Page 52 of Enforcing the Rules

If all she did was filing, why was she carrying this around?

I peered into her purse again, and noticing something with a cord wrapped around it, I pulled it out. When I flipped it over, I froze. A badge and picture ID with Kate’s face stared back at me.

For a fraction of a second, I thought she was a cop. Until I read the badge. Bond Enforcement Agent.

Holy shit.

I walked back into the bedroom dropped her purse on the bed next to her hip. That woke her, but I made sure she was wide awake. “Babe. Sit up.”

She turned and looked at me, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“What the hell is this?” I held up her badge.

Her eyes flared wide. “Um…”

“You’re gonna have to do better than that.”

“My badge.” She yanked it out of my hand. “You went through my purse?”

Her voice rose like I’d done the unimaginable. She didn’t have a clue what I was capable of. Sure, to chicks it was a big deal. I got that. But we had bigger problems than her privacy being invaded. Considering I’d had my face between her legs not two hours ago, I didn’t think she needed to hide shit from me. I was pissed, more so because I didn’t want her to be like every other woman. I wanted her to be different. “You’re a bounty hunter?”

“Yeah. So? What of it?”

“And you’re hunting this guy? This Ray Baker?” I tossed the papers down.

She snatched them up. “It’s a job. Why do you care?”

My chin pulled to the side. “Why didn’t you tell me? Your mom said you did filing.”

“She doesn’t know.”

“She doesn’t know. Seems like keepin’ secrets is a real talent of yours.”

She jumped to her feet and shoved past me, yanking the badge and purse away. “It’s none of your business what I do. It’s none of your business why I don’t tell my mom. How do you earn your money? I don’t have a clue. You’re no better!”

My jaw was tight. I got the inequity. I respected the way she fought for herself, stood up to me, but I didn’t like being in the fucking dark. “I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You. A bounty hunter.”

“Is that so hard to believe? You think I’m not capable of the job?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’ve got a black belt in Karate. Maybe you wrestle better than Rhonda Rousey. Maybe you’re goddamn Annie Oakley with a gun. I guess there’s a lot of shit I don’t know about you.”

“Guess there is.” She folded her arms and glared at me.

“You carry?”

“Do I carry what?” she bit out, looking away from me.

“A gun, Kate. A gun.”

“No. I don’t have a gun. I’m not trying to kill anyone. I’m just trying to bring them in. I have a taser.”

I quirked a brow. “A taser. Where is it?” She shifted her feet, like she didn’t want to tell me. “Kate, are you afraid of me?”

“A little right now.”

“I will never hurt you. Never.”

“It’s in my car,” she admitted.

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