Page 8 of Beau's Retribution (Dark Patriots #4)
I felt sick to my stomach as Keeley slumped in my arms. I saw on her face as she threatened to kill me that she believed I was there to harm her, that I was one of the bad guys. I detested that I gave her the shot, but I couldn’t have her jumping out of a moving car. She’d hurt herself. And there was no way I’d let her leave without us working this out.
Sure, I wanted to protect her, but more than that, I needed to know what had made her run and become so angry with me. At first, I wondered if she found out that I didn’t know Reed. But I checked with Smoke, and he assured me that no communication had gone through to Reed Dallia, and she had received none. I couldn’t think of any other way she’d know I lied about who I was.
“She’s gonna be royally pissed when she wakes up, Scorpion. What happened out there in Montana?” Heath asked.
“She will be. What do you mean? What happened? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. The last we spoke, she seemed fine. Then she had two long working days, and we didn’t see each other. The next thing I knew, Sean called to say she’d taken a flight. She wasn’t supposed to leave until this morning.”
“I saw her face, man. She thinks we’re the bad guys here to hurt her. She thinks we work with those bastards who took her sister,” he muttered.
We were outside of town, headed to the house he had rented. After I went to Missoula, the Patriots had dispatched him and others to keep an eye on things here in Spartanburg. It just happened that he was the one here at the moment. They took turns coming and going. Renting a home was less suspicious than staying in a hotel.
“How much further?” I asked.
“About five miles. That shot should keep her out for at least an hour or more. Does she still think you’re working with Dallia? Maybe she found out you aren’t.”
“I checked. He hasn’t contacted her. Shit, this was supposed to be an easy assignment. Then I could get back to hunting.”
“Listen, if we can smooth things over, I’ll gladly take your place. I know babysitting duty isn’t your thing. I don’t mind.”
Fury flashed through me. He would have to be blind not to notice how beautiful and sexy she was. Heath was a ladies’ man. Sometimes, he could be an asshole, but most of the time, the ladies loved him. The thought of him using his charms on Keeley and her falling for them made me want to punch his face. I glowered at him. He could see mine in the mirror.
“No one is taking my place. And I suggest you don’t flirt with her if you want to keep your face the way it is.”
He held up a hand. “Hey, no need to get upset. I was only offering. I know how important this is. But if she’s too upset with you, for whatever reason, to forgive or work with you, then someone needs to take over.”
“It’s not happening. I’ll find a way to make her stay with me.”
“You mean work with you, right? You said stay.”
“It’s the same thing,” I snapped.
I swore I heard him mutter, “No, it’s not.”
I pretended not to hear him. Instead, I concentrated on the woman in my arms. I cuddled her close. I inhaled, and her sweet scent filled my nose. I fought to relax and organize my thoughts for the fight ahead. I knew when she woke up, she’d be spitting mad. I’d be lucky if she didn’t tear my head off. I had no idea what kind of self-defense training she had, but knowing what I did about her dad, I had to think she’d been shown a variety. It was unlikely he’d allowed his daughters to be anything but experts.