Page 85 of When He Fights
“My nights are spent dreaming of you.My days?When I’m not fighting, hunting, protecting and serving, and doing the whole life-or-death drama bit—hell, even when Iamon missions and working cases, I still think of you.I wonder if you’re happy.I wonder if you’re playing music.I wonder if you’re smiling.Because, you see, Ana, I’ve been faithful to you since we met.It’s why I snuck around to see you.It’s why I’m here right now, telling you…You will always be safe.Because you are my main mission in this world.Your safety is what matters most to me.”
She had no words.
He stared into her eyes.Gazed at her with stark possession and need and savage hunger and…love?Was he staring at her with love?Had healwaysbeen doing it and she hadn’t seen the truth?
“It’s because you matter so much, sweetheart, that I have to say…” Kane shoved away from the wall.“Repack that go bag.Your sweet ass is leaving town with Tyler.You will not be threatened.Iwillput Logan Catalano in the ground for you.”Then he turned, marched into the bathroom, and shut the door behind him.
Her mouth was still hanging open when she heard the thunder of the shower turning on.
“I thought you were starving.”Tyler frowned at her.“You’ve barely poked at your club sandwich.”
She’d poked.Taken some bites.Managed to choke them down.They felt like lead in her stomach.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Kane had both gobbled up three sandwiches already.Three.Each.
She was busy staring at Kane when she should have been eating.
Her hair was dry.She’d applied some makeup—makeup made her look less terrorized and sleep deprived and a little more in control.She’d repacked her go bag.
Except Ana didn’t actually intend to go anywhere.
Tyler checked his watch.His wedding ring caught the light, and the gold band gleamed.“Why don’t you try to eat a little more, Ana?Then you and I will go meet our ride.”He sent her a reassuring smile.“Before the sun sets tonight, you are going to be safe.”
Uh, huh.“Safe in a new life.With a new name.In a new place.”
“It’s a good place,” he hurried to note.
Was it?How wonderful.She took a sip of her water and carefully put the glass back on the table.Her hands then dipped beneath the table.“I’m assuming that Kane is not accompanying me to this, ah, good place?”
“No.”From Tyler.
“No.”From Kane.Spoken in near perfect sync with Tyler.“I’m not even going to know where you’re going.”
Well, why the hell not?Her fingers fisted beneath the table.Enough of this bullshit.Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Kane.“So you basically tell me that you love me one moment.Then you tell me to get my sweet ass out of your life in the next second.”
Tyler had raised his glass of water to his lips.At her words, he choked.Sputtered.
Kane reached out a hand and slapped him on the back.
“Thanks,” a gasp from Tyler.“Went down the wrong way.”
Ana didn’t look at Tyler.Her focus remained on the man who seemed determined to drive her to the brink of sanity.“That’s called giving mixed messages, Kane, and in case no one has ever told you before, it’s extremely uncool.”
His lips parted.
“You don’t tell a woman you would live and die for her and then announce that she has to get lost.Super rude.Super confusing.”
“This feels like a really personal conversation,” Tyler mumbled.
“As personal as picking panties up off the floor?”Ana returned sweetly.“Sorry, Tyler, but you’re part of the discussion.Especially seeing as how you’re the man who is going to whisk me away.”
“Yeah, that whisking is supposed to happen in the next five minutes.”He cleared his throat.“Tick, tock.”
Ana exhaled.“It’s not happening.”
Kane leapt to his feet.His hands gripped the table.They’d been sitting at the tall, square table in the suite.He gripped the edges and leaned toward her.“Oh, it is happening.”
“I don’t think that Tyler is the type to kidnap a woman.To tie her up, toss her over his shoulder, and make off with her in the middle of the day.”
