Page 32 of Going Rogue
As much as she didn’t want it to, her damn heart responded to that look. But there was no way she’d stay in the truck. Raising an eyebrow, she tossed back, “Not a chance.”
His exaggerated sigh loosened some of the tension between them. “I figured.”He nodded toward the building and added, “At least, let me lead. Dafi doesn’t know you’re the package I went in to extract.”
She could agree to that since the man was Crane’s contact, not hers. “All right.”
He offered his Glock with a slight grin. “Try not to shoot me, squirrel.”
She palmed the gun with a smile, happy they were back on familiar footing. “No promises.”
But he continued to stare at her. His grin faded, and then a shadow settled over his expression. It made her gulp as worry surged up her throat. She still wasn’t ready to talk about what he’d told her. Even if she had his heart, she didn’t know what to do with it.
Crane started to reach for her but quickly dropped his hand, his expression clearing. Turning for the door, he cleared his throat and said, “Go time.”
Without another glance, he hopped out of the truck. Rogue frowned after him. A part of her had wanted him to say or ask something more. Despite the fact she’d told him to drop it for now. Was it normal to feel this confused? Because if this was what camewith relationships, she was glad she’d always avoided them.
She’d grown accustomed to seeing a clear path through everything, but the longer she searched for one with Crane, the more muddled her vision became.
Why does this have to be so hard?Why can’t I walk away?
Shaking her head against the questions she didn’t have an answer to, she checked the Glock and followed him to the warehouse.
???
Crane
The warehouse was unlocked.
An open padlock hung from the right-side handle of the double metal doors. They’d once been painted tan but now sported rusted hinges and bald spots where the coating had chipped away to the matte metal underneath.
If this were a safehouse, those should be secured.
Dafi wouldn’t have beenso careless. Finding the warehouse open felt like an invitation . . . or a trap.
Crane gripped his Ka-Bar tighter, pausing outside the entrance until he felt Rogue at his back. His whole body vibrated with tension, not just because something was off. Having her with him, worrying about her safety, clawed at him. He’d tried and failed to shove the fear into a box.
“It’s unlocked.” Positioned at his side now, Rogue spoke barely louder than a whisper.
“Yeah.” His agreement came out in a harsh puff of air.
Whether Dafi or someone else waited for them inside, they had little choice but to enter. The fact twisted in his gut until it became a snarl of knots. As much as he wanted to get Rogue home, he couldn’t get them out without help. And without any way to contact the team at Tactical Operations & Protection . . . they had to take this risk.
“Stay behind me.” He faced her with the barked command. One look at her dark eyes and his throat closed up. “Fuck! I don’t like walking in blind.”
“And you think I do?” Despite her biting remark, she looked the epitome of calm while he felt like a ticking bomb about to go off.
Adrenaline charged his system, and he couldn’t stop the words that spewed from his mouth. If this was going to be it, he had to at least try. Because if he went down, it would be fighting.
With his free hand, he cupped her face. Her pupils widened in surprise; she looked like she wanted to pull away, but he held her steady. “Let me have your heart, Rogan. I’ll guard it as fiercely as you.” The words came out as a demand, not a plea, but her rum-colored eyes softened.
Because they did, he pushed, “If you give it to me, I promise to cherish it.” Leaning down, he breathed in her sweetly spicy scent before placing a soft kiss on her lips. When she didn’t pull away or try to knee him in the balls, he added in a murmur, “And you can put all the energy you use protecting it toward something else . . . like loving me back.”
Her breathing hitched before she retreated a step. But he wouldn’t let her runaway this time. Capturing her chin, he laid himself bare. “I love you, Rogue. If we don’t make it out of this—”
She made a strangled sound.
“—I need you to know that.”
A thundercloud of emotions flashed in her eyes before they filled with unshed tears, and she jerked her face away. “We’re not dying here, Crane. We’ve come too far for this to be the end.” With the fierceness of a lioness, she gripped the gun and nodded toward the warehouse. “Now, open the damned door.”
