Ruthless Creatures (Queens & Monsters, #1)(64)

When I’m done with that, he hands me the needle.

Very seriously, he says, “Don’t be scared if I pass out when you first stick me.”

I’m horrified for a second, until I realize he’s joking.

Muttering under my breath, I get to work.

It’s not as gross as I anticipated. After the first few stitches, I’ve got the swing of it. I don’t take long to finish, and I’m pretty pleased with myself at the results.

“Do I just cut the end of the floss or what?”

“Tie a knot, then cut it.”

I follow his instructions with the knot, but have to get off his lap to go get the scissors in the junk drawer. Then I snip the end and stand back to admire my work.

Apparently, he doesn’t like me standing so far away. He pulls me back onto his lap, this time with both my legs hanging over one side so I’m curled against him, safe in the circle of his strong arms.

He kisses the top of my head. I sigh in contentment. Then I yawn.

His chuckle is a low rumble under my ear. “Am I boring you?”

I smile against his neck and tell him an outrageous lie. “So much. You’re the most boring man on earth. It’s as dull as watching paint dry when you’re around. Speaking of which, how long will you be around this time?”

Stroking a hand over my hair, he says, “At least through the new year.”

Excited, I sit up and look at him. “Really? That long?”

Smoothing my hair away from my face with his hands, he smiles. “You’ll get sick of seeing me.”

I nod, as if this is a real concern. “Probably. A whole week with you…” I shudder. “Ugh.”

“I guess I’ll have to try to be more interesting.”

His eyes smoldering, he picks me up and carries me back to bed.

On the way there, I tell him about my visit from Chris. And even though I don’t want to because I’m afraid of what his reaction might be, I admit that Chris said he showed the sketch of his face to the FBI.

“Don’t worry about that.”

He lays me on the bed and settles the covers over me, then gets into bed on the other side and pulls me against him so we’re spooning. Drawing his legs up behind mine, he inhales deeply against my hair, then wraps an arm around me and kisses the nape of my neck.

“But they’ll be looking for you now. Here.”

“That sketch has already gone missing.”

He rolls over and turns off the light on the nightstand. Confused, I blink into the darkness.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Deputy Dipshit isn’t the only one with contacts inside the bureau.”

I blink so much, I might as well be signaling in Morse Code. “But…you said if they found out about me—”

“They don’t know anything about you. And we’re going to keep it that way.”

“Chris might tell them, though.”

“Doubtful. He’s in love with you.”

That makes me snort. “Not even close. His ego’s just bruised.”

Kage sighs, stirring the hair on my neck. Clearly, he doesn’t believe me.

“Also…” I cringe. “I might have…sort of…threatened to shoot him.”

After a beat, Kage rears up to an elbow and says loudly, “What the hell did he do? Did that fucker touch you? I’ll kill him!”

His tone is murderous. I can’t help but find that romantic in a twisted sort of way. “No, honey. He didn’t touch me.”

“What did he do, then?”

I think about it for a moment, then tell him the truth. “Basically, he annoyed me.”

I can’t see his face, but I feel Kage frowning at me in the dark. “You threatened to shoot a sheriff because he annoyed you.”

It sounds bad when he says it. I get a little defensive. “He’s been driving by my house at all hours of the day and night for weeks—”

He growls, “Hold on. What?”

“See? Annoying. And he said some insulting things about you, and about me, and wouldn’t leave when I asked him to, and just overall acted like a prize-winning dick.”

Kage is silent for a while, simmering. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll handle him.”

My eyes widen. “By ‘handle him,’ do you mean…”

“I mean your man will handle it. You don’t need to worry about him bothering you anymore.”

With a grumble, he lays his head back on the pillow and slides his arm underneath my neck. We lie in silence for a while, until Kage’s breathing returns to normal.

Then I whisper, “Don’t hurt him, though. Okay?”

He exhales in a heavy rush.

“I don’t want that on my conscience. Promise?”

“You pointed a gun at him, but I can’t?”

“Mine wasn’t loaded. Yours would be.”

I can feel his outrage. “Your gun isn’t loaded? Why the hell not?”

“I only have it because my dad left it here. And this is a town of only about four thousand people, with very low crime. And I have a big dog.”

Kage’s laugh is sour. “The dog who greeted me with a wagging tail when I picked your back-door lock, then promptly went to sleep on the sofa?”