CARESSED BY ICE

He stood in the garage for several minutes after she’d gone, trying to think of an answer that would satisfy her. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, draw her into the gray world of the rebellion he had to fight. Stopping Protocol I was his attempt at finding redemption, if such a thing even existed for a man like him, but she had no need to pay for his crimes. He was her shield. Against the evil . . . and against his own nightmares.

Finally ready, he walked up and made his way to her rooms. She’d left the door open and he closed it behind himself. “Brenna.”

She looked up from making coffee. “Don’t lie to me, Judd. Keep your secrets, but don’t lie to me.” Quiet words but so passionate they felt like blows.

So he gave her no false answers. “I’d like some coffee, too.”

She held his gaze for a long time, as if waiting for him to say something else. When he didn’t, her spine went stiff and she turned her back to him. He had the violent urge to force her to face him, but fought it. Finally—and just in time—she was keeping her distance. Any longer and he knew he wouldn’t have allowed her her freedom . . . even if she’d pleaded with him to let her go.

Even if she’d screamed.





CHAPTER 26


The bitch had ruined his plans again. He’d been about to tear out the assassin’s throat when she’d come racing out. He’d considered chancing it, but the fucking Psy had damaged something in his jaw with that single punch—he hadn’t been certain he could maintain the killing hold. And if Brenna had seen him, she’d have known him. Now he had to lie low until the jaw healed. At least that wouldn’t take long.

It hadn’t been a total loss, he consoled himself. Andrew and Riley were pissed. And he’d heard Brenna and the Psy fighting. It was obvious that the shine was wearing off whatever weird relationship they had. Forget about trying to isolate Brenna, all he had to do was wait until Judd Lauren left and she was alone in that big apartment.

She wouldn’t put up much of a fight—Santano Enrique had fucked her over good. He decided he wouldn’t kill her with an overdose after all. His fingers curled, imagining the slender width of her neck under his palms. He wanted to watch the life drain out of those witchy eyes of hers. Maybe, in the instant before she died, she’d remember the last time he’d had his hands around her throat.





CHAPTER 27


After a day full of silences and stilted conversation, Brenna came to stand beside him where he sat going over the files that had been in the data crystal the Ghost had given him. Hidden in his back pants pocket, it had somehow survived the ambush undamaged.

“Why are you still here?” she asked. “It’s nine at night.”

He closed the file and put down his organizer. “With your brothers being forced to keep their distance, your safety is in my hands.”

He watched her face in the light thrown by the glow of the lamps she’d dimmed. Deceptively delicate-looking bones covered by creamy skin. Hair that shone gold and lashes that were a shade lighter, so long they appeared unreal.

She caught him staring. “Kiss me.”

His undamaged hand fisted. “I told you—you can’t get what you need from me.”

“Liar.” She leaned against the wall in front of him, small and curvy and determined. “You want me so much you’re burning up with it.”

“I don’t feel lust.”

If Brenna hadn’t been so terrified of losing him to his own demons, she might have been put off by his seemingly intractable will. “That’s a flat-out lie and you know it.” He had so many secrets he wouldn’t share, but she was determined to have this out at least. “You were practically eating me up with your eyes that day after my shower. I swear, if you deny it, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” And he’d break her heart.

He stood, the movement smooth, dangerous. “You don’t understand what you’re asking.” Steely Psy focus, but she was certain she saw the gold flecks in his eyes spark.

Excitement licked along her skin. “I know there are pain controls in the conditioning,” she began. “I called Faith today—”

“You think I’m scared of a little pain?” His voice had dropped a decibel, gone eerily darker. “You think I wouldn’t risk my life to break the chains on my mind?”