Silent Truth

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  With no unnecessary killing performed by Jackson’s hand.

  The Fratelli would find no fault with his work.

  “What about the bodies?” Freddie followed him outside.

  “Leave them. Hand me one of the branches you cut.” Jackson took it and erased his footprints leading back the way he’d come up the mountain. Freddie did the same even though his prints had approached from a different direction, but by the time the authorities identified Freddie his prints wouldn’t matter.

  Jackson took one last look at the razed house.

  This should show the man with Abigail Blanton that she had nowhere to hide and he couldn’t protect her.

  Not from the Jackson Chameleon.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Hunter. Wet and naked.

  Just the way Abbie wanted him.

  But he was standing on the hot-water side of the flowery plastic shower curtain.

  Without her.

  She sat on the closed seat cover of the commode, finishing her MRE, or Meal, Ready to Eat. Nourishing and not awful, but also not the nice dinner—pizza would have been fine—she’d hoped to eat before finding out what Hunter looked like naked.

  He vetoed food delivery or leaving the motor court for any reason short of a life-threatening injury.

  Did getting her heart broken rate as life threatening?

  As if giving her that mind-blowing orgasm hadn’t raised her libido from the dead, that ride through hell had supercharged it.

  She’d thought the minute he got inside this cabin he’d pick up where he’d left off after taking her through an out-of-body experience.

  He hadn’t so much as kissed her since then.

  He had curled her heart into one big gooey glob when he told her he didn’t care about losing a house that had to cost a fortune, but he would have been bothered if anything had happened to her.

  She’d been speechless… then leaned foward to kiss him.

  He’d backed up and set about putting the room in order, right down to cleaning off the second bed.

  Big message there.

  He had to be rethinking what happened now that they were on the run. Had to be his agency. Hunter said they’d come after him. So now he’d changed his mind about touching her.

  She wanted to act like sex was just sex. To tell him with all sorts of sexual maturity that she was really okay with their using each other to forget about the danger they were in, but that wouldn’t be the truth. She still remembered the guy who had touched her heart six years ago.

  She wanted that Samson guy she’d first met and she wanted the new Hunter she now knew.

  Could any woman be this stupid twice in her life?

  She wanted a man who didn’t exist in the real world. So what? Why couldn’t she have him now? A night, or hopefully two, with Hunter would be worth more than years with another man. She’d told him she knew how precarious their time was, but he’d obviously had a change of heart since then.

  The shower raged on with sounds of body scrubbing that had her painting a mental picture of water rushing over his lean and cut body.

  She had to get out of this bathroom. She wiped her hands on a damp washrag and tossed the last of her MRE into the wastebasket. A cloud of steam hovered in the small room even though she’d left the door open to the bedroom, as per Hunter’s instruction.

  He’d been efficient about every aspect of locking them in tight for the night. That’s when she’d noticed the room had no desk phone. She’d asked to use his cell phone. No cell towers. He promised they’d call in the morning. She hadn’t given him grief since he was trying to keep them safe.

  He finished securing the room, not missing a detail, except for how her self-confidence had slowly dissolved.

  She hadn’t thought she could embarrass herself any more with Hunter than she had the first time they met, but having him act as if nothing had happened at the cabin after the intimacy she’d shared was tearing her insides to pieces.

  She’d had about enough of sitting in this sauna.

  Water dripped off a ringlet of hair stuck to her shoulder and streaked down to where Hunter’s oversized T-shirt covered her breasts. Her too-sensitive nipples brushed the soft material every time she moved.

  Her entire body was too sensitive with him so close.

  Worse, her emotions clung by nervous fingers.

  She hated to feel insecure.

  Hated trying to figure out what went on inside a man’s mind. She hadn’t had this problem in six years.

  Not since she’d made up her mind men were not to be trusted. Hunter was the first one to come along who challenged that belief.

  She trusted him with her life.

  Her heart was the part in danger.

  The shower stopped running.

  “Go to the bedroom now that I can hear you,” Hunter said.

  She stuck her tongue out at the still-closed shower curtain, sighed, and walked out to the bedroom, where the temperature dropped ten degrees. Goose bumps prickled her skin.

  “Leave the lights off,” he called just before she reached for the lamp.

  Fine. She pulled the covers back on one bed, climbed in, and covered up. The sheets were like ice. She kicked her feet to warm them and hugged her body. The window unit was silent. Had he set the heat at all?

  She wasn’t getting up to check. He could deal with that since the wall unit was on his side of the room, next to the other bed.

  The bathroom door closed partway, leaving a six-inch gap where she could see a sliver of mirror.

  The urge to check out his reflection in the mirror showing through the crack in the door proved too great to ignore.

  She leaned to her right. Reflections of his masculine upper body blinked across the mirror. She propped her head on her elbow.

  Why not enjoy the show?

  Hunter flipped the towel out of view and crossed his arms behind his head, flexing left, then right.

  God, what a body. Even that tasty little view.

  Muscles rippled in his chest and abdomen. A true eight-pack. Narrow hips.

  If the mirror was just a little lower… she’d get the full Monty. He bumped the door with his hip and she lost all her view but an inch.

  Abbie rolled over and punched the pillow, then plopped down on her stomach.

  Her teeth chattered. She reached for the other half of the bedspread and flipped it over to double up her covers. Once her body heat warmed the sheets, she started drifting to sleep with one thought.

  Be a cold day in hell before he ever gets to touch me again.

  She dreamed of men in the dark and automatic weapons and motorcycles screaming through the night… but the wind didn’t chill her this time. The air was hot.

  Fire burned across her skin sensually.

  Her nipples hardened with need.

  She moaned at the ache building between her legs.

  Abbie came awake, her heart pounding from the most erotic dream she’d ever had—

  A finger brushed her beaded nipple.

  —that was still going on. She shivered in delight.

  “Miss me?” Hunter whispered next to her ear.

  Wait a minute. Did he think he could just climb into bed and rub that… uh, hmm, hot piece of male against her… and not explain why…

  She was on her left side, facing away from him. He was holding her against his heat, touching her from top to bottom.

  Every hard inch of him touching her.

  “You smell delicious.” He kissed her neck and rubbed his erection along her bottom. His fingers were busy with her breasts again, teasing her mindless.

  She opened her eyes to a dark room. Not being able to see heightened her sensitivity. Turning her to face him, he brushed his lips over hers. A potent kiss that worked to persuade her hormones to give him a chance to dispel her concerns.

  Cold air rushed across her heat-flushed skin. Nothing that could douse the flame building inside her.

  His exploring tongue
shut down communication with her brain.

  He felt delicious.

  She rolled over for better access. He slowed the sweet assault, drawing out the pleasure. She’d never considered kissing to be so sensual.

  He nipped at her bottom lip.

  She wanted him to keep going, but not at the cost of another bout of embarrassment later. She put a hand on his chest and pressed. No more kissing until she found out what the devil was going on with him being hot one minute, ignoring her the next, then hot again.

  He curled his hand around her wrist, one finger grazing her skin in a lazy motion. “What, sweetheart?”

  Her heart wavered again at the endearment, pleading with her to let him continue. To cheer him on. But her pride couldn’t take another beating if he blew her off once more after this. “Why are you… I thought…”

  His forehead touched her shoulder. Skilled lips moved over her neck. “Is this going to take a long time? Not sure I can wait much longer.”

  She growled at him and felt him chuckle against her neck. “Why’d you act so distant when we got here if you wanted to do this?” His answer would be the difference between “Go ahead, lover” and “Go sleep in the other bed.” She might regret missing this chance with him, but she didn’t want to be handy sex.

  Hunter kissed her eyebrows, her nose and lips. Affectionate little love pats that mushed her brain. He explained, “If I’d touched you when we walked in here, I wouldn’t have secured the room and you wouldn’t have gotten a shower or food.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She smiled, ready to turn him loose.

  Hunter took that as a definite “go ahead,” but her moment of hesitation woke his conscience. He had to be completely honest with her. “All I can give you is right now, Abbie. I don’t even know where we’ll both be at this time tomorrow.”

  If she asked him to stop now he’d sleep in the other bed.

  Miserably. But he’d go.

  Her fingers started moving on his chest, playing hesitantly. What did that mean? Time for a yes or no.

  Her hand left his chest and wrapped around his erection.

  Hunter sucked in at the unexpected action. When she stroked him once, he croaked, “Guess that’s a yes?”

  She laughed, sweet music filling the darkness. “If you promise not to stop this time.”

  “I swear it.” He leaned down, taking possession of her mouth with his. He loved how she opened for him. Her tongue delved in to meet his. Her passion was unlike anything he’d held in his arms before.

  He broke away to move down her. He wanted to feel her tremble again, clinging to the edge of reality before she climaxed. She moaned in complaint when he settled between her legs and her hand came up empty. “Hey, I can’t reach—”

  When he suckled her full nipple the tip beaded happily. That ended her grousing.

  Hunter smiled, looking forward to the challenge of taking her to the edge, then holding her there. Licking her nipple, he caressed her other breast with his fingers.

  She clutched his shoulders, her fingers shaking the longer he paid intense attention to her breasts. He drew her nipple in and swirled his tongue around and across the tip.

  She reached for his shoulders, her nails digging in. Her leg came up, rubbing against his erection.

  Spending an hour on her might have to wait for round two.

  Abandoning her breast, he licked and teased his way lower until he kissed the warm skin inside her thigh. He plundered the sensitive area until shivers raced over her skin. She was so responsive, so open and sensual, he couldn’t wait longer. He turned his head, using his tongue to stroke the tender bud between her legs.

  Her nails dug in, clinging to him.

  Holding her back from release would have been impossible. In just seconds, she arched, quivering, her legs tight with strain. She cried out, her body taut as a bow stretching, stretching, then she groaned and shuddered, collapsing with a whimpered sound of surrender.

  He shook from just feeling the power of her release.

  Her strained breaths echoed in the darkness. He leaned over and snagged one of the condoms he’d dumped on the nightstand. Ripping it open with his teeth, he sheathed himself and settled over her from head to toe, kissing her damp face, then her lips.

  She lay spent and lethargic at first, but passion caught fire once again when he rubbed his open palm over the tip of her breast. He was amazed at how quickly she came to life.

  Her hands clutched his head, tugging him closer. She plunged into the kiss.

  She lifted her hips and rubbed against his erection, urgent, demanding.

  Not a problem. He entered her slowly, feeding his length until she stretched, taking all of him.

  He’d never had a problem going on and on, distancing himself from the woman in his bed. Keeping himself removed from more than sex with the jaded women he’d brought home before.

  But Abbie was like the first breath of spring on the heels of a bitter cold winter.

  “You feel so damn good,” he whispered, and moved inside her.

  “Good? I don’t think so,” she muttered.

  “What?” He stopped.

  “I was thinking amazing… if you’d put a little more enthusiasm behind it.” She kissed him, smiling against his lips.

  He touched his forehead to hers. “See what I can do, hellion.”

  Lifting her hips, he pushed deep into her and clenched his teeth against the urge to find his own release.

  Driving into her was pure ecstasy.

  Her nails curled, biting his skin. “More.”

  Holding back slid farther from his grasp with each stroke, but if she wanted more… he grabbed her hips, pounding, relentless, driving past all thought.

  Wait. He could hold on longer…

  She locked her legs around his waist. Her heat tightened around him. She squeezed. “Now.”

  Game over.

  Muscles clenched, locking across his body, then snapped free, shooting stars past his eyes with the mind-numbing release.

  Seconds turned into minutes until he realized he’d lost track of time.

  Unheard of. He never lost track of his surroundings. Ever.

  But a minute ago he’d been on top of her pounding and now he held her in his arms, lying on his side.

  He reached over and pulled the covers over them both, mainly so she didn’t get chilled. His body still roared hot as a furnace.

  When he was able to move again, he told her, “I’ll be right back.” Lumbering into the bathroom, he navigated by a light on the bottom of the wall-mounted hair dryer. He cleaned himself up and returned with a warm washcloth, but when he reached the bed she took the cloth from him.

  How could she be self-conscious about anything now? He smiled but didn’t tease her. For all Abbie’s bravado she had moments of insecurity. Some idiot male had yanked the legs from under her confidence. By the time Hunter had discarded her washcloth in the bathroom even he was feeling the chill. He climbed back into bed and snaked an arm around her waist, drawing her tight against him.

  He inhaled deeply, enjoying the musky scent of their lovemaking.

  She shuddered out a long sigh. Her fingers wrapped around the arm he held her with. She made a little shift with her body and settled down as though ready to sleep.

  No such luck for him.

  Not after she’d wiggled her backside against him. He was getting hard again.

  Four more condoms called to him from where he’d tossed them on the nightstand, but Abbie was out stone cold in the next minute. She had complete faith in his ability to keep her safe, hadn’t even questioned if anyone would find them here.

  She’d obviously left her future in his hands.

  The weight of that trust pressed on his chest.

  He’d lived for years without anyone depending on him or caring about him. Had to so he could function at his highest level, especially after losing Eliot. Even Borys knew how to take care of himself for the next week until Hunter had a chance to fin
d him a new place to hide. He couldn’t have kept the cabin in Montana once Abbie left since he’d never risk anyone walking around with knowledge of his personal safe house.

  But he hated to lose that place because of all the memories he had of Eliot’s visits. And Eliot had been the only person he’d ever trusted to know the location.

  Abbie sighed in her sleep.

  Hunter realized he’d been brushing a hand softly over her hair. He kissed the top of her head. She was sweet and had no reason to tell anyone about the cabin, but leaving himself vulnerable to any security leak went against his discipline.

  He hadn’t understood Eliot taking that risk with Cynthia, even if he did love her. His friend had placed a hell of a lot more faith in love than Hunter would.

  He curled Abbie closer, trying to quiet the voice inside him arguing in her defense that she was different from all the other women. That Abbie would love deeply and never break a trust.

  But his father had probably thought the same thing about Hunter’s mother, who had sworn her love in front of the world and tossed that word around with little care for the meaning in the dictionary.

  Look at Todd. He and Pia had said they loved each other. That love had ended in divorce court and his brother hitting the bottle as he never had before.

  There was a limit to how far Hunter would ever invest himself.

  Better to be cautious than dead because of misplaced faith.

  Like the way he’d trusted Joe to be good for his word. Joe had agreed to Hunter’s plan to access the Kore database.

  With so little time left and the threat of bombings, why had Joe sent a team to Montana? Why not wait to see if Hunter came through with the records from Kore?

  How had BAD found his Montana location?

  The pilot of his brother’s jet from Chicago would have known only about the helicopter Hunter and Abbie transferred to at a small airfield in Wyoming, not their final destination. Hunter had the helicopter pilot make a total of six stops at coordinates of remote locations, dropping them along the way near Beartooth Pass in Montana.

  He’d known the pilot from his days with the CIA when the pilot was sent in to extract an agent in Uruguay and got captured. Hunter had led a team to rescue the pilot and the agent. That pilot wouldn’t have given up a thing even if he was locked up somewhere with a trumped-up charge.