs. Kincaid.”

“Bastard.”

“I am a bastard, my darling wife, but I’m a bastard who’s going to keep you safe despite yourself.”

“You can’t make me.”

“I can, and I will.”

“Uh, Kincaid…”

“Shut up, Bailey.” The bite in his voice stopped any argument that might have been on the tip of Bailey’s tongue. “What’s it going to be, Angelique? Do you walk out of here, or do you get carried out with your ass in the air for the cameras to see?”

“I hate you.”

“I know you do, sweetheart.”

She closed her eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He forced himself to ignore it and waited. When she opened her eyes, the resignation in them was all the answer he needed.

“Let’s go.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Angel climbed into Kade’s SUV, grateful to be behind the tinted windows and away from the press. They’d started shouting questions at her and snapping photos as soon as she stepped out of the bar. Apparently, they already knew who she was and what she’d seen, thanks to some loudmouth. It was the first time all night she’d been grateful for Kade’s presence. He’d shielded her from the cameras and bullied their way through the crowd.

There was no way, come morning, the serial killer wouldn’t know exactly who she was. Her face would be all over the place. How had this happened? She’d been minding her own business and landed slap in the middle of a nightmare. With Kade added into the mix just to torture her. It wasn’t fair.

She glanced over when he slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door. The overhead lights came on, and she saw the tired lines marring his face. She could smell the whiskey on his breath and had half a mind to ask if he should be driving, but she was too tired to fight. Kade never drove drunk. It was one of the things she remembered about him. His little brother had gotten into a car accident, thanks to a drunk driver. He’d told her it was something that stayed with him, thinking he’d almost lost the kid because of someone’s irresponsibility.

“Where do you live, Angel?”

“A few blocks from here. Just turn right out of the parking lot then drive through three lights. Turn left on the fourth light. I live above the bakery on that street.”

The first fat drops of rain hit the windshield as they pulled out into traffic. The hard splat of the rain was the only sound as they drove. A bright flash of lightning lit up the road ahead of them. Angel could almost laugh if the situation weren’t so dire. The end of a truly horrible night would end in rain. So cliché, but so very appropriate. Perfect end to a perfect day.

She rubbed a hand across her face, trying to dispel some of the weariness. All the adrenaline had finally worn off, and she started to feel the effects of so much stress. First the serial killer, then Kade…it had been a hell of a night. Not to mention he’d somehow corralled her into agreeing to letting him take her home. Ass in the air. She wanted to laugh, but it would only encourage him, and that was the last thing she wanted. Kade could go to hell and stay there.

It had been raining the first time she’d met Kade. The sound of the storm outside, along with his scent surrounding her, brought back those unwanted memories.

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