Point of No Return

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kade took me to a hotel on Oahu for our wedding night. At least it was supposed to be a hotel, even though it seemed like another part of the fairy tale to me. We ended up being shown to our own little bungalow right on the beach. The bedroom had an entire wall that could be opened to the outdoors, giving us a spectacular view of the ocean.

“I can’t believe this,” I said, staring at the waves glistening in the moonlight.

“Can’t believe what?” Kade murmured. He stood behind me, his arms sliding around my waist as his lips brushed the skin of my shoulder.

I still wore my wedding gown. When we’d arrived, there had been a private candlelit dinner arranged for Kade and me, and I’d had lobster for the first time ever.

“Can’t believe we’re here, in this place,” I said, then turned in his arms. “Can’t believe we’re married.”

“Believe it,” Kade said, and I felt a tug on the tie at the back of my dress. “You’re mine.”

The tie fell loose and the straps drooped. A shrug of my shoulders, and the white chiffon was lying in a puddle at my feet. All I wore now was my jewelry and my blue stilettos.

“I believe this is what you requested,” I teased, reminding him of when he’d told me: The next time I see you wearing those shoes, they’ll be the only thing you’re wearing.

Kade was silent, his gaze slowly traveling down my body and back up. He was still dressed, though he’d discarded his jacket and rolled back the cuffs of his sleeves.

“I wish you could see yourself,” he said, his voice low and rough. “The moonlight makes your skin shine and your hair and eyes turn silver. Like a mermaid. My mermaid.”

He reached out a hand, trailing his fingers up my stomach to my breast, barely brushing a nipple, then up to my collarbone, and finally lightly clasping my neck.

The waves crashed and pounded on the shore, but I could barely hear them over the beating of my heart. Even though we’d made love many times, this was different. This would be the first time I’d make love with . . . my husband.

I reached up, slipping the buttons of his shirt free, then tugged the shirt from his pants and pushed it over his shoulders and down his arms. There was a soft rustle as the cotton dropped to the floor to join my dress.

Kade kissed me, taking his time to tease my lips before slipping his tongue inside to tangle with mine. He tasted of the champagne we’d drunk with dessert. My hands rested on the warm skin of his chest, the firm planes underneath my fingers reminding me of his strength. I could feel the hard length of him pressing against my stomach and an answering ache bloomed between my legs.

It was a matter of a few quick tugs for me to undo his pants. I pulled back slightly, moving my lips to his chest. His skin was soft beneath my tongue and I could feel the beat of his heart under my fingertips. My tongue grazed his nipple and I heard his sharp intake of breath.

I lowered the zipper of his pants, pushing them down as I dropped to my knees. I wanted to show him how much I loved him, pay homage to his amazing body.

His erection stood proud and long, jutting out from his body. Glancing up, I saw Kade avidly watching me. I held his gaze as I slowly licked him from root to tip, swirling my tongue around the head before taking him in my mouth.

Kade groaned, his eyes drifting shut. His hands tangled in my hair as I lightly sucked. The taste of him, the feeling I got when I watched his face transform into one of pained ecstasy, was like a drug. Moisture dripped from me, coating my inner thighs as I slid him in and out of my mouth, my hands cupping his amazing ass. Soon, he forgot himself, his hips thrusting his heavy cock in my mouth. I was so aroused, I thought I might come from just watching him, knowing I could do this to him. Kade panted, his chest glistening with a light sheen of sweat, moans and gasps falling from his lips. I couldn’t stand it anymore and I lowered a hand to ease the ache between my thighs.

“No,” Kade gasped, abruptly pulling away. “Want to be inside you.”

He’d scooped me up off the floor before I’d even processed what he’d said, then we were on the bed, my legs wrapped around his waist.

Grasping my hands, Kade interlocked our fingers and stretched my arms over my head before burying his cock inside me.

I was so aroused, it didn’t take long before I was coming, my cries cut off by his mouth on mine. Kade moved hard and fast, prolonging my orgasm. He came seconds later, tearing his mouth from mine as he cried out, his body shuddering, the thick length of him pulsing deep inside me.

I was breathing hard and it was difficult to tell whose heartbeat I felt, his or mine. Kade’s head was buried in my neck, then he was kissing me again, a long, lazy kiss that made my toes curl.

“You’re so fucking amazing,” he murmured against my lips. “God, I love you.”

“Ditto,” I managed to reply. “On both counts.”

We lay there like that for a while, both of us getting our breath back, before Kade moved to lie beside me. I turned to face him.

Rays of moonlight scattered across the room and the bed as we each looked into the other’s eyes.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“I know I’m good, but there’s no need to thank me,” he said, his lips quirking up at the corners.

I laughed, punching him lightly on the arm. “Not for that,” I said. “For today. It was beautiful. Perfect. I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for that.”

Kade reached an arm around my waist, pulling me close to the cradle of his body. “I would do anything for you,” he said simply.

I nestled against him and heaved a deep, contented sigh, the soothing sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep.

Kade woke me during the night. I’d turned in my sleep, my back to his chest spoon style. Now my leg rested on top of his as his cock moved inside me. His thrusts were slow and deep, his fingers slipping between my legs to tease my clit. His lips were pressed against my neck, the touch of his tongue sending a shiver through me. I turned my head and he kissed me. My body felt like molten heat, the fire he was building spreading through me. Soon I was panting, begging for him to move faster, harder, but he wouldn’t, and I didn’t even see my orgasm coming until it overwhelmed me. I splintered apart under the force of it, stars exploding behind my eyes.

Kade groaned at the feel of my body gripping his straining cock, his fingers digging into my hip. Then he was moving me to my stomach. My body felt boneless as he pushed my knees underneath me, lifting my backside up, then I cried out again when he pushed inside me, my flesh overly sensitive.

This position let me feel every inch of him as he pounded into me. Kade losing control was something I couldn’t resist and soon I felt my body tensing again. His hands held my hips steady, and the sound of our bodies coming together and our combined moans and gasps filled my ears. This time when I came, I took Kade with me, both of us flying over the edge together.

Kade was still asleep when morning came, whereas I was wide awake. I grabbed the tuxedo shirt he’d shed the night before and pulled it on. There was a small television in the living room, so I closed the French doors to the bedroom and made a pot of coffee, then turned on the TV. Hawaii was five hours behind the time back home, so even though it was early on Oahu, it was a fine time to call Alisha.

I switched on my phone for the first time in over a week, unsurprised to see a ton of voice mails, all from Alisha. I cringed as I listened to them. Kade had some serious apologizing to do to Alisha and Lewis. After I’d listened to the last one, I dialed her number.

“Oh my God, I thought you were dead!” were the first words out of her mouth.

“I’m not,” I assured her. “Though I could very well have been if Kade hadn’t shown up.” I thought I’d better start greasing the wheels immediately for her to forgive him.

“What happened?” she asked. “Did you get my messages? Did Kade tell you what he did? He is such a bastard, Kathleen!”

Okay, it might take more than grease. Kade might have to send Alisha and Lewis a couple of first-class tickets to Hawaii, too.

“I’m so sorry about that,” I said. “Is Lewis okay?”

Alisha spent the next several minutes telling me how he was doing, and it seemed he was healing nicely—and from the sound of it, he was also enjoying the resulting attention Alisha was lavishing on him maybe a little too much.

“But don’t think for a second that I’ve forgiven Kade,” she said. “And why didn’t you ever tell me he could be so . . . so . . .”

“Scary?” I provided.

“Among other things,” Alisha said. “The way he just stood there and pulled the trigger so easily. It scared the shit out of me, Kathleen.”

“I’m really sorry,” I said. “He’s not like that. I mean, he is, but he’s not. Not really. I’m just . . . I’m sorry.”

Alisha gave a huge sigh. “It’s okay. Lewis is okay. And thank goodness you’re okay. You are, right? He didn’t hurt you or anything?”

“Of course not,” I said. “I’m doing good. I’m in Hawaii. And . . . I’m married.”

That took a moment to sink in and then my ear was splitting. “You’re married?” Alisha shrieked.

I grinned. “Yeah. Last night. Kade and I got married. I guess I’m on my honeymoon now.”

“Oh my God, Kathleen, that’s wonderful!” Alisha squealed, her earlier animosity toward Kade apparently forgotten. “I’m so happy for you! And in Hawaii? How romantic! Tell me everything!”

So I told her pretty much everything, the Reader’s Digest Condensed version, right up through the purple flowers and sunset wedding.

“I heard about the senator,” Alisha said when I was through. “It’s been all over the news. That’s the guy who threatened you if you didn’t break up with Blane, right?”

“Yeah, that was him,” I confirmed.

“Blane’s been on the news, too,” she said hesitantly.

“Is he okay?” I asked, suddenly worried.

“He seems fine. He’s been doing the press thing about his uncle. I think the funeral is tomorrow, maybe?”

My eyes slipped closed and I rubbed my forehead. I ached to talk to him, know how he was doing, and I wished there was a way I could still be someone who provided comfort to him, though I knew that wasn’t possible right now.

“You know there’s talk of the Massachusetts governor appointing Blane to the empty seat, right?” Alisha asked.

My eyes flew open. “What? No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah. There’s been a lot of coverage about Blane, including that thing where they arrested him for Kandi’s murder when someone else really killed her—and lots of people like him. I guess there’s just under two years left of that senator’s term, so they’re saying since Blane was his great-nephew and only heir, the governor might appoint him. You know, kind of like a Kennedy.”

“Wow,” I breathed. Blane, a United States senator. That would be something.

“I know, right?” Alisha said.

We went on to talk about other things and I told her a little bit about Hawaii, but my mind was stuck on what she’d said about Blane. I wondered if he’d want a position like that, then chastised myself. Why wouldn’t he? He’d been running for governor. Why wouldn’t he jump at the chance to be a senator?

After a while and several promises from me to call again soon, we hung up. I was sitting on the couch, watching the waves crash along the shore, when Kade came out of the bedroom. He was drying his hair with a towel, another wrapped around his waist.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“Alisha,” I replied. “You’re in such deep shit with her.”

Kade raised an eyebrow at me, and I could tell he really didn’t care. I sighed. Looked like it’d be up to me to make things right with her and Lewis.

“So what do you want to do today?” he asked. “We can swim in the pool, sit on the beach, go sightseeing . . .”

I pushed him down on his back against the couch and gave a sharp tug on the towel around his waist. It fell aside.

“Or we could stay here for a while,” he added hoarsely as I took him in my mouth. Then he stopped talking altogether.

We spent three weeks in Hawaii, touring Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. Sometimes we stayed in a hotel, sometimes on the yacht. The days were perfect and blended together into one long memory of blissful happiness. My morning sickness had at last passed and I felt great. Kade taught me to snorkel, which was really cool, until I came face-to-face with a fish as large as I was.

I screamed through my snorkel, immediately getting a noseful of water, and Kade had to help me back onto the yacht, giving me a hard time the entire way.

“He was big enough to eat me for dinner!” I complained as Kade took off my flippers.

“He was not,” he chided me, sliding his sunglasses back on and running his fingers through his wet hair. “He was just coming closer to get a good look at you.” Kade smirked at me, the sun making his hair shine like a raven’s wing. Leaning toward me, he said, “Though I’d be happy to eat you for dinner.”

I smacked him lightly on the chest. “You’re insatiable,” I complained, but I was smiling. My bump seemed to be getting larger by the day, and I would’ve been self-conscious about it, except that every morning Kade would lay me on my back and scoot down my body to kiss my abdomen and croon, “Good morning, baby.” The first time he’d done it, I’d laughed.

“What the heck are you doing?” I’d asked.

“He gets to hear your voice all the time,” Kade had explained. “I want him to know my voice, too.”

It’d been such a sweet sentiment, I couldn’t stop the big, stupid grin on my face. “How do you know it’s a he?” I’d asked.

Kade had looked up at me as though I’d asked him what color the sky was. “Because I know.”

Of course he did. I’d rolled my eyes and left it at that.

That night, Kade took me to dinner at a beautiful restaurant right on the beach. The meal was five courses, and Kade had poured more Perrier in my glass as he told me about the time he’d gotten snagged at customs when he’d been entering Russia. I was completely enthralled with his story as I listened to him talk about how he’d ended up spending three months in a Russian prison, which was how he’d learned the language.

“How did you get out?” I asked.

“Luck and circumstance,” Kade said evasively. “The guy I was there for was actually another prisoner, so once it was done, I managed to get out. Rusty was helping me on that job.” He laughed. “Man, he hated being there. Said the food sucked and that the only decent thing the Russians made was vodka.”

My eyes were wide. “Yeah, but . . . a Russian prison? For three months? Wasn’t it . . . dangerous?” Which was probably a stupid question. Kade’s entire life had been dangerous.

He shrugged, finishing off the wine in his glass. “A couple new scars for mementos. Not a big deal. People learned quick enough to leave me alone if they valued staying ambulatory.”

A shiver went through me and Kade frowned, reaching for my hand.

“Should I not have told you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, it’s not that.” I wanted to hear what Kade would tell me about his past, though I knew a lot of it was sanitized—and there were some things he’d never tell me. My face heated and I looked away from him, embarrassed. “It’s just that sometimes, when you talk like that, it’s . . .” I couldn’t say it, so I just shook my head.

“It’s what?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I raised my gaze to meet his. His brow was furrowed as he tried to puzzle out what I had been unable to say, then understanding dawned and he laughed softly.

“You, my dear, are a cliché,” he teased, leaning toward me. His hand traced a length of my hair, wrapping the long curl around his finger as he spoke into my ear. “And here I thought my being such a sexy badass had no effect on you.”

The warm touch of his breath sent another shiver through me even as my cheeks flushed hotter. Maybe I was a cliché, but I didn’t care. The fact that Kade was more than capable of taking care of himself and me was a turn-on. I’d own it.

“Admit it,” he whispered. “You love it when I go all Batman.”

I giggled at his teasing, but before I could reply, his cell phone rang.

Kade heaved a sigh, then reached into his pocket for it, glancing at the display.

“Probably should take this, princess,” he said soberly. “It’s Blane.”

My stomach dropped. I quickly nodded and Kade hit the button to take the call.

“Yeah,” he said. He listened for a minute. “Are you sure?” He was silent for a few moments, listening, then glanced at me. “She’s fine. She’s here with me.”

I chewed on a fingernail, wondering what Blane had said.

“When?” Kade asked, then glanced at his watch. “No, you couldn’t get here in time.” Silence again as he listened, his brows furrowing in irritation. “Because he’s already here.”

My breath caught at that, my eyes wide.

“Trust me,” Kade said. “I know.” He listened some more, his eyes glancing at me, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “You know I’d die before I let anything happen to her.”

That certainly wasn’t what I wanted to hear just then.

Kade ended the call and signaled the waiter to bring the bill.

“What’s going on?” I asked after he handed his credit card to the waiter. “What did Blane find out?”

“He found out which assassin Keaston hired, then called to say Interpol had spotted him entering the US.”

The waiter returned and Kade quickly signed the bill and pocketed his card.

“He could be anywhere,” I said. “Do we need to worry?”

Kade stood and took my hand, his eyes scanning the restaurant and the darkness of the beach. “He entered the US through Honolulu,” Kade said.

Ice flooded my veins. “But how?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice. “How did he find me?”

But Kade was already hustling me toward the entrance and flagged down a cab, shielding me with his body as he helped me into the backseat. When he slid into the cab beside me, I saw his gun was in his hand. He gave the driver the hotel address rather than the marina, then flashed a hundred-dollar bill.

“This is yours if you can get us back inside of ten minutes,” he said.

The cabbie laughed, then floored it, flattening me against the back of the seat.

“We’re not going to the boat?” I asked. Getting off the island sounded like a pretty good idea to me.

Kade was looking behind us when he answered. “Nope. No escape route. Remember?”

His body was tense, the gun sitting easily in his grip.

“Get down,” he said, suddenly clutching my shoulder and pulling me down into his lap.

I obeyed, though fear clogged my throat. “Do you see something?” I asked. “What’s happening?”

“Relax,” Kade replied evenly. “Just a precaution.” He glanced down at me, a tiny smirk on his face. “I thought you like it when I go all Batman,” he teased.

“Yeah, well, all Batman’s girlfriends die,” I retorted.

“You watch too many movies.”

Moments later, the cabbie was pulling up to the hotel. Kade tossed the money at him and had me out the door faster than I would have thought possible. The path to our bungalow was through dense foliage and skirted small ponds filled with koi. Kade had his arm so tight around my waist, it seemed I could barely breathe as he half carried me.

“If he’s already here, then what are we doing?” I asked. “Shouldn’t we be leaving? Finding somewhere to hide? What if he knows we’re staying here?” The questions came pouring out in a torrent of fear and panic.

Kade suddenly stopped, hauling me close and taking my face in his hands. The cold metal of his gun pressed against my cheek.

“Listen to me,” he said, his voice low and intent. “I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me. I know this guy. I know what he’ll do. You’re going to be okay. Do you believe that?”

I gazed into his eyes, staring so fixedly into mine, and nodded. How could I explain that it wasn’t me I was worried about? If someone was trying to kill me, it only made sense that they’d try to first take out whoever was trying to protect me.

“Good,” he said. “Because I really need you to be quiet.”

I bit my lip, my gaze dropping in embarrassment as I nodded again.

Kade pressed a kiss to my forehead, then we were moving. Moments later, we were outside our bungalow.

The lights were on inside and Kade pulled me behind him as he silently turned the knob and pushed the door open.

It was quiet inside but although the silence had been peaceful before, it now seemed ominous.

A sudden movement in the bedroom startled me and Kade whipped his gun around, pointing at the maid, who let out a frightened cry.

“Turndown service,” I said quickly, relieved.

“Out,” Kade ordered, and the maid nodded, scurrying past us out the door.

I stood and watched as Kade turned off all the lights, stashing me in a corner without a direct line of sight to me from any window or door.

“You said you knew him,” I said quietly. “Is that true?”

Kade took a bowlful of tiny decorative seashells and began scattering them on the wooden floor in front of the open doors to the beach.

“I killed people for a living, princess,” he said. “It’s a small world.”

“Is he . . . good?” I couldn’t think of another term, though the adjective seemed inappropriate given the profession.

“He’s called the Krait,” Kade said, “after one of the deadliest snakes in the world. It hunts at night, and its bite is almost always fatal.”

Yeah, that wasn’t exactly comforting.

“What’s his real name?” I asked.

“No one knows,” he replied. “Well, I know it, but I doubt many other people do. His name’s John.”

John. A somewhat pedestrian name for a notorious assassin. The stress and tension was getting to me and my bladder decided it needed a timeout. I headed for the bathroom.

“Whoa, wait,” Kade said, stepping in front of me. “Where are you going?”

“I have to use the bathroom,” I said. “Too much water at dinner.” I eyed him. “Is that allowed?” I asked.

“I’ll come with you.”

My mouth dropped open. “Oh no, you won’t!” Yes, Kade was my husband, but I believed there were some things in marriage that should remain a mystery. How I looked while peeing was one of them. “I’ll be quick, I swear,” I promised.

Kade watched as I walked down the hall and into the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and breathed out a sigh. I got that he was trying to protect me, but my nerves were shot and I didn’t know how long it would be like this. Would the guy come tonight?

I flipped on the light just as a hand came down tight over my mouth, stifling my instinctive scream. I was brought back hard against a man’s chest, his arms like iron wrapped around me.

The mirror in front of me reflected the man who held me captive, not dressed as I’d expect in all black but in island garb of khaki pants and a silk aloha shirt. He had a knife to my throat and I could immediately tell by the way he held me that getting away from him wouldn’t be as easy as the move I’d made so long ago in the courthouse.

He was attractive, with sandy-brown hair and blue eyes, but his eyes were cold and emotionless. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said he was bored, which sent a chill through me.

“Knew you’d come in here eventually,” he said in my ear. I couldn’t place his accent, which caressed the words spoken so calmly. “If you’re quiet and do what I tell you, only you will die tonight. Make a noise, cry for help, and I’ll make sure your boyfriend out there dies, too.”

I was breathing hard, not getting enough air with his hand covering my mouth and nose so tightly, and I gave a jerky nod. Slowly, he removed his hand and I sucked in a lungful of air. I was trembling all over, the knife in his hand glinting in the light, but I didn’t make a sound.

“Good girl,” he said. “Now we’re going to exit through the window. And don’t try running, because I’ll throw this knife and you won’t get five steps, understand?”

I nodded again, tears I refused to let fall filling my eyes. I didn’t want to die, not like this. But I was too afraid to call out for Kade. I was sure I’d be dead in seconds if I did, then would he kill Kade? I couldn’t take that chance.

It took us only a moment to climb outside, then he had hold of my arm and was leading me down the beach, away from the bungalow and hotel. I swallowed, trying to think.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“Somewhere your body will be easily disposed of,” he said. “I just need a finger to prove your identity to my employer. But don’t worry, I’ll wait until you’re dead to take it.”

He spoke so matter-of-factly, reassuring me as to when he’d cut off my finger, it made me want to vomit. It took me a minute or two to fight back the panic and despair.

“You . . . you must be John,” I finally said.

That got a reaction. His head whipped around and he jerked me to a stop.

“What did you just say?” he hissed.

“I . . . I said you must be John,” I repeated, wondering if I’d just made a colossal mistake.

He jerked me closer. “Who told you that name?” he snarled. When I didn’t immediately reply, he shook me. “Tell me now or I swear to God, I’ll slit your throat right here.”

“John, you always were so overly dramatic,” Kade said.

Both of us whirled around in the direction of the voice and I rejoiced even as I panicked. John pulled me in front of him as a shield, the knife pressing into the skin under my right ear. I tried to tip my head up, but the knife stayed steady. If I so much as breathed too hard, it would slice right through me. John wasn’t an amateur at this.

John squinted into the darkness. “Dennon?”

I saw Kade step closer until he was about ten feet away, then he stopped.

“What the hell are you doing here?” John asked. “Don’t tell me we both got sent on the same contract.” Now he sounded irritated. “Bloody hell.”

“Sorry, man,” Kade said with a shrug. “But I was here first.”

John seemed to think about that. “I’ll split it with you,” he offered.

“You can have all of it,” Kade said, taking a few steps closer. “I’m getting paid in a slightly different way.” His eyes traveled down my body and back up, the look in them predatory.

John laughed. “Ah yes, I’d forgotten. You like to play with them first. We have a deal, my friend. I just need a finger, then you can have her.” The knife left my throat and he grabbed my hand.

“I want her intact,” Kade said, his voice colder now. “She’s not much good for fucking if she’s writhing in pain and bleeding all over me.”

John hesitated. “The employer wants proof,” he said with a shrug, and the affability in his voice was gone now, too.

“Since when is the word of the Krait not good enough?” Kade scoffed. “I’d tell him to go fuck himself if I were you.”

John considered and I held my breath, waiting. “You’re right,” he said at last. “I have your word then? She’ll be dead when you’re . . . finished?”

“Since when is my word questioned, either?” Kade growled, menace dripping from the words.

“Sorry, you’re right,” John said. He gave me a shove toward Kade, who wrapped an arm around my waist, dragging me to his side. I tried not to look relieved, which wasn’t hard since I was still terrified.

“See you around,” John said. He turned to walk away and only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding.

Kade didn’t speak for a moment and we both watched the darkness consume John. Finally, he looked down at me, turning my head so he could see the small cut on my neck from where the knife had pressed too hard.

“The thing is—”

I choked on a gasp, clutching at Kade. John had returned without a sound and he was staring shrewdly at us.

“The thing is,” he continued, “she knew my name.” His head tipped to one side. “How would she know that?”

Time seemed to stop as horrified realization set in. No one moved. John stared at Kade and Kade stared back.

“You should’ve kept walking,” Kade said, and his voice was as cold as an arctic wind.

John moved suddenly, as did Kade. I saw a knife flying through the air toward us, then I was on the ground, Kade crouching over me. A scream climbed up my throat as I saw the knife embedded in the back of Kade’s left shoulder. He jerked it out by the hilt, flipped it to grab the blade, and sent it flying through the night. It happened so fast, everything was a blur.

The blade sank into John’s throat. His eyes went wide and his hands clutched at his neck, pulling out the knife, but blood was flowing and he couldn’t breathe. He staggered, collapsing to his knees. I watched in horror as he fell face-first onto the sand.

Kade got up and walked to the body. Taking the knife from where it had fallen, he went to where the surf was flowing up the sand with the waves and washed it. Then he carefully wiped it off before tossing it back to the ground.

When he reached me, he took my hand and helped me to my feet. I was still shaking and now I could see blood staining the back of his shirt from the wound in his shoulder.

“You’re hurt,” I said stupidly. Hello, obvious. I’d seen him pull the damn knife out.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, a sob of relief building in my chest. “Is it over?” I managed to ask. “Is it finally over?”

“Yeah, it’s over.”

I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his neck as I cried. His arms circled my waist, holding me close. One hand rose to cradle the back of my head.

“I was s-so afraid he was going to h-hurt you,” I blubbered through my tears.

“Shhh. I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”

Kade packed us up and we left the posh hotel right then. And when he had the cabdriver drop us off at a run-down motel far from the beach, I didn’t complain.

“Old habits die hard,” he said with a half smile as he unlocked the door to our room.

We showered together and I took great pains to clean the wound in the back of his shoulder. I knew he wouldn’t get stitches, which meant he’d have another scar. He didn’t seem to mind, though, his hands drifting over any part of me he could reach as if he was reassuring himself that I was okay.

Butterfly bandages we’d bought at an all-night drugstore kept his wound closed and I used lots of them, not wanting Kade to be in pain from the skin tearing apart more.

We were both solemn as we climbed into bed. I hadn’t dressed and neither had Kade, though sex wasn’t on either of our minds. Instead, Kade nestled me against him spoon style, his hips cradling my backside while his arm draped over my waist, his large palm resting on the bump of my abdomen.

“How’d you know where he’d taken me?” I asked, my voice quiet in the dark.

“I knew what I’d do, if I was him,” Kade replied. “The bungalow presented limited options.”

I was silent as I digested that, then said, “Thanks for going all Batman and saving me.”

Kade chuckled at that and I smiled. I thought of something and turned in his arms so I could see him.

“So if John was called the Krait, did you have a code name, too?”

Kade’s lips twisted in a smirk. “Yep.”

“Well? What was it?”

Leaning down, he whispered in my ear.

I looked at him and grinned. “Okay, that might be hot.”

“Might be?” he asked, rubbing his nose alongside mine.

“Okay. Definitely,” I amended. “Definitely hot.”

Kade chuckled softly. “You’re such a cliché,” he said, his lips a hair’s breadth from mine.

Then he kissed me and I had to amend my earlier thought that neither of us had sex on the brain tonight.