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She’d just so complicated this entire situation for herself and she knew it. She’d created problems she had no idea how to solve. And she had no idea how to deal with what she’d done the night before. That wasn’t like her. She normally accepted whatever decisions she made spur of the moment, even dumb ones. She accepted them and figured out how to make it work. But she couldn’t figure out how to make this work or how to avoid the broken heart she knew was coming.
And she didn’t need new scars on her heart.
She hadn’t wanted more scars, but they were coming anyway, and she knew it.
They were coming, and she had a terrible feeling that the scar Duke left when this was over would have far more impact than even she suspected.
Breathing in deep, she wiped her hands over her face, straightened from the door, and headed for the shower. She didn’t have time to stand around here and try to figure out something she had no idea how to deal with.
Right now, Bliss needed her. When her sister was safe, when the danger to her was over, then she could deal with the future scars she was allowing to be placed on her heart.
Freshly showered, the wound on her thigh cleaned and bandaged, Angel quickly dressed and stepped back into the bedroom. Where Duke was waiting for her, it seemed.
Dressed in jeans and a tan T-shirt, a short-sleeved shirt covering it and hiding the weapon holstered at his side, he was watching the cameras as he finished eating whatever he’d had in his hand.
“The family showed up this morning. Mercedes, Christa, and Kelly are in the kitchen fixing breakfast. It should be ready soon,” he told her.
She pressed her lips together tightly.
“He should just send an invitation to whoever’s after Bliss,” she snapped. “Do you think they aren’t watching Dawg, Rowdy, and this damned house for her?” Propping one hand on her hip she glared at him furiously. “Does Natches not think they’re watching? That they’re not aware of all the activity at this place? They know she’s here.”
“And there’s no way to keep them from suspecting,” he told her calmly. “But they can’t be sure and there’s a pretty little DHS agent that could pass for Bliss’s twin that’s made several brief, but notable appearances as she makes her way from one county to another surrounding this one.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Natches didn’t say anything about this before.”
“I just found out myself this morning.” As he turned from the monitors a grimace pulled at his expression. “Natches is determined that the abductors not know where Bliss is. That’s why she’s kept in the house, why the shades stay closed, and why Harley, Declan, and the August twins are kept so carefully hidden.”
“Why didn’t he give us this information when I first arrived?” How was she supposed to protect Bliss if she didn’t have all the information involved?
“Timothy Cranston just told Natches and Chaya about it last night, from what I understand.” Crossing his arms over his chest he leaned against the desk, his gaze moving over her warmly.
Heat flooded her body, an involuntary and confusing reaction. He was making her do things, feel things she didn’t know how to deal with.
“So, Timothy arranged it?” she probed, wishing he would just finish it already.
His lips quirked with a hint of a smile. “Timothy’s bad for things like that,” he said, as though it were acceptable that the former DHS agent would take such matters into his own hands. “Natches knew he was putting something together, he just wasn’t certain what. They’ve worked together for a long time, Angel.”
“Over twenty years. Nearly twenty-five. He was Army Intelligence first, FBI, then DHS. He was Chaya’s agent in charge in that time.” She knew the former agent’s history and Cranston’s close association with the Mackays. She’d made it her business to know.
Duke nodded at that information. “He’s been in D.C. trying to figure out what happened when the hotel exploded. Chaya and her husband both were with Army Intelligence. He’s checking to be certain the attempted abduction doesn’t have anything to do with that.”
She nodded, realizing she was breathing a little easier. For one terrifying moment she’d been afraid she was wrong about Natches and that he was allowing the abductors to realize where Bliss was to draw them out.
She couldn’t have stood that, to be so wrong about him.
“It might not work, the agent that looks like Bliss,” she stated, considering all the angles. “They won’t be as trusting after realizing the safe house was a setup.”
“Natches is aware of that,” he assured her, resigned to the fact that the plan had its flaws. “His options are limited, though, and he’s not willing to allow Bliss to be used as bait. No matter how fiercely she’s arguing for it.”
Concern darkened his expression for a moment.
“I’ll talk to her.” Her sister would have to see the error of doing such a thing.
“Give me that kiss you’re trying to avoid so I can get my ass outside and do my part,” he demanded, ignoring her surprise. “I’m not leaving without it.”
A kiss?
“You were kissed last night,” she told him, suddenly nervous and uncertain. Why the hell did he want a kiss?
