He stared at her silently, frustration marking his face as their gazes clashed.
"I don't want to force you to leave, Harmony." He sighed again. "But I will." She stepped back. "Why?"
He grimaced tightly. "Isn't it enough that I care about you?" he questioned roughly.
"Watching you commit suicide is a pain in the ass."
"Not good enough." Her hand tightened on her weapon.
"Goddammit, it's going to be enough though."
She jumped to the side as he moved, placing herself clearly into the well-lit parking lot as he stilled in the shadows.
"It's not enough. Try to force me and you'll make an enemy of me, Dane. Don't do that. For both our sakes." Turning, she stalked to the entrance, her heart leaping to her throat as Lance stepped from the wide doors, his hand on the weapon at his side, his body tense, prepared.
She could smell the danger surrounding him, the determination as he strode down the steps, gripped her arm without a word and began to move her toward the entrance.
"Lance…"
"Lie to me and I'll tan your hide," he snapped. "Get into my office and, by God, explanations are due."
_________
Dane ground his teeth together at the sound of the sheriff's voice, before motioning Ryan through the shadows of the adjoining park.
No sooner had they moved from the side of the building than two deputies rounded a corner as overhead lights flared on.
The sheriff was a cautious man, and a damned uncanny one at that. How could he have suspected?
Sliding through the shadows, he and Ryan made their way back to the dark SUV parked on the opposite block.
"What now?" Ryan asked as they closed the doors behind them.
"Hell!" Dane clenched the steering wheel as frustration ate at him. "She's never disobeyed me like this."
She would have left immediately at any other time.
"The mating is strong," Ryan murmured. "You can smell him all over her. It's even changed her scent."
"It's going to get her killed." He started the SUV, slid it into gear and pulled silently into the street before turning the headlights on. "That killing in Pinon was just a warning."
"Should we call the old man?"
Dane growled. "Do that and we'll end up with a war here. He's fond of the girl, Rye, you know that."
"He'll kick your ass if she gets hurt," Ryan pointed out.
That wasn't an understatement.
"Shit. We'll take turns and keep an eye on her." He shook his head in resignation. "I knew I shouldn't have taken her home that time. Big, big mistake." Unfortunately, it had been take her home or let her die. Letting her die hadn't been an option.
"Why not just ask her for the files and be done with it?" Ryan suggested. "Tell her the truth."
Dane shook his head. "She won't give those files up that easily. Besides, it wouldn't save her life. She has the information in her head as well. And Jonas knows it. What Jonas knows, that f**king spy in Sanctuary knows. I'll drop you off at the hotel and pull duty tonight. Let's just hope we can take care of this fast; otherwise the old man just might decide to check it out himself anyway."
That situation was seriously getting on his nerves. If it weren't for the danger Harmony was in at present, he would clean house there himself. He just might do it anyway once this little job was over. His father was getting riled, and when the old man got worked up, his mother wasn't far behind. And in her condition, that wasn't good for any of them. One of these days, Dane promised himself, Jonas was going to have quite a bit to answer for.
CHAPTER 16
What the hell was going on?
Harmony allowed Lance to retain his hold on her as they entered his office, turning to face him as the door slammed shut behind him.
"You have reports to finish." His voice was hard, simmering with anger. "Get them done so we can head home."
"Lance…"
"Et." The sudden finger he raised, the chastisement of whatever she was going to say had her eyes widening as she stared back at him.
"What…"
"Reports." His tone was dark, dominant.
A frown snapped between her brows. She would be damned if she was going to let this attitude continue.
"Argue with me right now, and I promise you, that spanking I keep threatening you with is going to happen." His face was suddenly in hers, his nose almost touching hers.
"Until the sheer terror evaporates from my system from whatever the f**k was going on out there, then I'd suggest you tread lightly."
"I was going to tell you…"
"I heard enough!" He stomped away from her, his shoulders stiff, every line of his body radiating rage. "For God's sake, Harmony." He turned back to her as he raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Just do the damned reports." The words were pushed between clenched teeth as anger sizzled in the air between them. What had he heard? And why was he so furious?
"You know, Lance, the alpha thing is a real turn-on," she pointed out. And it was. She was getting wet, fast. "But to be perfectly honest, you are overreacting. I was going to tell you…"
"What?" His voice rasped like dark velvet. "That you were in serious danger of being taken from me?" It was obvious he was holding onto his control by a thread. "That whatever or whoever you decided to secretly meet with was within seconds of hurting you?"
Her eyes widened. "Dane wouldn't hurt me."
"Dane!" His lists were clenched as he leaned them on the desk, staring across it as a thread of jealousy stole into his voice. "Let me guess. The same man who's rescued you for the past ten years? The one who keeps a close enough eye on you that he steals you from beneath Coyotes' noses with an inch of your life to spare?" Her brows arched. "Yeah, that's the one," she answered mockingly. "Should I also point out he's the one who saved my life, countless times…"
"The same one who was within seconds of kidnapping your ass," he snarled.
"I wouldn't let that happen…"
"This time, you couldn't have stopped it." His jaw bunched as she watched him forcibly restrain himself from saying more. "Go do the damned reports, Harmony. Now. Please." She inhaled slowly.