Archer

by Debra Kayn

  “Oh.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I also don’t gamble. Ever.”

  She nodded. “I get it.”

  “Do you?” He held her gaze. “All my life I’ve made sure I’m clean. It’s not enough to be a good person. I have to rise above that and prove myself. Everyone waits, hoping, expecting me to do something to screw up so they can shake their head in pity, knowing I’m just like my father, my uncle, my mother.”

  “Kage—”

  He stared at her. “I’d never bring you down to that level, Janie. You’re too good for a place like this, despite the price tag. I will do whatever I need to do to make sure nothing about my family touches you.”

  “That’s why you always follow the rules. Even with normal things the average person commits every day without a second thought. You don’t. It’s always in the back of your mind.” She blinked hard, and damned if her eyes weren’t filling up with tears.

  “Don’t, baby,” he whispered. “Not with me. Never for me.”

  She lifted her chin and wiped all traces of pity off her face. “I get it.”

  “Good.” He glanced across the room, caught Garrett’s intense gaze, and brought his attention back to Jane. “Let’s call it a night. I’m done here.”

  “What about Scott? He hasn’t shown up yet.”

  Kage stood, slipped on his jacket, and walked around the table to help her out of her chair. “I’m running out of patience, and you haven’t relaxed since we got here. Let’s go home.”

  Carson might not have shown his face, but the tension in the room had never let up. Whether it was being in a place where his uncle’s eyes were always watching or the anxious feeling to get this done and over with, Kage couldn’t tell. He only knew Janie’d had enough, and he wanted her home where she was safe, away from his uncle, away from Scott.

  Jane’s step faltered near Garrett’s table. Kage placed his hand on her lower back. The tension was evident in the way her spine stiffened.

  “It’s okay.” He continued to lead her toward the front.

  She leaned against his side. “Was he here the whole time?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled at the hostess and continued walking out the door leading to the main floor.

  He walked through the large, open area of the lobby, ignoring the sounds coming from the games in the casino to their right. On high alert, his gaze swept the area as he slowed his pace. If anyone was watching, he wanted to appear as if he were full from dinner and satisfied after an evening out with his woman.

  “Who else was here?” Jane looked up at him.

  “Lance.” He smiled and stepped toward the automatic doors. “Smile and stick with me. I’ll explain when we get in the car.”

  He gave the valet his card. Five minutes later, they pulled away in the Mustang. He glanced at Jane. Learning they weren’t alone tonight, she’d gone quiet.

  “Talk,” he said.

  “I just want my life back and to forget I ever wasted those years with Scott.” She pressed into the seat. “I’m sick of it. Sick of it all.”

  Kage flipped his turn signal on, drove around the corner, and accelerated onto the highway.

  “Hang in there a little longer. I promise you, we’ll clean this up, and Carson will no longer be a concern.” He reached down and squeezed her thigh.

  Jane jerked away. “He’s taken everything away from me.”

  “Don’t let him get under your skin. We have a handle on him. He can’t touch you.”

  “He already has.” Her voice rose, and she shifted in her seat. “He’s still doing it, and now he’s making you, Garrett, Lance, and Tony do whatever he wants. Don’t you see? He won’t stop, and I’ll lose even more people in my life. I won’t survive if someone else dies because of me.”

  Kage hardened, flipped on his turn signal, and slowly pulled over to the side of the highway, setting his emergency blinkers on. Then he turned toward her. “Who died?”

  She clamped her lips shut and refused to look at him.

  “Janie. Who died because of you?” he said.

  His heart pounded. She’d given him information, and he had a firm grasp of how she’d been forced to live with Carson. But murder? That was new and important. It explained why she’d kept the truth from the agency and why she continued to protect everyone else.

  The trauma from witnessing someone’s death could be why she whimpered while she slept, staring at the wall long after he comforted her.

  “Baby, look at me.” He guided her head around and held her cheek in the palm of his hand. “Who did Carson kill?”

  “I can’t…not now.” Her chin trembled. “I can’t.”

  He opened his mouth, and his phone rang. “Dammit.”

  Shifting in his seat, he reached behind him and pulled out his phone. “Yeah?”

  “There are alarms going off at your house. I’ve dispatched Lance and Garrett.” Tony paused. “I’m locking up headquarters and heading that way. Where are you located?”

  “Highway 101. We’re twenty minutes away.” He turned the keys and started the engine. “You’ll reach there first. Hold that bastard for me.”

  “Got it.” Tony disconnected the call.

  Jane grabbed his forearm. “What’s going on?”

  He turned on his signal, looked behind him, and hit the highway. “Breach at the house. Alarms going off.”

  Her fingers tightened on him. “He’s there.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced at her. “When we get there, you stay in the car and lock the doors. Do not get out of the Mustang and do not open the door for anyone but me.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He stared straight ahead. He hoped one of his men arrived first, so he didn’t kill Carson with his bare hands.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Kage pulled straight into the driveway of his house and parked next to his partners’ vehicles. Jane lunged against the seat belt, gripping the dashboard. The front door of the house stood wide open. The lamp they left on in the living room lit up the porch.

  Panic seized her. She’d forgotten her promise.

  “No, no, no…” She unclipped her belt and ran out of the car before Kage pulled to a complete stop.

  At the restaurant, she hadn’t thought once of anything bad happening at Kage’s house in their absence. She ran toward the door with only one thing on her mind. If anything happened to her cat, she’d never forgive herself.

  As she reached the first step of the porch, an arm hooked her waist and her feet left the ground. She struggled.

  “Dammit, calm down.” Kage clamped his arms around her.

  “I have to find Bluff.” She kicked her legs and pushed on his arm. “She’ll be scared.”

  “Quiet.” He stalked back to the Mustang and swung her into the seat. He hovered in the door, blocking her exit. “Lock the door.”

  “No, please.” She reached for him, but he pushed her hands back inside the car. “I need to find Bluff. I promised her. I need to find her before Scott notices I still have my cat.”

  “I’ll get Bluff. You lock the door.” He held her gaze. “Say it.”

  She rocked on the seat. “I’ll lock the door but please, find Bluff. I can’t let anything happen to her.”

  Kage nodded and shut Jane inside. She pushed down on the lock. “Please find her,” she said, “please just find her.”

  Kage jogged toward the house, gun drawn, keeping his upper body low. She fisted her hands on her thighs. None of the other men showed themselves, but their vehicles parked on the front lawn and vacant meant they had to be nearby.

  She wanted to go out there. Kage was more than trained to defend himself, but she needed to protect him from doing something he normally wouldn’t. He was one of the good guys. He helped women, solved cases, and investigated people for a living. What he didn’t do was kill people out of anger.

  The personal way he took Scott’s threats, because of her, she had no doubt that he’d do anything to get Scott out of her li
fe and make him pay for what she’d gone through. She peered out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of anyone.

  The late-summer sun had gone down twenty minutes ago, and without the light from the house, she could barely see a thing. The other guys should be here, but where were they?

  The outside security lights came on. She inhaled a deep breath knowing Kage was responsible for lighting the area. It was one thing to face Scott alone, but the darkness made Kage vulnerable.

  “Come on, Garrett. Where are you?” she whispered.

  Her brother would make sure Kage stayed in control. Her hands shook. He needed backup. Scott had already proven to her the first time he came after her and hit her across the face, laying her out on the pavement, that he’d do anything if he felt justified.

  Her stealing Scott’s gun and money gave him a reason to kill Kage and get him out of the way. In her panic to escape, she hadn’t thought about the consequences of her actions; she only wanted to get the hell away from him and find somewhere safe where he couldn’t hurt her anymore.

  If she left the car, maybe Scott’s attention would be on her, and she could distract him, giving the boys a chance to make a move. They could catch him when his guard was down.

  Kage had ordered her to stay in the car, but she’d rather face his anger than allow Scott a chance at Kage. She opened the car door. Her decision came from what she knew in her heart.

  Disobeying Scott meant bruises and broken ribs. But she knew Kage would never do that. He’d be pissed for sure, but she could handle his kind of anger. She searched under the bushes in the front yard, knowing that when she was scared, Bluff tried to hide. She wanted to make sure her pet was safe before she sought out Scott.

  She heard footsteps coming from inside and hurried around the corner of the house. Maybe she’d made a mistake going against Kage’s wishes and getting out of the car.

  Flattening herself against the side of the house, she looked expectantly toward the corner, ready to bolt if anyone came around to that side. When no one appeared, she let out the breath she’d been holding and turned to go toward the backyard. Then she gasped, and her body froze in terror.

  Scott was there, pointing a gun at her, his good looks ravaged by desperation.

  A few days’ worth of whiskers covered his jaw, his usually groomed blond hair was messed. Even the jeans and T-shirt he wore seemed days old and slept in. She scooted back, her hand against the side of the house.

  “Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” He waved the gun, never taking his aim off her.

  “There are men here who’ll kill you,” she said.

  His lip curled. “That’s where you’re wrong. With you here, my pistol cocked and ready, they won’t dare do anything that might get you hurt.”

  “That’s not true,” she whispered.

  He laughed, but no sound came out. “Where were they when you were living with me, huh? Your brother, the big investigator, too busy helping others and digging into someone else’s business to give a shit about what was happening to his little sister.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “You have another dick between your legs.” His knuckles whitened on the gun. “Do you really think Archer will save his slut of the week?”

  She cringed and stepped back.

  “Stop or I’ll blow a hole right in your forehead,” Scott said.

  Where were the guys? She swallowed. With Scott’s delusional state of mind, she wouldn’t put it past him to shoot, unconcerned about what would happen to him when someone heard the blast.

  “The first one I’ll take out is the asshole who thought he could take what is mine.” Scott moved closer and now she was able to see into his eyes. “Then I’m taking you back.”

  Jane had looked at his face for four years but had never seen the absolute rage he displayed now. Anger, yes. Disgust, yes. But for the first time, she believed he’d kill her and anyone else who stepped in his way.

  “I’m sorry.” She forced herself not to run away. “I’ll go with you.”

  “You’re lying, and trust me, sweetheart, you’ll pay for that later.” Scott stepped close enough the end of the pistol skimmed her forehead. “Get it straight in your head. I’m taking you with me whether you want to go or not. Things are changing with us. I’m not going easy on you. You’ve lost any trust I’d given you.”

  A movement behind him caught her eye. She fisted her hands at her side, afraid if she moved or looked, Scott would turn around.

  “I’ll show you, I can do better. I won’t disobey you again,” she said.

  He lowered the pistol to her chest and trailed the end between her breasts. She shivered and locked her knees. Unable to get enough air in her lungs, her head swam and she feared she might actually pass out.

  Kage! Garrett!

  She panted, trying not to lose consciousness. Any moment, she expected to hear a gun blast, and she hoped it wasn’t Scott taking her life. Or, worse, taking the life of one of the others.

  “Please. I’m begging you. Take me with you,” she whispered. “Please.”

  Kage’s face came over Scott’s shoulder. He stared at her but spoke to Scott. “Real easy now, drop the gun.”

  Kage shoved his pistol into the side of Scott’s neck. Jane held her breath. Scott still had his gun against her chest.

  “Please,” she whispered. Whether it was begging Kage for help or asking Scott not to kill her, she had no idea.

  “Put the gun down, Carson. We have you surrounded.” Garrett’s voice boomed behind her.

  Scott laughed into her face, the sound maniacal to her ears. “Not smart, are they?”

  “I’m not going to ask again. Put down the weapon slowly,” Kage said.

  “Do they even realize that I hold the power, sweetheart?” His hand held the pistol steady over her heart. “Let me explain what is going to happen. You all are going to step back, put down your weapons, and watch me walk away with Jane. Unless you’d like to see her life snuffed out here.” He raised his brows at her. “Maybe you don’t understand how you play into their lives, sweetheart. For someone who is fucking you, Archer seems to want me dead more than he wants to save your life.”

  Her gaze flashed to Kage. He made no move and kept his gun at Scott’s neck. It wasn’t true. They didn’t just have sex, they’d made love. She was his woman in every sense.

  “Oh, look, Archer. She’s second guessing all the bullshit you’ve fed her.” He chuckled and smiled. “My poor Jane, always doubting yourself. You don’t really believe he loves you, do you?”

  “Kage?” She stared at him.

  She wanted to tell him she wasn’t listening, and Scott was a liar. No matter what Scott said, nothing would change her mind about how she felt toward Kage, her belief in him. The hardness around Kage’s mouth kept her from speaking those thoughts. Everyone knew Kage never tied himself down to one woman.

  When she’d arrived back to Bay City, she’d hidden out and wallowed in self-pity. Yet he’d stepped up and taken responsibility toward her. He’d seen her at her worst. Her chest squeezed. Of course he’d protect her. She was Garrett’s little sister.

  “That’s it, sweetheart,” Scott said softly. “None of them know you the way I do. You belong with me. I’m the only one who understands the way you are. You like how I watch over you.”

  She gazed down at the weapon poking her in the chest, then up into Kage’s face. Tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away.

  Maybe Kage wouldn’t want her when he realized how much she’d changed and heard how easily it was for her to accept Scott’s abuse. She wouldn’t blame him. She’d done everything wrong and given Kage nothing in return. He deserved someone who came to him without any baggage. But she could prove to herself she wasn’t going to add to her guilt over the past anymore.

  She couldn’t do this in front of the people she loved. She refused to go down letting Scott ridicule her any longer. That shit was over.

  She didn’t c
are if he shot her dead. But degrading her in front of the people she loved wasn’t going to happen. Not anymore.

  She cleared her throat. “Where’s my cat?”

  Scott’s brows lowered. “Your cat?”

  “Where’s. My. Damn. Cat?” Her back stiffened and she raised her arm to push the gun away.

  Scott grabbed her wrist, turning her, and wrapped his hand around her chest, the pistol pushed into her temple. “Walk, and if anyone thinks to shoot me, they’ll be taking you out too.”

  Her gaze met Garrett’s and he lowered his weapon, stepping back, giving Scott room. She looked at her brother, praying he understood. No one else could get hurt because of her.

  His intense stare wounded her. His shoulders sagged and his mouth tightened in a grim line. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. As she walked past him, she mouthed I love you.

  Wanting Scott to believe she’d go without a struggle, she let him lead her to the front yard. “I need my purse.”

  “You don’t need anything.” Scott pushed her forward.

  She stumbled, stepping on a rock in the grass and realized she’d lost her shoes when she jumped out of the car. They weren’t even hers. She’d lost Sabrina’s shoes.

  “I need my purse,” she said. “It’s in the Mustang. I-I still have the money I stole.”

  The end of the gun hit her cheekbone and she cried out, trying to stay on her feet. Pain ricocheted across her nose and around her eye. She stumbled, falling against Scott. Tears blurred her vision, and the simple act of blinking nauseated her. Scott shifted directions and walked toward the car. He pivoted with his arm wrapped around her and peered inside the vehicle. “Motherfucker left his keys in the car.”

  “No, please,” she begged.

  “Stop thinking about him!” He yanked her arm. “Archer’s too stupid to do anything, and now he can kiss my girl and his car goodbye. You know I love you more than he ever will. I’ll teach you to forget about him. He’ll never forgive you for everything you’ve done, but I will. We’ll start over once we’re away from here.”