Page 51 of Killer Secrets (Tempting SEALs 5)

"Ian—"

"No, Kira, he's right." Daniel laid his hand on her arm, his expression suddenly somber. "Your loyalty might not be questioned, but mine will be. I won't be accepted here."

It wasn't the first time she had been forced to work without her bodyguard, it wouldn't be the last, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"He would be an asset here, Ian," she gritted out.

He shook his head slowly, his gaze coming back to hers, his eyes cold. "He would be a witness. Those aren't tolerated. Do you understand me?"

And she did understand. The servant that had been killed in the Fuentes household that week, her body buried, forever out of sight, reminded her of it. Diego Fuentes had killed a child because she had betrayed Ian, and ordered the death of another. One whom Ian had had slipped quietly off the island and to the States. One had betrayed, the other had been a witness and a danger to the Fuentes cartel that Ian knew would never survive on her own.

Tracking the rumor of the death and learning the events behind it hadn't been easy. Ian covered his tracks too damned well. And he was covering Diego's just as well now.

SHE FELT HER HEART RACE in her chest, a chill chasing up her spine as she searched his eyes and fought against the truth of the life he was facing.

"I'll return to the villa," Daniel said softly. "You can reach me at any time on the secure cell if you need me." His hand gripped her shoulder as she stared up at Ian, barely feeling his comforting touch. "I'll let Jase know you're okay."

"Keep him away from here, Daniel." Ian jerked his gaze back to the bodyguards. "Far away from here. And while you're at it, keep any other friends or alliances you might have out of my sight. I don't have time to separate suspected enemies from true enemies. And I have all the friends I need right now."

With that, he reached out, gripped Kira's arm, and jerked her to him, away from Daniel's touch. She bounced against his chest, pressing her hands against the solid wall of muscle as she stared up at him in surprise.

"No other man touches you." The muscle in his jaw flexed in fury. "As long as you sleep in my bed, you belong to me."

Possessiveness sizzled in his voice, shocking her even more than the move to jerk her to him had. Shocked her, and strangely, aroused her.

The research she had on him hadn't indicated a possessive nature with women. He rarely had close relationships, and chose his lovers with finicky precision for their submissiveness and lack of possessive tendencies.

Her head jerked around and she stared back at Daniel. He stood silently, watching them, his gaze narrowed thoughtfully.

"Tell him to leave, Kira." Ian was adamant.

She breathed out heavily. "Go back to the villa," she told Daniel. "I'll be okay."

"Get out of Aruba," Ian ordered.

"Ian, that's not necessary," she hissed.

"Disappear, Daniel." He ignored her protest. "Do you understand me?"

The threat in his tone was clear. Shocking.

"Ian—"

"You chose me." Ice formed in his voice and in his expression. "You chose to side with me. That choice comes with a price, Kira. I won't accept more innocent blood on my hands than I have to. Do you understand me?" His eyes moved back to Daniel.

Daniel nodded slowly as he flashed Kira a warning look. "I understand, Ian."

"This is insane. No one will believe he just deserted me." She whirled on Ian furiously. "You can't just order him away like this. What about backup?"

"Do you want him dead?" Ian snarled. "Stop arguing with me, Kira. Here and now. Because as God is my witness your life just might well depend on it. There's no backup here for a reason. Do you understand me? It's too fucking dangerous."

He didn't give her a chance to protest further. Gripping her arm tighter he pulled her back into his bedroom, only releasing her when the door closed behind them so he could turn back to secure it.

As he turned back to her, her lips opened to argue, to blast him for the high-handed decisions he was making. Before the sound could emerge he had his hand over her lips and his head next to hers.

"Listen to me." His voice was a furious hiss at her ear. "Seven days ago a nineteen-year-old child was murdered in front of my eyes because she was deemed a threat to me. A bullet right through her fucking head, Kira." Agonized fury echoed in the lowered tone. "Do you want him to die? Do you want to die?"

His fingers curled in her hair, pulling her head back, his gaze blazing into hers as she stared back at him in bitter awareness of what his life had become.

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