Page 33 of Relentless
“Can I have a moment to speak with Ethan? Alone,” she asked. Cody’s gaze danced between the two, then he rose, stretching as he did. Cody was only a year younger than Ethan and together, she knew they’d gotten into all sorts of mischief as kids. They might be at odds now, but the bond between the two was strong.
“Any dessert inside?” he asked.
“Ice cream in the freezer, I think,” she answered.
He grinned. “Perfect. Just holler when you’re done working your magic.”
When he disappeared inside, Ethan reached over and took her hand. Not wanting any distance between them, she slipped from her seat, rounded the table, and slid onto his lap. His arms came around her instantly. “Are you going to use seduction as a way to get me to agree to this insane plan?” he teased.
She leaned forward and kissed him. Just a short taste. “No, even though it might work.”
“It probably would,” Ethan admitted, making her laugh.
“In all seriousness, Ethan,” she started as she brushed her fingers through his hair, “joining Cody might be the best option at this point. Connecting me to Mystery Lake isn’t going to be hard, because it’s no secret Sabina is here. But if I’m not here, no one is going to think that I jetted off with another member of the Warwick family. And it’s evenlesslikely that they’d think I’d join a tour with Cody.” He opened his mouth to say something, but she placed a finger over his lips, silencing him. At least for the moment.
“I’d be out of sight and somewhere no one would think to look for me. And we’d be able to keep working with the HICC team while on the road. It’s almost the perfect solution,” she said. Then, with a wry smile, she added, “And I can think of worse ways to spend a couple of weeks than holed up with you on a luxury bus. Sure, a mountain cabin somewhere might be nice. But since hiking is currently out of the picture for you, being confined to a small, private space doesn’t sound too bad, does it?”
She felt his response—or at least his body’s. She hoped his big brain followed along with the smaller one. She wasn’t immune to his arguments about the crowds. But if she spent most of her time in the bus, and kept to the shadows while out, she didn’t think it would be a problem.
After a long beat, he sighed, and she knew his answer before he spoke. “I don’t love it, but you have some good arguments,” he said. “I’m not at peak level, and I’m not sure if the other HICC operatives have assignments that will take them out of Mystery Lake. At least we can be assured of consistent security if we travel with Cody.”
“And we’ll still be able to stay in touch with Sabina and Chad and work out a plan to figure this thing out,” she reiterated. He nodded, then lifted his hand and brushed her hair from her face.
“I hate that this is happening to you,” he said.
A little something inside her softened at his quiet and sincere words. “I know,” she replied. “So do I. And I hate that three of my colleagues are dead and we have no idea why. But if I have to be a part of this, I’m glad I have you by my side.”
He blinked, and his jaw clenched. Then in the next heartbeat, he was kissing her. Deeply. Intimately. Hungrily.
A throat cleared, and Kara jerked back.
“You are so fucking annoying sometimes,” Ethan said to his cousin without turning around.
Cody grinned and stuffed the last bite of an ice cream sandwich in his mouth. “I know. But the sooner I leave, the sooner you two can get to the good stuff. I assume you’re joining me?”
Ethan rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, we’re joining you.”
“Good. I already arranged for the extra coach. It will be there before we arrive.”
Kara studied Cody. He was always so laid-back. Perhaps the most laid-back of all the Warwick cousins. But apparently, when needed, he could get shit done like a boss. Although in all fairness, that shouldn’t surprise her. No one had the kind of career Cody had without working their ass off. He just hid it well.
“And security?” Ethan asked.
“Four more than my usual will arrive tomorrow before we do. Two men and two women. To the crew, they’ll appear to be assigned general duties. But practically, they’ll be focused on you both.”
“Thank you, Cody. I can pay you,” Kara offered.
The look of outrage on his face almost made her laugh. Then he narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and smacked Ethan in the back of his head as he passed by. Then, after jogging down the steps, he paused on the lawn. “Flight leaves at six tomorrow morning. It’s a charter, so you know which part of the airport to go to.” He didn’t bother to wait for a reply before rounding the house. A minute later, his truck door closed, and the engine started. Silence fell over them as he drove away.
Ethan brushed his fingers through her hair, and she tucked her head against his shoulder. As the night sounds picked up, she let the evening, and the feeling of being in his arms, settle over her. And despite everything else going on, it felt right.
So right that the next thought that entered her head was that she could have this.
And in the space of a heartbeat, any lingering doubts she had about her future bled away. She might volunteer with the aid agency again, but she no longer wanted a life of constant travel. She wanted what she had right here. She wanted to live in Mystery Lake. She wanted to find a house and settle in. She wanted to take the job Asher had been lobbying her to take.
And she really wanted Ethan.
As the last vestiges of her doubt dissolved into nothing, a kind of strength washed through her. The kind that comes from knowing what you want and knowing what you need to do to make it happen. And everything clicked into place.
