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Securing the last strap on the cycle, Eli jumped to the ground and slammed the tailgate closed before turning to Doogan again.
“I obey orders,” he reminded Doogan. “Whether I like them or not. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. That doesn’t mean they won’t find out.”
“Then let’s put it this way,” Doogan stated softly. “If anyone finds out, by any means, I’ll hold you directly responsible. What do you think about that?”
“That you suck.” Eli’s glare deepened. “You suck really bad.”
“And it’s going to suck even worse for you if anyone so much as realizes I’m in town before I inform them,” Doogan promised him. “So you better figure out how to make certain that secret, along with Zoey’s, remains carefully protected, Eli. Very well protected.”
Eli glanced away for a moment. When his gaze returned it was filled with grief and painful concern for the young woman he knew
had become a target. “You’ll get her killed. You know that being with her will only make the danger worse. They’ll kill her just like they killed your family.”
His family.
A faithless wife, a jealous brother, and the beautiful, innocent daughter Doogan would have given his own life to protect. The sister and niece Eli still grieved for and still blamed Doogan for the loss of.
“They can try,” he snarled furiously. “But this time, I fucking know they’re here, don’t I? I know their target and I know how they work.” Fury burned through him, the flames of rage nearly overwhelming him before he found his control and reined them back ruthlessly. “Now you can help me, Eli, or stand the fuck back and keep your mouth shut. But don’t get in my way. Do that, and you’ll be as much an enemy to me as they are.”
With that, Doogan moved to the front of the truck, stepped into the driver’s seat, and glanced at Zoey’s knowing expression.
“Finished threatening Eli?” She shifted in her seat to watch him directly. “Shame on you.”
He merely grunted at the amused chastisement. “He’ll survive it. Maybe,” he promised her, putting the vehicle in drive and heading for the gravel road that led to the clearing. “If he doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut by now, then he needs to learn.”
Eli would definitely survive his threats. If he didn’t follow his orders, though, he might not survive Doogan’s foot up his ass. Or Director Bryce’s anger. Zoey Mackay had become the boss’s new pet project and if Eli or Graham interfered, then there would be more hell to pay than either Graham or Eli might survive.
FOUR
She was crazy.
Insane.
She’d lost her ever-lovin’ mind, just as Eli had accused her as they rode home from the airfield two weeks ago.
Doogan was the biggest threat to her life, Eli had reminded her somberly. If Doogan learned Zoey was having nightmares about having murdered Harley, and he couldn’t find Harley Perdue, then he could arrest her. And if he did, all favor the Mackays had found with Homeland Security would go to hell. It would become a war. One her brother and cousins couldn’t hope to win, and she’d end up in prison.
Eli had watched her like a hawk for the past two weeks as well, as though expecting her to sneak out to meet his nemesis. It was amusing at times, exasperating at others. And the nightmares were becoming worse and more frequent. She wasn’t getting enough sleep and her temper was getting testy. And she couldn’t stop thinking about that damned kiss.
“Why are you in Somerset?” she asked as he pulled the truck into the back garage and came to a stop next to the motorcycles parked there.
She stared straight ahead into the darkened garage, uncertain if she even wanted to know why he was there.
“Does it matter why?”
She could feel his gaze on her¸ stroking over her profile, urging her to look at him.
“I don’t know if it matters or not,” she finally breathed out, rubbing at her arms, telling herself it didn’t matter why he was there.
“I don’t like what you’re doing to me, Zoey,” he said then, his voice dark, deep, the surprising statement pulling her gaze to him despite her best intentions not to face him.
He didn’t like what she was doing to him? At least he had a wealth of experience in understanding how to deal with the hunger. She had no idea how to deal with it. Or how to deny it.
“What am I doing?” She’d stayed away from him. She’d even stayed away from Graham and Lyrica’s when she’d learned he was there the week before. “How the hell am I bothering you?”
“Like this.” There was no warning. One second she was glaring at him, the next he’d wrapped his fingers around her braid and pulled her head back, and his lips were devouring hers.
It wasn’t an easy kiss. It sure as hell wasn’t an exploratory one. It was wet and wild, filled with carnality and driving lust. It was his hunger pulling hers free despite her best attempts to push it back. His tongue pumped between her lips, stroked over hers, and with his free arm he dragged her closer to him.
