Page 30 of When He Hunts

“Thought he was working for…” A swift inhale as her heart raced hard in her chest. “Marcus.” His image popped into her head when she said his name, and a shiver skated over her body. “Thought he’d killed you and was coming for me next.”

“The day Kane gets the drop on me is the day that will never hap—Hell.” Ronan’s words ended in an angry exclamation because there was a knife now at his throat.

Kane whistled. “What day won’t happen? Because I think I just?—”

In a blink, the knife was gone. Ronan twisted around, yanked at Kane’s wrist, and sent the knife clattering to the floor. Now the two men were eye to eye, glaring and it was just?—

“Stop!”Her sharp cry. She shoved between them. “You’re not enemies.” At least, that was what she was getting from the scene and their weird conversation. “You’re…friends?” Something like that. “Could we be sane a moment and stop with the knife play? Not a big fan. Super not. I’ve had enough stitches and don’t want more, thanks so much.”

The men were much taller than her, so they glared at each other easily over Luna, but, after a tense moment, Kane stepped back. He rolled his shoulders. Then he winked at Ronan. “Got the drop on you.”

“Yes, you sneaky sonofafucker, you did.”

Kane laughed. “Also got a change of clothes for you in the car.” His gaze dipped over Luna. “Clothes for you both because though she looks sexy as hell, I’m thinking she can’t go out in that shirt. She’ll attract way too much attention.”

Ronan growled. Again. A deep, rumbling, primitive sound.

Kane shook his head. “Not hitting on her. Relax. Just stating a fact. You’re the one who has been screwing her, not me. So much for that code of yours, huh, Ronan? Not getting involved? Never being tempted? Such a bunch of BS. What was it? One night with her, and you were a goner?”

She felt her cheeks burn. “Nothing happened last night between me and Ronan.” She still had one hand on his chest. She dropped the hand as if it had been burned. “I had to wear his shirt because when I ran from him, he tackled me, and I hit the mud. My clothes were ruined.”

“You…ran from him.” Kane’s forehead scrunched.

“I thought he was going to kill me. And he’d handcuffed me to his bed.”

Kane choked. His eyes also flared wide.

“But he only tackled me because I think I was about to step on a snake. I wasn’t looking down.” She’d been looking up, searching for lights. “But he caught the snake and threw it away before it could bite me.”

Now Kane’s jaw dropped. His gaze slammed toward Ronan. “Youwillinglytouched a snake?”

“It was going to bite her,” Ronan gritted out. “Couldn’t let that happen. The job is to keep her alive.”

“Uh, huh.” Kane had snapped his jaw closed. “Yep, that’s what you do. Keep people alive. Check.”

Enough of this. She squared off with Kane. “You’re a Fed?” He had to be. Just like Grayson. Just like she suspected Ronan was.

But Kane laughed. In her face.

Rather rudely.

“Oh, hell, no.” More booming laughter from Kane. “You think I could survive wearing those shitty suits and stiff shoes? Nah. Not the life for me. I’m freelance. Strictly freelance.”

Not reassuring. “How exactly do you know Grayson and Ronan?”

“Semper Fi,” he murmured.

Semper Fi.She knew that phrase. “You’re a Marine?”

“Former. Strictly civilian these days. Or, mostly civilian.” His killer smile—a toothy tiger’s smile—came and went. “Can’t really say more than that. Classified intel and all.”

So that was a bit scary to know. But if he was working classified cases and he was tight with Ronan and Grayson…she whirled back for Ronan. “You’re a good guy!”

He blinked.

“Semper Fi.” A nod from her. “That meansalways faithful, doesn’t it? And you keep saving me. Protecting me. Grayson has you on guard duty.” A wide smile spread over her own face. “I didn’t want to fuck the bad guy. I wanted to fuck the hero.” She threw her arms around him and held on tightly. “That is so reassuring.”

He didn’t hug her back. He did tense, and, she heard him tell Kane, “Look what the hell you’ve done.”

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