Page 35 of When He Hunts

Ronan glanced up at her.Rock-hard expression. Tense. Glaring.

“Because we’re apparently married,” she added.

He swiped the manilla envelope. Shook it. Two gold rings fell out and into his hand. His fingers immediately fisted around the rings. His head tilted as he peered down at his fisted hand.

“Um…congratulations?” Her voice sounded way weak to her own ears.

His head whipped up. Snapped toward her. His eyes glittered.

And this is how I married a hitman.

One didn’t drive straightfrom New Orleans to the Florida Keys. Well, you did if you were in the mood for a fifteen-to-sixteen-hour trip on the interstate. Ronan wasn’t in that particular mood. All that time on the road would make him tired. Being tired would make him sloppy.

He couldn’t afford any more mistakes where Luna was concerned.

That bastard almost got the drop on me.Hell, there had been noalmostabout it. The jerk had gotten into the cabin. He’d fired at Kane and Ronan. He’d discovered that Luna had still been alive. And he’d been intent on killing her.

So I killed him.A shot that he’d had to take because if he hadn’t, Ronan knew he’d be the dead man. Not pretend. For real.

Darkness was falling. They needed to pull into a motel. Crash for the night. Then they’d finish their trip in the morning. He also knew he had to check in with Gray and find out what the hell had been done with the scene at the cabin. Talk about leaving a mess behind for Kane to clean up.Sorry about the blood and death, my friend.But he’d needed to get Luna away as quickly as possible. He’d driven for hours and hours. They’d passed Tallahassee and were currently heading toward Orlando. Soon there would be plenty of places for them to pick for a safe sleep spot.

The radio blasted in the interior of the car. He’d been the one to crank it up. Luna hadn’t spoken much. After the scene at the cabin, she had to be scared as hell, and the silence in the vehicle had been driving him crazy.

I keep imaging that SOB shooting at her. What if she’d walked out of that bathroom and he’d been waiting for her? What if he’d fired while I was busy with Kane? This is what happens when my head isn’t in the game the way it should be. I make mistakes. I?—

Her hand flew out and turned off the radio. “I can’t take it anymore.”

Hell.

She twisted toward him. “Talk to me.”

What?

“You killed a man, Ronan. That has to be wrecking you on the inside.”

He blinked.

“It’s okay.” Soft. Sympathetic. “You can talk to me. I will understand.”

Oh, hell. “Princess, are you sitting there thinking that I’m filled with regret?”

“Ah—”

“Because I only regret that I didn’t kill the bastard before he got into the cabin. I should never have let him get that close to you. My mistake. My guard will not be lowered again.” His grip tightened on the wheel. “I’m not fucking being eaten up by guilt, if that is what you’re worried about. This was not my first kill, not even close.” His eyes were on the road, but he could feel her tension. “If I hadn’t shot him, do you know what would have happened?”

“He would have killed you.”

“Worse, he would have killedyou.”

“Um, I happen to think him killing you and your friend is pretty bad, and my death would certainly not be the goal but?—”

“Kurt Vail.” He bit out the name. “I was sent his rap sheet before I met you in New Orleans.”Met you.What the hell? Not like they had a meet-cute or some shit. Ronan cleared his throat. “The guy likes to hurt women, Luna.”

She sucked in a sharp breath.

“He prefers to use his knife on them. Takes his time. He wouldn’t have made anything quick for you. If I hadn’t taken out the bastard—if he’d shot me, gotten me out of the way, then he would have spent a long while making sure you were good and dead.”

“He said he was going t-to be paid a lot to slice me up. When he tried to get me in New Orleans, that’s what he told me.”

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