Page 55 of Cruel Ice

She saw the deadly duo waiting for her. Cade Grimm and Hunter McQueen stood a few feet from the elevator.Hunter—such a fitting name.She’d gotten to know the two former special ops men pretty well over the last few days. Apparently, getting that wee graze from the bullet had made them respect her. Whatever. Now they were being all nice and concerned—almost suffocating, in fact.

They’d been tailing her when she made her way to the high-rise. A total waste of their time because they should have been with Declan. She’d told them that fact. On multiple occasions. They needed to stop tailing her and go protect Declan. But Cade had been adamant—they’d been given orders. They would follow them. And their number one order was to make sure she stayed safe.

When she’d demanded to know who was keeping Declan safe, he’d assured her that Declan had plenty of protection when he was at his office. After she’d gotten a look at the security staff there, she’d agreed.

“Guess we’re calling it a night, huh?” Cade asked, a faint smile tilting at the corners of his mouth.

Declan took her hand again. “You could’ve given me a warning that she was coming.”

Hunter grimaced. “I told him to.”

Cade rocked back on the heels of his feet. “Thought you might appreciate the surprise.”

Declan grunted. He tugged her out of the elevator.

Can they tell we had sex? Jeez. They can.She caught the knowing glint in Cade’s eyes. If he said anything…

“Don’t,” Declan snapped.

Cade nodded. “Not even thinking it.” He turned to the right. “This way, sir. The limo is waiting.”

“Smartass, you know you aren’t supposed to do that bullshit and call me ‘sir.’”

Cade just laughed. He took up a position leading them out, and Hunter fell in at the rear of their little group. They swept past the security guards at the front desk, and then Cade opened the glass doors that would take them out into the night.

Car horns blared and voices drifted in the air. Laughter. Distant music. People rushed by on the sidewalks, most not so much as giving them a double-glance. But there were two men in black suits who waited near the limo. More security, she was sure. They made certain to clear a path for Declan and her. But Declan ducked back, indicating she should go in the open door of the limo first. She bent to enter?—

“Declan!” An angry shout.

She whirled around.

A tall man in a battered, leather coat rushed toward the limo.

Cade sprang forward. “Buddy, you need to back up, now!” His hand went to his own coat. No, to his waist. Was he reaching for a weapon? He had to be.

“Get in the car!” Declan barked at her. “Now!”

She grabbed his shirt, ready to pull him in with her even as Hunter closed in on the shouting man and?—

“I’m his fucking brother!” A bellow from the stranger as he stepped under a streetlight. The light hit his face, and Marley sucked in a sharp breath at the stunning resemblance. If Declan hadn’t currently been attempting to shove her into the limo…

I would have thought this guy was Declan. They could be twins.Except for one very important difference.

No scar snaked down the stranger’s cheek.

“Bullshit,” Cade said, but he sounded uncertain. Probably because of the freaking near perfect resemblance. “My boss doesn’t have a brother!”

“Uh, yes,” from Marley because Declan had gone statue still and wasn’t talking at all. “He does. Declan told me about him.”

Cade sent her a questioning frown.

She was half-in, half-out of the limo, and they were attracting too much attention. “Let’s go for a ride, shall we?” She pointed at Declan’s brother. “Hop in.” But she bit her lower lip as her gaze flickered to Declan. “Unless there’s a problem I need to know about with him?” Because if this man was a problem for Declan, she’d let Hunter and Cade go right back to their tough guy routine with him.

But I heard the longing in Declan’s voice when he talked about his brother. I know how much he missed him.Now the long-lost brother was showing up, practically on Declan’s doorstep. Hisbusinessdoorstep, anyway.

Can we trust him?She trusted her brothers, one hundred percent. But what did she know about Declan’s brother?

“No problem.” Declan’s flat voice. “Get in the car, Royal.”

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