Page 42 of Too Lethal to Love

“Itdoesmatter if you believe in that black widow crap. I’m in charge of your safety and I need all the intel to do my job. So, answer me this. What’s worse than someone threatening your life?”

Her teeth clenched as her worst nightmare gutted her heart like a jagged blade. “Threatening the life of someone I love and…” She looked toward the cemetery. Each man in those graves had said they’d loved her, and she’d loved them back. She didn’t love Kane, but she couldn’t deny their chemistry was like gasoline begging for a match to strike. Once that fire started, there was no telling what path it would blaze or who would get caught in the inferno.

“And what, Beth? What else is worse than someone threatening your life?”

She dropped her voice, afraid if she spoke too loudly, herfear might come true. “Threatening someone I’m pretending to love.”

The same red-hot longing that coursed through her veins flashed in his gaze. So did a terrifying kernel of truth she couldn’t acknowledge and dared not ignite.

Kane tapped the number four letter he’d thrown on the dashboard. “Whoever sent this obviously knows you’re known as the Black Widow. That knowledge makes you vulnerable. We must have done a convincing job of pretending to be a couple at the liquor store because whoever the hell is watching thinks you love me.” He smirked and shrugged. “Which is understandable because I’m awesome.”

As she rolled her eyes, she couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. Again, she marveled at how he flipped from scaring the hell out of her to making her laugh despite the gravity of the situation. “You think that’s a warning?” She glanced at the note. “That if I don’t give up the Triple X formula, they’ll kill you?”

He shrugged. “Maybe, or it could have come from your stalker. I’ve looked through the messages he sent you. It wasn’t long after his texts and emails escalated that you and Danny were attacked. This latest move is an outright threat from one of them, or both if they are one and the same or working together.”

She rubbed her temples. The headache she’d been battling for two years coiled around her brain and squeezed. She didn’t know what was worse—two separate lunatics or one rolled into a terrifying package. “I knew this whole pretend relationship thing was a bad idea.” She’d kept her distance from Kane these past few weeks so she wouldn’t fall for him, but she’d put his life in danger anyway. “No party. We need to go home.”

“We’re going.” He pulled away from the curb and grabbed her hand. “The Dr. Beth Parker I know doesn’t hide.She puts on her sequins despite the fucked-up shit she’s been through and dances the night away. You need to be that person tonight.”

She eyed the receding cemetery in the passenger-side mirror and swallowed so many emotions she couldn’t discern which tasted worse. “I’ve been pretending to be okay for two years, Kane. I’m tired.”

“I’m sure you are, and I admire the hell out of you for fighting, but you can’t give up. Not when there’s so much at stake.”

“Triple X,” she whispered. “If the cartel doesn’t get to me, they’ll find one of my colleagues.” She’d questioned why the Diablos weren’t after someone who knew more about the drug. While she wished the threat would disappear, she didn’t wish it on anyone else.

Kane tapped his leg. “And if the Diablos do target another, they won’t have me on their side.”

She didn’t crack a joke at his arrogance. None of her colleagues had an elite fighting force watching their backs.

Or a super soldier in their bedroom.

“We have to protect the cure.” If she hid and Chavez and his men went after one of her unsuspecting colleagues and were successful, all the research and hope of saving millions of lives would be for nothing.

Kane nodded. “Protecting the cure means keeping your sparkly-ass safe until we can eliminate the threat.”

She played with a sequin on her dress. The panic receded enough for her to appreciate his humor. “Sparkly ass? Guess I can’t argue that.”

“And it looks fucking fantastic on you.” He tugged at his collar. “And I look dashing.”

“Yes, you do.” The genuine laugh felt cathartic. “We’ll be the talk of the party, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if the mayor starts a betting pool about how long you have to live.”

Kane shrugged as he turned the corner toward the banquet hall. “Let them talk. I’m not afraid of a bunch of gossipy women.”

“You should be. They’re brutal.”

He winked. “We can take them.”

The “we” part of that statement thrilled and terrified her equally. “Between you and Rita and Jerry, I’ll be well covered. They’re keeping the vultures at bay.”

“How many people outside of this area know about this black widow nonsense?”

“Nobody, except maybe Chris. I’m not sure if Scarlett’s told him the whole story.”

“Then that means Chavez, if the note came from him, is getting his information from someone in this town, and what better way to uncover intel than at a holiday party? Are you up for a mission?”

She squared her shoulders. “As long as you don’t become number four, I’m up for anything.”

“Good. Here’s the plan. We give whoever is watching a show tonight and see if the next taunt gives us a clue about where the message originated.”

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