Kade Read online

  Bree pulled in a long breath and tried to push away the ache. But no, it was still there. It hurt her to the core to think of her daughter being whisked away when she’d only had a few real moments with her. It hurt even more though to know that Leah was in danger and would continue to be until Kade and she put an end to it.

  “Whoever killed Cummings could hire someone else,” Bree said, more to herself than Kade. She had to make her heart understand what her brain and instincts already knew. Her training and experience forced her to see scenarios and outcomes that ripped away at her.

  “Just where exactly is this safe place that the others and Leah could go?” she asked.

  “My other sister-in-law, Kayla, has a house in San Antonio. It’s an estate with a high wrought-iron fence and security system surrounding the entire grounds and house. SAPD will provide additional protection. Plus, Dade and Nate would be with them.”

  It sounded like a fortress. Ideal for keeping her baby safe. But Bree knew that bad guys might still try to get through all those security measures.

  “You could go, too,” Kade quietly added.

  “No.” And this time, Bree wouldn’t take back her response. Just the opposite. It was the only answer that made sense. “Wherever I go, the danger will follow. I’m the one this person wants dead, and I don’t want Leah anywhere around if and when he hires another hit man to come after me.”

  Kade didn’t argue. Because he knew it was the truth. The more distance between her baby and her, the better.

  Still, that didn’t ease the ache that was quickly turning into a raw, throbbing pain.

  “This is much harder than I thought it would be,” Bree whispered.

  Kade only nodded, and she could see the agony in his icy gray eyes. So much emotion that it prompted Bree to touch her fingertips to his arm. She wasn’t big on providing comfort, and her job had required her not to sympathize with anything or anybody, but she and Kade shared this heartbreak.

  “When would Leah have to go to Kayla’s house?” she asked.

  Kade lifted his shoulder and sank down on the sofa. “Soon. This morning,” he clarified. “But maybe it wouldn’t be for long.”

  Maybe.

  And maybe it would be far longer than Bree’s heart could handle.

  An uncomfortable silence settled between them, and Bree eased down on the sofa right next to him. She waited. Hoping. And it wasn’t long before Kade sighed and placed the baby in her arms.

  It was far better than anything else he could have done.

  It soothed her. And frightened her. It filled her with a hundred emotions that she didn’t understand. But even that seemed trivial.

  She was holding her baby.

  And it was breaking her into pieces.

  Until this moment she hadn’t realized she could love someone this much. Or hurt this much because she might lose her, even for only a day or two.

  “What are we going to do?” Bree said under her breath.

  When Kade didn’t answer, she looked at him and saw his jaw muscles set in iron.

  Handsome iron, she amended.

  Because his good looks weren’t diminished by a surly expression or the possible impending danger. Again, she blamed it on their shared situation. And on the close contact between them. After all, they were arm to arm. Hip to hip. Breath to breath. Except she doubted Kade was thinking about the close contact in a good way.

  That expression let her know that he hadn’t told her everything, and the part that he had left out would be something that would only add to the pain she was already feeling.

  “Okay, what’s wrong?” Bree demanded.

  He didn’t answer right away. He’d mulled over his answer. “I’m not giving up Leah.”

  For a moment she thought he meant that he’d changed his mind about the baby going to the San Antonio estate, but then she got it.

  Oh, yeah.

  She got it all right.

  Kade had physical custody of Leah since she was just a few days old. Plus, he had something that Bree didn’t—a home, a supportive family and money from the looks of it. There was also the fact that he had strong ties in the community. That meant ties with people who could help him keep custody of their child.

  Still, that was just one side of it.

  “I’m her mother,” Bree said when she couldn’t think of another argument. It certainly wasn’t a good one, and it didn’t mean she had what it took to raise a child. But the other side was that she loved this child with all her heart.

  Kade nodded. “And I’m her father.”

  Frustrated, she stared at him. “Does this mean we’re at some kind of stalemate?”

  “No.” And that’s all he said for several moments. “It means we have some things to work out. Things that will be in Leah’s best interest.”

  Bree could see where this was going, and she didn’t like the direction one bit. “You think you can be a better parent than me.”

  He didn’t deny it.

  She couldn’t deny it, either. He certainly looked at ease with Leah. So did the other members of his family that she’d met. Leah was a Ryland.

  But she was Bree’s baby, too.

  Bree huffed. “I’m not just giving her up, either.” Even though it didn’t make logical sense, it made sense to her. As a mother. Yes, it was a new role, new feelings. New everything. But it was a role she would embrace with as much devotion and love as she had her badge.

  Kade didn’t huff, but he mumbled something under his breath. “Be reasonable about this. You’re a Jane for heaven’s sake.”

  Bree jumped right on that. “And I could become a regular agent. Like you.”

  In the past that would have caused her to wince. Or laugh because she had thought a regular job would be a boring death sentence. But she wasn’t wincing or laughing now. In fact, she was on the verge of crying at the thought of losing this child that she hardly knew.

  With those iron jaw muscles still in place, Kade leaned forward and picked up the little silver object from the table. Bree recognized the design. It was the same as the tattoo on his shoulder. He began to roll it like a coin across his fingers. Maybe as a stress reliever. Maybe so he wouldn’t have to look at her. Whatever, it was working.

  Well, for Kade.

  Bree didn’t think anything could relieve her stress, but she shoved that aside and tried to reach a solution. Even a temporary one. She sure needed something to get her through this morning.

  “We only have a few hours to spend with Leah before she leaves,” Bree conceded. “We can table this discussion until after…well, after,” she settled for saying.

  Because she refused to admit this could end badly. The stakes were too high for that.

  “Later, then,” Kade agreed, and he looked back at her. His expression let her know that later, then, wasn’t going to happen immediately.

  “There aren’t a lot of rules for situations like this. And we don’t know each other very well.” He kept rolling the concho. “In fact, I don’t know much about you at all.”

  It wasn’t a gruff or barked observation. It was conversation, that’s all, and he had genuine concern in his voice. Bree knew this could turn ugly, but since he was trying to make nice, she tried, too.

  “Bree is my real name. Bree Ann Winston. I’m twenty-nine.” She paused. Frowned. “Wait. What’s the date?”

  He glanced at his watch. “June 14.”

  That required a deep breath. “Okay, I’m thirty.” She’d missed a pivotal birthday by two months.

  Ironically, it had been a birthday that she’d been dreading since many Janes didn’t last long after their mid-thirties. They were either dead or moved to a regular agent position. However, after the ordeal she’d just been through, turning thirty didn’t seem so bad, after all.

  “Both of my parents are dead,” she continued, addressing another touchy subject. “They were killed in a meth lab explosion when I was nine. Let’s just say they weren’t stellar parents and le
ave it at that. I spent the rest of my so-called childhood in foster care.”

  Hellish foster care that she didn’t discuss. Ever. With anyone.

  Bree took another deep breath. She hadn’t intended to confess all of that dirty laundry, but she figured this wasn’t a good time to keep secrets. Besides, if it came down to a custody fight with Kade, he’d find out, anyway. Kade would learn that prior to becoming an FBI agent, she’d been a mess. A juvenile record for underage drinking. Truancy. And running away from foster care. Especially that. Bree had lost count of how many times she’d run. In fact, she always ran when things got tough.

  Or rather she had.

  She wouldn’t run now.

  “So, there’s the dirt on me,” she concluded. “Nothing like your life, I’m sure.”

  He made a sound that could have meant anything and followed it with a deep breath to indicate it was his turn to spill his guts. “I’m Kade Jason Ryland. Age thirty-one. And I’ve lived here at this ranch my entire life. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

  She could see him here as a little boy. Learning to ride those magnificent horses that she’d seen in the painting in the foyer. Running through this sprawling house surrounded by older brothers and other family who loved him the way Bree loved Leah. It was so far from what she’d experienced as a kid that it seemed like a fantasy.

  Kade’s next deep breath came with a change of expression. His forehead bunched up, and he dodged her gaze. “When I was ten, my grandfather was murdered. He was the sheriff then, and well, I was close to him. All of us were. He was gunned down by an unknown assailant, and the case has never been solved.”

  “I’m sorry.” And that was genuine. An injustice like that ate away at you. Obviously, that’s what it’d done to Kade. She could see the hurt still there in his eyes.

  He shrugged, and she saw the shield come down. He was guarding himself now. Bree knew, because she was a master of doing it.

  “A few days after my grandfather was murdered, my father gave me and my five brothers a custom-made silver concho.” He held it up for her to see.

  “That was nice of him.” Though there was something about his tone that said differently.

  “It was a guilt gift.” Kade didn’t continue until he’d taken Leah from her and put the baby in the carrier seat on the table in front of them. “After that, my father walked out on us. My mother killed herself because she was severely depressed, and my older brother, Grayson, had to forgo college, life and everything else so he could raise all of us and keep the ranch going.”

  Kade met her gaze. “So, there’s the dirt on me.”

  Okay. Bree hadn’t expected anything other than a fairy tale family story to do with the idyllic family ranch, but that was more a nightmare. The sympathy came, and it didn’t feel as foreign to her as she thought it would.

  “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

  He waved her off. “Yeah. I’m sorry about your life, too.”

  It was the first time she ever remembered anyone saying that and really meaning it. And much to her surprise, it felt good. Too good. And it set off more warnings in her head. Her motto of don’t trust anyone was slowly being chipped away.

  By Kade.

  She looked up at him, to thank him, not just for the reciprocal sympathy but also for taking care of their baby when she hadn’t been around to do it.

  Kade looked at her, too. And her thank you died on her lips when he put his arms around her and pulled her to him.

  “We have to be together on this,” he whispered.

  It wasn’t exactly the kiss that she’d braced herself for. Just the opposite. He was holding her as if trying to comfort her.

  His arms were warm and strong. So welcoming. Of course, she’d been in his arms before at the fertility clinic. She’d been naked then. Kade had, too. And his body had definitely given her dreams and food for thought.

  Not now, of course.

  And Bree wanted to believe that.

  Too bad those memories warmed her far more than they should have. It’d been a job, she reminded herself. And that job was over now. Kade’s naked body was just a memory, and it had to stay that way.

  Bree wanted to believe that, too.

  He pulled back, met her gaze. His breath was warm, as well, and he moved closer. Closer. Until his mouth brushed against hers. Bree tried to brace herself again, but what she didn’t do was move away.

  “I’d kiss you,” he drawled, “but we both know that’d be a bad idea.”

  She was about to agree with him, but Kade leaned in and touched his mouth to hers again. Still not a kiss, but it heated her as thoroughly as if it had been one.

  “A bad idea,” she repeated. Mercy. She sounded like a wimp. And she still wasn’t moving. Bree could see what was happening. Like a big train wreck. Except this was a wreck that her body was aching to experience.

  What would a real kiss feel like with Kade?

  The fake ones had been amazingly potent, and she figured a real one would pretty much melt her into a puddle.

  “Bad,” he mumbled without taking his eyes off her.

  Bree could see a kiss coming. Could feel it. And she heard herself say uh-oh a split second before Kade snapped away from her.

  Okay.

  No kiss, after all. She didn’t know who looked more disappointed or more confused—Kade or her.

  He cursed. Some really bad words. And Bree thought that was it. The end of the possible lethal kiss. But then he came back at her. He grabbed her and put his mouth on hers. And it wasn’t for just a peck this time.

  This was a Kade Ryland kiss.

  Yes, this was so different from the fake ones, and they weren’t even naked to enjoy the full benefits. Still, there were benefits. His mouth moved over hers as if he’d been born to kiss her like this.

  The heat washed through her, head to toe. It cleared the haze and fogginess from her mind while it created some haze of a different kind. Her body was suddenly on fire.

  From one blasted kiss!

  How could he do that to her body? How could he dissolve all her defenses and make her want him like this?

  Bree wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. But she was certain that she wanted the kiss to continue. And it couldn’t. For one thing, Leah was in the room. For another, neither Kade nor she was in a good place for this to be happening.

  Still, she wasn’t the one to stop. Kade did. Later, much later, after her body cooled down, she might actually thank him for it.

  He pulled back, dragged his tongue over his bottom lip and made a sound of approval. Or something. Whatever the sound, it went through her as fiery hot as the kiss.

  Bree didn’t ask for clarification on what that sound meant. She didn’t need it. That kiss had held up to the fantasies she’d had after those naked fake kisses at the clinic.

  “I’m sorry,” Kade said.

  She didn’t have time to repeat that lie to him because someone cleared their throat and both Bree and Kade turned toward the open doorway. It was Mason, and he obviously hadn’t missed the close contact between them. He didn’t look too pleased about it, either, but then he hadn’t looked pleased about much since her arrival.

  “You got a visitor,” Mason said, his attention landing on her. “SA Randy Cooper.”

  Coop. The very person that she should have called by now. Sheez. How could she have forgotten that? But then Bree remembered.

  Sleep, baby and kisses.

  Yes. That had really eaten into her time, but she had to get her mind back on track. She had to think like an agent because that was the best way to keep her baby safe.

  “I had him wait on the front porch,” Mason explained. “Just in case you didn’t want to see him.”

  Oh, she wanted to see him all right. She turned to Kade. “I need to change my clothes. Best if I don’t talk to my boss while wearing these pink pjs.”

  He nodded and picked up Leah in the infant carrier. “Mason can watch Leah. Meet me downstai
rs in the living room after you’ve changed.”

  “There’s more,” Mason said, and that stopped both Kade and her midstep. “Somebody else called the sheriff’s office and left a message for you. And it’s a call I think you’ll need to return before you speak to Agent Cooper.”

  Bree shook her head, not understanding that remark. “Who wants to talk to us?” she asked cautiously.

  “To you,” Mason corrected, staring right at her. “It’s Anthony McClendon.”

  One of their suspects. She glanced at Kade, wondering if he knew why Anthony would be calling her, but he only lifted his shoulder.

  “What does he want?” Kade demanded.

  “Apparently a lot. He’s either lying through his teeth or else you should rethink seeing Agent Cooper. That’s why I left him on the porch and locked the front door. I reset the security alarm, too.”

  Bree lifted her shoulders. “Why would you take those kinds of measures for a federal officer?” she added. “And why would you listen to a piece of scum like Anthony McClendon?”

  It was Mason’s turn to shrug. “Because he says he has proof that Cooper is dirty.”

  “Proof?” Kade challenged.

  Mason nodded. “Oh, yeah. And he says he’s also got evidence that Cooper is the one who wants Bree dead.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Proof,” Kade mumbled while he waited for Bree to change her clothes.

  He was eager to hear exactly what that would be or if such a thing even existed. Kade had already tried to return Anthony’s call, but it had gone straight to voice mail.

  “So-called proof coming from a confirmed suspect awaiting trial,” Mason interjected. He dropped down on the sofa and gave Leah’s foot a little wiggle. His brother didn’t smile, but it was as close to a loving expression as Mason ever managed. “Anthony could be just blowing smoke.”

  Under normal circumstances that reminder would have been enough to calm some of Kade’s concerns. But it wasn’t enough now.

  His daughter was in the house.

  The very house that Coop was waiting to get inside. Yeah, Mason would protect Leah, and Kade could do the same to Bree, but he hated the possibility of danger being so close. Bree already had enough danger dumped on her, and judging from her still-sleepy eyes and unfocused expression, she wasn’t anywhere near ready to face down someone who might not be on their side.