Page 18 of Cage
I’m not jealous. I’m being protective. Maybe more than I should, but I can’t help it. She brings it out in me even more than usual.
Ember is a client. That’s all. It’s my job to keep her safe. Not that Rylan would ever harm her. He would give his life to protect her if it came down to it. We all would. It’s the life we signed up for. Just because he wouldn’t hurt her, though, doesn’t mean I want him looking at her like he was. Hell, I shouldn’t be looking at her like that, either. There’s just something too fucking sweet about her. Every second I’m near her, it becomes harder and harder to remember why she’s the last thing I need in my life.
“You need to tell me everything you know about this job because it seems you may have left some shit out.”
Rylan and Koda are standing guard outside of a rest stop bathroom while I make a call to Ruth to chew her ass out.
“What are you talking about, Cage?”
I huff and shake my head. “Don’t bullshit me, Ruth. The second I left DC, there was a plane following me. Who exactly is after Ember, and what do they want with her?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do they think her father has?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jesus Christ,” I snap. “Then what the fuck do you know, Ruth? I can’t keep her safe and stay ahead of the threat if I don’t have all the information.”
“Don’t be an asshole, Cage. You know I would give you more details if I had them. We weren’t even sure the threat was a credible one.”
I pace, keeping my eyes on the bathroom. I’m not sure why. My brothers are there to keep lookout. If it were me, I’d be inside that restroom. I don’t give a fuck if it’s crossing a boundary ornot. Honestly, I’m surprised Koda didn’t bulldoze his way in after her. He’s so goddamn over the top sometimes.
“Well, I’d say they are credible, Ruth,” I grind out, barely holding on to my temper. This is fucking bullshit. Giving me a mission without the correct details can be a death sentence. She knows that—so why the fuck does she not seem concerned? “I need you to find out more information.”
Ruth sighs, and I can practically picture her seething on the other end of the phone. The woman doesn’t like being told what to do.
“I’ll be in touch,” she says before ending the call.
It doesn’t matter what she finds out. As soon as we arrive at The Ranch in a few more hours, I’ll get to work finding the information myself. Ruth might be CIA, but I’m Cage fucking Black, and her resources don’t have shit on mine. If she hadn’t sprung this job on me, I’d be a lot more prepared.
“Ready?” I ask when Ember shuffles wearily out of the bathroom. I should have followed her in there to help. She’s too drained to take care of herself right now. That’s what Daddies are for.
Fuck, goddammit. I’m not her Daddy, though.
She needs more sleep. I hate seeing those dark circles under her eyes. Maybe I’ll put her down for a nap when we get home.
No. I won’t put her down for anything. She’s not my Little girl. She’s a client. And for whatever fucking reason, I seem to keep forgetting that.
7
EMBER
Rows of trees line the road on both sides. Twenty minutes ago, we were passing through a small city, and now it’s like we’re in the middle of a dense forest. It’s beautiful. So many shades of green. I’ve never seen so much stunning land. It’s not like this in DC.
I feel like I can actually breathe here.
“Only a couple more miles until we reach the house,” Cage tells me.
This is where he lives? Out in the middle of nowhere? I’m not sure what I expected, but I didn’t think it would be like this. Do they have running water out here? Oh, God. Maybe he pees behind a bush on a regular basis. That’s why he acted so casual about wanting me to do it. I won’t survive. I’m not a roughing-it kind of girl. I don’t need anything fancy, but a toilet and a shower are a minimum requirement. What if they live in tents? Or a shack with no heat and electricity.
Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic.
“You live in the woods?” I ask hesitantly.
Koda chuckles. “Not quite.”
Just as he says it, the thick clusters of trees become sparser until we reach an enormous clearing. I perk up, leaning forward to try to get a better look out of the front windshield. What seemed like the middle of nowhere now resembles a neighborhood you’d see in a wealthy area in the suburbs.