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He lifted her easily from his lap, setting her back before dragging himself to his feet. His face was pale, his eyes standing out like gems behind his dark lashes.
“You need to rest at least, Jethro,” she sighed. “That was a pretty bad wound. It needs stitches. ”
“I don’t like stitches. ” He shook his head as he lifted his weapon from the table and tucked it in the back of his jeans.
She turned to Mac for help, only to get a narrowed warning of his eyes and a subtle shake of his head.
“Fine. Fall flat on your face. See if I care. ” She turned to the stove and surveyed the roast she had turned back on. “I’m canceling the meeting tonight. It’s too late to try to go anyway. We’ll have the soup for supper and see if we can’t get some sleep tonight. ”
She could feel her system dragging, reminding her that the last few days had been filled with too much darkness, too much danger.
“We’ll make the meeting,” Mac informed her. “You go get your shower and get ready. I’ll meet with the director and Jethro can stay upstairs with you. The only way to draw this bastard out is to go out. ”
“And let him take potshots at us?” she asked angrily. She couldn’t believe he would dare suggest anything so dangerous.
“The sheriff is on his way, too, Kei. There’s no way to keep this under wraps now. I’d rather answer the questions in town than to have everyone we know descend upon us like a pack of gossiping old women. Now go get dressed. ”
“Don’t use that commanding tone of voice with me, Mac. I have supper on. I am not going out. ”
Their gazes clashed.
“Fine,” he said softly. “But think about this. Delia Staten will show up with her mother-in-law. Victoria, despite her daughter-in-law’s faults, always thought very well of me. If they arrive here, God only knows how long they’ll stay. We’ll have a steady stream of visitors for days. Is that what you want?”
“Tell them to go home,” she gritted out.
His brow arched. “Think that will work, do you?”
“I hate it when you’re so damned logical. ” She felt like stomping her foot. “Don’t answer the damned door. Let Jethro answer it. ”
Mac winced.
“Yeah, I’ll just shoot them,” Jethro muttered. “What’s a little more bloodshed?”
She turned back on him, beginning to feel defeated, closed in.
“You would not. ”
“No, but I don’t have a whole lot of tact,” he informed her. “I’ll tell them to get fucked quite succinctly without even thinking of the consequences. Is that what you want?”
“I want you two to be sensible. ” She felt like pulling her hair. She contented herself with clenching her fists at her side.
“We are being sensible. Now go shower. I’ll put the food up here while I talk to the director. Jethro can give his report when you come back down. And don’t take all day. We need to get out of here and get this done. ”
“This is stupid,” she muttered.
“The sooner we get it done and over with, the quicker we can get home and try to get some sleep. The extra agents will take up watch outside tonight and tomorrow and give us a chance to rest. Then, we go hunting. ”
“How?” She didn’t like the sound of that.
“Very discreetly,” he said firmly. “We’ll discuss it later. Now go. ”
“Now go,” she muttered. “It’s occurring to me, Mac, that you have a streak of stubbornness that is starting to piss me off. ”
She caught the surprised look Jethro gave Mac. Veiled, rife with male amusement and a hint of surprise.
“She’s just figuring this out?” he asked Mac. “Hell, you’ve been spoiling her, Mac. ”
“And I’ve done so with great joy. ” Mac’s expression became heavy with sensuality then, the effect of it tightening her womb despite the frustration and fear of the situation she found herself in.
