Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers, #9)(51)
Horrified, Rose wrapped the towel around herself tightly. “They’re going to do what?”
“That was the plan. It seems the booze isn’t keeping them warm enough at night. They’re bored and restless, Rose. Neither one of them has the discipline necessary for an assignment like this one. Whitney studies humans, and he enjoys throwing them into the very situations he thinks they should rise above, but he knows their natures work against them.”
“Well, you can’t allow them to take a woman from the village.”
He went silent. She tried to read his expression, but he wasn’t giving away his thoughts. Rose put a hand on his chest before he could leave the room. “You can’t allow them to take a woman from that village, Kane; promise me.”
His hand came up and trapped hers. “Sweetheart, I told you I would never lie to you. I’m not making promises I might not be able to keep.”
“But ...” She began a protest, but he leaned down and captured her mouth.
Tiny sparks electrified her mouth and raced along her insides, rushing through her veins like a drug. Heat spread through her body. Her mind went a little fuzzy, and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Kane stepped back, gently capturing her wrists. “We’ll talk about this when I know more.” He kissed both hands and let her go. “Let’s just get the information, and we’ll discuss it when we have to make decisions.”
CHAPTER 9
“You said when you came back with more information we were going to discuss this, Kane. You just told me Fargo was already gone.” Rose stood directly in front of Kane, refusing to be intimidated by the sheer size and enormous strength of him.
Kane took a step toward her, towering over her. “I didn’t expect him to leave so damned soon. It means Carlson will be getting his courage up to defy Whitney without Fargo as a deterrent. If I kill them both, we’ll be forced to leave because no one will be reporting to Whitney. He’ll know they’re dead, and he’ll send a force after us. Mack hasn’t contacted us, and you said yourself the baby needs more time.”
Rose breathed away her fury. She wasn’t really angry at Kane, just the situation. Was she never going to be free of men like Fargo and Carlson? “All right then. You won’t go after him. Then you watch the baby and I’ll go. Because, Kane, one of us has to do it.”
Kane shook his head, no expression on his face. His eyes had gone flat and cold, something Rose recognized as trouble. “I thought about it. How could I not? Fargo will find some poor woman and drag her back ...”
“Rape her,” Rose said. “Just say it, Kane.”
“Damn it, yes, but you and I both know Carlson will be coming here tonight. I can’t leave you and Sebastian unprotected. It’s a hell of a choice, but it’s my choice. You and Sebastian come first every time. I’ve had to make worse choices, and I’ve lived with them.”
He was not going to apologize for choosing her over a stranger. Carlson would come for her, he knew it with every breath in his body, and he damn well wasn’t leaving her and the baby to the depraved, diseased mind of Carlson James.
Rose took a breath and let it out. It wasn’t quite the easy decision for Kane as he was making it out to be. She could see the distaste in his eyes.
He held up his hand, preventing her from speaking. “I’ve thought a lot about this before I ever told you, Rose. Carlson will come. I’ll take care of him and then—only then—I’ll go after Fargo.”
“I understand why you think it’s necessary to protect us from Carlson, but really, it isn’t, Kane.” How could she convince him? He was a man’s man. He believed that it was his duty to protect her, and in truth, she liked that quality in him. Right at this moment, though, it was a bit bothersome, but it didn’t make him less appealing to her. “I don’t want any woman to spend five minutes in Fargo’s hands. I trust you to go out there on your own and stop that man. Do you really have less faith in me?”
Kane opened his mouth and shut it, scowling at her.
Rose shook her head, continuing the attack while she had him. “I have no doubts that I can protect Sebastian. If Carlson makes an appearance, have no worries; this time I won’t be tied up and helpless when he comes to visit.”
She remembered every single moment of his visits. His foul-smelling breath. The depraved look in his eyes. His hands roving her body freely as if she were his possession. He had never gotten the chance to actually have sex with her, but he’d certainly treated her to a taste of what he would do given the chance. She despised the man. “He touched me, and I wanted to throw up. I’m not going to allow some other woman to have that happen to her if I can prevent it. You can glower at me all you want, but we’re wasting time here.”
He shook his head. “You can’t go, Rose. You know you can’t.”
“Then you have to. It’s either you or me. That’s the only choice.”
He swore. “Then I’ll kill Carlson now, go after Fargo, and we’ll leave tonight. We’ll be one day ahead of Whitney.”
Rose glanced toward the bedroom where the baby slept. “Whitney can track us because of my tattoo. He’ll send his men after us, Kane. Go after Fargo. You can make him disappear. If Carlson doesn’t make his try, we can give your unit another day to find us. Carlson will have to report to Whitney that Fargo went into town.”