Page 34 of Guardian Angel
âTrusting?â Lyon snorted with laughter. âYou canât be serious, Jade. Caine is one of the most cynical men in England.â
âA trait I developed by running with you,â Caine drawled out.
Jade was amazed by Lyonâs comments. He sounded so certain. Sir Richards was nodding too. She turned to smile at Caine, then said, âIâm honored then that you trust me.â
âJust as much as you trust me, sweetheart,â he answered.
She frowned at him. âAnd just what is that supposed to mean?â she asked. âAre you being insulting?â
He grinned. Jade turned to Lyon. âDo you have any idea how maddening it is to be married to someone whoâs so damned logical all the time?â
Caine answered her. âI havenât the faintest idea.â
She decided to quit the topic. She eased her feet to the floor, grimacing over the discomfort that movement caused her backside. If sheâd been all alone, she would have let out a loud, unladylike groan. âIâm not at all accustomed to riding for such long hours,â she admitted.
âYou did well today,â Lyon praised. He turned to look at Caine. âWhen this is finished, Christina and I will give a reception for the two of you.â
âThat would be fine,â Caine interjected. âYou know, Lyon, Jade and Christina are really quite alike.â
âIs she a thief then?â Jade asked before she could stop herself. Her voice was filled with enthusiasm. âWe got along quite well right from the start. No wonder . . .â
âSorry to disappoint you, love, but Christina isnât a thief,â Caine said.
She looked crestfallen. Lyon laughed. âChristina isnât very logical either, Jade. She comes from a rather unusual family. She could teach you all sorts of things.â
âGod help us,â Caine interjected, for he was very familiar with Lady Christinaâs unusual background. Lyonâs wife had been raised in the wilderness of the Americas by one of the Dakota tribes.
Jade misunderstood Caineâs reaction. âIâm certain Iâm a quick study, Caine. If I apply myself, I could learn everything Christina would like to teach me.â
She didnât give him time to argue with her. âIâm going to change my clothes. We must leave soon.â
Caine, she noticed, was glaring at Lyon when she took her leave. Jade quickly changed into her black gown. She carried a cloak with her. The hood would shield her brightly colored hair in the lamplight.
They walked most of the way to the War Office. The building was across town, but they used the hired hack for only half the distance. When they reached the alley behind the building, Jade moved to Caineâs side. She took hold of his hand while she stared up at the top floor of the brick structure.
âSomethingâs wrong, Caine.â
âWhat?â Sir Richards asked from behind her back. âYour instincts, my dear, or . . .â
âThereâs a light in the third window on the right,â she explained. âIt shouldnât be showing any light.â
âPerhaps the guard at the entrance . . .â
âThe entrance is on the other side,â Jade interrupted. âThat light comes from the inner office.â
Caine turned to Lyon. âIf someoneâs in there going through the files, heâll use the back door when he leaves.â
âLet him pass when he does,â Sir Richards directed. âIâll follow him.â
âDo you want me to go with you?â Lyon asked. âIf thereâs more than one . . .â
Richards shook his head. âIâll see who the leader is and follow that bloke. Youâre needed here. Weâll meet back at Caineâs, no matter what the hour.â
They moved to the shadows a fair distance from the back door, then patiently waited. Caine put his arm around Jadeâs shoulders and held her close.
âYou donât want me here with you, do you, Caine?â she whispered when his grip became almost painful.
âNo, I donât want you to be here,â he answered. âJade, if thereâs trouble inside . . .â
âLyon will take care of it,â she interjected before he could finish his thought. âIf thereâs any killing done, God forbid, then Lyon should be the one doing it. Heâs used to it.â
Lyon heard her announcement and raised an eyebrow in reaction. He wondered if sheâd read Caineâs file all the way through. It was a fact that Caine was every bit as capable as Lyon was.
Their whispers stopped as soon as the back door squeaked open. While they watched, two men scurried outside. In the moonlight, Jade could see their faces clearly. She couldnât contain her gasp. Caine clamped his hand over her mouth.
The second man out turned and locked the door. How had he secured the keys? Jade wondered. She held her silence until the men had turned the corner. Sir Richards left to follow them.
Then she turned to Caine. âThe security is deplorable,â she whispered.
âYes,â he agreed. âYou recognized them, didnât you?â
She nodded. âThey are two of the three men who waylaid Nathanâs carriage. The bigger of the two is the one who hit me on the head.â
The look on his face frightened her. She thought he might very well go after the two men then and there. âCaine, you must be logical now, please. You canât chase after them.â
He looked exasperated with her. âIâll wait,â he said. âBut when this is over . . .â
He didnât finish that statement, but took hold of her hand and led her over to the door. With the special tool Harry had given her for her tenth birthday, she was able to get the lock undone in quick time. The second latch took only a few minutes longer.
Lyon went inside first. Jade followed, with Caine taking up the rear. She nudged Lyon out of the way and took the lead. They went up to the third floor by way of the back steps. Jade remembered the squeak in the fourth rail on the second staircase, motioned for both men to avoid it, then felt Lyonâs arms on her waist. He lifted her over the step and put her down. She turned to smile her appreciation before continuing on.
The guard wasnât sleeping at his post behind the desk in the outer office. He was dead. Jade saw the handle of the knife protruding from his shoulders. She took a quick step back. Caineâs hand immediately covered her mouth again. He must have thought she was going to cry out.
Through the glass window of the door, they could see two shadows. Caine pulled Jade over into the corner, motioned for her to stay there, and then followed Lyon into the inner office. She was impressed by their silence. The two of them would make proper thieves, she decided.
They were taking too long, though. She stood there with her back pressed against the cold wall, wringing her hands together while she waited. If anything happened to Caine, she didnât know what she would do. Until she had to leave him, of course, she qualified in her mind . . . God help her, she needed him.
She didnât realize her eyes were squeezed shut until she felt Caineâs hand on her shoulder. âCome on, weâre alone now.â
âWhat about the men inside?â she whispered. âAnd for heavenâs sake, lower your voice. Weâre at work now.â
He didnât answer her. Jade followed Caine inside the sanctuary, tossed her cloak on the nearest desk while Lyon added another candle to the lights.
She noticed the two men on the floor in the corner then. She couldnât contain her gasp. âAre they dead?â she asked.
She couldnât quit staring at the bodies sprawled atop each other. Caine moved to block her view. âNo,â he said.
Her relief was obvious. âJade, didnât any of your men ever have to . . .â
âThey most certainly did not,â she interrupted. âI would have had their hides. Killing wasnât allowed. Now quit talking so much, Caine. You must hurry. If they wake up, theyâll shout an alarm.â
âThey wonât wake up for a long while,â Caine said. He pulled out a chair, gently pushed her down into it. âYou rest. This is going to take some time.â
âRest while Iâm at work? Never.â She sounded appalled by his suggestion.
âTerranceâs file is missing,â L
yon announced, drawing their attention. He was bent over the file drawer, smiling broadly. âInteresting, wouldnât you say?â
âThe lamplighters probably think itâs very interesting, too,â Jade snapped. âDo keep your voice down, Lyon.â
âYes, it is interesting,â Caine said quietly in answer to Lyonâs remark.
âThen we can leave now?â Jade asked, glancing over at the two men on the floor once again.
âJade, why are you so nervous?â Caine asked. âYouâve been in and out of this room several times before,â he reminded her.
âI was working with professionals then,â she announced.
Lyon and Caine shared a smile. âSheâs worried about us,â Lyon said.
âNo,â Caine countered. âThat would be insulting if she . . .â
She couldnât believe he was daring to tease her now. âOf course, Iâm worried. You two arenât even proper apprentices. Even an imbecile would know that now isnât the time for idle chitchat. Do get on with it.â
âShe is insulting us,â Lyon drawled out. He started to laugh, but her glare changed his mind.
The men turned serious then. They labored over certain files for two long hours. Jade didnât interrupt. She didnât dare rest, either, for she was determined to keep on her guard in case of intruders.
âAll right, weâre finished,â Caine said as he slammed the last file shut.
Jade stood up and walked over to the drawer. She took the folder from Caine, turned, and put it back in its proper place. Her back was to the men and it didnât take her any time at all to remove both Caineâs and Lyonâs fat files.
She turned around, determined to have it out with them then and there if they offered one word of protest. Luck was on her side, however, for the men had already moved to the outer office.
âArenât you going to go through their pockets?â she called out. She pointed to the sleeping men.
âWe already did,â Caine answered.
Jade wrapped the files in her cloak. She blew out the candles and followed the men downstairs. Since they were all alone inside the building, she guessed they didnât need to be quiet. Each was taking a turn muttering expletives. Caineâs, she noticed, were every bit as colorful as Lyonâs were.
âI am never taking either one of you on another raid again,â she muttered. âI wouldnât be surprised if the authorities were waiting for us outside.â
Neither Caine nor Lyon paid any attention to her ramblings. She soon became too weary to lecture them anyway.
Sir Richards was waiting for them in the alley. âThereâs a hack waiting four blocks over,â he announced before he turned and took the lead.
Jade stumbled when they rounded the corner. Lyon grabbed her, lifted her into his arms. She thought he might have felt the folders when he transferred her into Caineâs arms, then decided he hadnât noticed after all when he grinned down at her and turned to take up the rear guard.
She fell asleep in the vehicle with the cloak clutched to her breasts. It was such a comfort to realize she didnât have to worry. As long as Caine was nearby, she felt safe, protected. For the first time in a good long while, she didnât have to remember McKindry. Caine would keep his guard up for both of them. Heâd never make a proper thief, of course, but he certainly wouldnât let the evil McKindrys of the world sneak up behind them, either.
She found herself in Caineâs bed when she woke up. He was trying to pry her cloak away from her. âAre they waiting for you downstairs?â she asked in a sleepy whisper.
âYes, they are. Sweetheart, let me help you . . .â
âI can undress myself,â she said. âDo you need me . . .â
She was going to ask him if he needed her to go downstairs with him, but he interrupted her. âIâll always need you, Jade. I love you.â
He leaned down and kissed her. âGo to sleep, sweetheart. Iâll join you as soon as weâve finished.â
âI donât want to need you.â
She blurted out that confession in a voice filled with panic. Caineâs smile was almost sympathetic. âI know, love, but you do need me. Now go to sleep.â
She didnât understand why, yet found she was comforted by his contradiction. He was so sure of himself, so confident. It was a trait she couldnât help but admire.
Jade let out a loud sigh. She was simply too tired to think about the future now. She hid the files, took her clothes off, and fell back into bed. She thought she very well might have the horrid nightmare again, then realized she wasnât dreading it as much as before.
She fell asleep hugging the promise Caine had given her. She would never have to go near the ocean again.
Caine didnât come to bed until after seven in the morning. Jade opened her eyes just long enough to watch him pull back the covers and stretch out beside her. He hauled her up against his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and was snoring like a drunk before she got settled again.
She went downstairs around noon, introduced herself to Caineâs London staff, and then went into the dining room to have breakfast.
Caine suddenly appeared at the doorway, dressed only in a pair of light-colored britches. He looked exhausted, angry, too, and when he crooked his finger at her she decided not to argue.
âCome here, Jade.â
âDid you get up on the wrong side of the bed, Caine?â she asked as she walked over to face him. âOr are you always this surly when you first wake up?â
âI thought youâd left.â
Her eyes widened over that confession, but she wasnât given time to think about it too much. Caine lifted her into his arms and carried her back upstairs. She realized just how furious he was when she noticed the muscle in the side of his jaw was flexing. âCaine, I didnât leave you,â she whispered, stating the obvious. She reached up to caress his cheek, smiling over the stubble there. âYou need a shave, husband.â
âThatâs right, I am your husband,â he grated out. He tossed her onto the bed, took his pants off, and stretched out beside her, facedown, with his arm anchored around her waist. She was fully clothed; he was stark naked.
She would have laughed over the absurdity of her circumstances if the fullness of what heâd just implied hadnât settled in her mind. How dare he not trust her? She was furious. She would have given him a good piece of her mind, too, if he hadnât looked so damned peaceful. She didnât have the heart to wake him up.
The lecture would have to wait until later. She closed her eyes, selected a book from her memory, and reread it in her mind while she patiently waited for Caine to get the rest he needed.
He didnât move until almost two that afternoon. He was in a much better frame of mind, too. He smiled at her. She glared at him.
âWhy donât you trust me?â she demanded.
Caine rolled onto his back, stacked his hands behind his head, and let out a loud yawn. âTake your clothes off, sweetheart,â he whispered. âThen weâll discuss this.â
Her gaze moved down his body to his obvious arousal. She blushed in reaction. âI think we should discuss it now, Caine,â she stammered out.
He pulled her on top of him, kissed her passionately, and then ordered her to take her clothes off again. Odd, but she didnât mind obeying his command now. He was such a persuasive man. Demanding, too. She climaxed twice before he finally filled her with his seed.
She could barely move when he finally moved away from her. âNow what was it you wanted to discuss?â
She couldnât remember. It took them another hour to get dressed, for they kept stopping to kiss each other. It wasnât until they were on their way downstairs that Jade remembered what it was she wanted to lecture him about.
âHavenât I proven myself to you?â she asked. âYou should trust me with all your heart.â
âYou donât trust me,â he countered. âIt works both ways, Jade, or not at all. Youâve made it clear youâll leave me at the first opportunity. Isnât that right, love?â
; He paused on the bottom step and turned around to look at her. They were eye to eye now. Hers, he noticed, were cloudy with tears.
âI donât wish to talk about this now,â she announced, struggling to maintain her composure. âIâm hungry and I. . .â
âIt gives you the edge, doesnât it, wife?â
âI donât understand what you mean,â she returned. Her voice shook. âWhat edge?â
âIn the back of that illogical mind of yours lurks the possibility that Iâll eventually leave you,â he explained. âJust like Nathan and Harry did. Youâre still afraid.â
âIâm afraid?â she stammered out.
He nodded. âYouâre afraid of me.â
He thought sheâd argue over that statement of fact. She surprised him by nodding. âYes, you make me very afraid,â she admitted. And I can tell you, sir, I donât like that feeling one little bit. It makes me . . .â
âVulnerable?â
She nodded again. He let out a patient sigh. âAll right, then. How long do you suppose itâs going to take you to become unafraid?â His voice was so gentle, his expression so serious.
âHow long before you get tired of me?â she asked, her fear apparent.
âAre you deliberately misunderstanding?â
âNo.â
âThen in answer to your absurd question, I will never get tired of you. Now tell me how long it will take you before you trust me?â he ordered again. His voice wasnât at all gentle now. It was as hard, as determined as his expression.
âI told you I loved you,â she whispered.
âYes, you did.â
âI repeated the vows before you and God.â Her voice had risen an octave. He could also see her panic, her insecurity.
âWell? What more do you want from me?â
She was shouting now, wringing her hands together. Caine decided she still wasnât ready to surrender wholeheartedly.
He felt like an ogre for upsetting her. âJade . . .â
âCaine, I donât want to leave you,â she blurted out. âI do trust you. Yes, I do. I know youâll keep me safe. I know you love me, but thereâs a part of me that still . . .â She stopped her explanation and lowered her gaze. Her shoulders slumped in dejection. âSometimes the feelings locked inside me since I was a little girl do get in the way of being logical,â she admitted a long minute later. âI suppose youâre right. Iâm not at all logical about this, am I?â