Turn On A Dime - Kade's Turn (18 page)

Blane said nothing, the two of them caught in a stare-down. Kade’s hands curled into fists and he turned away first, mostly so he wouldn’t cold-cock his own brother. Without another word, he walked out the door, following the path Kathleen had taken.

The night was bitter cold and still. Kade thought of what Kathleen had been wearing, realizing she had to be freezing in that getup. Had she gone? He searched for her car, finally spotting it. She hadn’t left yet, hadn’t even started the engine.

Worried dogged him as he hurried toward the piece of shit Honda, a little voice in the back of his head asking him what the hell he thought he was going to do when he got to her. It wasn’t like comforting crying women was something he did. Ever. But he shoved the thought away. He’d think of something. Right now he just had a burning need to make sure she was all right.

He could see her behind the wheel, staring straight ahead as though in shock. Kade’s gut twisted.

“Kathleen,” he said, talking through the window to her. She jerked in surprise, her red-rimmed eyes wide as she turned to look up at him.

“Kade—”

“Open the door,” Kade ordered. “You’re in no condition to drive.” The last thing he needed was her wrecking the car on her way home, and he tried not to think about that driving urge to protect her that still burned white-hot in his gut.

“No! Wait!” Her shout was laced with panic and made Kade freeze in place. “Look,” she said, pointing to the windshield.

Kade’s brow creased in a frown as he tried to see what she was pointing at. It took a moment, but he finally made out the word someone had written on the glass.

BOOM

“Fuck.” Someone had planted a bomb on her car, or wanted her to think they had. Only one way to tell for sure. “Don’t move,” he ordered, then crouched down on the cold, wet asphalt.

He saw the device immediately. Strapped to the underside of her car was enough C4 to make sure she didn’t walk away. Wires led from the explosive up into the car, but without more light and time, Kade couldn’t see where. What he did see were the red, glowing numbers counting down.

Getting back to his feet, he spoke through the windshield.

“Okay, now don’t panic,” he said. “There is a bomb underneath your car.”

Those words had an immediate effect as Kathleen slumped in her seat. Shit!

“Don’t you pass out on me, Kathleen!” He’d never get her out if she was unconscious, and watching her die was out of the question.

Kathleen jerked upright at his yell and Kade spoke again.

“Listen to me. The bomb is rigged to something inside, but I can’t tell what it is. It could be the door, ignition, radio, anything.”

“That’s not helpful,” she said.

A visceral part of Kade appreciated the fact that she had a sense of humor even under these dire circumstances. God, he loved this woman.

“It’s also on a timer, Kathleen.”

Her eyes slid shut and Kade could practically see the despair slide into her soul.

“How much time?” she asked. He barely heard her.

No sense lying. “Three minutes.”

She took a breath and resignation replaced the despair. “You should go,” she said, her voice choked. “Back off. I can try to open the door.”

Yeah, not gonna happen. “I’m not leaving you, Kathleen.”

She glanced back at him, and the strangest thing happened. She looked at him—really looked at him—the way other women had looked at him a thousand times, but never before by her. A slide of her gaze from his head down his torso and back up, like she was drinking him in. Then the moment was gone.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kade,” she snapped, looking away again. “You don’t even like me. Now go.”

As if she could order him around. “I don’t have to like you to save your life,” he retorted. “Now roll down the window.” Blane had said to keep her safe so that’s what Kade would do. For Blane.

Right.

“Can’t,” she said. “Not without turning on the car.”

It figured. The one time a ten-year-old piece of shit car could be helpful with manual windows and hers didn’t have them.

“Turn away then,” he said.

She obeyed and Kade bent his elbow before sending it hurtling against the glass. The collision sent a jolt of pain through his arm, but he ignored it and tried again. The glass splintered, but stubbornly held together. Fuck. There had to be something around that he could use to help break that window.

Kade began searching the ground. A big chunk of asphalt would probably do the trick—

“Wait!” Kathleen’s shout made him whip around. “I forgot something,” she said. He saw her dig underneath her seat and a moment later, she brandished something in her hand, a slim device about six inches long. “This!”

She pressed one end of it to the window and it shattered immediately. Kade wasted no time in reaching through the window for her. Luckily, she was tiny enough to fit through the opening. Once she was on her feet, Kade grabbed her hand and pulled her backward. The clock inside his head said they had only seconds remaining.

“Run!”

They both ran and the explosion followed moments after, the shockwave knocking them off their feet. Kade grabbed Kathleen, pulling her into him and twisting so her body landed on top of his. She was small, but big enough to knock the wind out of him. They both lay there for a moment, the night sky lit from the fiery blaze engulfing her car.

Kade sat up, pulling her still form onto his lap. Was she okay? Had she been hurt? She wasn’t talking.

“Are you all right?” he asked anxiously.

Her entire body was wracked with tremors and she didn’t speak, just gave a nod.

The ground was cold and hard, so Kade got to his feet, helping her up as well. She didn’t look so good. Her face was deathly pale and the shaking was even worse now. She was going into shock.

Shrugging out of his tuxedo jacket, Kade swung it over her shoulders and pulled it closed. She was too cold.

“Kathleen!”

Kade turned to see the explosion had brought the party outside and Blane was running toward them, the expression on his face one of stark fear that changed to relief once he saw Kathleen standing next to Kade. He skidded to a halt a few feet away, his breath coming in harsh pants.

“Keep him away from me. Please.” Kathleen’s whispered plea only just reached Kade’s ear, but it had the same effect as if a switch had been thrown. The burning in his gut that wanted to protect her flared, solidifying into one all-consuming purpose.

Kade pulled Kathleen into him, shielding her with his body. Blane took a step toward them, his eyes on Kathleen. Kade wanted to growl at him, like a dog staking its territory.

“She’s fine,” Kade said, his eyes narrowing as he watched his brother. It was a warning veiled inside a statement, but Blane heard it loud and clear. He stopped in his tracks.

Kade and Blane stared at each other, something shifting between them, but Kade was too far gone to care. He was furious and inches from losing control.

Another ten seconds and Kathleen would’ve been dead. But he had her now. She was in his arms, her weight almost fully resting on him—trusting that he would keep her standing. Trusting Kade to protect her from harm…from Blane. And if Blane took one more step toward her, he would regret it. And Blane knew it. Kade could see in his eyes that he’d read Kade’s body language.

She was gasping now, pulling Kade’s attention away from Blane and back to her. “Breathe, princess. Just breathe,” he said, but the wheezing gasps continued.

“She’s going into shock, Kade. We need to get her to the hospital.” Blane spoke but remained where he was, keeping his distance from Kade as one would give a wide berth to a rabid animal.

“Haven’t you done enough?” Kade’s hissed accusation was laced with fury.

Kathleen’s knees gave out and Kade whipped his head around to see her eyes roll back in her head as she lost consciousness.

“Kat!”

Blane’s cry seemed far away as panic burned away the fog of blind rage inside Kade. He scooped her up in his arms. She weighed next to nothing, her head lolling back against his arm, exposing the column of her throat.

“Let me take her,” Blane said from behind Kade.

“Fuck that shit,” Kade shot back. “She doesn’t want a damn thing to do with you right now.” He bypassed Blane and headed for his car. Blane reached around him to pull open the door to the back seat. Kade carefully arranged Kathleen’s limp body on the leather. Blane opened the passenger door, preparing to climb in.

“I don’t think so,” Kade said, slamming the door shut and going toe-to-toe with him. “You’re in this shit up to your neck, brother, and whoever’s behind this nearly turned your girlfriend and me into a matching set of charcoal briquettes.”

Blane’s jaw tightened as he stared at Kade. “You think I don’t know that?” he ground out.

“So get your head out of your ass and find this guy,” Kade snapped, stepping away and rounding the car to the driver’s side.

“And what are you going to do?” Blane shot back.

Kade pulled open the door. “What I was told,” he said. “If they want to kill her, they’ll have to get through me.” He slid behind the wheel and a moment later was speeding toward his apartment, Kathleen unconscious in his back seat and his brother in the rearview mirror.

CHAPTER NINE

It was no easy feat, juggling an unconscious woman in his arms while unlocking his apartment door and getting inside, but Kade managed. She wasn’t heavy—it was just awkward. Finally, he laid her on his bed, still unconscious.

He tugged the boots off her feet, then the shredded nylons covering her legs that he’d fantasized about touching just hours before. The tuxedo jacket had fallen off in the car and now Kade could see the Santa outfit Kathleen wore was torn and dirty. It bothered him. It was too much of a reminder of just how close she’d come to dying tonight.

Reaching into his pocket, Kade took out a switchblade. A practiced flick of his wrist and the knife appeared, its edge wickedly sharp. Sure she would wake, Kade grasped the velvet fabric at the top and sliced between her breasts straight down her torso all the way to the hem. He was exceedingly careful, lest he accidentally nick her skin. But even with the sound of the fabric rending, she didn’t open her eyes.

The crescent of skin revealed by his cut teased him and the velvet slid away. Kade swallowed.

She was as perfect as he remembered. She wore no bra, not with that outfit, and Kade could only be slovenly grateful for small favors. Her breasts were full and plump, the nipples rosy against her pale skin. Her waist was narrow, the indentation of her navel drawing his gaze. Tiny, black bikini panties was all that was left, coyly hiding the paradise between her thighs.

Forcing himself to turn away, Kade quickly undid his shirt, yanking the tails from his pants. It took only a moment to whisk away the ruined Santa costume before easing her arms into the sleeves of his shirt. He probably should get her a clean shirt, but the instinct deep inside him wanted to brand her as his and mark her with his scent.

Fantasies took hold in his mind, the sight of her in his bed, her hair spread in a river of gold on his pillow, all of it seemed surreal. Things like this didn’t happen to him, not good things.

Starting at the top, he began doing up the buttons, concealing her body from his gaze. Not that anything would ever erase the image from his mind. His fingers brushed her skin more than was necessary, the satin texture so soft, it made him wonder how much softer the center of her would be.

Imagining made his hands shake and his cock stiffen. He lingered over the buttons, trying not to think about all the reasons he had for not touching her even as his hand drifted over her abdomen. His fingers trailed lightly across her ribs and down her side.

His skin was darker than hers, and in the low light of the lamp, his hand looked dirty against the pure ivory of her flesh.

Kade yanked his arm back, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. What was he thinking? She was out cold and he was going to touch her without her knowledge or consent. The thought made his stomach roll and he swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat.

Quickly, he finished buttoning the shirt, then went to his closet, discarding his tuxedo slacks, shoes and socks for jeans and a long-sleeved Henley. He cast one last glance at Kathleen, still sound asleep, and left the room. He’d make her some tea or something. They did that, right? Like in the movies and shit? Hot tea was supposed to help.

But he didn’t have tea, he only had coffee. Ten minutes later when he returned with two steaming mugs, Kade saw Kathleen had woken and was sitting up. She was looking around the room as though poised to bolt.

“Take it easy now,” he said, sitting next to her on the bed. He handed her a mug which she automatically took.

“Where am I?”

“My place.”

She frowned. “Your place? I thought you lived with Blane.”

Kade snorted. “Not likely. As if I could stand living with him for more than a few days.”

He watched as she took a few careful sips of the coffee. Kade knew how she took it—too sweet and too much cream. After a moment, she spoke again.

“Um, how did I get into this?” She tugged at the hem of the shirt he’d dressed her in.

Best to avoid that question. “Yeah, that little red outfit’s a goner. Sorry.”

She blushed, her cheeks turning rosy. Kade wasn’t surprised. Modesty wasn’t a trait he often ran across, which made it even more charming when he did. She looked down, letting her hair swing forward to conceal her face. Kade couldn’t have that. He brushed her hair back so he could see her, tucking the silky strands behind her ear.

“Would it help if I said I didn’t look?” he lied through his teeth. The image of her body spread out on his sheets would haunt him forever.

Kathleen smiled a bit at that, though it quickly faded.