Page 16 of Agent vs. Assassin
“Can he? He showed up at the building, atyour home. My job is to protect you. I need to know what the fuck is going on.”
My brow lifts. “Did you really say fuck?”
“I’m not the boy scout you act like I am.”
“Not anymore. You’ve been hanging out with me too much.”
“Maybe I haven’t been hanging out with you enough. I can handle the shit going on if I know how deep we’re going to stick our feet to get to the other side.” His voice is one octave above average, and I can all but feel his heart thundering in his chest.
Roberto’s return has everyone on our team rattled, and Jay’s showing it. No, I think, amending that thought. Enrique is as well. That’s why he’s overreacting to my normal fucked-up life. The operative word, as Jay has pointed out, being our version of ‘normal.’ “If Roberto wanted to kill me,” I reason, “he would have approached our encounter in a different way. That back there was a game of intimidation, and he lost the game. Now, set that bastard aside and make yourself useful. Go to a diner and get me another pie, then whip on over to the grocery store and grab chocolate and a bag of Lay’s potato chips. A girl can’t live on all sugar. And water. I need to do something healthy for my body tonight.”
“You’re sending me to the store, Lilah? Really? I’m not your housekeeper.”
“Which is why I am not asking you to scrub my toilet. That would be inappropriate and rude. And I never want to be those things to you, Jay.” I grab his arm and squeeze. “Go, please. You need to step back and breathe a minute. If you don’t want to run the errands, get in the truck and wait on me.”
“I’ll wait. I’ll DoorDash all your stuff while I’m in the truck.”
“Way to be resourceful,” I approve.
There’s a glint of suspicion in his eyes. “What happened to the other pie?”
“Ghost took it,” I say. “Which is why you should get in the truck.”
“Ghost was here?”
“Yes. Ghost was here.”
“And Kane knows?”
“Because my dumbass brother told him.”
For a Mexican, he’s really damn white right now. “Is he still here?”
“I doubt it, and I wouldn’t fret much either way. He knows I’ll kill him if he kills you.”
“Then I’d be dead, Lilah,” he points out.
“Maybe you should go get that pie.”
“I’m escorting you to Kane.”
“Okay, hero. Have it your way.” I start walking.
He falls into step with me, and for once, his lips are sealed while his hand is on his weapon, as if he’d ever get the chance to see Ghost before he killed him. But Jay’s focused, just the way I like him, and I won’t tease him out of the behavior I’m trying to train into him. Or beat. I’ll beat it into him before I let him die.
We reach the gate, and I spy a black SUV I’m certain to be Kane’s transportation. “Stay here,” I order, but even as I pull away from him, I can feel Jay at my back, lingering and watching, worried about me. I just can’t seem to scare that man off. I can scare him. Just not off.
I round the corner to find Kane leaning on the SUV, with Kit next to him. A splash of relief washes over me, just seeing him alive and well, but anger crushes tenderness, and my wrath will soon be his hell. Today has been about secrets. Defiant secrets that conflict with who we were supposed to be at this point in our relationship, in our marriage.
The minute Kit spies me, he pushes off the vehicle and walks toward the rear. Smart man, avoiding a death sentence, at least for the moment, depending on what role he played in whateverbullshit Kane’s not just plotted but acted on. The bullshit he knew I wouldn’t approve of. He took the ‘sin and ask for forgiveness later’ strategy, which is a good way to get divorced or dead.
Because there is no doubt he’s been busy creating new enemies when we’re already swimming in a sea of monsters.
I head his direction, and he stares at me, watching every step I take, doing so with the intensity of a man who can kill as easily as he can make passionate love to me. He’s unreadable and unbelievably bold for coming here tonight.
He’s also left the suit behind for black jeans and a black sweater, and despite the bitter cold, he hasn’t bothered with a coat. He looks wholly male and arrogantly in control. Good thing he has me to remind him heis not. I close the space between us, ready for battle, but the minute I’m in front of him, his hands are on my waist, and I’m pulled hard against him.
“What the fuck are you doing,woman? My father and Ghost in one day?” His voice, his eyes, level me with his torment.