He felt like she was breaking him. This time, he was the one to kiss her. And Dane knew she needed gentleness. Knew that she deserved care, but he was too afraid.

Afraid for her.

He pulled her against him. His mouth crashed down on hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth. Desperation drove him.

Finally found her. Can't lose her. Can't.

Was that the way Valentine felt? Like his whole d.a.m.n world began and ended with her?

If something happened to Katherine, just how far would Dane go to get vengeance? Just what would he do?

I don't want to find out.

He tried to gentle the kiss. Couldn't. Tried to get his hands to let her go. Couldn't.

He'd never wanted another woman with this intensity. When he'd seen Valentine in that office, Dane's first instinct hadn't been to tell the guy to freeze. To tell him to drop his gun.

I wanted to shoot. To take him out of Katherine's life forever. The squeeze of his trigger would have done it. I f.u.c.king should have done it.

He wore the badge for a reason. But he'd been ready to toss it away. Was still ready.

Katherine's fingers pressed lightly against his shoulders. Her mouth was moving softly beneath his, caressing his lips, and the frantic drumming of his heartbeat slowly faded.

Another kiss. Finally, softer, and his head lifted. Being close to her made him feel stronger.

He reached into his holster and pulled out the gun.

20

Dane tucked the gun into Katherine's hand. "If this goes south, if Valentine tries anything, don't hesitate to shoot him."

"I didn't hesitate before," Katherine reminded him.

Dane's fingers brushed back her hair. "I didn't expect you."

Her brows lifted even as she tucked the gun into the back waistband of her jeans. She pulled her shirt down, covering the weapon. "I didn't exactly expect you, either." But she was sure glad she'd found him.

His handsome face was tense, his eyes so deep.

"Do you trust me, Katherine?"

Trust. It was the one thing she'd never thought she'd be able to give a man again. But Dane..."Yes." There was no hesitation with her answer.

His blue eyes seemed to burn. "I swear, I won't let you down."

"I know." But did he understand what she was telling him? For her, there was no difference between trusting Dane and loving him. She trusted because she loved.

He'd gotten to her. Slipped past her ice and taught her that it was okay to feel again.

"Whatever happens," he told her, fingers warm against her chilled cheek, "you can count on me."

She smiled up at him. "I know." She'd known it for a while now. Her true-blue cop.

No, it wasn't the cop part that she cared about. She just cared about him.

Dane looked like he wanted to say more. She wanted him to say more. But he just gave a grim nod and reached around her for the door.

Um, no. She slammed the door shut. "That's it?"

A muscle jerked in his jaw.

"Do better than this," she told him, anger roughening her words because they both deserved more. "Don't shut me out. Tell me." Because she wanted to hear the words. Sometimes a girl needed them.

"You already know."

Katherine shook her head. "Not good enough. I want to hear them. Before anything else happens."

His pupils had grown, nearly swallowing the blue of his eyes. "Katherine Cole, I love you."

"Was that so hard?" she whispered as her heart ached. She wanted to smile. In the midst of the h.e.l.l that was happening, her lips were trying to curl. "When we have Ross and Maggie back, when Valentine is locked in jail, I'm going to want to hear those words again."

"You'll get more than just the words." A promise. She knew Dane wasn't the type of man to easily promise anything. Only when he meant his vow. "I want to be with you, Katherine. I want us to have a chance together."

She wanted that chance.

Nodding, she turned from him and curled her fingers around the doork.n.o.b.

"Don't you have something to tell me?" His breath blew against the sh.e.l.l of her ear.

For an instant, her eyes squeezed shut. She thought of all the wonderful things that could be. Her. Dane. A house. Maybe even one with that perfect white picket fence. Laughter and love as the years slid by.

Then she thought of what was. A killer. Victims trapped. Death coming. Clearing her throat, she said, "You already know." And she opened the door.

Cops were bustling in the hallway. Hurrying. Voices rose and fell.

But Dane's voice was quiet behind her. "Yes, baby, I do. Because you said you trust me."

He understands.

And whatever happened next, they would deal with it together.

They joined the other cops heading toward the tech room. Dane, Mac, and Katherine were all given GPS tracking watches, a precaution in case the helicopter lost visual on them.

"The patrol car will be tracked, too," Meadows said, "but we want to have a handle on you when you're on foot."

Then Dane gave Katherine a bulletproof vest. She slid it on, and the weight should have rea.s.sured her, but it didn't. "He didn't use bullets before," she said.

"And he didn't always use bombs, either. There's a first time for everything." Dane pulled on his vest. "And the vest will make it harder for him to come at your heart with a knife."

"Please..." Harley had come into the room, slumped shoulders, bruises and cuts all over his face. His desperate gaze locked on Katherine. "Bring back Maggie."

They would. Be alive. Because, like Dane, Katherine wasn't sure that the woman was still living.

He didn't hurt me. Maybe he didn't hurt her.

They had to cling to that hope.

Harley's gaze swung to Dane. "So...sorry." A hoa.r.s.e whisper.

The others were quiet. Watching with avid eyes.

Harley whispered, "I should have...helped you..."

Dane shook his head. "He was good at hiding who he was."

"I should have helped you!" Harley's breath was loud and heaving. "But James was my partner, and I didn't want to believe-I didn't want to think-"

"That you'd trusted a monster," Katherine finished for him.

"Yes." Harley's hands were shaking. His whole body trembling. "I tried to make up...for it...tried to help...but the damage was done."

Dane wasn't damaged.

Neither am I.

"No, it wasn't," Katherine snapped as her spine straightened. "We aren't who our pasts say we are. Damage doesn't define us. We define ourselves."

Dane caught her arm. Pulled her close and kissed her, right there, in front of all the a.s.sembled cops. "I love you," he said against her lips.

She'd never get tired of hearing those words. "Good," she whispered. "Now let's get Ross and Maggie back." Valentine might think he was playing a game, but they would dictate the rules.

And he would lose.

"The car's been wired," Meadows told her and Dane. "Got a video and audio linkup. We'll hear and see everything that happens. You aren't going to be alone out there."

Then they walked to the back of the station. A patrol car was waiting. Mac had already slid into the driver's seat. Katherine hesitated near the pa.s.senger-side door.

Then she saw Valentine. Being led toward them. Cops all around. His hands were cuffed in front of him now, and a line of red dripped from his busted lip. He had shackles on his ankles, and they were connected to his handcuffs by a silver chain.

"Forrest..." Dane growled.

The cop on the right smiled.

Dane went toward them. Stared at Valentine. "You try to attack anyone in the car, you make any move to escape, and I'll put a bullet in your head."

"I wouldn't expect any less," Valentine murmured.

No, Katherine knew he wouldn't. The guy was counting on Dane to follow through with his promise.

Dane always keeps his promises.

"You want to die, don't you?" Katherine asked him.

Valentine didn't answer.

Dane pushed Valentine into the back of the car. Kept his gun out and aimed at the killer the whole time.

Katherine was conscious of her own weapon. So close.

She slid into the pa.s.senger seat. Glanced back through the protective gla.s.s to see Valentine smiling.

"Are the medics coming in the helicopter?" he wanted to know.

"The chopper's coming," Mac noted as he cranked the car.

"Then we're all set." Valentine's voice was mild. "Start driving, Detective, and I'll tell you exactly where to go."

Katherine already knew where he wanted to take them. h.e.l.l.

"Be sure to buckle your seat belt, Kat," Valentine murmured. "Cops can be such terrible drivers."

Mac cursed under his breath.

Then they started driving. And driving. Valentine gave directions in a low, calm voice. They left the city. Drove toward the swamp. The road narrowed to just two lanes, an old highway filled with potholes and heavy cracks.

"So far away," Dane said from the darkness of the car's backseat.

Katherine's sweaty palm curled around her door handle.

Dane sighed. "You wouldn't just be leading us on a wild goose chase, would you, Michael?"

Michael. Katherine flinched at the name.

"No, Detective," Valentine said in that same calm voice. "After Boston, I learned the importance of not s.h.i.tting where I eat."

Her jaw dropped.

"So I keep my kills far away from my house now."

Katherine glanced back, but in the heavy darkness, she couldn't make out more than the outline of his features.