by Maya Banks
She sighed. “Look, it’s sweet that you and Mac are hanging around so much, but it’s not necessary. I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing. Some hot chick y’all haven’t fucked yet.”
She felt a warm hand slide over her bare shoulder. It sent a shiver down her spine, and her insides turned to jelly. Mac.
“Maybe the woman we want isn’t ready for us,” he murmured close to her ear.
She wet her lip nervously. She was tired of games. Tired of harmless flirting that didn’t get them anywhere. She was tired of being scared.
“What does she have to do? Wave a sign with ‘I want you’ in big letters?”
“Or she could just tell us what she wants,” Ryder spoke up.
“What if she’s afraid?” Kit whispered.
“Afraid of what?” Mac demanded.
“Rejection?”
Mac put a finger under her chin and nudged her so she looked him in the eye. She loved the differences between him and Ryder. Ryder was dark and brooding, long hair, tattooed, earrings, a rebel in leather. Mac was a tall, muscled, gorgeous hunk of a man. His dirty blond hair was short and spiked, more often than not mussed. And when he wore his Stetson and boots, she wanted to lick every inch of his skin.
“Rejection?” His eyes bore into her. “Honey, the only reason I haven’t hauled you home over my shoulder is because of what happened six months ago. I’ve tried to give you space. Time to heal. But I have to tell you, my patience is wearing thin. Rejection isn’t an issue here. Your telling me what you want is.”
Her mouth rounded to an O of shock. She swallowed, and for the first time felt the tingle of nervousness. Followed by a roll of desire. Her breasts ached from want. Need. This was it. All she had to do was reach out and take what she wanted. And she wanted them badly. She took a deep breath and went for it.
“I want you.”
CHAPTER 2
Mac’s eyes darkened. He curled his fingers around Kit’s chin, and he rubbed his thumb up and down her jaw. “Be sure about this, Kit.”
She let out a shaky breath. “I’m sure.”
His lips were so close to hers now. She wanted to kiss him so badly she ached. He hovered over her for a second longer then slowly withdrew. His hand slid from her chin, and she was tempted to pull it back.
She glanced over at Ryder to gauge his reaction to her announcement. He stared back at her then cocked his eyebrow. She nodded in response to his unspoken question.
“My place. Tonight after work,” Mac said.
Desire bloomed in her stomach. Her knees shook and heat rushed through her veins.
“I’ll stay around until she gets off,” Ryder spoke up.
Kit frowned. “I’ll be fine, Ryder. I don’t close up. Plenty of people will be here when I leave.”
“You weren’t supposed to close up that night either,” Mac said quietly.
Her cheeks tightened as warmth flooded them. She knew all too well why she’d been so late that night.
“You better get a move on, honey,” Rose said as she shoved by on her way to the bar. “Customers are starting to complain.”
“I’ve got to go,” Kit said. “But I’ll see you guys after work.”
She started to turn away, but Mac grasped her arm and pulled her to him. Before she could react, he tilted her head back and pressed his lips to hers. She opened her mouth in a gasp. It wasn’t a light brush. It was a mark of possession.
Their tongues met and dueled, flitting forward then retreating. Blood pounded in her ears, shutting out the sounds around them.
He pulled away leaving her dazed, her lips swollen. He stroked her cheek with his hand. “I’ll see you later.”
She raised trembling fingers to her mouth as his hand dropped to his side. He retrieved his Stetson from a nearby table, clapped it on and walked toward the door.
Despite Kit’s earlier protest, Ryder ambled back over to his table and sat down. Kit turned around to the bar, and for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what the hell she was doing before all hell had broken loose.
“I took care of your orders,” Rose said close to her ear. “But the natives are getting restless. Make the rounds. They want refills.”
“Thanks, Rose.”
Rose stopped and slid her a sideways smirk. “ ’Bout time you lassoed that young hunk.”
Kit worked to keep the smile from her face. She hadn’t realized just how anxious she’d been over Mac and Ryder’s reaction to her proclamation. She’d spent so much time skirting around the issue she’d worked herself into knots. After the fool she’d made of herself over that damn note, she’d sworn never again to play games.
She worked her way into the crowd, stopping at the tables and taking drink orders. Not even the fear that had hovered over her for the last six months would get her down tonight. In just a few hours, she’d be in the arms of the two people she trusted most in the world. The only people she trusted for that matter.
Two hours later, she took off her apron and dropped it behind the bar. “I’m outta here, David. You and Rose okay with closing tonight?”
He nodded and gave her a two-finger salute.
Kit looked across at Ryder, and her pulse began to race when he stood up and made his way toward her.
“You ready, darlin’?”
Her mouth went dry and her throat tightened. She wiped her hands over the back of her shorts and nodded.
“Do you need to go home first?”
“Yeah, but you don’t need to follow me,” she began.
He ignored her and gestured for her to precede him out of the bar. His Harley was parked close to the door, and he slung his leg over the bike. He planted his feet on the ground and knocked the kickstand back with his heel.
“I’ll be behind you,” he said.
She shook her head and walked over to her Bronco. She inserted the key in the door and froze. Her gaze fixed on the lock indicator. It was in the up position. The door wasn’t locked.
She pulled the key from the lock. Her hands shook so badly she dropped the keys on the ground. Knowing Ryder was watching, she bent to pick them up then quickly opened the door.
Nausea seized her stomach when she saw the small piece of paper taped to her steering wheel. She whipped her head around. Was he here? Was he watching her right now?
She heard the roar of Ryder’s Harley as he gunned the engine. Fumbling with the door, she slid into the seat and slammed it behind her. She jammed her hand down over the lock then looked over to make sure the passenger door was locked.
The white paper stared malevolently back at her. She reached for the switch to flip on the overhead light. Then her eyes settled on the scrawled words.
Have you forgotten that night already?
She swallowed back the rage that threatened to consume her. She yanked at the paper, balled it up in her fist and threw it at the windshield.
The keys rattled in her hand as she tried to start the ignition. Her left hand gripped the steering wheel until her fingers felt bloodless.
She forced herself to perform the motions of driving. She backed out of her parking space then pulled forward out of the lot. Ryder fell in behind her, and instead of being annoyed, she felt comforted by the single headlight in her rearview mirror.
The ten minutes to the small house she rented took forever. Her eyes never stilled. They darted from side-view mirror to rearview in rapid succession. Was he out there? Flashes of that night ricocheted in her head like a barrage of bullets.
I’m disappointed in you, Kit. I never thought you’d fall under their spell.
She shook her head to rid herself of the eerie voice.
She blinked and braked as she nearly passed her house. She took the turn too hard and ground to a halt, the tires skidding on the gravel. Ryder pulled in beside her and stared curiously at her.
She took a huge breath and stepped out of her Bronco, a wide smile plastered on her face. “I’ll just be a minute,” she said as she walked by R
yder.
“I like black underwear,” he called out.
She didn’t laugh at his humor. All her concentration was focused on getting in the house before she completely lost it. She wrenched open her door and slid her hand along the wall for the light switches. She hit them all, flooding the living room and hallway with light.
She dropped her purse on the couch then hurried to the bathroom. She winced at her reflection. No way could she face Mac and Ryder looking like this. Her face was pale, her eyes large and frightened. They’d know something was wrong in two seconds flat.
She threw water on her face and tried to even her breathing. The distant ringing of the phone pulled her up. Probably Mac making sure she got home okay. If she didn’t answer, he’d worry.
She grabbed a hand towel and hurried to the kitchen as she wiped her face. She picked up the phone and said hello, priding herself on how calm she sounded.
A chill skirted up her spine as silence met her greeting.
“Hello? Mac, is that you?”
“You just don’t learn do you, Kit?”
She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Every muscle in her body shut down, paralyzing her. The raspy voice she’d heard so many times in her nightmares was back.
“What do you want?” she whispered. “Why are you doing this?”
“They can’t have you, Kit. They won’t love you like I do.”
“Fuck off, you sick bastard!”
She slammed the phone down and backed away into the living room. She tripped over a pair of shoes lying on the floor and went sprawling. She reached for the edge of the sofa and hauled herself up on the cushions.
Oh God, she felt sick. She buried her face in her hands and rocked back and forth. She became aware of dim sobbing then realized she was making the noise.
The door opened, seemingly a mile away. She felt Ryder’s hand on her shoulder. Then it left her, and she heard him a few seconds later.
“Mac, you better get over here. It’s Kit.”
The cushions sank beside her, and then she felt Ryder stroking her hair. A brief moment of panic hit her. Mac was on his way over. She’d have to tell them the truth about what happened that night.
CHAPTER 3
Mac roared into Kit’s small driveway and hit the ground running. Ryder’s phone call had scared the hell out of him. He could hear Kit’s sobbing in the background. What the fuck had happened?
He bounded up the steps and threw open the door. Ryder looked up from the couch where he sat by Kit. His heart lurched when he took in Kit’s tearstained face. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, her eyes vacant and afraid. He was immediately transported to that night six months ago when he’d found her outside the bar.
He forced himself to relax his clenched fists as rage washed over him all over again. He strode forward and went to his knees in front of Kit.
To his surprise, she threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his neck. He held her tightly against him, threading his hands into her hair.
He looked up at Ryder, but Ryder shook his head and shrugged. Kit held onto him tightly. She was scared out of her mind. A fact he didn’t like at all.
He pried her away from his neck and slid his hand over her cheek. “Kit, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“I’m such an idiot,” she whispered.
A tear slid down her cheek and collided with his fingers. He wiped it away but another tracked down in its place.
Unease ran circles in his chest. “Does this have to do with what we planned?”
She shook her head.
“Then tell me, Kit. What’s going on?”
“He called me,” she choked out.
“Who called you, darlin’?” Ryder asked.
She turned her face up, misery etched in the lines around her eyes. “Him.”
Mac struggled to make sense of just who he was. Dread settled into his chest as he thought of the one person who could possibly make her this afraid.
“The man who attacked you?” he demanded.
Ryder jerked his head toward Mac as if he didn’t believe it either.
She nodded.
Mac shook his head. “I don’t understand. Has he called you before?”
She raised her eyes to meet his then slowly nodded again.
All the air left his lungs. He gaped at her incredulously. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I couldn’t,” she whispered.
Ryder sat back down on the couch beside Kit, and Mac rocked back on his heels, stunned by her announcement.
“You couldn’t tell me? Why the hell not? Kit, this isn’t something you can fuck around with. We assumed when we had no leads that it was some sick fuck passing through, and now you’re telling me he knows enough about you that he’s stalking you? That you weren’t some random victim he happened on?”
The look on her face was all the answer he needed. He stared at her in shock.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me, Kit?”
“What is it we’re not seeing?” Ryder spoke up. “There’s more to this than just you not telling us about this asshole.”
She closed her eyes and twisted her hands in her lap. “It is . . . was someone close to me, or at least someone who knows me well.”
“You know who did this to you?” Mac demanded.
She shook her head vehemently. “No. That’s just it. I can’t imagine who did it.”
“Then how do you know it’s someone close to you?” Mac prodded.
Her eyes flashed guiltily, and Mac knew she’d been holding back a lot more from him. That bothered him. Bothered him a lot. Kit had never had any problem confiding in him or Ryder, and by the shell-shocked look on Ryder’s face, Mac knew he was just as much in the dark as Mac.
“Spill it, Kit. What the fuck is going on? What haven’t you told me?”
She stood up, holding her arms around her waist in a protective manner. She paced several feet away then turned to face him and Ryder again. Mac rose to his feet and waited for her to talk.
He wasn’t used to Kit looking so vulnerable. She looked positively fragile, and before six months ago, he would’ve sworn she didn’t have a fragile bone in her body. Maybe he took her strength for granted. It wasn’t a mistake he’d be making again.
She opened her mouth then wet her lips. Indecision was written on her face. Whatever it was she had to tell him had her tied up in knots. What could be worse than finding her huddled in a ball on the ground, half naked, her voice gone from screaming? He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.
He moved toward her, wanting only to comfort her, but she backed away. He gave her the space and stepped back to stand beside Ryder.
“I feel like such a fool,” she said huskily. “I brought it all on myself. If I hadn’t been such an idiot. If I would have just come out and told you both what I wanted.”
Mac frowned. She wasn’t making any sense. He glanced at Ryder to see if he was getting it any better, but Ryder looked equally
