Page 10 of For the Love of Animals

“I think you’re getting it confused with your ego.”

“Just tell them the truth. That you’re not interested in dating because you’re too busy trying to shoot people.” He stared at me for a second. “Wait—you haven’t told them about your job either. Am I right?”

This time, I did walk off. If I was going to cry properly, I’d do it in the ladies’ bathroom behind the range office—at least, if I could fit inside with all the broken junk they stored there.

“Hey, wait.”

Nate put a hand on my arm, but I shook it off.

“Carmen, I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”

It was actually easier when he was an asshole. “Just leave me alone.”

“Why does it matter so much? Lots of girls are single.”

“Because all my grandma’s ever wanted is to see one of her grandchildren get married. She’s convinced she’s only got a week left to live, and we’ve all let her down. My older sister died, my brother’s gay and firmly locked in the closet, and I only seem to attract perverts and assholes.”

“I’m sorry about your sister.”

I shrugged, because if I let those emotions loose, I’d break down completely. “It happened six years ago.”

“And your grandma? She’s sick?”

“I don’t think so. Honestly? I have no idea. My grandpa died a week after his seventy-eighth birthday, and some psychic predicted his death then told Grandma that she wouldn’t live to be older than him.”

“A psychic? You’re serious?”

“Yes, and that isn’t funny either. For the last six months, every headache’s been a brain tumour, and if she coughs, it’s SARS or pneumonia.”

“Fifty bucks says she’s still alive this time next week.”

“What if she isn’t? Her mental state’s really fragile at the moment, and I want to keep her happy on her birthday.”

Nate sighed and crouched to rummage through his duffel bag.

“Double or nothing, querida.” He held up a handful of coins and a package of gum. “We’ll play my game this time, and if you win, I’ll help with Lozano and come to your family party. Deal?”

I didn’t know whether to be nervous or relieved or happy or horrified. Mostly, I just felt sick. But as long as I didn’t get distracted again, I could win—of that I was certain.

“Deal.”

CHAPTER 5 - NATE

NATE STUCK A piece of gum in his mouth and chewed as he walked down the range. He’d officially lost his mind. Any sane man in his position would have taken the win, ignored the tears, and put his plan to assassinate Lozano into action.

But no, he’d shoved his hands into his pockets so he didn’t get tempted to wipe Carmen’s tears away, then given her another chance. She said she only attracted perverts and assholes? Which category did he fall into? Usually, he’d go with the latter, but the way his cock had hardened when she’d walked away from him definitely put him into pervert territory. That ass was enough to bring any man to his knees, and Nate wanted to track down whoever designed her skintight jeans and give them a medal.

Now he could feel her watching him, and he hoped she was getting a good eyeful, as Emmy would say. He spent long enough in the damn gym.

At the five-hundred-yard line he stopped, split his gum in two, and used it to stick two quarters upright on top of the target frame. At the seven-fifty line, he repeated the process with nickels, followed by dimes at a thousand yards. Then he walked back, using the time to ask himself what the hell he was doing.

The Lozano job was difficult enough without getting distracted by a woman, but Carmen intrigued him. Not only was she beautiful, she was also a strange mix of strength and vulnerability, steel and silk, and he found himself wanting to challenge her as well as protect her. And fuck her. Okay, he admitted it. Earlier, he’d wanted to push her back on his bed and peel off that plain T-shirt she wore to keep herself hidden.

But he didn’t, and he wouldn’t, not unless she felt the same way. The way she eyed him nervously when he came close, her skittishness, suggested men hadn’t been too kind to her in the past. And Nate knew for a fact that her commanding officer was a grade A douchebag because he’d had to speak to the man himself. Rumour said that Captain Benitez had been promoted due to nepotism—his godfather was a general—and Nate didn’t see how else Benitez could have got to his position. His operational abilities were negligible, as were his people skills.

All of which had left Carmen miserable. Worse, Nate would bet his CheyTac that Benitez’s loyalties didn’t lie with the GAFE High Command, which didn’t bode well for her future happiness either.

Nate wanted to see her smile.

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