Page 11 of Kane (Ghost Ops #4)

She wasn’t sure if that meant he’d tried and failed, or he gave up the idea because one branch of service was no better for relationships than another.

She wasn’t going to ask at first, but then she decided why not?

The worst he’d do was refuse to answer. Besides, it kept him from asking questions about her.

“So did you get married or not?”

He didn’t answer at first, just continued to stare at the road. “I was married. She died.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Kane. Forgive me for asking.”

Mirrored sunglasses turned her way for a second before focusing on the road again. “It’s okay. How could you know? It happened a long time ago. Not that you ever get over something like that, but you move on. I’ve moved on.”

“Still. I’m sorry I blundered into it.”

“I don’t talk about that part of my life very often. And before you ask, I never use it to get sympathy from women. It’s private. Hell, I don’t know why I’m telling you, except my guys know so you might as well too since you work with us.”

“I would never think you’d use such a thing for sympathy.”

“Yes, you would. And I don’t blame you for it. But I don’t. Wanted you to know that.”

She believed him. If he was the kind of man who used a dead wife to get into other women’s panties, that would make him pretty fucking despicable in her mind. But Kane wasn’t despicable. He was a good guy. They all were. She was certain of it, and there wasn’t a lot she was certain of these days.

“What about you?” he said.

“What about me?”

“Ever been married?”

“What would make you ask that? I’m twenty-three. Thought I was a mere babe in your mind, far too young for that kind of thing.”

“You are young, but believe me, I saw plenty of young grunts get married as soon as they were out of basic training. First assignment and a GI meet a girl, starts getting sex on the regular, and thinks that shit’s golden so he marries her.

Then they start having kids and before you know it, you’ve got twenty-three year old GIs with three or four kids to support.

So, sure, you’re a mere babe, but you could be running away from an ex. ”

“Not married, Kane. I’ve never been married.

And there is no ex I’m running from. I was just passing through when I landed in Sutton’s Creek.

But I like it, so I’m staying for now. Also, that was an incredibly sexist line of thought about GIs meeting girls, etcetera.

Women join the Army these days too, or didn’t you know?

Not to mention that if one gay soldier meets another and gets married, the kids probably take a bit more planning and thought. ”

“I’m aware, babe. But the majority is what I said, even if the female is in the Army too.

Kids getting married and having kids, or not having kids, but fighting all the same because they didn’t really know each other, just liked getting naked together.

You could have been married and divorced by now, same as many of them. ”

“Did you marry the first woman you slept with, too?”

“I did. We didn’t start popping out kids, though. We both wanted to wait. Wanted to enjoy each other first.”

Imagining Kane married and thinking about a family was completely foreign. She was sad for what he’d been through, and jealous of a woman she’d never met. Which made her feel like a jerk.

“I’ve never been serious enough with anyone to want to marry them,” she said.

It was true. It was also true that she wouldn’t have been allowed to marry someone she chose.

Her father got to determine that, and he’d always intended her to marry for connections and to cement her family’s position.

Same for Jackson, so at least it wasn’t a sexist maneuver on her dad’s part.

The O’Malley kids had a duty to the family, and they would do that duty when the time came.

That her father hadn’t forced either of them into alliances yet was a surprise, but the time was at hand. That was something he’d started to talk more about lately, and she’d dreaded it.

Kane nodded. “You know, when we first found you squatting in the Sutton building, I thought you were running away from a relationship. A bad one, where the guy was abusive.”

Not far from the truth, but not the truth either.

“I can understand that. But I wasn’t running away from anyone.

I just hit some bad luck and couldn’t afford to pay my way out, especially once I lost the job at the inn.

I was planning to look for work at the businesses in the square.

But then you guys burst in, scared me half to death, and saved me at the same time. For which I am truly grateful.”

She’d thanked them profusely over the first few weeks, but she hadn’t as much lately because she’d settled into a routine.

Maybe she should, though. When Kane, Blaze, and Seth found her in the empty apartment, she’d been cold, scared, and had no idea how she was going to get herself out of the mess she’d gotten into.

It was because of them she’d found her footing.

Because of them she was still here. Maybe she should have moved on a couple of months ago, but then what?

She’d be cleaning toilets again, probably, and she’d be miserable.

She wouldn’t have her book club friends, either.

She’d never really had girlfriends, because she’d been isolated as a kid and then spoiled as a young woman, but she had them now.

It was new, and it was lovely.

Kane hooked a left into the next gas station and drove up to a pump. He turned off the engine, then swiveled to look at her, sliding those mirrored shades down his nose.

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure I believe everything that comes out of your mouth, Sunshine.

Seems to me a woman willing to live in her car and scrub toilets, especially one as smart and lovely as you, doesn’t want to call attention to herself.

But know this—if you’re scared somebody’s going to find you, if you have any doubts about your safety, you have me at your back.

And not just me. Alex, Ethan, Blaze, Chance, and Seth are there too.

You need help, you ask. Nobody touches one of our own and gets away with it, you hear me? ”

Her heart thumped painfully. Her throat squeezed. “I hear you,” she whispered.

He slid the glasses on again. Grinned. All he needed was some chewing gum and he could be 1986 Tom Cruise in Top Gun . The arrogance. The bravado. The certainty he was God’s gift to women.

“Good girl. Don’t forget it, either.”

He got out of the Yukon, whistling as he pumped gas.

Cocky, arrogant, beautiful idiot.