“I’ll keep in contact.”
Bobby jumped into his vehicle and drove it close to them. He pulled the hood latch and then jumped out with cables in his hands. Within a couple of minutes Kimi’s truck was running.
Bobby jumped back into his vehicle and leaned out the window. “Good luck.”
“Thank you.” Niail opened the truck door for Kimi.
Kimi settled behind the wheel and waited until everyone was in before putting the vehicle in gear. Jake’s house was about forty-five minutes away in Cut Bank. When they reached the main road, she turned the radio to a country station. The music had the desired effect. It wasn’t long before the kids were asleep in the back.
Kimi cleared her throat. “I think that I should take the kids to my friend Ann’s house until we’ve spoken with Jake. There might be delays once the authorities are involved. At least at Ann’s they will get their sleep.”
“Will they be safe?”
“No one will look for them there.” Kimi spun the wheel of the truck around and headed toward her friend’s house. “Tomorrow is Sunday so I don’t have to worry about them missing school.”
“I wish I could remember why those men were after me.” Niail spoke in a low voice. “I never meant to endanger anyone.”
“I know.” Kimi reached over and clasped his hand, almost reeling from the surge of electricity that coursed through her. “I wouldn’t have turned you away even if I had known what was going to happen. It’s not your fault.”
“Your brother won’t think so.”
“Leave Jake to me.” Kimi smiled. “He’s been different since he came home, but he’s still my brother. No one knows him better than me.”
“It is comforting to have a brother you can rely on.”
Niail looked out the window. The dark night outside made the reflection of his face clear. His features were grim. Kimi knew he was thinking of the other men he had been trying to contact today.
“You will find them.” Kimi cleared her throat. “You’re not alone. I’m here for you.”
Niail turned back to her. “That gives me great pleasure.”
Kimi frowned. “I shouldn’t have insisted you stay with me. It was selfish.”
“It was necessary. Those men would have killed you and the children.”
Kimi’s breath caught in her throat. “You can’t be sure.”
“I have dealt with men like that my whole life.” Niail’s eyes narrowed. “They have no honor. It would have been easier to defeat them if my brothers had been here.”
“You handled it fine on your own.”
“It was sloppy.”
“How many other Hunters are there?”
“We were a full unit when we crashed.” Niail’s voice was grim. “Not all of us survived.”
Kimi bit her lip. What the heck was she to make of that? He had killed six armed men by himself? What would a whole unit of Hunters do? The world couldn’t handle that much violence. He had said he would protect her and the children, but what about other people?
“We are not a threat to humans.”
Her eyes widened and she turned to look at him. “How did you do that?”
“What?” Niail leaned his head against the headrest.
“It’s almost as if you read my thoughts.”
“My head hurts too much for that.”
“Does that mean you can read our thoughts normally?”
Niail shook his head. “No. Your face is very expressive. I have some training in reading people’s expressions and words.”
Kimi’s grip on the steering wheel lessened. He was observant. She would have to watch out for that in the future. She needed a poker face. She had one small problem, though. She didn’t lie and she wasn’t going to start now. She glanced over at Niail. His eyes were closed.
She drove to Ann’s house in silence.
She pulled up to her friend’s small bungalow and shut the engine off. The lights in the house were on and Ann’s car was in the driveway. Peta stretched her arms over her head and unclipped her seatbelt. She leaned over the front seat.
“This isn’t Uncle Jake’s house.”
“No. We’re at Ann’s house.” Kimi pulled the keys out and looked over at Niail. “Keep the kids here until I come back.”
Niail nodded. “We will wait.”
Ann would be curious, but the less she told her the better. The kids needed someplace quiet and safe for the evening. She couldn’t trust that Jake would provide that. The door was opened before she even rang the bell. Ann was in her pajamas, with one hand on her hip and a wide grin on her mouth.
“Don’t tell me things got too hot with your guest.” She squinted at the car. “Is that him?”
“Yes.” Kimi cleared her throat. “Could you take the kids for the night?”
Ann’s eyes widened. “You need privacy already?”
“It’s not like that.”
Ann pulled her friend into the house, but left the door open. “Then how is it?”
“It’s a bit difficult to explain, but I have to go to Jake’s and I don’t want the kids’ sleep disturbed any more than necessary.”
Ann crossed her arms. “Are you in trouble?”
Kimi shrugged. “I won’t know until I’ve spoken with Jake.”
Ann bit her lip and glanced out the door before looking back at her. “It sounds serious.”
“It is. The less I tell you the safer you’ll be.” Kimi’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I need to be certain the children won’t be harmed. Can you watch them for me?”
“Don’t worry about anything.” Ann hugged Kimi. “How long before everything is straightened out?”
“Tonight for sure.” Kim bit her lip. “I don’t know about tomorrow. I’m hoping Jake can sort this out quickly.”
“I can take them to school on Monday if necessary.”
“Would you?” A weight lifted off Kimi’s shoulders. “I would feel better knowing they were with you.”
“Consider it done.” Ann leaned out the door and waved at the truck. “Bring them in.”
Kimi went back to the vehicle and opened the door. Niail was already standing outside. “Will you carry Wil in?”
“I must check the house first.”
He went to the front door and walked passed Ann, disappearing into the darkness, before Kimi could stop him. She shook her head. What could possibly be wrong? Ann was a well-respected teacher, who never got into trouble. But then, so had she been, until tonight. She leaned back against the truck. No point in arguing.
“He just wants to be sure we’re safe.” Peta’s voice was close to her ear.
“I know, honey.” She leaned down and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “The sooner we get you to bed, the better.”
“You’re going to Uncle Jake’s without us.”
“Yes. I hope we can get things straightened out soon.”
Niail came out of the front door and walked to the truck. “It is safe.”
He gathered Wil in his arms. Peta jumped out beside him and took both backpacks with her. Kimi brought up the rear. Niail waited for Kimi at the front door.
“What have you told your friend about me?”
“I said you were injured.”
Niail grimaced. “Perhaps that explains her strange conduct.”
“I’ve known her for years, and nothing explains her behavior.”
Ann was waiting for them in the living room. “You can put them in the guest room. It has two twin beds.”
Niail followed Ann’s direction and went into the room with Wil. Kimi led Peta to the opposite bed.
“You children should sleep now.” Niail pointed to the first bed. “Climb in.”
Wil tugged on his shirt and reached up. Niail hugged the boy and watched as he scrambled into the bed.
“Don’t let Uncle Jake arrest you.”
“I will be careful.” Niail pulled the covers over Wil. “It is certain death if a Hunter is caught.”
�
��So you’ll leave us?”
“I cannot stay here. You are in danger if I do.” Niail perched on the edge of the bed. “I will be close by. I promised to protect you and your mother. I will not go back on my word.”
Wil nodded and pulled the blanket under his chin. “That means I’ll see you again.”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.” Peta’s sat on the opposite bed. “I like you.”
“I like you too.” Niail stood. “Go to sleep.”
When they entered the living room, Ann was waiting. “I have to talk to Kimi for a second.”
“Do you have a phone I could use?” Niail glanced around the room.
Ann picked up a cordless phone and handed it to him. “Be my guest.”
When Niail started to dial, she grabbed Kimi and pulled her into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you tell me he was such a hunk?”
“He was injured.” Kimi shook her head. “That was the last thing I was thinking about.”
“Injured or not, that man is nice eye candy.”
A cough from the doorway sent heat to Kimi’s cheeks. When she looked at Niail, she knew from his expression that he had heard Ann’s comments.
“We need to leave.”
Kimi nodded. “I’ll phone you when I can.”
“Don’t worry. The kids will be fine with me.” Ann led the way to the front door. “You take all the time you need to straighten out this mess.”
They went back to the truck in silence. It wasn’t until they were on the road to Jake’s that Niail spoke. “Your friend has strange ideas.”
“She means well.” Kimi glanced over at Niail. “I didn’t tell her the whole story, so she’s bound to come to conclusions on her own.”
“Are you certain the children will be safe?”
“Ann will take good care of them.” Kimi turned back to the road. “Were you able to contact the other Hunters?”
“No.” Niail glanced over at her. “The telephone number I have for them is not in service.”
Kimi frowned. “Why would that happen?”
“It is standard practice to disconnect cell phones if they have been compromised.”
“You’re alive, though.”
Niail cleared his throat. “If one of us is captured there is always a remote chance that we will talk under duress.”
A shudder went through Kimi. “Are you talking about torture?”
“It has been tried in the past.”
“Not on this planet I hope.” Kimi took her eyes off the road and looked at Niail. His jaw had tightened and he was looking straight ahead. His silence told her more than she wanted to know.
Kimi’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “If you can’t use the phone, there must be another way to contact them.”
“I can use the internet.”
“We should be at my brother’s in another twenty minutes.” Kimi stomped on the gas. “After Jake sorts this out we’ll use his computer.”
When they arrived, she parked the truck in front of the door. They went up the front steps together. She rang the doorbell and waited for Jake. He pulled the door open a couple of seconds later. His eyes widened when he saw who was there and then he unlatched the screen door.
“Come in.” His voice was harsh.
Kimi dropped her bag in the living room. “We need to talk.”
Jake looked at her for a second and then walked into the kitchen. They followed him. He pulled out a chair and sat.
“You had better tell me fast.”
“Don’t act like that Jake.” Kimi sat opposite him. Niail stood at the counter, his body tense and alert.
“You showing up at this time of night can only mean bad news.” Jake raised an eyebrow. “Who is it? Grandfather?
Kimi shook her head. This was worse than she had expected. Jake’s face was hard and unmoving. Niail stood rigid with arms crossed. These two men might be enemies, and yet they were more similar than different.
“There was a problem at my house.” Kimi twisted her hands in her lap before looking her brother in the eyes. “We had a visit from some men.”
Jake frowned. “Who?”
“Bobby thought they were Miles Kowal’s men.”
Jake stood and shoved back from the table with such speed that he sent his chair flying to the floor. “How the hell did they come to be at your house?”
“They came for me.” Niail moved to stand beside her.
“Why?”
“I have no memory of meeting them, but Bobby thinks they might be the men who left me for dead.”
Jake glared at Niail, his eyes bulging. A muscle twitched at the side of his face and for a few seconds Kimi thought he was going to have a stroke. Then, he exhaled and swung around. His fists beat at the air and he shook his head before turning back to them.
“Are you one of Kowal’s contacts?”
“I do not associate with criminals.” Niail held Jake’s gaze. “Kowal is a criminal.”
Jake nodded. “We’ve had him under surveillance for several months. Just when we think we’ve got a break in the case, someone disappears.”
“Did you have him watched two nights ago?” Kimi hoped her brother could give her an answer that would explain why the men had shown up at her house.
“Yes.” Jake heaved a sigh. “We lost him for about a half hour and when we had caught up, he was alone. We don’t know where the men with him went.”
“Was I one of those men?”
“What kind of person do you think I am?” Jake’s voice rose in disgust. “I would never have let you stay at my sister’s house if I had recognized you.”
Niail nodded. “Good. I can trust you then to protect Kimi.”
“She’s my sister for God’s sake. What do you think I would do?”
“You did not act honorably yesterday.” Niail’s voice held a note of rebuke.
“That’s how families are. It doesn’t mean we don’t love each other.” Jake shook his head. “You’re clueless about people.”
“Niail doesn’t have a family like we do.” Kimi’s voice was low.
“Okay, I’ll overlook your lack of tact.” Jake picked up his chair and sat down. “Now what happened to the men who came to your house?”
“I took care of them.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kimi held her breath. Jake was a hothead, especially when people didn’t follow the rules. He wasn’t going to be happy with Niail’s solution.
“I killed them.”
Chapter 10
Niail was fascinated by Jake’s reaction. The man had been a soldier. He should have understood the necessity to kill. Instead, he was pounding his fist on the table and hollering. Niail let the noise reverberate in his head for a few seconds before grabbing the man’s arm.
“Enough.” Niail thrust away Jake’s hand. “It was necessary.”
“How do you plan to explain that to the authorities?” Jake was spitting his words. “You’ve told me, and there is no way I can ignore it. It’s against the oath I took when I accepted the badge.”
“Then you must tell them the truth.”
“I have to take you under custody.” Jake shook his head. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
“You want to arrest me.”
“You’re darn right I do.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Kimi stood up. “He was defending us. Those men burst into my house carrying guns and threatening us.”
“They had guns?” Jake frowned. “How the hell did you manage to overtake them all?”
“I am proficient in such things.” Niail walked toward the kitchen doorway.
“I’m skilled and there’s no way I could do that.”
“You are not a Hunter.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s supposed to mean something to me?”
Niail shrugged. There was no point in arguing. Jake did not understand. He was not trained and bred as an elite warrior. He had not killed his first man
when he was ten. He had not fought his first battle when he was thirteen.
They were miles apart in experience and knowledge. There was no training that could replace the genetic modifications given to him. Being on Earth gave him even greater advantages with speed and strength, not mention healing.
Niail walked into the living room. Was his training putting Kimi and the children at danger? It was him that they had come for. If only his memory of the mission would return. Then he could understand better what his enemy wanted.
There was only one solution.
He must leave.
He walked to the window. There was darkness everywhere. He could see the reflected light of the kitchen mirrored in the window. He needed to use Jake’s computer to contact his team. Then he had to tell Kimi he was going. His heart lurched at the thought.
Even though he had seen his own leader Ardal claim a mate, he had not believed in the legend of pair bonds. He had never felt any attraction to a woman before. Even with his implants removed and living among humans for almost a year, there had been no desire to mate with one. That had changed the moment he had looked into Kimi’s eyes.
When those men had burst into the house his only thought had been to protect her. At that moment, he had understood why he was drawn to her. He could almost read her mind. Kindness and gentleness shone from her eyes. If his head had not been so confused after the hit, he would have been certain sooner. He no longer had doubts.
Kimi was his pair bond.
She was his mate.
Wounded and unable to mind connect with his fellow Hunters, he had been given the gift of a pair bond. It was incomprehensible why a warrior like him would be linked with a mate. His value to his unit was his marksmanship. There was nothing outstanding about him; no reason he should be chosen. He wasn’t going to question the workings of the universe, though.
His path was clear.
Kimi must be protected.
He rubbed his side. A bullet had grazed him at the house. It was a constant ache, but minor. He would tend to it when Kimi was safe. He turned away from the window when a flash caught his eye. He stepped back and watched for several seconds. The light was repeated, but this time it was closer to Jake’s house. He waited. He counted three separate signals. That could mean only one thing.
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