Page 75 of Blood Bearon
Outside the window, the land flowed by, most of it covered in white powder which had started falling before they’d even left the edge of town. It was getting worse the farther they went, limiting visibility and making the road slippery. Khove had slowed down to a crawl, and she let him focus on driving. The only thing worse than being forced into confinement at the Manor would be getting into an accident halfway there.
“I’m just glad he didn’t send those nightmare beasts after us again,” she muttered.
“The Fae? It’s still too light out, and Korred’s going to need to heal a bit before he launches the attack. We have time enough to get there and sound the warning.”
“We could have stopped to use a phone anywhere along the way to get the word there earlier. You know that, right?”
Khove’s cell had been crushed when he fell after catching her, and Rachel’s had fallen out when she jumped, leaving them without a way to contact the Manor ahead of time.
“I know, but that would have risked exposing ourselves.”
“Khove, you’re being ridiculous!” she shouted, slamming a palm off the grate that separated the front and back. “What the hell has gotten into you? I’m not made of porcelain, damn you. I’m a trained police officer. Why are you so adamant on sheltering me?”
The huge shifter cringed at her words.
Rachel saw that and paused, her mouth hanging slightly open. She’d not expected such a reaction from him. What was he hiding from her? What was he so desperate not to tell her?
“Khove, are you doing this because you see us as partners on a criminal case?” she asked, approaching it from a different angle. “Or because of another reason?”
Broad shoulders hunched forward as Khove leaned over the steering wheel, clearly uncomfortable with her line of questioning. Which meant she was onto something.
“Whatever it is,” she said, lowering her voice and speaking in gentler tones, “you need to tell me, Khove. You can’t keep me out of the loop and expect me to trust you. I thought we’d already established no more secrets. Why are you keeping one now?”
Khove made a pained noise, shaking his head, but she knew she’d trapped him. There was no way he could say no to her now.
“Khove,” she pushed, using his name again like a battering ram against his defenses.
“It’s more than just partners,” he said at last. “We’re more than that.”
Rachel leaned back, pondering the words. If she was forcing him to be open and honest, it was only fair she do the same, after all. He deserved that much from her, if she was going to force what was obviously a sensitive subject.
They were more than partners, it was true. Something had passed between them during the whirlwind few days since she’d arrested him at the crime scene. For the most part, she hadn’t spent much time thinking about it, and realizing just how close a bond she felt with him scared her now she thought about it openly.
“Maybe you’re right,” she admitted. “There’s more going on. Or was.”
“Was?” he asked quietly from the front seat.
“You intend to commit murder. I…I don’t know how I feel about that.”
Khove sagged even more. “I tried,” he said, his voice lower than a whisper, barely audible over the engine and the blowing snow outside. “I argued in front of everyone, forced them to research it, to come up with some other way that would work to keep him contained. It doesn’t exist.”
“You tried to get the rest of your family to spare him?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Why? I thought you were set on killing him.”
Khove shrugged. “I did it for you. I thought that would be obvious.”
A giant fist slammed Rachel back into the seat. A fist made from guilt and surprise. He’d gone to bat for her sake? Because she believed in something so strongly, that he was willing to change his attitude and seek a different resolution?
“Khove,” she said at last. “What do you mean when you say there’s more between us? Is it just because we slept together?”
“No,” he said quickly, with a fierceness that surprised her. “It’s…more.”
“More how?” she pressed.
The car slowed to a halt and Khove turned to look back at her, his gray eyes snaring hers, keeping her attention directly on him. She could see the emotion mixed with restraint. What was going on in that mind of his?
