KanesBounty (2 page)

“What is Wade’s talent?”

“He’s a telepath. First he followed your path by tracking a
paper trail of all the places you stopped and used credit cards or signed your
name. He could sense if people had seen you by their reaction to his questions.
He’s actually not very good. I’m a little surprised he found you.”

She watched him carefully now and pulled the bag of ice away
from her head. “Is that how you found me?”

“Yes.”

“And now you’re going to drag me back to Oscar so he can
kill me?”

“Why would your ex-husband want to kill you, Lena?”
Stop
asking questions, Kane. You don’t want to get involved.

The smile was not happy and it never touched her eyes, but
still, she transformed from merely pretty to beautiful in an instant. “Because
if I live, people might find out the truth and Oscar can’t have that, can he?”

It was a test. She was trying to find out exactly how much
he knew about her ex’s plans. He could feel her mind working out details and
trying to make a plan. He admired her methodical processing. “I wouldn’t know.
I don’t work for Oscar Thorn. I was contracted by the courts to bring you in.”

“The courts contract Psi bounty hunters?”

“I prefer fugitive recovery agent.”

Then she laughed, really laughed. The sound bounced around
the room, and he felt it right down to his cock, which had been at half-mast
since he’d first seen Lena in the bar. “You can call it whatever you want,
you’re still bringing me to be executed for a crime I didn’t commit.”

“Not my problem.”

“No.” All the joy of the moment before flushed out of her.
She stood up and went to the bathroom.

He knew she was looking for a way out of the room. He
couldn’t blame her. It’s exactly what he would have done in her position. A few
minutes later, she returned and sat on the bed again.

“What’s your name?”

“Kane.” He felt something from her when he said his name. He
couldn’t quite put his finger on it and it was gone an instant later.

She dug in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a black
elastic band. Lifting her arms, she pulled her thick dark hair back into a
ponytail. The movement thrust her full breasts forward and he could see the
outline of her bra beneath the black T-shirt she wore. “So, Kane, what’s your
plan?”

“I take you in. As soon as the others clear the area, we’ll
head for the local police station. They can get you back to Boston.” He didn’t
like the way the words sounded coming out of his mouth. There was a hesitation
in his voice he’d never heard before. He got up and moved the chair back near
the window, sat down on the other bed, propped some pillows up and leaned back.
“You should get some sleep, Lena. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

Her eyes narrowed again. She looked at the bed and then at
him. “Can I trust you, Kane?”

He turned his head to look at her. “Are you asking if I’m
going to rape you while you’re sleeping?”

“Yes.” There was less confidence in the one word than there
had been in everything else she’d said since they entered the hotel room.

Kane leaned back and closed his eyes again. “You’re safe,
Lena. I never take what isn’t offered freely and willingly. Though if you’re
offering, I’m not saying no.” His cock jumped at the idea, but he pushed the
urge away.

There was a long pause and he could feel her considering the
idea. Surprise could not begin to describe his emotion at that moment. He’d
expected repulsion, but she was scared, not repulsed. He opened his eyes and
watched her. She suddenly looked small and fragile. All her bravado had left
her.

His chest tightened and he couldn’t suppress the need to
know what had happened to this woman. “It won’t change the fact that I have to
turn you in, Lena. Just get some sleep.” He knew his words would make her
angry, but also ease her trepidation.

It had the desired effect. “You’re no better than your
friend, Wade.”

He felt his mouth quirk up on one side. “At least I didn’t
punch you in the head.”

* * * * *

Kane didn’t sleep, but he kept his eyes closed and his
senses open. He knew the moment another hunter was on the property. He even
recognized who it was and it was not a comfort.

He eased off the bed and shook her awake. Her bare arm felt
silky and warm under his touch. Damn, everything about this woman aroused him.
“Lena, wake up. We’ve got trouble.”

She was awake and alert in an instant.

“Put your shoes on and try to close your mind off or they’ll
track us.”

He took his own advice and shut down his senses. Now that he
knew who was after her, there was no point leading them to the room.

“Who is it? I thought they would arrest Wade.”

“It’s not Wade.” He took her by the wrist while tossing his
duffle over his shoulder.

“Who, then?”

He could see the whites of her eyes in the dim light, but she
had closed off her mind more naturally than most people could. He didn’t have
time to think about it. “Troth Banta. He’s a mercenary, used to be Special
Forces. What the hell did you take? No way Thorn calls in guns this big for
money.”

“I didn’t take anything from him.” Her voice was only a
whisper, but he heard her loud and clear.

She had shut her mind off, so he didn’t know for sure if she
was lying or not. Though, at the very least, he thought she believed what she
said.

It didn’t matter, she was his mark and he’d captured her.
That made her his responsibility until he turned her over to the courts. No
one, not even Troth Banta, would harm her while he breathed.

He turned to her and grabbed her chin. “Listen to me very
carefully, Lena. I know you don’t trust me and you have no reason to. But if
you run, Banta will catch you. I promise you, you’re better off with me than
with him. If you want to go back to your ex, fine. I’ll send you out there and
I don’t have to risk my neck.”

“I can’t go back,” she said. A flash of fear crossed her
face, but she had amazing command of her mind and he felt nothing from her.

“Then stay close to me and don’t make a sound. Do everything
I tell you, and since you’re so good at it, keep your mind closed off.”

She nodded and he released her chin.

He had questions, lots of them, but they would have to wait.
He pushed the table out of the way and opened the door. She did as he’d told
her and stayed close, so close her spicy scent filled his head.
Keep your
eye on the ball, Kane.

He ran down the hallway to a fire escape leading to an
alley. They reached the ground a minute later. At the corner of the building,
he peered around.

Four heavily armed men flanked Banta. It was a typical Psi
assault team. All dressed in black, wearing body armor and ammo vests. Kane
looked down at the petite woman tucked close behind him and wondered what she
could have done to warrant this kind of attention. Banta was the tallest at six
and a half feet, but the others were all big. Every one of them probably
outweighed Lena by a hundred pounds, yet they felt they needed five men to
catch her. He looked down at her wide eyes. She was terrified. None of this
made sense.

“I know you’re on the ground, Kane,” Banta barked.

Kane pulled back behind the dark corner. They squatted and
listened.

“We just want the woman and the stones. You’re hired help,
man. You don’t have to get hurt in this. You have no investment in this woman.
She’s trouble and you know it. Send her out with the stones and you walk away.
Thorn will compensate you for the bounty you lose.”

When he turned toward Lena, her face was only inches from
his. She watched him, and he could see she thought he would turn her over.
Everything the mercenary said was true. He should not care what happened to one
mark. All he should care about was getting paid for his trouble. What did it
matter who signed the check?

“Shit,” he said under his breath. He took her hand and moved
to the right, around the back of the hotel. The alley was dark and they crossed
to the other side unnoticed, heading down another alley between two houses and
into the street one block over. They held hands and could have been mistaken
for any loving couple on a stroll.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Back down by the river.”

“Are you crazy? It’s too crowded. We’ll be seen.”

“The crowd will make it harder to spot us. Plus, we can find
a taxi and get out of here.”

“Don’t you have a car?” Her voice was filled with disdain.

“Sure. Banta was standing right in front of it when he
called my name. Do you want to go back and get it?”

“I’ll pass.”

He chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”

The crowds down near the river were the perfect cover. Kane
held tight to Lena’s hand. She could bolt into the sea of people and he’d have
a tough time finding her, or worse, Banta and his men would pick her up.

Why did he care what happened to this woman? She was nothing
to him, yet he did care.
This is going to be a problem.

He spotted a red-and-white cab dropping off a group of young
women dressed to party in the upbeat, touristy, river walk area. When the last
one exited, he held the door open and ducked his head in.

“Can you take us to the airport, buddy?”

“Sure thing, jump in.” The driver’s thick Georgian accent
welcomed them.

“Thanks.” Kane let Lena precede him into the backseat.

It was nearly ten at night when they finally reached the
airport terminal. He paid the driver and took Lena’s hand again. He didn’t know
why so many people were after her, but for the moment, she was still his mark
and he was not letting her go.

They moved inside to the departures board. A long list of
cities, times and whether or not the flights were on time or delayed flashed
above them.

“There are no flights to Boston until morning,” she said.

“Doesn’t matter. They’ll be waiting at the airport in
Boston.” His eyes ticked down the screen. Once he found what he was looking
for, he took her hand again and tugged her toward the ticket counter. “Act as
if you like me and follow my lead.”

He spared a glance down at her. There was the most adorable
scowl on her face. He wished he was the guy who could kiss the crease between
her brows away. Shaking his head, he turned back to the woman at the counter.
“Ma’am,” he started in his best Southern accent. “We just got a wild hair to
take a trip. Packed our bathing suits and toothbrushes and here we are. Can you
find us a nice beach somewhere so we can relax for a few days?”

For her part, Lena leaned into him and rubbed her hand
across his chest. She rested her cheek on his biceps and sighed. God, what he
wouldn’t give for her affection to be real. He gave himself a mental shake.
Even though he tried to banish the feelings, his cock would not stand down. Her
touch mixed with her scent was too much.

The blonde behind the counter smiled and looked at them. “Do
you have your passports?”

“We sure do.”

She tapped on her computer keyboard. “I can get you on the
ten fifty-nine flight to Cabo San Lucas, but you’ll have to hurry and I only
have first class left.”

Lena squeezed his arm hard. “That would be just perfect,
ma’am. Nothin’ is too good for my sweetheart.” He kissed the top of Lena’s
head. Her hair was soft and warm.

He dug in his bag, produced two US passports and a credit
card he handed to the ticket agent.

She looked at them and started typing. “Mr. and Mrs.
Johnston, I hope you have a wonderful trip. You may have time to call for a
hotel room before you board, but you better go to the gate first.” She smiled
and handed him back the passports and card.

Two boarding passes printed in the tray in front of him. He
grabbed the papers and signed the credit card receipt. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You’d better hurry.”

He nodded, took Lena’s hand and rushed toward security.

He handed her one boarding pass and a passport.

“Laurie Johnston?”

“Yup, Mr. and Mrs. John and Laurie Johnston.”

“This doesn’t look anything like me.”

He glanced down at the picture of a dark-haired, brown-eyed
woman in her late twenties. “Close enough.”

She didn’t say more as they reached the security line and
had to produce the ID and boarding passes. The agent looked at the picture and
then at her before signing his initials and telling her to have a good trip.

The gate was at the other end of the terminal. By the time
they reached it, the plane was boarding, and they were in first class, so they
rushed right up to the attendant scanning boarding passes, made their way down
the jet bridge and into seats 2A and 2B. He put his duffle under the seat in
front of him and sat down in the roomy seat.

“Why are you doing this?”

He looked at her. Her eyes had dark rings under them and she
stared at him. He had no idea how to answer her question. Why was he doing
this? Why didn’t he just turn her over and forget about her? She was trouble,
anyone could see that. “You need to get some sleep.”

“So do you,” she said. “Why are you doing this, or should I
ask what are you doing?”

“I’m protecting my mark. You’re my responsibility until I
turn you over to the courts.” It was only half a lie. She was his
responsibility, but taking her out of the country to protect her from a
slightly insane mercenary probably went beyond his purview.

Her full mouth turned up in a sad smile. “You should have
turned me over to Banta.”

He leaned forward until his face was just a breath away from
hers. “You’d be dead or worse if I had done that.”

“Wouldn’t be your problem. Wouldn’t be your fault.”

He couldn’t help himself, he drifted forward. His lips
touched hers.
What are you doing, Kane?
It was a long, closed-mouth
kiss. Her lips were soft and pliant. She didn’t move away or move in for more.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself a second to enjoy her essence. Then he
pulled away and opened his eyes.