Chapter 5
Keira paced for the next hour, sleep the furthest from her mind.
“Jade contacted me,” she murmured. “What does it mean?”
“That she wants out.”
“Or Viktor is using her as bait to get me to come out of hiding. It could be a trap.” She made another pass across the living room floor. “I can’t let them get to me. We don’t have enough on the players in this deadly game.”
“And yet, you can’t ignore a cry for help.” Rogue stepped in front of her and gripped her arms. “If she truly wants out, we have to make contact.”
Keira nodded. “And get her to somewhere safe.”
“As soon as we determine that it is, in fact, Jade contacting you and not Viktor,” Rogue said. “Did you two train together?”
Keira nodded. “And we lived in the same barracks on the compound.”
“Is there something she might know about you that Viktor wouldn’t?”
“Maybe.” Keira slid the laptop onto her lap and keyed a response to Jade’s message.
KD: Jade, if this is truly you, tell me something only you and I would know.
Keira sent the message and sat staring at the screen for long moments after. “She might not have immediate access to her messages. It could be a while before she responds.”
Rogue glanced at his watch. “We won’t hear from Royce until morning. It’s getting late. We should try to get some sleep.”
Keria nodded. “You can have the bedroom, if you like. I’ll sleep out here on the sofa.”
“Not happening,” Rogue said. “It’s your place. Go sleep in your bed. I’ll be fine out here.”
“You’re too tall to be comfortable on this couch.”
“I’ll manage,” he insisted. “We need to be rested for tomorrow. We might be on the move again.”
She nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll leave my door open and my gun loaded.”
Rogue’s grin made Keira’s pulse quicken.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t cross the threshold.”
Keira’s cheeks heated. “Not...I meant in case our tail catches up to us and you need help defending the cabin.”
“You can close your door. I’ll be fine out here, and you’ll be safe to sleep.” He tipped his chin toward the back of the cabin. “Go.”
Her brow dipped. She hadn’t slept the night before, keeping one eye open at all times.
Watching her back and remaining alert didn’t leave room for restful sleep.
It would be nice to get some shut-eye while someone had her back.
She grabbed her laptop and started for the hallway.
After only two steps, she paused and turned back to find Rogue’s gaze on her.
She’d learned the hard way never to trust anyone but herself.
Her life in foster care, the loss of her sister and her training with Viktor had brought her to that conclusion.
Then why did she feel she could sleep in the presence of this stranger she was getting to know? Instinct told her she could.
His eyes narrowed. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “It’s just...thank you. I’m not sure I’d be here without your help.”
His lips lifted on the corner. “You’re very resourceful. I’m sure you would’ve found a way to avoid capture.”
“Or death,” she whispered. “Anyway, thank you.” Her cheeks warmed. After years of suppressing emotions, she wasn’t very good at handling the ones surfacing now. She turned toward the back of the house.
“Keira,” Rogue’s voice stopped her.
She looked back. “Yes?”
“I’m glad I’m here,” he said. “Thank you for trusting me with your secret cabin.”
And my life, Keira thought.
She gave a brief nod. “Goodnight, Rogue.” This time, she strode out of the living room and down the hallway to the bedroom.
She entered, turned, closed the door and then leaned against it.
What game was she playing with the handsome former Delta Force operator?
No use getting all touchy-feely with the man.
Nothing could ever happen between them. She was tainted.
A child who’d been physically and sexually abused, her body used for the pleasure of others. Then she’d been trained as a killer.
How could two people from such different paths in life ever be anything more?
He was a patriot, an honorable man who’d fought for his country. A man sent to rid the world of a heartless killer. Yet, he had helped her rather than hurt her.
Plus, he’d kissed her as if none of it mattered—just two people, alone in a cabin. No one watching. No one judging.
Still wearing her T-shirt and shorts, Keira opened the door a crack, climbed into her bed, checked the nightstand for her handgun and then turned out the light.
For a long time, she lay staring into the pitch darkness, wondering what life would have been like had her parents lived long enough to see her and her sister become adults.
Would her sister have grown up to be a doctor, a teacher or a ballet dancer?
Would Keira have gone to college or joined the military and become the type of woman worthy of a former Delta Force Operator? A woman without fault, shame or a criminal record?
She sat up, punched her pillow with more force than was necessary and then lay on her side, determined to push all those thoughts into an imaginary box at the back of her mind, using the compartmentalization technique she’d learned in her training with Onyx.
Her focus would remain on finding the senator’s killer and the people who had put them up to it.
Kissing Rogue would do nothing to help her complete her self-assigned mission.
The door to the box at the back of her mind opened enough to remind her that kissing Rogue had been pretty great.
As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered if Rogue was awake or if he’d gone to sleep.
If he dreamed, would it be of...
The kiss?
The rattle of pans startled Keira awake.
She sat up straight, trying to remember where she was.
The darkness was the first clue. She’d never stayed in a place as dark as the bedroom in her cabin.
She leaned over, turned on the light on her nightstand and checked the wind-up clock.
Seven o’clock? In the morning? She shook her head.
When was the last time she’d slept past five?
Her training with Onyx had required the girls to rise at or before five and be in formation by five fifteen, ready for morning calisthenics. They were required to stay in prime physical shape at all times. They’d had it so drilled into their heads that sleeping in wasn’t even possible.
Seven o’clock? Wow. She felt like half the day was already gone.
Keira leaped out of the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold stone floor. From the sounds coming through the crack in the door, Rogue was up and moving around in the kitchen.
If he needed her, he would call out or knock. She had a few minutes to herself.
The first thing she did was check her messages on her laptop. Jade had yet to respond.
She dropped to the floor and knocked out thirty pushups, flipped onto her back and performed fifty sit-ups and fifty leg lifts.
On her feet again, she did thirty burpees, fifty jumping jacks and rounded out with thirty mountain climbers.
When she rose to her feet, she squeaked in surprise to find Rogue standing in the doorway, hair combed, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with a smile curling his lips.
Damn, he made her heart flutter. How the hell did he do that by just standing there?
“Sorry. I came to see if you like your eggs scrambled or scrambled?” he said with a wink.
“You found the powdered eggs, I take it?” She shook out her arms and legs, hoping she didn’t reek of sweat. “Scrambled for me, but I want to jump in the shower first.”
“They’ll be ready when you are,” he said. “Are you going to try for a run this morning?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to risk being spotted by anyone. Anything from your boss?”
“Not yet. I expect the package to arrive any minute.”
“I hope it can’t be tracked.”
“Royce is thorough,” Rogue said. “Between him, Swede and our other tech guru, Kyla, they’ll have it cloaked and invisible with whatever computer magic they can find. They’ll do their best to keep our location a secret.”
Keira grimaced. “Onyx and the people behind it have ways of breaking through firewalls.”
Rogue dipped his head, his jaw tight. “As do we—and we guard against those ways when it comes to our data. Our lives depend on it.” His face softened. “Sleep well?”
“Surprisingly,” she responded. “And you?” Did you dream of kissing me? The thought sprang to her head, but thankfully not to her lips. Heat rose up her neck into her cheeks.
His gaze held hers for a moment and then lowered to her mouth. “I caught a few winks.” He straightened away from the doorframe. “Go. Get that shower. I’ll have breakfast ready when you’re done.” He spun and walked away.
“You don’t have to cook for me,” she called out.
He waved a hand. “I know.”
Keira watched as he walked barefoot away from her. She drew in a deep breath and let it out, hoping it would help to slow her racing pulse. She blamed the elevated heartbeat on exercise. Anything else would be ridiculous. She was Onyx trained. Emotions were useless and dangerous.
Only she wasn’t Onyx anymore. She squared her shoulders, grabbed a clean T-shirt, underwear and jeans and hurried into the bathroom. Minutes later, the cool water had done its job, lowering her core temperature and resetting her focus.
Clean face, sweat washed away, damp hair combed back and secured in a low ponytail, she was ready to face the day and the man who’d been sent to kill her.
When she walked into the kitchen, she found Rogue stirring eggs in a skillet, looking as comfortable with a spatula as with a handgun. He turned and smiled.
Her pulse kicked back into high gear.
What was wrong with her?
“Hungry?” he asked.
She nodded, too flustered to form words. Her gaze slipped to his mouth. The same mouth that had kissed her the night before, stirring something she hadn’t realized existed deep inside.