Kade was on his feet immediately, his stance protectively shielding me. If I’d thought the heat in my apartment had made it hard to breathe, that was nothing compared to how it felt now.“Long time no see, brother,” Kade said, but his voice held no warmth, only warning.“I didn’t know you were in town,” Blane replied, the hint of a question in his careful tone.“Did my secretary forget to e-mail you my schedule? So sorry about that.”Kade’s sneering flippancy made me wince. I should do something to help fix this. I was the problem between them. I got to my feet and stepped to the side of Kade so I could see Blane.“I called him,” I said bluntly, thinking fast. “Because of . . . Gage. Thought he might be able to help.” No need for either of them to know I’d called Kade because I’d wanted to get rid of Blane.“She says Gage is trying to kill her,” Kade said. “Is this true?”“I don’t have any proof, but yeah,” Blane said.“And you’re the one who’s supposed to be protecting her?” Kade said dubiously. “Which is why she got hit by a fucking car, right?”Blane’s jaw locked tight at that and I flinched. He didn’t reply.“You know,” Kade continued, taking a couple of steps toward Blane, “it seems to me that she might be safer with you not around. Seeing as how you’re doing such a bang-up job and all.” His thin-lipped smile would have made an alligator seem friendly by comparison.I wanted to cry at how Kade was talking to Blane, his voice full of anger and contempt. I’d never heard him speak to Blane like that. He’d always been . . . not exactly deferential, but even his ingrained sarcasm had been tempered out of respect for Blane.“It wasn’t his fault,” I interrupted, resting my hand on Kade’s arm. “He told me. I ran off without thinking, which was stupid. Blane’s not to blame.”Both men were looking at me now and I swallowed, shifting my weight nervously. Blane’s gaze moved from mine to where I was touching Kade. I dropped my hand.“I got your medicine,” Blane said, ignoring Kade and setting a bag down on the table. “And something for you to eat. Kung pao. Your favorite.”“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say.“Someone has to stay with you,” he said. “It’s not safe for you to be alone right now.”The already thick tension in the room increased tenfold at Blane’s pronouncement. I couldn’t imagine Blane staying here with me. I couldn’t handle that.“You’re not staying,” I said firmly. “I understand that you want to help, but that’s just not going to happen.”“Kat, this is serious. He’s already tried twice in as many days. God knows who he hired. He knows more criminals than any defense lawyer in town, and that’s saying something.”“She said no.” Kade’s voice was silk-covered steel.Blane’s attention turned to Kade. “You’re going to stay? Watch out for her?”Kade gave a careless shrug. “If she wants me to. I don’t treat her like a misbehaving toddler, unlike some people. It’s her decision as to whether she wants protection.” He raised a wickedly arched brow. “Unless you think we’ll be too busy fucking?”That statement went off with the force of a bomb and I drew a sharp breath, sure that they were going to attack each other, but Blane didn’t take the bait.“I was wrong,” Blane said quietly. “I was wrong to not trust you and wrong to not trust Kathleen. And I’ve paid for that mistake in more ways than you could possibly imagine.”“Well, maybe you’ve paid enough for you, but I don’t know if you’ve paid enough for her.” This time there was no mistaking the cold menace in Kade’s tone.
Teasers / Snippets
Snippet 1 – A moment later, Kade handed me a vodka tonic. I took a drink, covertly eyeing him. He looked . . . mouthwatering was the word that immediately came to mind. Expensive black slacks were paired with a black silk shirt that had one more button undone than what most men would have attempted—but most men weren’t Kade Dennon. A look that would seem silly on another man looked sexy as sin on Kade.
The skin of his neck and part of his chest was bared by the open V of the shirt and begged to be touched. His square jaw was smooth and freshly shaven. His black hair curled slightly over his collar, a thick lock falling over his forehead. Just looking at him made the breath catch in my chest.
Snippet 2 – “Kat . . . ” Blane said.
I tore my gaze from the dead guy.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you going . . . with him?”
I glanced at Kade but couldn’t read anything from his face. I couldn’t tell if he wanted me to say yes, no, or didn’t care one way or the other.
Snippet 3 – “Saved by Barney Fife?” he asked. I let his nickname for Chance pass. Blane, Kade, and Chance were never going to get along, much less like each other, and that was that.
“He’s going to come by and take me to lunch,” I said. “I probably should get some studying done before he comes. I have a couple of finals next week.” I glanced nervously at Kade, hoping he’d let what we’d been talking about drop.
Snippet 4 – Without even looking at him, Blane handed his glass to Kade, who took it without question, then Blane was folding me into his arms.
He pulled me so close and so tight, I felt my trepidation ease away like I was sloughing off an old, heavy coat.
I heard the door behind me close softly, and knew that Kade had left us alone.
Snippet 5 – My teeth chattered and I kicked off my sodden shoes and socks, pulling my knees to my chest so my feet rested on the seat. Kade turned on the heat and soon my chills subsided. I held my icy hands in front of the vent.
“This kills me to do this to your car,” I said. “Water and leather don’t mix.”
“You worry too much,” he said.
“Aren’t you freezing?” I asked. He had to be. Jeans were a bitch when they got wet.
“I’ll admit to some chafing in areas that I prefer to be treated more gently,” he said, making me laugh.
“You worry too much,” he said.
“Aren’t you freezing?” I asked. He had to be. Jeans were a bitch when they got wet.
“I’ll admit to some chafing in areas that I prefer to be treated more gently,” he said, making me laugh.
Snippet 6 - Blane’s lips twitched like he was thinking about smiling. “That’s not jealousy I hear in your voice, is it?”
“Of course not—don’t be ridiculous,” I sputtered, trying to tug my hand from his, but he held on, inching closer to me until I had to tip my head back to look him in the eye.
“Because if you were jealous, that would mean I still have a shot.” His voice was a gentle rasp that seemed to run right through me.
Snippet 7 - “Hit me.”
My eyes fluttered open again. “What?” Surely I’d misheard him.
“My target. He’s been keeping an eye on you. The bruises gave me an idea. So in a moment, slap me as hard as you can.” Kade’s words spoken in my ear made me swallow hard.
“I don’t want to hit you,” I said. “I . . . can’t.”
“You’ve done it before.”
The reminder made me wince.
Snippet 8 – I pulled back from Blane, but he didn’t let me get far; his arm stayed locked around my waist, anchoring me to his side.
Kade handed Blane a pair of sunglasses. “Ready?”
Blane gave a curt nod. “You take that side,” he said, sliding the glasses on.
Kade moved to my other side so that they flanked me. Charlotte led the way as we went out the doors.
Snipped 9 – “Looks like she won’t have much choice, seeing as how you threw her out of your life and, just to add insult to injury, took her main source of income with you,” Kade shot back.
“What, you didn’t swoop in and save the day?” Blane sneered, leaning slightly over the table. “Didn’t buy her another expensive car or leave twenty grand on her table again?”
Okay, news flash—I didn’t realize Blane knew about that.
Snippet 10 – “Well, he looked like a barrel of laughs, so I’m sure you had a great time,” Kade teased. “And how thoughtful of him to get you home so early.”
“He had to work tomorrow,” I said, making up an excuse for my short date. I really didn’t want Blane and Kade to know how boring Luke had been.
“I see,” Kade said. “And what did he do for a living?”
Shit. “Um . . . something with numbers?”
Blane snorted a laugh at me.
“I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention, okay?” I protested. “He talked a lot.”
Snippet 11 - “Seriously. That outfit never gets old.” Kade’s appreciative once-over had me glaring at him, even though a dozen or more men would probably do the same thing to me tonight as they checked out my “holiday” uniform.
Blane’s expression wasn’t disapproving. I couldn’t read what it was, exactly, but his gaze lingered on my thighs, bare midriff, and breasts before our eyes met.
“I’m going to take you to work,” he said.
I was quick to protest. “That’s not necessary.” Just thinking about being locked in a confined space with only me and Blane, no one else for a buffer, had my nerves on edge.
Snippet 12 – “Do you have any idea what it’s doing to me, seeing you in my bed?” he hissed.
Kade’s anger both frightened and thrilled me. His face was inches away, his eyes boring into mine. I couldn’t blink, could barely breathe. I gave a tiny shake of my head.
“I’ve fantasized about this,” he said. “It’s taking everything I have not to rip your clothes off and make love to you,injured or not.”
His words sent a bolt of heat through me, his body so close to mine that my chest brushed his when I breathed.My gaze dropped to his mouth and I licked my lips, remembering what it had been like when he’d kissed me before. His hold on my wrists tightened almost to the point of pain. My breath came faster and my pulse pounded.
Our eyes locked, the unholy fire burning in his making the blood pound in my veins. “So what’s stopping you?”
Snippet 13 – He stood, moving closer until he towered over me. I swallowed, memories threatening to overwhelm me. Given the path the conversation had suddenly taken, I wondered if Blane bringing me into his bedroom had been intentional, if he knew exactly how much standing inches from where we’d first made love would affect me.
“Give me something, Kat,” he rasped. “Please. Just tell me if you still love me.”
His gray eyes held me captive and I couldn’t look away, their depths filled with pain and sorrow. Another woman might have been glad to see Blane hurting. He’d hurt me, after all. But I couldn’t stand it, so I told him the truth.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
Snippet 14 - Sirens screamed in the distance. Thank God. They were on their way. My hands were slick with his blood as I struggled to keep any semblance of composure and not fall into hysterics. I didn’t want to break down, not yet, though tears poured down my face. I swallowed down a sob.
He blinked, his eyes slow to reopen. Blood had begun to seep from his nose and mouth as he breathed, a bubbly red-tinted foam. The sight of it sent my panic ratcheting even higher.
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