“I’malreadynot happy with you,” she spat.Her SUV was currently at the bottom of the river, so she’d borrowed the only vehicle in town she could get in trade for two bowls of soup.She figured Dutch would follow her home, anyway.That so wasn’t true.She knew that Christian would be covering her since Dutch had all evening.Ace had taken his turn after lunch through dinnertime.She probably had the best trained bodyguards in all of Alaska, and she hadn’t hired one of them.“I know we take care of our own in Knife’s Edge, which is why I’ve not only accepted around-the-clock protection but truly appreciate it.However, I’m drawing the line when it comes to everything else.Stop bossing me around.”
He planted both hands on the bar.“Then you’re going to hate my next statement.”
What if he said she was staying with him?She didn’t want him taking over her life.Her body desperately wanted to stay with him.“What’s your statement?”
“I want you to go out and stay at EVE until we figure out who’s after you and why.”
If he had said he wanted her to grow tusks and become an elephant, she would’ve been less surprised.Knife’s Edge and the EVE facility existed peacefully with very little interaction.Once in a while, the people who worked and lived there came into town, but it didn’t happen that often.Nobody from town, as far as she knew, had ever stayed the night out there.“Are you insane?”It’d take hours to drive into work every day.
“No.Damian has already okayed it.Your pass will cover your living quarters and the cafeteria, but you won’t have access to the facility.”
Part of her was intrigued by the idea of staying at EVE, but not within those parameters.“So what exactly am I supposed to do all day hiding out there?”
“I don’t know.Knit?”Whatever flared in her eyes must’ve given him a warning.“Or plan your world domination with Ace?You must have a lot to do to prepare for your businesses.I’m sure the internet connectivity is phenomenal out there.”
She didn’t want to run and hide.Sure, she understood that Christian and everyone protecting her were well-trained and had skills she probably couldn’t imagine.She always thought she was a practical woman, and the rational avenue to take would be to hide out.But for how long?“If I leave, we’ll never find this guy.You know that.”She couldn’t think of one person who wanted her dead—especially since Jarod was now gone.Not that she had truly believed he wanted her dead.It didn’t make sense.“We can’t let him go into hiding, too.”
“Are you saying you want to be bait?”How could Christian sound so threatening without the inflection changing in his deep tone?
A shocking desire to appease him rocked through her.What the heck?She was learning all sorts of unimpressive characteristics about herself tonight.“I’m the guy’s target.We all agree on that at this point.So why go into hiding?So will he until I return.”
“We’ll find him first.”Christian turned toward the doorway, revealing the weapon tucked into the back of his waist.“Our best theory is that Jarod got into something dangerous, resulting in attacks on you before his death.The shooter might be done, or he might think you have information from Jarod.Either way, we’re conducting a deep dive on Jarod’s life.Did you know he flew to Anchorage at least once a week last year when the planes were operating?He’s done the same this spring.”
“No.I didn’t pay any attention to him last year, and this spring, I was just happy when he was gone.”She hadn’t cared one whit what he was doing outside of town.
Christian’s eyelids dropped to half-mast.“Why didn’t you come to me?”
Why would she have?“Jarod has an accomplice, and there wasn’t anything you could do about that.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.I would’ve taken care of it.”
She shivered.“Nobody can fix that situation.”Especially when there was no solution, no matter what Christian said.Plus, what if he had just gone and tortured Jarod to get her off the hook?She wouldn’t have wanted that on his shoulders when he was still dealing with his time in the service.“I try not to burden my friends with my problems.”
“Is that what we are?Friends?”That half-mast look made him appear like a full-bred wolf contemplating dinner.
“How would you define us, Christian?”she snapped.
He inhaled slowly as if trying to check his own temper.“At the moment?You as a brat and me as a man losing his patience.Fast.”
“You are in a rotten mood.”
He nodded.Once.Shortly.“I’m in a horrendous mood.”
Now he was agreeing with her?“Why?”
His chin lifted.“Why?Well, how about this.There’s some psycho killer out there ripping out the eyes of victims, and the wife of one of those poor saps identified his body earlier and was too upset to talk to me about it.That’s professionally.Personally?The best scenario for the woman I’m fucking is that someone we don’t know uploads a video that’ll put you and Flossy in prison.The worst scenario is that someone keeps trying to kill you, and I’m not fast enough next time to protect you.That’d make a guy a might cranky.”
“The woman you’re fucking?”Her voice shook as fire blew through her.
“Yes.”
Oh, he wanted to get shot.“You mean fucked.The woman youfucked.Once.For two seconds in the shower.”All right.It had been a lot longer than two seconds.“Past tense.Over.Not ongoing.”She’d never sworn this much in her life.“You used the wrong damn word.”
Now those lids flicked open.Green and black eyes narrowing, he turned and reached for her.“Let’s remedy that then.”
His hands were firm on her biceps as he lifted her.She yelped and bent her knees, raising her legs to keep from hitting the counter.He planted her ass on the bar, none too gently, stepped between her thighs, and kissed her.
Hard.
