Page 43 of When He Fights
Kane took a moment to consider the question.“Don’t know that I’ve ever beengood.”
“Okay, let’s rephrase.”Gray’s hands rested on his hips.“Do you have a single shred of control left?Pretty sure you almost killed a man tonight—that’s a fun bit of business that I had to finesse my way around with the local law enforcement officers, by the way.”
“He was attacking Ana.I stopped him.”End of story.
“There’s a difference between stopping an attacker and then, after he’sbeenstopped, shoving the guy back under the water one more time.”
Kane shrugged.“You’re getting caught up on unnecessary details.”
Gray’s teeth snapped together.“You look at Ana as if you could eat her alive,” Gray gritted out.“I’m in there, talking about Logan’s obsession with her, but I think the guy has nothing on you.”
Kane surged forward.Stood toe to toe with his friend.About to be former friend?“I wouldneverhurt her.Not in a million years.”
“I know.”Immediate.“Physically, you would never hurt her.But you are just as obsessed.I see it.She must see it, too.Or maybe she’s just too scared right now, and she doesn’t realize just how much that mask of yours has cracked.Maybe you don’t realize it, either.That’s why we’re having thiswordout here.You look at her like you’re starving, and you’re about to make her your seven-course meal.”
Kane didn’t speak.
“Do you have any control left?”Lower.“Because I can stay here for the rest of the night.You can crash at a hotel and be back at first light.I will protect Ana.”
“You’re not sleeping with her.”
“Whoa!Definitely not.Not planning on doing that, so you don’t need to think about wrapping those massive hands of yours around my throat.Ana is a friend to me.She’s a good person.I want her safe.She’s…look, if you do something with her when you’re having a break in your control, you won’t be able to take back your actions.There is no erase button in real life.I was there before, remember?Had a front row view.I saw her cry.I heard her when she said she loved you.And I—” He backed up.“Fuck.Pretty sure I was supposed to take that to the grave.Do me a major favor?Don’t mention to Ana that I brought it up.”
She didn’t love me.She didn’t.
But… “She told me that she was falling for me back then.”That last fateful night.The reason he’d gone running.Because…
“Oh, well, then I’m not wrecking a confidence.”Gray sounded relieved.“That was two years ago.I’m sure her feelings have changed in all that time.Yours have, too.”Way less worried.More brisk.
My feelings have changed.
They’d deepened.
“So, you think you have control?That’s great.You stay in your room.She’ll stay in hers.I mean, it’s already after one a.m.Not like there’s a whole lot of night left, anyway.We’ll regroup tomorrow and see what choice Ana has made.Done.No need to worry.”Then, lower, “No need to worry.”Like Gray was trying to convince himself of that fact.
Kane pulled in a deep gulp of the night air.It didn’t cool him down.The air felt heavy and hot, and the anger and adrenaline stirring in him were just as hot.
No, hotter.
Gray began to walk away.
Kane didn’t move, not yet.
Gray was almost near his ride when he spun back to face Kane.“Youdohave your control, don’t you?I can’t seem to remember if you gave me an actual reply.”
“No need to worry.”Deliberately, he gave those words back to the Fed.
Gray laughed.But it wasn’t a real laugh.Then he climbed into his SUV.Drove into the night.
“No need to worry,” Kane repeated, just as Gray had done earlier.But then he added, “My control was ripped to shreds the moment I heard her scream.”He turned and strode back into the house.
ChapterNine
She should go upstairs.
She should go to bed.
She should get in the bed, pull the covers up, close her eyes, and try to forget this nightmare of a day.
