Page 53 of The Enforcers: KANE

Rachelle stared at Kane towering over her, his eyes flashing gold with rage.

Crap. She’d been concentrating so hard on the energy residue she hadn’t been paying attention to anything else. She had totally messed this up, and everything was going to implode. Carmichael was going to kill her. Maybe literally.

“I can explain,” she said, keeping her voice low. “But not here.”

Kane didn’t move. “I trusted you,” he said in a furious undertone. “I trusted the bond we used to have. And then I find you inside the vault that was cleaned out on my watch, the same night it happened. Using some kind of illegal magic.”

Beneath the rage in his eyes, she could see hurt and betrayal. The gentle, caring man she’d spent the day with had gone back into his shell. She knew he must already feel like a failure because he hadn’t prevented this crime, and people had been hurt.

Now the woman he’d opened himself up to had betrayed him. Again.

Wolf started growling.

She opened her mouth, but he didn’t let her speak. “What kind of magic were you using? Were you trying to destroy evidence?”

“No!” she whispered. “I was trying to preserve it. And you interrupted me in the middle of it.” She’d gotten a good taste of Selina’s energy signature, but she hadn’t gotten it all.

“Please don’t even pretend this is my fault,” he snarled, still keeping his voice low. “If you were any kind of law enforcement, you would have come to me. You’re freelancing, and I want to know who you work for. Now.”

The alpha authority in his voice cracked over her like a whip. Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t susceptible to that.

“I can’t tell you that. And we can’t have this conversation here. People are going to start wondering what you’re doing in here.”

“And I suppose if they come in, they’ll find me talking to empty air?” he asked.

She heaved a sigh. “If you draw enough attention to me, they’ll see me,” she said. “Even if I raise the cloak again. I don’t think either of us wants that.”

His lips drew together in a line, and she could feel his conflicting emotions. The old Kane had been loyal to a fault, willing to bend or break any rules for the people he cared about.

This Kane was determined to do the right thing. She just had to convince him that going by the book wasn’t the right thing in this situation.

“Kane, I know who did this,” she said. “I can help you catch them, if you’re willing to trust me.”

He gazed at her, his face dark. “So let me get this straight. The Council, the Feds, and police in three states have been pursuing these people for months with no clues, and you know who did it, but you haven’t bothered to tell anyone?” He crossed his arms. “Okay, who?”

Rachelle hesitated. This was her make or break moment. She had to come clean with him, right now, or he’d never trust her again. And she needed him to trust her.

But this was not the place. “Not here,” she said. “Outside.”

He stared at her, eyes narrowed. “Okay,” he said. “This is how it’s going to be. You’re going to reactivate that damn spell, and then you’re going to walk out of here quietly, and I’m going with you. We’re going to talk outside in my truck, and I’m going to try very hard not to put my hands around your neck and strangle you.”

Rachelle swallowed. He wasn’t kidding about that last part.

She nodded. “Understood.”

“I’m going to keep my eye on your shimmery little ass the entire time,” he added. “And if you try anything, I swear to God I’ll shoot you myself.”

The venom in his voice sent chills down Rachelle’s spine. Hunter’s sweetness and vulnerability still existed, but it was buried deep inside a ruthless and dangerous man.

She’d better not forget that.

Kane watched her as she closed her eyes and reactivated the cloak. Then he strode out of the vault room, leaving her to follow him. He ducked under the yellow tape and pulled off his booties, wadding them up and throwing them in the trash.

Rachelle ducked under the tape as well, staying close to the wall. Kane’s eyes didn’t stray to her once, but she knew he knew exactly where she was.

He turned to the tech at the desk. “I’m going out to see how they’re doing questioning the guests,” he said. “And the Enforcers from Silverlake should be arriving soon, as well as Council representatives coming in by helicopter. Send me that enhanced imaging as soon as you have it.”

“Will do.” The tech barely looked up from his computer.