Page 31 of Hell on an Angel
“The fuck it’s not. You’re my little sister.”
“I may be younger than you, but the fact is, I’m a grown woman who can make my own decisions.”
“Look where that’s gotten you.”
“If helping me is a burden to you, I can have Cree take me somewhere else until I’m safe.”
He had to give it to his little sister—she knew how to play dirty. Player apologized to Kennedy for yelling at her and for being upset. It wasn’t the time to try and explain that Cree had crossed a line. Player knew he was still stuck on her being that five-year-old little girl telling him to run. It wasn’t her fault the guilt of not going back for her rode him hard. “Can you please tell that damn Native to call me when he’s off the damn pain killers?”
“I’ll have him call you tomorrow, if you promise to not bring up the fact he and I are sleeping together. Because if you do?—”
“I promise.”
Once the call ended, Kennedy tucked the blankets around Cree. Leaning in, she smoothed hair from his face. He was out cold. Her eyes dropped to the bandage on his chest. A few inches and he could have been killed. The thought made her stomach pitch.
Glancing around the room, she stared at the boarded-up windows, the scorched drapes, and charred floorboards. “Nothing that can’t be fixed,” she reminded herself.
Kissing his forehead, she left him and made her way into the kitchen for a cup of tea. She couldn’t relax enough to get into bed. All she could think was, what if the attackers came back and managed to set the house on fire while they slept.
Walking around the house, she checked the few windows that hadn’t been damaged and the door, making sure they were locked. Not that a lock could stop fire, but it gave her a semblance of security. Even if it was a false one.
She decided to stay on the sofa so she wouldn’t cause Cree any discomfort. As she tucked herself in, she heard Cree moaning softly from the bed. The sound of him being uncomfortable put her nerves more on end. Leaning her head back, she kept the mug of hot tea gripped in her hands. The sun would be up in less than two hours, and all she had to do was stay awake until it was morning, but that was easier said than done with her being exhausted.
Chapter Seventeen
It took three weeks for Kennedy to relax long enough to let Cree do anything more than go to the bathroom alone. He told her continuously that he was fine, but there had been perks to him being shot. Even if it was a through and through, the woman didn’t mind doing all the work when it came to sex, and Cree was finding out she was also a great cook.
Now that Roddy Little Elk and his pals had been picked up for the attack on the cabin and for shooting Cree, they had one less threat. Late at night, he noticed she checked the locks multiple times before going to bed. A few times, he caught her staring out the windows, checking for any sign that someone lurked outside. He knew there was nothing he could do to help her with the fear she was feeling. All he could do was be supportive.
Lying in bed, he listened to the winter wind coming off the lake as it battered the cabin. With the sun peeking through the new drapes, he knew Kennedy would be waking up soon. They needed to make some decisions. The longer they remained on the reservation, the bigger the chance of her being found.
Enjoying having Kennedy tucked against him, Cree closed his eyes. He’d sleep in until she woke up. Dozing back off, he heard a vehicle out front and tossed the covers off. He got up and dragged on a pair of jeans, cursing when the movement pulled at the wound.
The quick movement woke Kennedy. Pushing the heavy fall of hair from her face, she saw Cree hurriedly dressing and sat up. “What’s wrong?”
Buttoning his jeans, he gave her a wink. “Someone’s here.” He saw the panicked look on her sleepy face. “I’ll keep whomever it is outside.” Cree headed toward the front of the house then stopped, backtracked, and grabbed the gun from the bedside table. “Maybe get dressed.” He told her before leaving her scrambling from the bed.
Cree glanced back before opening the door, watching as she rushed toward the bathroom naked. Damn woman was sexy. Yanking the door open, he saw Maliki standing on the porch. “What has you here so early, Maliki?”
“I need to speak with you and Kennedy.”
Cree stepped outside onto the porch, closing the door behind him. “What’s going on?”
The door popped open, revealing a fresh-faced Kennedy hugging a throw blanket around her shoulders. “Coffee’s on. You boys wanna come inside and I’ll start some breakfast for us?”
“Thanks, katawasisiw. Give us a minute and we’ll be right in.” Cree saw the raised eyebrow from Maliki. Ignoring the look, he waited for Kennedy to go back inside.
Once the door was closed, he looked at Maliki. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“You seem to have gotten yourself into some serious trouble, cousin.”
“What trouble are we talking about, nîtisân? The fact that the Little Elk family are still pissed? Or are we talking about the men hunting Kennedy?”
“It’s not the Little Elk family.”
“Fuck.” Cree ran a hand through his long hair. “Do me a favour, wait until after we eat breakfast.”
“No problem.”
