Page 31 of When He Fights (Protector & Defender #3)

Chapter Seventeen

Someone was pounding at the door. Again. Jeez.

Ana cracked open one eye. She discovered a very close-up view of a powerful chest. Mostly because she was sprawled across said chest.

The pounding came again. Was it the Feds? The agents in the hallway?

“What in the actual hell?” Kane rumbled. A rumble Ana felt against her ear.

She scooted up, away, and took the sheet with her because she was completely naked.

“We have company. Probably our friendly Feds.” A squint toward the bedside clock.

“Unless it’s a delivery. Maybe room service?

Breakfast?” The digits on the clock had come into focus for her.

“Lunch?” It was later than she’d realized.

The pounding continued. Even more demanding.

“Didn’t order room service.” Kane jumped from the bed. He stalked, naked, out of the bedroom.

She blinked. His ass was fantastic, but where was he going, totally naked? Ana scrambled out of the bed, but she wrapped the sheet around her. “Kane!” He was moving fast. “Kane!” She followed in his wake.

He stopped near the suite’s main door and peered through the peephole. Somewhere between the bed and the door, the man had managed to pick up a gun. No clothing, but he had a gun.

“Bastard,” he snarled as he stared through the door.

“Don’t open it when you are naked!” He’d at least put on a robe when he reassured the agents outside that all was well before—when he’d woken up bellowing from his nightmare.

No way could he go confronting them naked now.

She rushed across the room and tossed him the jeans that he’d ditched earlier. “Put these on.”

He cursed, but Kane put on the jeans. He let go of his gun long enough to haul on the jeans—and to zip and button them—and then the gun was in his hand again, and he was hauling open the door.

“Hello, sleeping beauty,” a deep, amused male voice drawled. “Took you long enough. Despite these two Feds out here assuring me that no one had entered your suite, I was starting to think I might have to break down the door just to do a welfare check.”

Something about that voice seemed vaguely familiar. Ana crept forward.

“I don’t like to tell other people their business,” the voice continued, “but, Kane, my friend, you have a rose petal in your hair.”

Kane’s free hand rose and shoved through his hair. The rose petal fluttered to the floor. Correction, two rose petals fluttered to the floor.

“Rose petals in your hair, and a gun in your grip.” Laughter from the man. “Good morning to you. Or, afternoon, considering it’s past noon.”

“Get inside,” Kane ordered. He backed up.

The man entered. Tall and muscled. Dark hair. Steely blue eyes. A face that could have been carved from granite. His eyes swept the room and immediately fell on her. He smiled. “Hi, Ana. Nice to see you again.”

See you again.

She sucked in a deep breath.

Kane whirled toward her. His eyes widened. “Ana, shit!” He slapped the gun down on an end table and bounded to her side. No, he bounded in front of her, making his body into a wall that he positioned between her and the new arrival. “You aren’t dressed!”

“Very true,” Ana agreed. She should dress. “But at least I have a sheet wrapped around me. Until five seconds ago, when I tossed those jeans to you, you were the one answering the door in the raw.”

The man who’d entered their suite said, “Oh, jeez. Thanks for saving me from that fate, Ana. A million deep, heart-felt thanks.”

Kane grabbed the shirt on the floor—his shirt. The one he’d stripped off previously, and he tugged it over her head. Over her head and over the sheet that she wore.

What. Was. He. Doing?

His shirt swallowed her. And her sheet.

“Covered.” Kane nodded. He folded his arms over his chest. “How the hell does Tyler know you?”

Tyler. Tyler Barrett. Because as soon as she’d seen his face and those steely blue eyes, she’d known their visitor’s identity.

“Fuck me,” Kane breathed. Then he whirled to confront Tyler. “It was you. ”

Tyler held up his hands. “I feel like there is some animosity in the room. Shall we take things down a notch or two?”

Kane’s hands fell to his sides as he stalked toward Tyler. “ You took Ana away!”

“Well, if you mean… I was the US Marshal who escorted her to safety and gave her a new ID . Then, yes, guilty as charged.” Tyler dropped his hands. His gaze raked the room. The floor. He stalked around a glowering Kane and bent to scoop up—wait, what was he scooping up?

Horror rolled through her. Ana felt her cheeks burn.

“I gave her a new identity,” Tyler disclosed, “but how was I to know that you were fucking her?” Panties dangled from his fingertips. Torn panties.

Her panties.

The silence in the suite cut like a knife.

“I wasn’t fucking her then, ” Kane growled.

Ana stalked to Tyler. She snatched her panties.

“We are fucking now, ” she clarified with as much dignity as she could muster.

Not a lot considering she was wearing a sheet, Kane’s shirt, and holding her ripped panties.

“You know what?” She pasted a bright smile on her face.

“I’m going to shower and get dressed. Maybe one of you could order lunch?

I’m starving. And we’ll just have our big talk over the meal.

” Because if Tyler was there, a big talk had to be imminent.

In fact, the US Marshal’s presence could only mean one thing.

Gray wants me to leave town. He wants to move me again. He wants to give me a new identity. And if that was the case…

This might be the last day that I see Kane.

She left the room with her shoulders squared, her chin up, the sheet dragging behind her, and her panties fisted in her hand.

The bedroom door clicked closed. Kane exhaled on a low, hard breath. He also forced his hands to unclench as he confronted his friend. “You embarrassed Ana.” A pause. “I should kick the shit out of you for that.”

Tyler arched one eyebrow, not appearing even mildly concerned by the threat of an attack. “You can try. But I’m pretty sure I can take you.”

Kane shook his head. “You can’t.”

“Are you certain about that? You’re a little bigger, granted, but I fight dirtier.”

“Don’t count on it.” Every instinct he possessed told him to chase after Ana. To throw open that bedroom door and?—

Tell her that I love her. Tell her that I will always fight for her. Don’t care how dirty I have to fight, I will always protect her.

“Where did the rose petals come from, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Gray is a dick.”

“Commonly understood. But where did the rose petals come from?”

“He checked us into the honeymoon suite. The rose petals were here when we arrived. I’m sure that was his doing. Like he hasn’t pulled similar BS before with cover stories.”

Tyler rocked back on his heels. “The man does believe in authenticity.” He cleared his throat. “But I’m thinking Gray isn’t responsible for the clothes I see scattered about or the panties that were ripped nearly in two.”

Enough of this shit. Kane moved to stand toe to toe with his friend.

He liked Tyler. Screw it. He loved the man like a brother.

They’d been Marines, serving in nightmare situations.

Tyler had saved his ass more times than Kane could count, just as he’d saved Tyler.

They didn’t have a blood bond, but some connections went far deeper than blood.

He’d take a bullet for Tyler. Had, in fact. And he knew Tyler would do the same for him any day of the week.

However, there were some things that Kane would not allow. Time for those rules to be established. “Never touch her panties again.”

Now both of Tyler’s brows shot up.

“Never make her feel uncomfortable. Never say any shit that makes her flee a room again, understand me? What is happening between me and Ana has nothing to do with you.”

“Uh, yeah, it does, actually.” A wince. “Gray called me in specifically because of what is happening with Ana.”

Kane could have sworn the breath froze in his lungs. “You are not taking her away from me.” Not again. He could not lose Ana again.

“She can’t stay holed up in the honeymoon suite forever.”

Kane knew that, dammit.

“Gray feels the threat level is too high in this area for her. “

“You are not taking her away from me. ”

“Big guy, settle down.”

Oh, the hell he would settle down.

“Gray says as long as you are close to her, you’re in danger too.”

Screw that. “I don’t care about danger.”

“Understood. Tell me something I don’t know.” Tyler pointed toward the hallway. “But you care about her, don’t you?”

Hell, yes. But I didn’t tell her. I fucked her again last night. I took her, got lost in her, fed my obsession for her, and even when Ana told me that she loved me…

He hadn’t given her the words back.

Because he?—

“You care about her so you get that it will be easier for her to vanish without you right now, yes? I’ll take her out of here.

I can have her on a plane in forty-five minutes.

I can make her vanish. Then you and Gray can take care of the mess here in Mississippi.

” His hand fell. “Apparently, you both have targets on you just as big as the bull’s-eye on your lady.

So with her gone, you can know she’s safe.

You can take out the threat without being distracted.

You can march up and down the streets and draw out your enemy.

All without worrying about Ana being hurt. ”

“So that’s Gray’s new plan? For me to be bait? For him to be bait?” Kane nodded. He much preferred that plan to Ana being at risk. What he didn’t prefer… Losing Ana. “Where will you take her?” Tell me. I can go and get her as soon as the danger has passed.

Tyler’s lashes flickered. “I’m not at liberty to tell you that.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Dead serious. What happens if you are compromised? If you know her location, you might reveal it.”

“That’s not funny, Ty. You know I would never betray, Ana. I’ve never betrayed anyone.” He could take torture. He could take hours and hours of pain. He could not take jeopardizing anyone he cared about in this world.

“You wouldn’t betray her…” Tyler took a step to the side. His head cocked as he studied Kane. “Because you love her?”

“Love has nothing to do with this!” An angry snarl. And…

Sonofabitch, Ana was in the hallway. How had he not heard the bedroom door open? Yet there she stood. Wet hair. White robe.

Had she taken the fastest shower on record or what? And would he ever forget the stark, hurt look in her eyes? “ Ana. ”

“I was going to ask for a club sandwich for lunch.” Brittle. “Could you make that happen, please? And thank you.” With that, she turned on her heel. Went back in the bedroom.

He definitely heard the click of the door shutting.

“Oh, yeah,” Tyler drawled as he curled his hand around Kane’s shoulder. “Love has nothing to do with this. Why don’t you try telling that to your face? Because, my friend, you look like hell right now.”

“Move the hand, Ty.”

Tyler moved the hand. “How about I order everyone sandwiches? And you can go get dressed yourself. Not like you can leave the hotel in just your jeans.” He looked at his watch. “By the way, Gray wanted me departing in an hour with your Ana. So, time is ticking.”

One hour?

One freaking hour?

Without another word, Kane stalked for the bedroom. He didn’t knock. He just threw the door open.