Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers #9)(6)
Author: Christine Feehan

“Damn it, woman. You do something like that again, and we’re going to have trouble.”

She looked at him a long time. You have the same eyes. A different color, of course, but you both can look very scary.

It was the first time she’d used the more intimate means of telepathic communication. He knew Javier frightened her, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close to comfort her. It took a minute to realize he frightened her. She wasn’t showing it, but he knew.

“Rose, neither of us wants to send you back to Whitney or to harm you in any way. You’re close to delivering the baby, and you’re going to need help. Stay and wait for us here.”

“I said I wouldn’t run.”

Again she looked him right in the eye. He couldn’t detect any evasion, but still … Kane sighed and stood up. “I’ve got work to do. I’ll be back to get you.”

Rose nodded. She remained seated in the chair as Kane started back to the bedroom. Javier never took his eyes from her, even as he backed toward the bedroom, his body between her and Kane.

Stop trying to intimidate her and let’s go, Kane snapped.

You first. And I’m smiling, Javier shot back.

Like a snake, Kane pointed out and went out of the apartment the same way he’d entered. Javier followed him into the night.

Chapter 2

The moment that Kane and Javier were gone, Rose covered her face with her hands and allowed herself a brief moment to shake uncontrollably. She had to drag in several deep breaths to keep from crumbling completely, to keep from shedding ridiculous, stupid tears. She’d always been so fearful in comparison to the other women she’d grown up with. They had no problems or qualms with their training—she’d always been tentative, forcing herself not to show fear when at times she’d been terrified—like now.

Kane Cannon. She remembered every moment of their time together in vivid detail. The way he smelled. His incredible strength. The feel of his skin against hers. She had chosen him for the father of her child because she knew she had no choice. Whitney had grown impatient with her, and when he knew she was fertile, he would send his choice. Kane Cannon was ruthless and dangerous, capable of swift violence. He was unrelenting and merciless if need be, but one of her psychic gifts was the ability to know when someone lied to her. Kane had been the first man who hadn’t lied.

He found Whitney and his experiments distasteful, and when he was drawn into the breeding program and realized the women were virtually prisoners—that they hadn’t volunteered but were forced into the program—she knew everything in him rebelled. She had known the moment she spoke to him that he would risk his career—his very life—to reveal Whitney’s vile experiments to the authorities. Time had run out on her, and she knew Whitney was determined that no matter what it took, he would get his supersoldier baby from her, so she had chosen Kane.

She’d been so frightened and horribly saddened, wanting her first time to be with someone she loved. She had been terrified of Kane when he’d entered the room. She knew Whitney was watching and listening. If she didn’t cooperate, they would tie her down, and she honestly wasn’t certain she had the courage to go through with it. The first thing Kane had done was smash the camera and recorder, and then he’d disposed of Whitney’s listening device and sat down on the edge of her bed.

He’d looked so big. He towered over her with his height, his wide shoulders, and large hands. Everything about him was intimidating, especially his piercing green eyes. She shivered uncontrollably as if she were still locked up, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Her heart thundered in her ears and pounded in her chest, but she’d been determined to at least have the best man possible for the father of her child. Kane was a good man in spite of the fact that he could be deadly when needed. She’d watched him for weeks before she’d made her decision. If circumstances were different, she knew she would have chosen him anyway, but right then, she was terrified.

And then he touched her. Exquisitely gentle. There was nothing rough about him when he brushed the hair back from her face. “This is bullshit, Rose. I’ll find a way to get you out of here. We don’t have to do this.”

Her world changed instantly with those words. It was so unexpected after the brutes Whitney had sent to her. She still had bruises from the last one making his try. The worst thing—and what Kane didn’t know—was that she’d chosen him. She’d watched him from the exercise yard, and she’d seen the differences in him. At that point he didn’t even know she—or the breeding program—existed. She’d drawn him in by making him her choice. The shame would last her entire life. She’d brought him into the horror of her world, and now he had no more choice than she did.

Rose covered her face and rocked back and forth. She knew he despised himself for getting her pregnant, for being unable to stop Whitney before he touched her, but he had no idea Whitney would never have considered pairing them if she hadn’t chosen him. Kane felt guilty, but she was the guilty party.

The baby kicked hard, and she automatically rubbed her palms over her swollen belly in a soothing motion. She could barely face him, barely look him in the eye, after what she’d done. She knew about the pheromones, knew once Whitney paired them, Kane would have no choice but to crave her body day in and day out. She’d seen the effect on the other men. They had been willing to kill to get to her. Willing to force her just to have her. She’d done that to Kane, a man with principles and honor.

She crushed down the memories and forced herself to stand. It had taken so much effort to be able to appear cool and in control, but she didn’t have to waste energy keeping up appearances.

“You and me, baby,” she whispered. “I’ll keep you safe.”

She felt very alone and vulnerable, her time too close, and she hadn’t established a safe birthing place. She’d made friends with a couple of women, one she’d been certain could help her give birth, but now the cartel had ruined that. She had to run fast and far, and now Kane had complicated everything—but she owed him. He thought it was the other way around, but she hadn’t been able to bear the idea of one of Whitney’s psycho soldiers touching her. They all made her skin crawl.

She’d watched Kane, the way he moved, the sound of his voice, the way he treated others. And she’d made that fateful decision. The baby kicked again, this time a little harder, breaking into her thoughts, and she found a small smile on her face as she rubbed her tummy again.