Page 14 of Curvy Hostage Mate (Gold Wolves Black Ops #4)
I never told Morgan about Cain’s visit or his threat.
I knew her well enough to know that she would blame herself and do nothing but worry over the next several days.
I didn’t want to stress her out more than she already was.
Part of me wondered if that was the right move, or if I was being unfair to her by keeping that secret.
Ever since, though, she was even quieter than before.
She kept to herself, giving faint, distant smiles when she caught me glancing at her, but then looking away.
Seeing it made my stomach twist with guilt, but not enough to make me bend.
It was for her own protection. She should be able to understand that.
But I needed her help. She was the only one who could give us up-to-date information on Cain and his operations, and any protections he might have. As much as I hated getting her involved, even indirectly, I would have to.
Which was how I found myself coming to sit down on the couch next to her, two sandwiches on the plate in my hand.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“Famished,” she answered. “I was actually about to fix lunch.”
“Here.” I handed her the sandwich, and she grimaced.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Just my stomach’s been a bit weird lately,” she muttered. “This doesn’t sound good to me. I’ll fix myself something else.”
“Are you coming down with something?” I asked as she pushed herself to her feet and went to the fridge. She shook her head.
“Just anxiety,” she murmured as she started rummaging.
“I was actually hoping I could talk to you about something,” I said as she pulled out carrots and hummus and came back to the table.
She studied me with interest and curiosity as she dipped a carrot. “What’s up?”
“Cain.” I leaned forward, propping my elbows on the table as I kept my gaze locked on her. “I need to know if he has any protections, anything that can help or that we should know about before we start our attack.”
Snorting, she shook her head in amusement and disbelief as her mouth quirked upward. “Funny,” she remarked.
I frowned, my brow knitting as I stared at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Asking for my help. I get that you’re trying to stop me from asking about Kendra, but pretending I would be helpful here is just too ridiculous.”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at her. “Again, what are you talking about? You are incredibly helpful.”
She shook her head, her brow creasing. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I don’t get why you’re coming to me for help on this. I’m more or less useless.”
I stared, not bothering to hide my confusion. “What the hell are you talking about? In what universe are you useless?”
“Look at me.” She gave a vague, dismissive gesture at herself. “I can barely stand up for myself. I’m useless in fights and things like that. I can only do simple spells. And it isn’t as though Cain confided all that much in me. I don’t get why you would think I’d be helpful.”
By the end of the short monologue, my mouth hung open as I gaped in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? Because if you actually think you’re useless, then you need to reevaluate some things. And you’re sure as hell not weak.”
“Right,” she muttered with an amused tilt of her lip, the kind of smirk you gave when you didn’t believe someone but were going to humor them.
I let out an angry snarl that seemed to take Kendra by surprise.
But I couldn’t help it. Normally, I tried to hide my emotions, but I couldn’t hold this one back.
How many slaveowners had managed to convince Kendra that she was entirely useless?
She was an incredible woman, and the fact that anyone had tried to tell her anything otherwise was infuriating.
“I mean it,” I said firmly. “You’re amazing.”
“Let me know when you have data to back that up with,” she quipped.
I laughed, coming to crouch in front of her so we were at eye level. Without realizing what I was doing, my hands went to hers and clasped them, holding onto them as I stared into those stunning emerald eyes.
“First of all, you managed to hold out against those cronies that barged into the old safehouse for a long time,” I said. “Without being able to use any sort of defensive or offensive magic against them. That takes skill and resourcefulness.”
I reached out and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. My hand lingered, cupping her cheek. I didn’t think she realized it when she leaned into it, her eyes fluttering briefly shut.
“And that’s not including the fact that you survived being kidnapped and traded as a slave for years.”
“I had my sister,” she muttered.
“You didn’t when Cain took an interest in you,” I pointed out.
“You were on your own with that asshole for months. I’m not going to ask you what he did or said to you, or how shitty he treated you, unless you want to tell me.
But you managed to endure it. I’ve been on missions with guys who aren’t as strong as you. ”
She didn’t say anything. Seemed almost incapable of saying anything. I tilted her head so she had to look me in the eye.
“You need to start giving yourself more credit,” I said, my thumb stroking across her cheekbone.
She coughed, pink flushing her cheeks as she glanced away. I didn’t miss the tears filling her eyes, but I pretended not to notice.
“You’re cute when you blush, you know that?” I teased.
She gave a small laugh before sniffing. “And you’re a shameless flirt,” she fired back.
“Guilty as charged,” I grinned, then leaned forward so our faces were inches apart. “But only with the pretty girls.”
“Now I know you’re lying,” she said.
“I never lie about things like that,” I said. “You just need to start believing it yourself.”
“Have fun trying to get that to happen,” she said. “It’s been an ongoing problem since I was a kid.”
I grinned. “I’ll keep pestering you until you do. And that’s a promise.”
She smiled briefly before her brow furrowed in concentration.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and I realized after a brief moment that it wasn’t because she was embarrassed.
She was thinking. I stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt her concentration even as my eyes remained locked on her.
“He uses protective magic,” she said, her eyes finally fluttering open again.
“Pretty strong stuff. I’ve seen it in action.
There have been guys who think they’re above his rules and have tried taking swipes at him, only for it to do absolutely nothing.
But that sort of magic isn’t something you can continually perform.
It would require constant concentration.
More likely than not, it’s in…” she trailed off as her eyes widened. “That ring,” she stated.
“Ring?”
“He has a ring that he fiddles with fairly regularly. A ruby one. I always felt like there was something off about it, but I couldn’t be sure. If I had to guess, it’s enchanted to protect him.”
I thought back to Declan’s office. There had been a ring on Cain’s finger, and he’d twirled it idly when he was gloating.
“And would getting it off him stop the protective magic?” I asked.
“If I’m right? Then yes. Though that still leaves the problem of getting it off his finger in the first place.”
I flapped my hand as I continued to take notes. “We can worry about that later. This is still incredibly useful information.”
“It is?” she asked, sounding more than a little dubious.
I gave a loud laugh. “Of course it is. We wouldn’t have gotten this info if it weren’t for you. And if we didn’t know it, we’d go in half-assed and unprepared. Thank you.”
Her cheeks turned a delicate pink, and she gave a tiny, timid smile. “In that case, I’m glad I was able to help.”
“I told you that you should give yourself more credit,” I said.
Without even realizing my intentions, I pulled her toward me and pressed my mouth to hers. She stiffened in surprise at first, then leaned into it.
I broke it before it could go too far, not sure if I trusted myself to maintain my restraint if the kiss had gone on for any longer, even as my wolf snarled in protest, wanting nothing more than to keep going, to turn that kiss into something more.
When I pulled away, she stared up at me, her eyes slightly wide, her mouth parted. It might have been my imagination, but I had to wonder if I wasn’t the only one who wanted more.