Chapter 3 #3
Carved out of the hill, the walls were pure, white limestone.
Though there were no windows in the cave, the paintings on the walls were full of rich and vibrant colors, depicting brilliant flowers on the ground, climbing trellises and vines wrapped around brace beams. Bright, happy paintings, hung to distract the persons living in such a place from the loneliness sure to accompany living in such an isolated location.
A king-sized bed with an ebony-stained headboard took center stage on the back wall—a stark contrast to the white limestone.
A lush, mink-brown fleece blanket covered the bed, and ebony nightstands graced either side.
Black satin sheets and pillowcases gave the bed and the room a luxurious ambiance, in contrast to the cabin-in-the-woods vibe of the front living room.
“Did you purchase the cabin fully furnished?” he asked.
She nodded. “The only things I’ve added are the perishables and canned goods.
The furniture was part of the deal. I didn’t have time to go shopping, nor did I want to have someone deliver items to this location.
The guy I bought the place from didn’t want to move everything.
It was a win-win for us both.” She looked around the room.
“I like it well enough, and it serves a purpose.”
“It gives you a place to go where no one will find you.” Rogue nodded.
“That was the idea.”
“How long have you had it?”
“Three years,” she said softly.
“Onyx knows nothing about the cabin?”
“Not that I can tell. No one has challenged me about it.”
“How does it work to be a part of Onyx?” he asked. “Do you all live in the same place, or are you spread out over the state or county?”
“For the most part, we live on a compound in South Texas. Some of the more senior girls have their own apartments in cities like San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. I have an apartment in San Antonio. Even so, we all have to show our faces at the compound at least once a month to prove we’re still an asset. ”
Rogue cocked an eyebrow. “And if you don’t?”
“They come looking for you. You see, once you’re Onyx, there’s no going back. If you’re not an asset, you’re a liability.”
“And what?”
She shrugged. “Either you’re reassimilated or eliminated.”
“Wow.” Rogue shook his head. “Did you know anyone who couldn’t be reassimilated?”
Keira looked away. “Yes. One day, they brought her back. The next, she was gone. No explanation. We weren’t allowed to ask.”
“Are you sure she didn’t escape?”
She shook her head. “The compound is inescapable. Once inside, you don’t leave unless they let you.”
“Or they carry you out?”
Again, she shook her head. “They don’t let you leave if your allegiance is compromised.”
“They bury the evidence.” Rogue’s mouth formed a thin line.
Keira had witnessed one of the older girls arguing with Viktor a year before. He’d backhanded her, sending her flying across the ground. She’d come up fighting, like he’d taught her. Only he knew all her moves. When he had her pinned to the ground, his knee on her neck, he’d demanded, Are you Onyx?
She’d replied, barely getting enough air past her vocal cords to whisper, Fuck you.
Viktor had led her away.
Keira had never seen the girl again.
Rogue touched her arm. “Hey.” He brushed a strand of her dark hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “We’re going to be all right.”
The spark of electricity snapped her back to the present, where she stood in a bedroom with the stranger who’d saved her life. A man she found herself attracted to, something she’d thought impossible after all she’d been through in her young life.
It wasn’t just his ruggedly handsome face and body. It was more than that.
He’d been sent to kill her. Yet, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt. He’d used his own judgement, not the party-line to make the decision to save her instead of letting the others eliminate her as they seemed intent on doing.
He also seemed to care about finding the senator’s real killer and bringing down the people pulling the strings.
Keira hadn’t realized just how close he’d moved to her. She stared up into his eyes. “You could’ve completed your mission and avoided all this.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m done taking orders that don’t make sense.
Killing you made no sense to me—especially after I found your research in the motel room.
” He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “You’re an interesting woman, Keira.
I’m with you on this assignment. I want to find the people behind the Senator’s death and the framing of this particular Onyx operative.
” He bent and touched his lips to her forehead.
Keira lowered her gaze to his chest, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. Why had he kissed her forehead when she’d much rather he’d kissed her lips? How could she change his trajectory?
Her hands rose his arms as if they had minds of their own.
When the fingers of her right hand encountered something damp and sticky, she blinked, her gaze darting to his left arm, where the sleeve of his leather jacket had a hole in it.
Blood stained the leather. “What the hell?” she gasped and stepped back. “You’re injured?”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just a—”
“I swear if you say it’s just a flesh wound, I’ll...I’ll—” she blustered.
He chuckled. “You’ll what? Kill me?”
“Don’t tempt me.” She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, none too gently. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We were busy getting the hell out of Austin. I’ll take care of it after you get your shower.” He winced when the jacket slid down his arms and dropped to the floor.
“The hell you will.” She yanked his T-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. “You’re first in the shower. Is the bullet still inside you?”
A grin pulled at his lips. “You tell me.”
She pushed the T-shirt up his chest. “Can you raise your arm?”
In answer, he raised both arms, again wincing slightly, as he bent over so that she could pull the shirt up over his head.
Once she had the shirt off, she rested one hand on his bare chest and the other on his arm just below the injury. “Looks like the bullet nicked you.”
“See? A flesh wound.” He smiled. “I’ll live to fight another day.”
Suddenly aware of her hand on his warm chest, Keira stepped backward, heat rising up her neck and flooding her cheeks. “Go.” She pointed toward the bathroom. “In the shower. Once you’ve rinsed off, I’ll tend the wound.”
He popped a salute. “Yes, ma’am.” Rogue hurried out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the front living area.
Keira pressed a hand to her chest, shocked at how fluttery her heartbeat was as her gaze followed him.
He came back down the hallway, carrying his go-bag. “I won’t be long.” Rogue ducked into the bathroom and closed the door.
“Take your time,” Keira whispered. She’d need all the minutes to pull herself together. The man was little more than a stranger. She’d sworn off men.
So why the hell had she wanted to run her hands over his bare chest and feel the touch of his lips on hers? Not on her freaking forehead!