Page 47 of When He Hunts

In my bed.

He knew it was wrong. He knew it was a mistake. Ronan didn’t care.This is a bad fucking idea.

But he was going to take her anyway because he’d never wanted anyone more.

Chapter Ten

“This is a bad idea.”Kane was adamant. “You can’t do this, Gray. The woman is a civilian. She is not set to handle the kind of nightmare you’re planning.”

Gray looked up from his laptop. “You need to give Luna Black more credit. She eluded Marcus and his men for weeks. She managed to contact me. To convince me that she was legit. She stayed alive. She stayed hidden. No small task, I can promise you.”

Kane slapped his hands on the desk in front of Gray. A temporary desk Grayson had been given at the FBI office in New Orleans. “You are going to use her,” Kane accused.

“Um, she is a material witness. She can bring down some very bad people. Not just Marcus, though he is a freaking walking nightmare. But everyone in his web. This could be a major score.”

Kane shook his head. “She’s a lamb being led to a slaughter. I saw her. I spoke to her. She is not ready for what you’re planning.”

Carefully, Gray closed his laptop. He’d just sent the intel report to Ronan. In order for the scheme he was hatching to work, he’d need Ronan fully on board. He’d also need to move around a few more pieces on the chess set. “You don’t know what I’m planning.” He pulled off the glasses he’d been wearing and dropped them near Kane’s right hand.

“You think the bastard has trophies. You want to find them. Only in order to do that, someone will have to get very close to the guy.”

Yes, that was all true.

“You’re gonna leak that she’s still alive.” Kane leaned forward more. “And when you do, Ronan is going to kick your ass.”

Gray straightened his tie. “I’m not leaking anything.”Yet.“I’m just coming up with options. That’s all. I can’t have Marcus turning his homicidal attention elsewhere. Better he be focused on the prey that happens to have herself an around-the-clock guard. A very skilled and capable guard, as we both know.”

“He will kick your ass,” Kane said again. “The worst beatdown ever.”

“He’s like my best friend.” Sort of. Pretty close? “He’ll understand. Ronan knows that sometimes, a job can get…messy.” Understatement.

“He’s won’t let anything get messy when it comes to her.”

Okay, there was something about Kane’s voice that worried him. “You know something I don’t?”

Kane sent him an enigmatic half-smile.

Well, that smile told him jackshit. Gray sighed. “I’m not throwing the woman to the wolves, okay? I’m just considering options.”

“You’d better reconsider them.”

Kane didn’t understand the situation. He had no clue how many murders might actually be tied to Marcus. But, if Gray could get to the truth…

This wouldn’t just be about putting Marcus Aeros away for one murder. This could be about?—

“Ronan isn’t going to let her be put at risk.”

“Of course, no one is putting her at risk. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure Ronan is with Luna twenty-four, seven.” Hadn’t he said that already? Or something similar? Gray sent Kane what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Surprise, surprise, though, Kane didn’t appear overly reassured. He looked extra grim as he charged, “You were setting the pieces in motion when you got me to text the pic of the dead man to Marcus.”

“You sent that?”

“You damn well know I did. Was that the first part of the plan? You trying to enrage him?”

“Marcus needs to see that there is no one he can trust to do the dirty work for him. His number one guy, Kurt, is cold in a morgue. With a bullet in his chest. Hmmm…” His fingers tapped against the top of the closed laptop. “Just who do you think Marcus will believe sent that text? And killed his cousin?”

“He’ll think it was Ronan, of course.”

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