The mysteries of Charmed! had yet to be unraveled. She could do that without Detective McDermott. The sooner she did, the sooner she could get back to the life she knew best. Her life without Kane.
She picked up the phone, called Catherine and asked her to meet her at her favorite hideaway. As she replaced the receiver, the shower shut off. The silence echoed in her ears. In minutes Kane would emerge, his dark hair damp from the shower, droplets of water on his skin. She ignored the traitorous thudding of her heart, refused to acknowledge the blood pulsing through her veins. Instead she bolted for the front door without looking back.
KANE WALKED OUT of the bathroom, drying his hair as he went. The silence struck him immediately. His nerve endings, honed by years of experience, went on alert. “Kayla?”
No answer. He didn’t call again. His gaze traveled her bedroom. The pile of clothes he’d worn earlier was missing and he realized he heard the hum of the washing machine in the background. But she was gone.
He recalled what happened the last time she’d gone off on her own and his gut churned. She should have known better than to run off. He should have known better than to trust her now that she was back on her feet. Hell, he should have known better than to trust himself. Kayla distracted him in every way possible. His instincts were off, his edge dulled and softened.
He stalked through the house, taking in every detail. Nothing was missing except…the books. He now knew exactly where she’d gone, evidence in hand. A walking target.
Kane muttered a savage curse. When he got his hands on her, he’d throttle her. Never mind that what he really wanted to do was throw her onto the bed and finish what he hadn’t allowed himself to do before. “Damn.”
He dropped his towel and threw on his clothes, then shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed for his keys. He had to wrap this case up and get the hell out. He slid into the car, checked his gun and pulled his cuffs out of the glove compartment. The woman drove him to distraction. At this point, he’d cuff her to the damn bed if that’s what it took to keep her safe.
THE MUSTY SMELL OF OLD books permeated her nostrils, making Kayla feel safe. She rounded the end of a long aisle and saw Catherine pacing the floor at their allotted meeting place.
She touched her sister on the shoulder. “Hi, Cat.”
Catherine turned. “Thank God you’re okay. That emergency call scared me to death. Where’s your guard dog?” She glanced over Kayla’s shoulder in search of Kane.
Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care.”
“He let you out alone? After he promised he’d protect you? I should have known the man was slime.”
“I snuck out and, if I recall, you liked him well enough the first time you met.”
“That was before he took advantage of my innocent sister.”
“Don’t you think you’re laying it on a little thick, even for you?”
Catherine stepped forward and touched her cheek. “You look like you’ve had your heart trampled and broken. So no, I don’t think I’m overreacting.”
Kayla eased herself into one of the fabric-covered chairs. There weren’t many places in the public library that were comfortable and secluded, but three floors down from the main level, nestled between History and Research, Kayla had carved out her personal space.
“Did you know that men were very literal creatures?” Kayla asked.
“How so?”
“They say what they mean and they mean what they say. If a guy says he doesn’t want to get involved, he doesn’t want to get involved. No hidden agendas exist. There aren’t any fairy-tale endings and there’s no such thing as the right woman changing a stubborn man’s mind.”
“I’d like to strangle the snake.”
“Why? He never lied to me. Now sit. We have to talk.” Kayla patted the chair across from her. Catherine meant well, but discussing her feelings for Kane was too personal. Kayla wouldn’t divulge details, not even to her concerned sister.
She’d cope and deal with it on her own. “What do you know about Charmed!’s less discussed activities?” Kayla asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Look at this.” She dug into her bag and pulled out one of the crossword books she’d taken from the house. “Lists of names, dates…” She fanned the pages for her sister to see.
“Shut the book, Kayla.” The deep voice took her by surprise. A familiar feeling of warmth curled inside her stomach.
“The iceman cometh,” Catherine muttered.
“Shut up.” Kayla and Kane spoke at once.
Instead of being insulted, Catherine merely continued undeterred. “What shouldn’t she tell me?”
“Anything.” Kane’s dark gaze bored into Kayla’s. If he was aware of Catherine as anything other than another body in the library, no one would know. He had eyes only for her and, if the steely glint in them was any indication, he was furious. She could match and best him on that score.
“Keeping secrets, Detective?” Catherine asked.
“None that concern you.” He spoke to Catherine, but his gaze didn’t swerve from hers. The intensity Kayla saw there unnerved her.
Catherine’s stare bounced from Kane to Kayla and back again. Apparently she sensed the undercurrents running between them because she stood and reached for her purse. “I think that’s my cue.”
Kayla rose. “You don’t need to go.” She could handle Kane without Catherine’s help, but she refused to let him drive her sister off.
“I think I do. As for Charmed!, I know less than you. Aunt Charlene thought I was the wild child and rarely confided in me.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kayla laughed. Catherine never begrudged Kayla her relationship with their aunt. She’d had little in common with the older woman, but Kayla knew in her heart, Aunt Charlene had loved them both. When push came to shove, though, the Luck sisters had relied on each other.
Catherine turned to Kane. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on between you two, but if you hurt my sister, I’ll make you wish you’d never heard the name Luck.”
“I believe it,” Kane muttered.
“I can’t believe you’re letting him run you off,” Kayla said.
Catherine leaned close, her voice low. “I looked into his eyes. The man’s fallen hard. He just doesn’t know it yet. He’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t need him…”
“Yes, you do. You’re not wearing more fashionable clothes for my benefit, you’re doing it for his. Because you finally trust someone enough to let the real you out.” Catherine gave her a quick hug. “You know where to reach me.”
Kayla squeezed her back. She loved her concern as much as she loved her sister-even if she was seeing things between herself and Kane that didn’t exist. In Kane, Kayla had imagined a depth of caring and a need for love in a man who had none. Catherine had obviously been fooled as well. But her sister meant well. They were family and, in Kayla’s eyes, that meant everything. Not that a loner like Kane would understand or even care. She glanced over. He stood off to the side, his rigid body language ensuring no one could mistake him for anything but the loner he was.
Despite everything, a huge part of her still wanted to teach him the meaning of belonging. She stifled a harsh laugh, knowing how little he desired from Kayla Luck.
She waited until her sister disappeared around the stacks. “How did you find me?”
“Instinct. You were either here or with your sister. Both happened to be true.”
Kayla latched on to his mention of Catherine. “Cat deserves to know what’s going on, Kane. Keeping her in the dark isn’t your decision to make.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s yours. The more she knows, the more danger she’ll be in. I have enough trouble keeping tabs on you. I don’t need to add her to my list.”
He took two steps closer. Her personal corner of the library was small. Kane’s presence made it seem even smaller. She inhaled for courage and smelled his masculine scent. Her body reacted, recalling more intimate times between them.
