No Escape From War (Trouble for Hire #1) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,16
I want a chance to stop him. If I’m on the loose, then he’ll come for me.” Me, not anyone else. “I think we proved that tonight.” She swallowed the lump of worry in her throat. “If he stays focused on me, then no one else will get hurt. We can bring him down.” She hoped. She held War’s gaze. “There. That’s the story. The big parts, anyway.” She was so tired. “Let me sleep for…an hour. Two, max. Then we will find him.” Then she’d stop feeling like she was breaking apart. “I can take the couch—”
“You’ll take my bed.”
Like she’d argue with taking that beautiful bed. Rose shuffled toward his bedroom.
But War stepped into her path. “But before you sleep, I have a few questions.” There was something about his voice…that tone…
Her head tipped back.
“You really think he sent me the picture of you and Dylan?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” A fast demand.
“Because I think I have been a target of his for a while. I think he wanted me isolated. He got me that way. He…watches his prey. Studies them. He studied me—and you. He figured out the way to break us apart.”
His eyes narrowed. “The night I gave you hell…you’d just found a fucking body?”
She bit her lower lip. Managed a nod. “Janet’s body.”
His gaze shot away from her. “Fuck me.” A ragged breath. “And you said the sonofabitch sent you those flowers that I saw on your desk?”
“I didn’t know you’d seen them. I-I threw them away as soon as I saw them.” War must have discovered the flowers before she had. She’d been late to work that day. “I found the delivery service that sent them, but they didn’t know anything about him. He did the order online, and it turned out that he’d used a stolen credit card.” It was an effort to stay upright. She felt so bone weary. “Any other questions?”
Silence. She took that as a no and started creeping for his bedroom again—
“One more.”
Fine. If he was giving her his help, she’d answer the questions he had. Rose looked over her shoulder at him.
“Just how much do you hate me?”
Her heart slammed into her chest.
“Because it must be one hell of a lot. You were living in this nightmare, and you never came to me for help.” His hands fisted at his sides. “So I ask again…just how much do you hate me?”
“I don’t hate you.” Soft. Tired.
“No?”
“You just hate me.” With that, Rose entered his bedroom and quietly shut the door.
***
War’s head fell forward. You just hate me. Rose’s words replayed through his head. No, he didn’t hate her. Never had.
But he’d sure as fuck screwed things to hell and back with her.
All this time…all this freaking time…
She’d been in danger, and he hadn’t known. Some psycho out there had been terrorizing her, and he hadn’t known. No clue at all. What if the SOB had killed her? What if War had just found her body?
His fists tightened.
When it came to Rose, he’d always been a jealous bastard. With everyone else, it had always been easy to keep his control in place. With her? He’d had to fight to contain his emotions.
She was so gorgeous to him. A walking wet dream. She could smile and make him go rock hard. But with her, it had been so much more than just a physical attraction. From the beginning, he’d known that he was sinking deep…
Then he’d begun to feel that she was pulling away. Lots of late nights…
Then the pic had come of Rose and Dylan.
I wanted to pound my fist into that bastard’s face.
She’d shown up for their date hours later. From the moment she’d walked in, he’d known things were off with her. She hadn’t looked him in the eye. Her movements had been slow. Nervous. He’d thought she was there to leave him.
I was drunk so I said stupid shit. He’d pushed her away. Pushed her away when she’d needed him.
Fucking fuck!
And too late…when War’s head had cleared from the fog of rage and beer the next morning, he’d gone back to Rose so they could talk but…
The fucking flowers.
After reading the card, he’d left without seeing her. Pride was a bitch.
War had been set up. He got that. The prick out there had wanted him out of the picture.
I’m back in the picture, asshole. And you will not get her.
No matter what he had to do, War would make certain the killer hunting Rose was stopped.