Page 54 of The Enforcers: KANE

Kane opened the office door, and then turned and went back for a laptop lying on the desk, giving Rachelle a chance to slip out into the hallway. He slid the laptop into a case and followed her out, shutting the door after her.

He strode down the hall, not looking in her direction. She had to hurry to keep pace with his long legs.

“Did I get picked up on camera in the vault?” she asked, breathless with trying to keep up. Carmichael really would kill her if she’d let herself be caught on camera like that. Especially appearing out of thin air.

He shook his head without breaking stride.

Rachelle exhaled in relief. So Kane was the only one who knew she was there. At least she hadn’t compromised herself beyond repair.

Unless she couldn’t get Sir Stick-up-his-ass to keep his mouth shut.

No, that wasn’t fair. He’d worked hard to overcome Selina’s influence and become a man of integrity. He didn’t deserve her derision.

Kane made his way to one of the side entrances, which had a bar mechanism across it. Kane kicked it open, and it swung all the way back and slammed into the stone exterior of the building.

The guard stationed outside whirled and drew his gun, then saw who it was and raised the barrel upward.

“Sorry, sir,” he said.

“Nice reflexes,” Kane answered, barely breaking stride. His rough treatment of the door had left it open long enough for Rachelle to follow him through. “Carry on.”

“Yes, sir.”

The guard shut the door, holstered his weapon and resumed his parade rest stance. Kane strode across the parking lot until he reached his truck. He opened the passenger door and then futzed with getting the computer bag off his shoulder until Rachelle climbed inside. He shoved the bag into her lap, slammed the door, and then made his way around the other side.

He settled in his seat and turned to her.

“Speak,” he said.

Wolf was growling faintly, angrily, but Rachelle didn’t dare touch Kane to try to soothe him. She had the feeling either one of them would bite her hand off right now.

Rachelle dropped the cloak and opened her mouth to speak. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue and nausea came over her. Damn. She’d held onto it for too long. She pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes and tried not to vomit.

“Don’t play that game with me,” Kane snarled. His eyes were flashing gold, and Wolf growled louder. They were both so angry.

“It’s not a game,” she said. “The cloak wasn’t designed to be used for more than a few minutes at a time. I way overdid it.”

“Like the perps?” Kane asked.

Her head whipped around. “What?”

“The people who broke into the vault didn’t appear on any security cameras throughout the entire resort,” he said. “Except one. The one in the vault room. If you hadn’t been with me during the robbery, your little magical stunt would have put you at the top of my suspect list. Instead, you can tell me how it’s done, and who else can do it.”

Rachelle thought she was going to hyperventilate. “They used a cloaking power like mine?” Carmichael did not know that Selina had that kind of power.

“That’s right,” Kane said. “The only people I’ve ever heard of who could do what you do are witches and dragons.” He stared at her, his eyes gleaming. “So which are you? And why are the others robbing casinos and amusement parks?”

Rachelle leaned her head back against the seat. This was not how she’d wanted to tell him.

“I’m not either one,” she said. “I’m a genetically engineered shifter.”

* * *

Kane stared at her. “You’re what?”

His mind was in a whirl. He’d always believed Rachelle was a shifter, but he’d never had any idea which species. She didn’t have a scent other shifters could recognize.

But genetically engineered shifters? Those were nightmares—boogeyman stories that cubs told stories about around the fire pit. Deformed monsters and twisted abominations, unable to control their changes, unpredictable and insane.