mostly when he fought not to laugh at her. Amusement made him seem approachable, not the hard-jawed and imposing defender who sat on her couch now.
"You can call it nonsense, if you want. I call it saving your life."
Irritation had changed to worry. Now worry became confusion. Melanie sat on the bundle of blankets beside him, wanting honesty now most of all. "Then they really were trying to shoot me."
Kade shook his head. "Shot you. Would have, anyway."
"If it wasn't for you." Her hand dropped to her abdomen, covering the spot that had cramped so painfully. When she closed her eyes, she remembered the crack of the shot being fired and the sensation of the bullet passing through her. Of his hand pressed hard against her ribs. Her eyes snapped open. "What did you do to me?"
Kade studied her a moment, then rubbed a hand over his face and sat forward, elbows braced on his knees. "It's complicated."
"Be that as it may, I think I have the right to know. Especially since it's a matter of life and could have been my death."
"Nobody's going to die," he said. The words were edged and dangerous. They had the weight of a promise.
"How did you know to be there? How did you find me? You said you saw me earlier, but how did you know? I don't go out often enough to be predictable. Dalton's is a favorite place," she allowed, "but we're there at best every other week. If someone's stalking me—"
"You wouldn't know until it's too late. You'd never see them coming."
"But you would? " She heard the disbelief in her voice and managed somehow not to grimace when she saw his shoulders tense. "I'm sorry." She took a breath. "I don't mean to offend you, but I'm not sure what’s real and what I made up in some sort of panic. I need—" She reconsidered her words, watching his fingers curl and flex. "I'm asking you to explain. In small words. Please?"
His jaw worked, muscle bunching and relaxing as he chewed an answer. His gaze lifted to hers. He gave a faint nod.
Then sat back. "The men you saw tonight, weren't. Men," he clarified. "They were creatures. Marionettes. If things had gone their way, you'd be dead and they'd have been gone before you hit the floor. No mess, no fight, no screaming and no one to remember seeing them. They make good assassins."
Melanie's blood went cold. It took two tries to make words come out again. "I don't understand. Who'd want to kill me?"
"Everyone's got enemies."
She shook her head slowly. "I don't. I don't know that many people here. I haven't been in the city long enough. I can't think of anyone I've insulted or hurt in any way."
"Maybe it's not someone you know."
Melanie paused. "Then how could I be any sort of threat? Don't you have to know someone pretty well to want to kill them?" There was another question to regret, judging by the shadow that slid through his gaze. She tilted her head. "Why do I feel like I'm having half a conversation?"
Kade made a low sound that could have been a growl. He certainly moved like a caged animal as he stood again and headed toward the door. There wasn't a lot of room in here for pacing. He looked like he'd give it a shot anyway. "There's a lot to tell you and not much time." He shoved a hand through his hair again, making pieces stick up here and there. Melanie's fingers itched with the urge to tuck them down. Traitors.
"You work with artifacts, right?" Now he had his hands at his waist, a very superhero pose. Which went we ll with daring rescues from disappearing men. "Putting them back together."
Melanie shook herself. Pay attention. "Restoring them," she corrected, nodded, then frowned. "How did you know?"
Kade went on as if she hadn't asked. "You got a new shipment today, didn't you? Straight out of Egypt. Broken pottery, old linen, that kind of thing."
Melanie narrowed her eyes. "If you're not going to answer, I don't think I want to, either. I don't have to," she insisted. "I haven't done anything wrong."
She had him there. Triumph thrilled through
"You can call it nonsense, if you want. I call it saving your life."
Irritation had changed to worry. Now worry became confusion. Melanie sat on the bundle of blankets beside him, wanting honesty now most of all. "Then they really were trying to shoot me."
Kade shook his head. "Shot you. Would have, anyway."
"If it wasn't for you." Her hand dropped to her abdomen, covering the spot that had cramped so painfully. When she closed her eyes, she remembered the crack of the shot being fired and the sensation of the bullet passing through her. Of his hand pressed hard against her ribs. Her eyes snapped open. "What did you do to me?"
Kade studied her a moment, then rubbed a hand over his face and sat forward, elbows braced on his knees. "It's complicated."
"Be that as it may, I think I have the right to know. Especially since it's a matter of life and could have been my death."
"Nobody's going to die," he said. The words were edged and dangerous. They had the weight of a promise.
"How did you know to be there? How did you find me? You said you saw me earlier, but how did you know? I don't go out often enough to be predictable. Dalton's is a favorite place," she allowed, "but we're there at best every other week. If someone's stalking me—"
"You wouldn't know until it's too late. You'd never see them coming."
"But you would? " She heard the disbelief in her voice and managed somehow not to grimace when she saw his shoulders tense. "I'm sorry." She took a breath. "I don't mean to offend you, but I'm not sure what’s real and what I made up in some sort of panic. I need—" She reconsidered her words, watching his fingers curl and flex. "I'm asking you to explain. In small words. Please?"
His jaw worked, muscle bunching and relaxing as he chewed an answer. His gaze lifted to hers. He gave a faint nod.
Then sat back. "The men you saw tonight, weren't. Men," he clarified. "They were creatures. Marionettes. If things had gone their way, you'd be dead and they'd have been gone before you hit the floor. No mess, no fight, no screaming and no one to remember seeing them. They make good assassins."
Melanie's blood went cold. It took two tries to make words come out again. "I don't understand. Who'd want to kill me?"
"Everyone's got enemies."
She shook her head slowly. "I don't. I don't know that many people here. I haven't been in the city long enough. I can't think of anyone I've insulted or hurt in any way."
"Maybe it's not someone you know."
Melanie paused. "Then how could I be any sort of threat? Don't you have to know someone pretty well to want to kill them?" There was another question to regret, judging by the shadow that slid through his gaze. She tilted her head. "Why do I feel like I'm having half a conversation?"
Kade made a low sound that could have been a growl. He certainly moved like a caged animal as he stood again and headed toward the door. There wasn't a lot of room in here for pacing. He looked like he'd give it a shot anyway. "There's a lot to tell you and not much time." He shoved a hand through his hair again, making pieces stick up here and there. Melanie's fingers itched with the urge to tuck them down. Traitors.
"You work with artifacts, right?" Now he had his hands at his waist, a very superhero pose. Which went we ll with daring rescues from disappearing men. "Putting them back together."
Melanie shook herself. Pay attention. "Restoring them," she corrected, nodded, then frowned. "How did you know?"
Kade went on as if she hadn't asked. "You got a new shipment today, didn't you? Straight out of Egypt. Broken pottery, old linen, that kind of thing."
Melanie narrowed her eyes. "If you're not going to answer, I don't think I want to, either. I don't have to," she insisted. "I haven't done anything wrong."
She had him there. Triumph thrilled through
Similar Books
