Kane’s Bounty
A.S. Fenichel
Telepathic bounty hunter Kane has one rule—never get involved with a fugitive.
It’s a simple assignment with good money at the end. Picking Lena up is no problem. Protecting her when her ex-husband, mercenaries and another bounty hunter threaten her turns into the fight of their lives.
Together, the Stones of Adeline and Lena are powerful magic. She never considered the complication of the sexy bounty hunter and her undeniable desire for him. Their paranormal bond will need to be strong if they’re to survive together.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Kane’s Bounty
A.S. Fenichel
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the wonderful men and women of law enforcement and their service to our communities. My deepest thanks for everything you do.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to my wonderful critique partner, Stormie Kent.
Finally and always, none of this would be possible without the love and support of my personal hero, my husband Dave.
Chapter One
The overcrowded bar didn’t stop Kane from spotting his mark the moment she walked in. Even if he hadn’t seen her picture, her nervous demeanor would have given her away. It was too crowded to get a psychic read on her, but there were other ways to find a fugitive.
The mug shot hadn’t done her justice. Lena Cruz could stop traffic. Her curves were exactly the kind a man liked to run his hands over and other body parts came to mind too. Her dark hair just touched her shoulders and those bright hazel eyes darted nervously to every corner of the room.
She even looked at him for a second or two. He smiled and moved to lift his glass in her direction, but her focus shifted before he had the chance. He followed her gaze to the corner of the room.
“John Porter,” Kane mumbled. He had to make an effort to relax his grip on the glass before he ended up with a hand full of Jack Daniels and cheap glass. He shrugged and downed the remaining whiskey before getting up and moving to a barstool that was closer and had a better view of the corner. Porter wasn’t alone. He had a couple of his bodyguards with him and a blonde wearing too much makeup.
The band finished their set and the crowd noise lulled for a few seconds.
“It’s nice to see you, Lena,” Porter said. He stood and kissed her cheek.
“I need your help, John.”
Porter’s eyes darted around the bar. “You shouldn’t—”
The jukebox kicked on, and Kane couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation.
It made no difference. She was a mark, no more, no less. He was hired by the bail bondsman to pick her up and bring her in. What she was doing talking to a notorious money launderer was irrelevant.
He’d wait. No need to tip off Porter. Someday he might have to pick the scumbag up and he didn’t want to blow his cover. He signaled the bartender and ordered another Jack on the rocks.
Something niggled at the back of his senses. The atmosphere changed and a familiar mind slipped into his consciousness. “Wade, NO!”
The words were not out of his mouth before Shamus Wade torpedoed through the crowd and crashed into Porter’s table.
Kane was on his feet. He didn’t move forward. Interesting distraction.
All three men and the blonde who was sitting with them stood up as drinks splashed in every direction. Lena stood gape-mouthed, and Wade grabbed her arm. He stood a full foot taller than her and probably outweighed her by a hundred pounds, but she pushed at him and slapped his face. Wade’s beady eyes narrowed. Closed-fisted, Wade punched her in the head.
Mistake. Kane took a step toward them to get a better position and wait to see how the situation played out.
Wade’s head spun around, sensing Kane for the first time. When their eyes met, Kane just smiled and shook his head at the ill-laid plans of the other hunter.
The crowd went dead silent. The music screeched to a stop. Lena looked dazed for a moment and then her knees began to buckle.
Wade sensed the change in the focus of the crowd. Men and women alike were glaring at him and moving closer. “It’s okay, folks. This is my wife. We’re just heading home now.”
The bartender had already dialed 911. Kane could hear the conversation behind the bar. A woman with colorful full-sleeve tattoos, flanked by two enormous men, stepped forward. “I don’t care if she’s your momma. You ain’t going anywhere with that woman. We don’t care for men who beat their women around here.”
“It was just a little misunderstanding. Right, Lena?” Wade looked scared as the crowd moved in on him. Kane felt the building tension and rage in the bar. Anger and fear pulsed in the room, creating a dull ache in the back of his skull. He was sure Wade could feel it too and it was the cause of the hunter’s fear.
Wade still clutched Lena’s right arm tightly.
Lena’s eyes rolled back in her head and she leaned against Wade, forcing him to release her arm and grab her around the waist.
Kane moved in another two steps and sidled off to the left. The crowd pushed forward and Wade pulled his handgun. He waved the Remington 9mm in the direction of the crowd.
Mistake two.
John Porter and his associates bolted for the back door as soon as the weapon came into view.
Kane rushed in just as the two large men and the tattooed woman charged Wade. Lena slipped from his grasp and the gun hit the floor. Kane closed the gap, threw Lena over his shoulder and headed for the back door.
He heard as much as sensed the change in the crowd as the fight started. Kane didn’t know how long it would take the police to arrive or if Wade would get away before that happened. He had to get her to a safe place. He could take her to local law enforcement for extradition in the morning.
The rear exit led out to a narrow alley. Before they’d reached a hundred feet from the noisy bar, she pounded on his back. “Put me down.”
“That was a fine performance, Lena. Why don’t you continue with the knocked-out act for a few minutes more?”
“Who the hell are you?”
He didn’t answer her. There was no point until he got them both away from the area. Wade would likely be taken into custody and held for a few hours, a convenient consequence of the bar fight. Porter would stay out of it. He wouldn’t want to get involved, no matter what his relationship with Lena had been. The crowd would tell the police about Lena and they might look for the woman who had caused all the commotion. It was doubtful anyone would make the connection between her and the fugitive, Lena Cruz, and Wade wouldn’t tell them and risk losing his bounty money. Wade would come looking for them when he could. Kane had to get them off the streets.
His only choice was to run south and make his way around and through the famous squares of Savannah. It would have been nice to go to his hotel on an unexpected route, but the Savannah River blocked the way north. She was still pounding on his back. He trudged up the steep stairs leading from River Street, up the bluff to Bay Street. The bouncing against his shoulder must have taken the wind out of her. She stilled against him. He ran east on Bay, then turned left on Whitaker toward the bed-and-breakfast where he’d booked a room. The streets were quiet at this late hour, but he tried to stay in the shadows. He didn’t want someone calling the police. Carrying her as if she was a sack of potatoes probably wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done on a case, but it was easier than dragging her down the street. If he were honest, he would also admit he liked the feel of her curved hips against his neck and shoulder and the spicy scent of her.
He shook his head. Better not to be too honest.
A block from the old, converted home, he lifted Lena from his shoulder and placed her on her feet, whil
e keeping a grip on her arms. Her eyes could not have looked more hateful when they met his.
Her hatred bloomed in his senses. Sometimes being a Class A telepath was not all it was cracked up to be. He would have paid a lot of money to have this woman’s hatred shielded from him. She fumed more fiercely than most. But perhaps she had good reason. He was taking her back to her ex-husband, the courts and, likely, prison. He couldn’t expect to be her friend.
Too bad. From the moment he saw her, he’d wanted to touch her. Unfortunately it was against his personal set of rules. No messing with the prey. Find them and bring them in. That’s it.
“Lena, we have to get you off the street before someone much worse than me spots you. Wade was probably not the only one your ex hired to find you and you saw the way he handles his prey. It would be in your best interest to stay quiet until we get into the hotel room. Then I will answer any of your questions.”
He saw her flinch at the word “prey”. He didn’t blame her, but that’s what she was to the Psi-Alignment. They were trained to use senses most people didn’t even know they had. He and Wade were telepaths. Wade was Class B and not very smart, but there were all kinds of hunters with many different abilities. Most, like Kane, had been recruited at a young age, trained and put to work. Not the greatest life, but if you were any good, so was the money.
She scanned the area, looked back at Kane and nodded without saying a word. He took hold of her arm firmly, but not to the point where he’d bruise her. They started down the block side by side.
Her voice was just above a whisper. “Don’t you work for my ex?”
He would have preferred to wait until they were in the B&B, but he couldn’t see the harm in talking. He didn’t blame her for wanting to know. He also liked the low, gravelly tone of her voice, the way it cut through the air for his ears only. “I work for an independent fugitive recovery corporation. Wade works for the same company. He’s the guy from the bar. I was hired by the courts to bring you back for trial. I assume Wade was hired by your husband.”
“Ex-husband.” Her tone was clipped.
He smiled in spite of the situation. For some reason, her detachment from Oscar Thorn made him happy. Snap out of it, Kane. She’s a mark. You’re going to turn her over to the courts and then you’ll never see her again.
“Shit.”
“What?” She looked from side to side.
He shook his head, kept a tight grip on her arm and turned into the alley that led to the B&B. He had to get away from her. It was the only solution to his obvious attraction. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to happen in the next day. He’d just have to stuff his attraction and get on with his job.
A housekeeping cart blocked half of the hallway going to his room. He stopped and looked through the cart.
“What, are you out of soap or something?”
He looked down at her and smiled. She really was gorgeous, and now he got a small taste of her sense of humor. He shook his head. Man, he had to get away from this woman and fast.
He poked around in the cart until he found the plastic bags they used to line the ice buckets in the rooms. Keeping hold of her wrist, he tugged her back in the other direction.
“Now where are we going?” She sounded sarcastic and bored.
He liked the sound of her low, scratchy voice and the tiny bite of a northeast accent she tried to cover. People with educations always tried to sound vanilla, but he caught the slight drop on her R’s and it made him smile.
“What are you smiling at?” Now she sounded annoyed.
He didn’t answer as he tugged her around a corner to a dark alcove. She must have thought he had some nefarious plan when they entered the out-of-the-way area with a plastic bag. Her dark eyes were wide and she looked about to bolt.
He pointed to the ice machine and pushed her against one side of the large metal box. “Stay or I will catch you and cuff you. Do you understand?”
She narrowed her eyes, but nodded.
The machine made a tremendous amount of noise as it produced a trickle of ice cubes. When he had about a softball’s worth of ice, he grabbed her wrist again and tugged her back toward the room.
The room had two double beds, a dresser, a desk and a television. The bathroom didn’t have a window, which was one of the reasons he’d chosen the location. They could stay here and he would only have to worry about the door and front window. All the other parties chasing Lena would think he’d left town. He’d wait them out for a day and then turn her in. At least, that was his plan. Sometimes it didn’t work out, especially when there were other Psi hunters in the mix.
He released her, locked the door and put the chain on as soon as they were inside. Then he pulled the small table in front of it to ensure she would have trouble if she tried to bolt. He really didn’t want to have to cuff her if he didn’t have to.
“Here.” He handed her the bag of ice. “Sit down and put this on your head. I can see the bump from here. I’ll see if I have any aspirin for you. You must have a hell of a headache.”
She regarded him warily, but took the ice and sat on the edge of the bed. She winced when she touched the dripping bag to the side of her head.
Kane cringed with her, knowing it had to hurt. He didn’t actually feel her pain, but he did feel the flinch as her mind acknowledge the sting. He was going to kick Wade’s ass when he saw him. What are you thinking? She’s a mark, nothing more. She’s not your sister. You aren’t protecting her, just bring her in and leave it at that.
He dug some aspirin out of his duffle and handed it to her.
She took it, popped it in her mouth and swallowed before he had a chance to get her a glass of water. “You said you’d answer questions.”
Kane nodded, pulled a chair around in front of her and sat. It was all he could do not to read her. He knew she was hiding something, but she didn’t strike him as a thief. Nothing about Lena Cruz was what he’d expected.
“Who are you and who was the asshole who hit me?”
“Shamus Wade.”
She narrowed her dark eyes. “You’re Shamus Wade?”
He grunted involuntarily. “No. He’s the guy who hit you, and you’re right, he is an asshole.”
“Why was he after me and how did he find me?”
He smiled, he couldn’t help himself. She hadn’t missed that he’d avoided her question about him, but she thought she could get information through a back door. “Your ex-husband probably hired him to find you and bring you to him rather than returning you to the courts for trial. He found you because he’s a Psi hunter.”
“Psychic?”
He nodded and tried to gauge her reaction. A lot of people were uncomfortable with anyone who used their sixth sense. She didn’t flinch nor did he feel any repulsion. A sense of relief washed over him. Idiot. Even if the circumstances were different, which they’re not, she would never go for a guy like you. He continued to remind himself that this was a job, not a date.
“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 tryi
ng 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?”
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