Sarah McCarty (40 page)
“I know. I was right there with you, but I gave you an order.”
She tilted her head back so she could see his face. “Seriously, you’re going to complain about the fact that you get me so hot I totally lose control?”
“Well, when you put it that way ...”
She kissed his chest. Beneath the lightness of his tone she could hear his worry. “I’m fine, Slade. But I do think you need to add a new entry into that notebook you’re keeping in regard to conversion.”
“Oh yeah?” He changed positions, coming over her, smiling down into her face. Her outlaw. “And what would that be?”
“It won’t be denied.”
“Not when you’re the one being converted.”
“Are you saying I’m aggressive?”
He laughed and deflected her half-hearted swat at his arm. “I’m saying you’re perfect.”
She huffed. “Perfect for you.”
He traced the fading mark of his bite. “Absolutely.”
Folding her hand around his, she bit her lip. As much as she hated to disturb the moment, there was something else they needed to talk about.
“I know.”
“Stop reading my mind.”
“It’s not as easy as you would think.”
“Well, try.”
“Will do.”
“We need to destroy the formula.”
His smile vanished. “No.”
“As long as it’s written down anywhere, the chance that Sanctuary will discover it increases exponentially. And its potential for destruction is simply too great.”
“Destroying records of it will make you the sole focus of their search.”
“I’m a target anyway.”
“But not like you’d be if you were the only method of getting the information.”
“What else can we do? Erasing my memory isn’t an option. Not only is that technology iffy, Joseph’s condition isn’t likely to remain stable.”
“Shit.” Slade sat up. “That’s what you meant when you said you had a feeling we were running out of time, isn’t it? It had nothing to do with Joseph.”
A shiver snaked down her spine. “Yes.”
“We need to talk to Caleb and the others.”
She grabbed her clothes. “What are they going to do?” she asked, dragging her T-shirt over her head.
Slade shot her a look. “Prepare.”
“ARE
you sure you want to do this?” Caleb asked, her laptop and Slade’s sitting on the edge of the big wood chipper. The kind that ground trees into dust. In a rusted barrel to the right, all the papers containing her notes were waiting to be torched.
you sure you want to do this?” Caleb asked, her laptop and Slade’s sitting on the edge of the big wood chipper. The kind that ground trees into dust. In a rusted barrel to the right, all the papers containing her notes were waiting to be torched.
“Are you? When they figure out my research is gone, they’ll stop looking for it and come after me.”
Caleb’s expression was carved in stone. Beside him Allie stood, holding Joseph. Her expression just as serious. To the right stood Jace and Jared. To the left, Tobias. “Let them come.”
“I appreciate your sacrifice, but you need to think—”
“Jane, you saved my brother’s life twice and also my son’s. Even if you weren’t Slade’s mate, that buys you a lot of alliances.”
“But it doesn’t hurt that we like you,” Jace added.
In the background, a horse whinnied. She looked to Tobias. “What about you?”
His left brow cocked up. “I think you have promise.”
“As what?”
“That I haven’t figured out yet.” He sounded annoyed. She kind of liked the idea of being the one piece in his puzzle he couldn’t make fit. Reaching out, she took Slade’s hand.
“What about you?”
“You already know what I want.”
Her. Any way he could get her. Taking a breath, she nodded. “Then let’s do this.”
The chipper made mincemeat of the laptops. The fire consumed the notes. As she watched the smoke rise into the night, a chill raced over her skin. She stared into the night beyond the compound. The darkness pressed in on her.
They were out there. And sooner or later, they would come for her.
Berkley Sensation titles by Sarah McCarty
PROMISES REVEAL
The Shadow Wranglers
CALEB
JARED
JACE
SLADE
JARED
JACE
SLADE
The Shadow Reapers
REAPER’S JUSTICE
REAPER’S JUSTICE
Berkley Heat titles by Sarah McCarty
RUNNING WILD
WILD INSTINCT
WILD INSTINCT
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