Page 18 of Protect Me

“Until we can put this fucker in the ground,” I say, grinding my fist into my palm at the thought of it.

Duncan nods at me. “As long as she can perform like she claims, we have three months to figure it out.”

“And the rest?” I can’t help but ask.

“What else is there?” Duncan demands.

I shake my head at the way he’s pretending not to want her. Before I can answer, Duncan grumbles something and stalks off to his bedroom. When Duncan’s door shuts behind him, Killian rolls his eyes.

“He’s being weird,” I say.

“He’s always like this when he has to get his hands dirty,” Killian reminds me. “You know that. Give him a day or so to process, and he’ll be fine.”

He’s right. Duncan’s the methodical, clean-cut type, but that only makes him more ruthless. And more bottled up. He’s wound tight as hell these days. “Fucker needs to get laid,” I say finally.

Killian laughs. “Don’t we all?”

Chapter5

Sway

Icome awake with a jolt at the sound of a door clicking shut. Heart racing, I sit up and blink, bleary-eyed at the sight of Killian striding across my room. The mere sight of him makes my pulse race faster, though, and I can’t tell if it’s due to the fact that heis very muchapredator or because of something else entirely. Something I don’t dare examine more closely.

“Whoa,” he says when he sees my expression, “Chill, gorgeous. It’s just me.”

“Gods, you scared me.” I force my breathing to slow as Killian sets a mug of hot water on the nightstand and goes to work adding the herbs Adaya left for me.

“Still a bit on edge, eh?” he asks, darting a glance at me.

I lean against the headboard, shoulders sagging as I watch him work. “Those herbs make me sleep like the damned dead,” I grumble.

He sets the metal ball of herbs into the water and then pulls up the chair he left earlier. “Better sleeping like the dead than being dead. Or wishing like hell you were because your body feels like it went head-to-head with a battering ram.”

“You sound like you speak from experience.”

He grimaces. “We all have our pasts.”

I don’t respond because that’s one hell of a loaded statement. A few minutes later, he’s shaking me awake again, and I straighten, realizing I’ve dozed off leaning against the headboard.

“Here,” he says, holding out the mug for me. “Sway.”

Doing my best not to react to his use of my name, I take the mug with wobbly hands, wrapping both palms around the ceramic cup to steady myself. The warmth helps wake me up, and I take a sip, enjoying the way the liquid soothes my throat.

Then, I look up into his expectant face and realize he’s still waiting on me to respond.

“Bracken told you my name, then?”

“That’s not all he told us.”

I eye him warily, trying to recall what else I spilled while under the influence of Adaya’s tea. “What?”

“He says you kissed him.”

For a split second, I don’t know what he means. Then, the details of that moment come flooding back, and heat floods my face. “Fuck,” I groan.

“Does that mean you regret it?”

My gaze snaps back to his. “None of your business,” I say haughtily. “That’s between me and him.”