Reyes knew exactly what ailed his dad: fear of another son getting caught up in a romance. Sterling had already shaken things up. His dad probably feared losing control of the entire enterprise if Reyes got serious with Kennedy.
Thinking that, he pressed a kiss to her temple. Serious? Damn right he was serious. Serious about keeping her safe. Serious about wanting her to be happy.
Serious about...making love to her again.
Definitely serious about that.
“What will happen next?” she asked.
He wasn’t entirely sure, since he’d taken her from the table before plans could be made. “Likely Madison will want a few days to figure out if the bastards have a pattern of any kind. When they’re in the motel, when they’re on the road, where they go and for how long. Stuff like that. Once we know, we can figure out where to grab them.”
“What if...” She rested her head back against his shoulder and, after a few seconds, started again. “What if they take other women before then?”
“We’d go in sooner.” Even now, Kennedy was worried about strangers instead of herself. It occurred to him that her entire career was meant to protect others, to prepare them, educate them, so they wouldn’t suffer the same fate she had. “One thing to know, babe. We never turn a blind eye to abuse. If shit happens that alters our plans, we adjust accordingly.”
She sat up and turned to face him, her expression drawn in worry. “Have you ever been hurt?”
“Few times.” He carried her fingers to his upper chest, near his shoulder. “Did you happen to notice the scar I have here?”
“Yes.”
“Knife wound,” he said. “I demolished the fucker who did that, by the way.” He moved her fingers to his thigh. “The scar I have here? Graze of a bullet. Prick was trying to unman me but missed.” He showed his teeth in a savage smile. “I didn’t.”
Her gaze searched his, and suddenly she was against him, her arms snug around his neck. “You could have been killed and I never would have met you.”
Then she might have died, too, because who else could she have called on the night of the fire? No one. He crushed her closer. “I didn’t, you didn’t, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
“Sometimes,” she whispered, “I’m so afraid.”
He didn’t want that. A healthy respect for consequences, yeah, that was good. But actual fear? She’d had enough of that in her life already. “Can you tell me anything else about O’Neil?” He’d kill the man who’d once taken her, who apparently hunted her now, and he wouldn’t have a single moment of remorse. “Anything at all would be good.”
Her arms loosened as she eased out of his embrace. “He was a chain-smoker.” Absently she smoothed a hand along the side of his neck. “He was meaner when he drank—and he drank all the time.”
Fucker. Reyes would take pleasure in ending him.
“You saw what he looks like. Faded blond hair, under six feet, I think, but I couldn’t say for sure.”
Because she’d been so young, and so traumatized, every man had likely felt huge. Who paid attention to little details when survival was top of the list? “Any tattoos?” he prompted. “Jewelry?”
She touched her throat, down by her clavicle. “A snake tattoo.”
“What kind of clothes did he wear?”
“I don’t know.” Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she frowned. “Jeans usually, I think. T-shirts.” Sounding shamed, she said, “I tried not to look at him.”
“You’re doing great, babe.” Pulling her hands down, he pressed small, soft kisses to each of her knuckles. “Anything else?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s plenty for now.” An especially cold wind blew over the lake, and Reyes decided it was time to get back to business. “Know what I want to do?”
Her eyes were big and blue, her honey-colored hair moving with the wind. “Plan?”
“Yeah, that first.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. “Then I’d like to take you home and strip you naked, and spend the day in bed.”
Slowly the darkness left her expression, and her mouth curled into a smile. “I like that idea.”
He realized he was being a selfish ass, so he offered her an out. “Unless you’d rather take in a movie first? Or if you have any shopping to do?”
Wearing an impish smile, she pretended to think about it. “Let me see. A movie, or you naked? Such a difficult decision.”
Teasing right back, Reyes reached for her breast. “Or maybe we should just make use of this boulder? I don’t think my family would spy on us, then we could head to a movie when we leave here.”
She surprised him by laughing. “Don’t tempt me.” Holding his hand for balance, she carefully made her way down the boulder, then laced her fingers through his once they had their feet on the ground again. “Let’s go get this planning over with. I can call Jodi on the way home.” She flashed him a smile. “And then...”
“I’ll show you how nice a day spent in bed can be.”
Together.
He thought it, but didn’t say it.
He had a lot of things to work out, including his attitude on going it alone. Kennedy might not realize it, but she’d altered his thinking on things.
Hell, she’d altered his entire existence. His habits. His convictions.
Maybe even...his heart.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
KENNEDY AND BERNARD played with the cat and kittens while Reyes, Cade, Madison and their dad sat around a massive desk in the library making plans. She’d been confused at finding all the kittens there, until Reyes explained that his siblings always brought them along when they came to his dad’s house. It was a compromise that pleased everyone, most especially Bernard.
It was decided that he and Kennedy needed to meet with Jodi again, to clue her in on the players and the risks. Kennedy wanted to make sure that Jodi knew she wasn’t alone, that she had substantial backup so she wouldn’t do anything reckless.
Made sense to Reyes, although that also added the risk that his father’s enterprise might be exposed. Extra care, everyone agreed, was necessary.
Cade and Sterling would shadow them to Jodi’s place, just to make sure they weren’t ambushed. There was a good chance the goons might already know where Jodi was staying.
After all, they knew Jodi and Kennedy were friends. They’d torched Kennedy’s apartment. They’d tracked them to the campsite.