shoved containers back in her pack. Rem sighed. She wasn’t going to understand. How could she? If anything, he hoped that she was never in the position to understand. And if it meant keeping himself from her so she was safe, then that’s just what he would do.
Jenna zipped up the pack and stood. She swung it over her shoulder and glared at him.
What the hell had she been thinking? It was about the worst idea in the world to start making out in the entrance of an enemy lair. She was pretty sure that was rule number one in the make-out handbook. Rule number two was not to make out with men who were playboys only looking for one thing.
Her face flamed further with anger. She’d be damned if she’d be some conquest to him.
“What news do you have?” she snapped at him.
Rem sighed. “The Council is here,” he said quietly and glanced to the tunnel at the back of the cave. She noticed he seemed to be watching it far more than last time. “Right now they are preoccupied with other matters, but it will likely turn to talks about the lodge.”
She stared at him until he looked back her way.
“Are they a threat?” she said.
Rem shook his head. “No, but they could bring other threats.”
Jenna frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “So what will you do about them?”
Rem ran a hand along his face. “For now, nothing.”
“And later?”
The cave was silent as she waited for a response.
“Later I kill them.”
She gasped at his hard face. It was rare she saw emotion like that from him. Seeing it this way made her shake a little. There was so much about him that didn’t make sense to her.
“Give this to Titus,” he said and held out another slip of paper. Just as she had last time, Jenna shoved it in her jean pocket. “Come back in two days.”
She glanced at the dark bruising on his wrist again. Worry warred with the anger inside her. Despite what had happened, she still didn’t want to see him hurt like that.
“And I can’t convince you to come back with me?” she said and found his eyes.
Rem offered his standard playboy smile.
“If I come with you, will you make me chocolate cake?”
Jenna huffed. Even at a time like this, he couldn’t stop himself from spouting off some nonsense.
“You haven’t done anything to deserve chocolate cake,” she said and turned from him.
A low rumble from his direction made her shiver. “Oh, I think I could earn that cake if we were in a different situation.”
She shivered a little, no doubt in her mind that he’d be able to earn that cake and likely every other dessert she could make.
“I should get back,” she said tightly and headed toward the opening.
“Your cooking was excellent as always,” he called after her. And as much as something like that shouldn’t make a difference, especially after what had just taken place, Jenna still felt the little spark of pride that she had made him happy.
She frowned and tucked the feeling away. It was an hour back to the car, and she’d be damned if she spent that time mooning over a man that played with other’s emotions.
Jenna gave a huff and stormed out of the cave.
Chapter Six
“Where were you earlier?” Agatha said from the other side of the room.
Rem lifted his head off the cold steel table to see if she had removed her cloak, but the woman still remained a mystery to him. There was something about her smell that wasn’t right, but he just couldn’t place it.
“I like to have a little time to clear my head,” he said and shrugged. He might have done something else if his hands weren’t bound by the rough leather.
The short pudgy man, who he’d found out was named Harold, busied himself with work at the other table as Agatha tested him.
“I didn’t realize your kind needed to clear your heads,” Agatha laughed. The sound of it made his skin crawl.
“Of course he does,” Harold snapped from the table. “Don’t be absurd, Agatha. You’ve seen his
Learning to Kill: Stories