Ghostwalker 09 - Ruthless Game

delivering the baby, and you’re going to need help.
    Stay and wait for us here.”
    “I said I wouldn’t run.”
    Again she looked him right in the eye. He couldn’t detect any evasion, but stil ... Kane sighed and stood up. “I’ve got work to do. I’l be back to get you.”
    Rose nodded. She remained seated in the chair as Kane started back to the bedroom. Javier never took his eyes from her, even as he backed toward the bedroom, his body between her and Kane.
    Stop trying to intimidate her and let’s go, Kane snapped.
    You first. And I’m smiling, Javier shot back.
    Like a snake, Kane pointed out and went out of the apartment the same way he’d entered. Javier fol owed him into the night.

CHAPTER 2
    The moment that Kane and Javier were gone, Rose covered her face with her hands and al owed herself a brief moment to shake uncontrol ably. She had to drag in several deep breaths to keep from crumbling completely, to keep from shedding ridiculous, stupid tears. She’d always been so fearful in comparison to the other women she’d grown up with. They had no problems or qualms with their training—she’d always been tentative, forcing herself not to show fear when at times she’d been terrified—like now.
    Kane Cannon. She remembered every moment of their time together in vivid detail. The way he smel ed. His incredible strength. The feel of his skin against hers. She had chosen him for the father of her child because she knew she had no choice. Whitney had grown impatient with her, and when he knew she was fertile, he would send his choice. Kane Cannon was ruthless and dangerous, capable of swift violence. He was unrelenting and merciless if need be, but one of her psychic gifts was the ability to know when someone lied to her. Kane had been the first man who hadn’t lied.
    He found Whitney and his experiments distasteful, and when he was drawn into the breeding program and realized the women were virtual y prisoners
    —that they hadn’t volunteered but were forced into the program—she knew everything in him rebel ed. She had known the moment she spoke to him that he would risk his career—his very life—to reveal Whitney’s vile experiments to the authorities. Time had run out on her, and she knew Whitney was determined that no matter what it took, he would get his supersoldier baby from her, so she had chosen Kane.
    She’d been so frightened and horribly saddened, wanting her first time to be with someone she loved. She had been terrified of Kane when he’d entered the room. She knew Whitney was watching and listening. If she didn’t cooperate, they would tie her down, and she honestly wasn’t certain she had the courage to go through with it. The first thing Kane had done was smash the camera and recorder, and then he’d disposed of Whitney’s listening device and sat down on the edge of her bed.
    He’d looked so big. He towered over her with his height, his wide shoulders, and large hands. Everything about him was intimidating, especial y his piercing green eyes. She shivered uncontrol ably as if she were stil locked up, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Her heart thundered in her ears and pounded in her chest, but she’d been determined to at least have the best man possible for the father of her child. Kane was a good man in spite of the fact that he could be deadly when needed. She’d watched him for weeks before she’d made her decision. If circumstances were different, she knew she would have chosen him anyway, but right then, she was terrified.
    And then he touched her. Exquisitely gentle. There was nothing rough about him when he brushed the hair back from her face. “This is bul shit, Rose. I’l find a way to get you out of here. We don’t have to do this.”
    Her world changed instantly with those words. It was so unexpected after the brutes Whitney had sent to her. She stil had bruises from the last one making his try. The worst thing—and what Kane didn’t know—was that she’d chosen him. She’d watched him from the exercise yard, and she’d seen the differences in him. At that point he didn’t even know she—or the breeding program—existed. She’d drawn him in by making him her choice. The shame would last her entire life. She’d brought him into the horror of her world, and now he had no more choice than she did.
    Rose covered her face and rocked back and forth. She knew he despised himself for getting her pregnant, for being unable to stop