Page 51 of Too Lethal to Love

Kane guided his pickup truck down a dark rural road. The house they would call home for the next few days sat at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac. The half an acre of open space on both sides and the cornfield behind offered an ideal location to spot someone coming at them from all angles.

The headlights illuminated fat snowflakes falling on the small, modular ranch with faded yellow siding and missing shingles. According to the schematics Ryan sent, it included a garage, kitchen, living room, and bedroom.

One bedroom.

When Nic and Linc got here in a couple of hours, one could take the couch while the other kept watch. And when it was Kane’s turn to be on duty, one of them could take the floor. He loved them like brothers, but he would be the only one sharing a bed with Beth. And before she went back to sleep, they’d have a conversation about this black widow bullshit.

And then he’d address the lie his parents’ deaths had instilled in his mind and heart.

Beth yawned as the gravel in the driveway crunched under the tires. “Where are we?”

“A few counties outside of DC.” He punched in the garage code. “Good nap?”

She nodded, but he knew she hadn’t. Watching the spitfire curl into a tight ball, hearing her whimper his name as nightmares clutched her in sleep both fed his fears about falling in love and unraveled them. Somehow, in the space of twenty-four hours, she’d become the person he feared leaving behind.

And the person he feared he didn’t want to live without.

Fight for her.

Scarlett’s advice made a shit ton of sense, but it was about as vague as the interior of the dark garage he pulled into. He knew how to fight. VIPER had engineered him to destroy. But emotional trauma couldn’t be slayed with brute force, bullets, or even V-Strikes. He hadn’t been able to help his mother when a love song came on the radio and reduced her to tears. Watching her unbearable agony had left scars so deep he couldn’t think about a relationship, let alone a family. If he couldn’t fight those demons, how could he fight Beth’s?

He turned off the engine. As the garage door closed, darkness enveloped them, save for the interior light in the cab of the truck.

Beth straightened in her seat. “Are Nic and Linc here yet?”

“No. They’ll be here soon.”

She sighed. “Looks like I’m stuck in this dress until then.”

He wasn’t complaining. “Stay here while I make sure the place is secure.”

As he turned to open the car door, she touched his shoulder. “Be careful.”

He nodded, his brain scrambling to find a way to ease her fears and coming up short.

A quick but thorough sweep of the house that smelled as dank as the garage revealed the place hadn’t seen a remodel in several decades. Wood paneling throughout gave the place a gloomy aura like it had been built as a set for a slasher movie. The faded olive-green kitchen appliances and the threadbare shit-brown carpet added to the murder-waiting-to-happen vibe. And there wasn’t a Christmas tree or decoration in sight.

Beth was going to hate it.

At least it was warm. He undid his belt, jacket, and dress shirt and draped them over the back of a chair. Tugging at the collar of his T-shirt, he strode into the garage. As he flipped on the overhead light, he spotted Beth exiting the truck. He motioned for her to stay put as he rounded the hood.

“What is it?” She swiveled her head looking for threats in the barren space.

“Nothing. All clear.” He retrieved a spare gun from the glove box. Beth didn’t have hers and might appreciate the added security. Tucking it into his waistband, he held out his hand. As she took it and climbed out, the sight of her bare legs triggered his cock to twitch like a dog wagging its tail at the sight of a bone. And those heels? God, he even found her feet sexy. Wrapping his other hand around her waist, he lifted her from the running board and set her on the concrete floor. “No matter where we are, you wait for me to open the door.”

“Even in an empty garage?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think you’re taking this ‘listen to Kane’ thing too far?”

“No.” He guided her around the truck and into the kitchen.

Her heel snagged on something, and she stumbled.

He caught the arm of her fluffy coat and stopped her from face-planting into the orange Formica table. “See, you do need my protection.” He followed her gaze to a bubble in the yellowed linoleum floor. “That land mine could have blown you through the roof.”

She stared at the bullet hole in his pants. “It still amazes me how you can switch from warrior to cocky cowboy mode in a heartbeat.”

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