Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #10)

“You’re injured. That gives me an edge. Not that I need it.”


Justice doubted anyone else would have guessed he was still recovering from getting shot. But Angel would have noticed the slight hesitation in the way he moved, the way he favored one side.

“I can’t wait to see how this all plays out,” Justice said. “You in Fool’s Gold.”

Angel shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “I grew up in West Virginia. Coal-mining town. I know what it’s like to live where everybody knows your business. Where you take care of your neighbors and pull together in hard times.”

Something Justice would never have guessed. “Looking to get back to that?”

“Maybe. If it’s not too late.”

Justice turned to his friend. He recognized the combination of longing and resignation on the other man’s face. Angel wanted to be something other than he was, but wasn’t sure it was possible. Did the training run too deep? Could he fit in with people who had never seen such horrors, never had to commit them in the first place?

That Harry Potter author had it right. Her villain had ripped apart his soul through the act of murder. Taking another life did tear at a man’s being, leaving him less than what he had been before. The question for men like Angel and himself was whether there was enough left to feel like a person.

“They don’t let you live on the fringes in this place,” Justice told him. “They’ll hunt you down and force you to belong, whether you want to or not.”

Angel turned to him. “Are you selling or warning?”

“Both. You in?”

* * *

“I REMEMBER this place,” Patience said, following Justice from the car. “We used to camp up here when I was a kid.” She looked at him and grinned. “The older kids came up here to park and make out.”

“Did you?” he asked.

She shrugged. “No. I wasn’t that wild in high school. I mean I dated, of course. There was kissing. But not full-on making out.”

The air temperature was cooler up here than in town. The sky was blue and the air seemed fresher, somehow. Justice had asked Patience to help him navigate a few back roads as he searched for the right tract of land for the advanced obstacle course. The one they would build by the warehouse would work for corporate retreats and casual training, but for their more serious work, they would need something more challenging.

While he could have found his way himself, he liked having her around. Liked being with her.

She pointed to the clearing. “The land you’re interested in starts over there. I remember a fence, I think. It was old back then, so it might not be standing now.”

He walked next to her, shortening his stride to match hers. She grinned.

“We used to play truth or dare.”

He laughed. “Which did you pick?”

“Mostly dare, which was silly considering I’m not very brave. One time the dare was to run around the camp naked, but I couldn’t do it, even though there were only girls here. I kept my underwear on.” Her gaze settled on his face. “You would have run naked.”

“Probably.”

“It’s a guy thing, right?”

He stopped. She did the same.

“What?” she asked.

He touched her cheek, then her mouth, brushing his thumb across her lower lip.

She might be close to thirty, a single mother and a successful businesswoman, but she was still so damned innocent. Untouched by horror. She’d been through tough times, but the very essence of who she was remained pure. He drew back, aware there was blood on his hands. Perhaps sanctioned, perhaps necessary, but the stains would never wash out.

“Justice? Are you okay?”

“No.”

He wasn’t worthy. A ridiculous concept, yet completely honest. He would never be worthy, never be right. She deserved so much more. He wondered about Felicia’s question. Did Patience love him? Could she? Not if she knew the truth.

“There are things in my past. Things I’ve done.”

“I know.”

“You don’t. If I told you, everything would change.”

She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. “You killed people. You’re right. I don’t know the details and I don’t have to. I know you.”

“It can’t be that simple.”

She smiled. “Of course it is.”

* * *

PATIENCE PICKED UP her glass of wine and took a sip. The day had been long, but happy. Her feet hurt and her back ached, but all the discomfort was worth it. She was doing forty percent more business than she’d projected. The merchandise had become a significant part of her bottom line. With the tourist season just beginning, she would have several months of excellent sales to carry her through the quieter months.