All in all, today had been full of unending luck. No one dead. No one following.
Then again, no one in custody, either. Which meant the threat was still there and getting closer. More importantly, that meant Hunter couldn’t let down his guard for a second.
He only hoped the temptation he would face wasn’t going to test his willpower.
“WHAT’RE YOU DOING?” DANI ASKED as Kye led her through the racks of clothing.
From the moment they’d stepped foot in the door, Kye had grabbed a cart, then her hand, and began pulling Dani down one aisle after another. They’d stopped at Walmart to stock up on food and get Dani a few things because her attempted assassination had made it impossible for her to get her car, much less grab her clothes.
“You need panties, don’t you?” His ocean-blue eyes were locked on her face. “Or do you go commando? If you do, that’s … totally cool.”
“No. I don’t go commando, thank you very much.”
“Then we came to the right place.” Kye turned and surveyed the row of brightly colored underwear. “What size?”
Dani glared at him.
He simply cocked an eyebrow. “I can’t help you pick ’em out if I don’t know your size.”
“You’re not gonna help me pick them out,” she told him, praying he didn’t see the blush that was heating her face. It didn’t matter how angry she was at him, there was still something between them, something she could feel like a physical caress.
“I really think you’ll look good in red.”
Again, she tried to kill him with her glare. That got her nowhere because the man simply grinned. A full-fledged, panty-melting smile. Straight white teeth were starkly perfect against his tanned face. He really was obscenely attractive, in a very not Hunter sort of way. And she suspected he knew it, too.
“Go away,” she told him now.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I’m not leavin’ your side. And you’ve got thirty seconds before we move on to the next department. As much as I enjoy looking at lingerie that you’ll possibly be wearing later, we have to move.”
“Do you think they followed us?” Dani glanced around to see who might be watching them. She saw a white-haired woman looking through a clearance rack, a lady pushing a small kid in a cart, another going through a bin of what looked like socks. No one was paying them any attention.
“I’m not willin’ to stick around to find out, are you?”
Okay, he had her there.
Dani exhaled sharply and grabbed… “How many do I need? How long will we be there?”
Kye shrugged. “Could be a few days, could be a month. Don’t know. But there’s a washer and a dryer. Which reminds me, we should probably pick up laundry detergent.”
Dani snatched five pairs of panties and tossed them into the cart Kye was pushing.
Kye reached over and grabbed a pair of polka-dotted ones, in her size.
Great.
He tossed them into the cart, then checked out another section.
“Bras?”
She rolled her eyes but turned to the bras and grabbed five of those, too.
“Those are matching, right?”
“I’m tempted to hit you,” she told him now, trying to keep her voice down.
“How about shorts? Shirts? Pajamas?” He cocked his head slightly to the side. “Of course, you’re welcome to just sleep naked. That’s totally cool with me, too.”
Dani couldn’t believe he was blatantly flirting with her. Even knowing he’d been lying to her, using her. She reminded herself that she hated him.
“I don’t sleep naked,” she told him, allowing him to lead her through the women’s clothing section, where she grabbed several pairs of shorts, shirts, and yes, even a couple pairs of pajamas.
“Too bad there’s not a pool.” He peered over at her with a sinful smirk. “I’d give my left nut to see you in a bikini again.”
She didn’t respond. If he was lucky, he would remain fully intact during their time together. If he pushed her too hard, Dani would gladly relieve him of that left nut.
Kye simply chuckled, then took her hand and continued to lead her through the store. He was moving with purpose, clearly not wanting to waste too much time. After he helped her pick out a pair of reasonable footwear—his words—Kye filled the cart with everything from flashlights to donuts—apparently, he had a sweet tooth. He also didn’t mind cooking, doing laundry, or cleaning bathrooms, which, now that Dani thought about it, meant he quite possibly could be the perfect man.
Well, aside from the lying, conniving asshole part.
As he briskly walked through the store, he talked, informing her that he had four older sisters and he’d learned from a very early age that they would be much nicer to him if he helped out. So, he had.
Dani tried to picture him with four sisters. She couldn’t.
Then again, she tried to tie this guy back to the one she’d met at the beach. She wondered if anything he’d told her had been true.
“Was your brother really murdered?” she blurted. “Or was that just a lie to garner my sympathy?”
Kye stopped, then turned to face her slowly. His eyes were hard, the joking, teasing man disappearing altogether. “I wouldn’t lie about that.”
Dani studied his face momentarily. She finally nodded.
When he turned away, he cleared his throat and picked up his conversation again. “We’ve got wine, milk, eggs, clothes, Tylenol—which comes in handy when dealing with Hunter, as you probably know.”
That made her laugh, but she covered it with a cough.
“I think we’ve got enough crap to feed us for a few days. What else, baby cakes?”
God, could he be any more annoying?
He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Feminine stuff?”
If he meant to embarrass her, it didn’t work. “Yes,” she said very clearly, also a little louder than she probably should have. “I need tampons,” she noted as they walked. “I should also get pads. Both regular and overnight because, you know. Sometimes…”
“Got it. Oh, and don’t forget condoms,” he announced in a singsong voice.
Dani nearly swallowed her tongue when a woman stopped to look between the two of them.
“Like I said,” he added with a chuckle, “four older sisters, doll face. You can’t make me blush.”
Okay, if she’d meant to embarrass him, it hadn’t worked, either. And for some reason, that made her like this man even though she really, really hated him for lying to her.
Which was a reminder that they weren’t a couple out for a vacation. She was on the run from someone who was trying to kill her. Multiple someones, possibly.
She needed Kye to start talking.
And she fully intended to insist that he did, just as soon as they got to where they were going.
KYE COULD DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND WHAT Hunter saw in this girl. Well, technically, Dani wasn’t much of a girl. She was a full-fledged woman with a body that just wouldn’t quit. It really was too bad she was going to spend the rest of her life hating him for what he’d done. Although he understood it, Kye desperately wanted to go back to that place when she’d welcomed him into her bed, into her body. He couldn’t stop thinking about it, about her.
And yes, he owed her some explanations. Maybe once he told her the truth, Dani would forgive him, maybe even let him get close to her again.
But then he’d had to think about how that would work out. He didn’t see Hunter being too happy about the fact that Kye had nailed this chick to the mattress. In fact, Kye would probably get his ass kicked for even thinking it, much less admitting it had happened or that he wanted it to happen again. And he was certainly thinking about it, all right. At least twenty times since they’d pulled out of the Walmart parking lot, in fact. Only ten times since they’d turned off the main road and onto a dirt path that led far up into the trees. And it wasn’t a long road, so that was saying something.
However, now that they were walk
ing into the cabin, he wasn’t thinking about anything except checking the place out, ensuring they had no surprise visitors. The alarm was beeping its warning countdown, so he quickly entered the code to turn it off. Once they had everything inside, he’d reset it, minus the motion sensor.
“Wow. This…looks nothing like I expected,” Dani said with a slow whistle.
Kye grinned to himself. On the outside, it appeared to be a dilapidated mess of a cabin. On the inside, completely the opposite. It wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to keep the three of them for a few days or even weeks. Although it had a slightly musty smell, it was clean.
After going through the house with Dani right on his heels—at his insistence—making sure the rooms were empty, including under the beds and in the closets, showers, dresser—one could never be too careful. Maybe the guy who was looking to kill Dani could contort himself into a rectangle, neatly fitting in the drawer. Kye made a point to never underestimate anyone.
“All clear,” he announced, walking Dani back to the kitchen. “Why don’t you start unloading, and I’ll get the rest of the stuff.”
He was out the door in a flash. A quick perimeter search proved that no one was hiding under the deck—front or back—or in the barbecue grill, the dilapidated shed, or even in the air conditioner, for that matter.
Once he was back inside with the rest of their purchases, Kye closed and locked the door, then coded the alarm for stay, and took the bags to the kitchen, where Dani was still unpacking, putting things into the refrigerator and freezer.
“Do you really eat this stuff?” Dani asked, holding up the box of Toaster Strudel.
“Well, yeah. Doesn’t everyone?” He smiled. “Or are you more of a Pop-Tart kinda girl? I can totally get down with that. I mean, opposites attract, right?”
Dani glared at him, probably reminded of the fact that they’d slept together before she knew that he was not a Pop-Tart kinda guy.
Still, even with the death glare, Dani was so damn sexy Kye had to focus on not thinking about nailing her to the nearest soft surface. Or the wall. He didn’t discriminate. Hell, the counter would be nice. He was just the right height for her to hop right up there and…
“Where do these go?”
Kye glanced over to see her holding up the box of condoms. Never hurt to be prepared.
He grinned, pretending to be sheepish. “I’ll take ’em.”
“You really think you’re going to get a chance to use those?” she asked, her eyes studying his face.
“If I’m lucky.”
Dani glanced around, as though looking for something. “Well, I for one do not see any willing women here right now.” Her eyes darted to the glass door that overlooked the back deck and the miles of trees that surrounded the place. “But you might have better luck finding one out there.”
“What makes you think I only want a woman?”
Her eyes flared for a moment, her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink, but then she looked away quickly. “Oh, my God.”
He watched as she processed what he was saying.
She glanced over at him once more. “Are you and Hunter…?”
Kye didn’t answer that. He cleared his expression and stared at her blankly.
“It’s just…”
Funny, she was still blushing.
“I know about Hunter’s … you know … needs. I know he isn’t just with women; he also likes men.”
Kye desperately wanted to ask her how she felt about that, if she’d be willing to be with him and Hunter at the same time, but he knew he couldn’t. Knowing Dani, she would rather shoot him than ever sleep with him again.
But the thought of…
Holy fuck.
That was why Hunter had his dick in a knot when it came to Dani. He wasn’t merely running from ghosts from his past, he was running from the two people he’d… How had he not seen it? At one point, Hunter had shared this woman. With Josh. And she’d agreed to marry him.
Only, she hadn’t. Married him. She had run.
Which begged the question…why? Was she running from someone trying to kill her? Or had Danielle run away from Hunter because she realized she didn’t want what he had to offer?
Son of a bitch.
Kye hoped that wasn’t the case, but he didn’t really know why that was.
Okay, yes, he did. He hoped it wasn’t so because he now had super hi-def visions of this sexy chick with the rocking body crushed between him and Hunter.
Holy fucking fuck.
Now Kye had to turn away again. No way could he hide the hard-on he was sporting at that thought.
ELEVEN
“I’M A PATIENT MAN,” DENNIS told the Russian. “But I don’t have an infinite supply. Understand?”
“Da. I find them and take care of girl.”
“I want them all taken care of. The old boyfriend and whoever else is with them. Just get it done.” Dennis didn’t have time for this shit. He had much more important things to deal with, and getting to Max was his ultimate end goal. He didn’t want to waste time.
When the call disconnected, Dennis pocketed his phone, then turned toward the window overlooking the seemingly never-ending rows of corn. He hated this fucking house. Hated everything about it. Yet here he was, walking in his brother’s shoes in an effort to take down the very family that had disrupted his.
Although killing Max Adorite was high on his priority list, it wasn’t the only thing he was thinking about. He had a business to run, one that had taken a severe hit after his brother’s death. The Adorites had a hell of a lot to atone for, and Dennis intended to pay them back by acquiring most, if not all, of their business. No way in hell was Dennis going to allow the Adorites to not feel the impact. One way or the other, he was going to get his revenge.
Of course, once his plans were carried out, there would be no more Adorites to get in his way.
Retrieving his phone, he pulled up his contacts and then hit the button to make the call.
“Yo.”
Dennis pulled the phone back and stared down at it. Had he really answered with yo?
Good help was so fucking hard to find.
Putting the phone back to his ear, Dennis said, “Brian, I need you to find Sabrina. I want them taken to ground until this is over. I’m not willing to risk Max getting his hands on her again. She’s too much of a bargaining chip.” Dennis knew his sister wouldn’t be happy, but he didn’t give a shit. He wanted her safe, and once he upped the ante, Sabrina’s life would hang in the balance once again. As it was, there had been rumors that Max was going to grab her. No one seemed to know when, though. And this time, he seriously doubted Max was going to do the noble thing twice in his life. He damn sure wouldn’t once Dennis started offing his family.
Hell, he’d taken out three of Max’s bodyguards already, as well as their devoted doctor. Dennis wanted to ensure that any damage that occurred could not be repaired. He already had someone looking into some of Max’s other minions, too.
At some point, he would push Max to his breaking point, forcing the man’s hand. When that happened, Dennis would be ready for him.
“Understood,” the lackey on the phone replied. “I’ll have her secured within the hour and let you know when it’s done.”
Dennis disconnected the call, continuing to stare out the window.
This was all about to end. It might take a few days, but he was going to take down the fucking Adorites. And he damn sure wasn’t going to let anyone stand in his way.
BY THE TIME HUNTER MADE it to the safe house, Dani had already claimed one of the bedrooms and had locked herself in. Initially, he’d been pissed, but Kye had not so kindly pointed out that, first, he didn’t have the right to be pissed, and second, he needed to scrounge up a little compassion because someone had tried to kill her today. Twice. A lot for a girl to deal with, Kye had pointedly informed him with that irritating smirk that usually had Hunter wanting to strip the man and fuck him into oblivion.
&nb
sp; There would be no fucking going on now, though. Hunter had nailed that coffin shut a long damn time ago simply by being an asshole.
So, rather than get worked up about it, Hunter had retreated to the other bedroom, dumped his bag, then gone to take a shower while Kye insisted on cooking dinner. He’d picked up the makings for fajitas—which for Kye meant tortillas, pre-cooked chicken, refried beans, cheddar cheese, and guacamole. He wasn’t trying to go the from-scratch route, that was for sure.
Not that Hunter minded. His stomach was threatening to eat itself, he was so fucking hungry. Shit, breakfast had been hours ago, and he’d chosen to skip it, going only for coffee. He should’ve known better. The day he chose to skip a meal, the shit was always prone to hit the fan.
After a quick hosing down in the ridiculously small shower, Hunter had dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt. He preferred to go without a shirt—it was too damn hot—but he’d tried to be presentable in the event Dani did appear once she smelled the fantastic aroma coming from the kitchen.
“Perfect timing,” Kye told him, grabbing plates from the cabinet and setting them on the small table near the back window. “You get a chance to talk to RT?”
Hunter wondered if Kye was referring to the obvious or if he meant had Hunter had the conversation as to why RT thought it was a good idea to send Kye undercover without telling Hunter about it?
He opted to believe he was referring to the first because thinking about the latter only pissed him off more. He fucking hated being lied to.
“Yeah.” Evidently, RT had called Kye after he’d tried Hunter and gotten voice mail. “As I said, Max’s wound was superficial.” The bullet got him in the fleshy part of his shoulder.
“You sound like that’s a bad thing,” Kye noted.
“It’s the equivalent of poking the bear. Max is on edge, and I’m sure he’s plotting someone’s murder right about now.” The bastard would never get caught; Hunter knew that much. How the guy managed to do what he did and evade the police and FBI still left Hunter baffled.
The guy was into everything from running guns and drugs to prostitution and racketeering. He had his hand in a number of bad-guy pies. So many, Hunter had to pretend he didn’t even know the guy.
Tomorrow's Too Late (Sniper 1 Security, 3) Page 17