Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set (15 page)
Read Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set Online
Authors: Ciana Stone
Cia rubbed her hands on her jeans as she stopped in front of the hotel room door. She was nervous. How would Kade respond to seeing her?
It had been nearly a week since that night at the Smith farm. The moment they’d released her today she’d headed straight for the hotel. Kade had been released as well and she was told he’d been taken here.
She tapped on the door and waited. Finally, she heard his voice. “It’s open.”
Cia walked in. An open suitcase lay on the bed. Kade was packing. “Kade?”
At the sound of her voice, he looked in her direction. Joe wasn’t lying. Kade’s gray eyes were now as light as her own.
“Cia.”
She’d never heard anything as beautiful as the sound of her name coming from his lips. Heedless of what his reaction would be, she ran to him and threw her arms around him.
His arms closed around her, pulling her tight. Neither of them spoke for a long time. It was enough just to hold and be held. Finally, he pulled back.
“Do you remember?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He sat on the bed, taking her hand to pull her down beside him. “Although to be honest, I have a hard time believing I actually experienced it. It seems--”
“Impossible?”
“Yeah.”
“I know. But what do you remember, exactly?”
“Being in total darkness. A putrid smell and a feel that I can’t describe as anything but evil and pain like nothing I can even find words for. You. You were with me. In me or around me, or both. I can’t describe it.”
“I know.”
“I thought we were goners.” His hand tightened on hers.
She nodded. “Until Joe came.”
“Yeah, until Joe. He brought them.” Kade’s voice dropped to a whisper. “All the spirits of Vacher’s victims.”
“Good thing he did considering that Vacher had all the souls of the evil people he’d inhabited with him, all lusting for blood and death.”
“Including Dwayne,” Kade commented. “And that couple, Cia.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Does this change things for you, Cia? Knowing they were evil?”
She had spent the last few days thinking about that and realized that she had been wrong to kill, but not wrong in trying to rid the world of that kind of evil. Cia knew that the work she did helped to save rather than to destroy and that she had work left to do. And most of all, she realized that she loved Kade and had been willing to trade her life for his.
And that was when Joe had come. She’d seen his light and it had given her strength. It gave Kade strength. Their energy combined with Joe’s and the evil could not withstand it. It was destroyed.
Vacher was finally gone.
And she was here, with Kade, wondering what came next.
“Yes, it changes things. Everything has changed because of that night.”
“Yeah, it has. Cia, don’t leave.”
She looked over her shoulder at his half-packed suitcase. “Looks like you’re leaving.”
“Just the hotel. Don’t leave me, Cia. Stay. With me.”
The question prompted a war within her. She was split between wanting to say yes and knowing that her work with the SACU was not done. She had more to do. Much more. She couldn’t turn her back on that.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or don’t want to?”
“Can’t. I want to, Kade. I…I love you. But my work isn’t here. What I do makes a difference. I can’t walk away. But…”
She paused to gather the courage. “You could come with me. After what we’ve been through it has to be clear that your psychic abilities are evolving and growing. The SACU wants you. I’ve already talked with the Director. There’s a place for you. If you want it.”
Kade shook his head. “I can’t.”
“Can’t or don’t want to?” She gave his question back to him.
“I don’t know.”
“Okay.” She leaned over and kissed him gently. “I understand.”
Cia got up and walked to the door. She turned as she opened it. “I love you, Kade.”
Then she walked out. She made it to her room before she broke down. Telling herself that she was foolish to believe that she and Kade could have made a life together, she quickly packed and checked out of the hotel.
She unlocked the rental car and tossed her suitcase into the backseat, then got in behind the wheel. In the passenger’s seat was Joe, bag of cheddar popcorn in hand and Mountain Dew wedged between his legs.
“I guess you’re ready to ride?” she asked.
“Whenever you are, Gracie.”
She nodded and but did not start the engine. She looked over her shoulder at the hotel. “Seems like I can’t win for losing, Joe.”
“How so?”
“I finally open up and let myself feel and I’m silly enough to think that maybe I’d found something, something lasting.” She turned to face Joe. “Just goes to show how adept I am at fooling myself, huh?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Gracie.” He pointed toward the hotel.
Kade was running across the parking lot toward her. She rolled down the window and he leaned in. “Don’t go.”
“We’ve already walked this path, Kade. I have to.”
“I mean not yet. Give me a week.”
“What will a week do but make it harder?”
“It’ll give me time to go home and pack. I talked with your director. I’m to report for duty in eight days.”
Cia was stunned. “You’re…you…but I thought—”
“I love you, Cia. Where you are is where my life is. If you want me, that is.”
“Yes,” she said around a smile. “Oh yes, I do.”
“About time,” Joe commented.
Cia and Kade both laughed. “So, you’re sticking with us, Joe?”
“Well why break up a good team?” Joe asked. “I mean, whoever heard of the Two Stooges, or the Two Bears, or Two Dog Night or the Two Musketeers or—”
“I think we get the point,” Kade interrupted with a chuckle and then added, “And I’m glad, Joe. Really glad.”
“How ’bout you, Gracie?” Joe asked. “That what you want?”
“You better believe it,” she replied and meant it with her whole heart. She’d arrived in this place a broken woman who thought she was beyond salvation, incapable of loving or accepting love. She would leave healed, knowing that she had what she’d wished for all along.
She had been redeemed. By love.
A note from the Author
I've been a reader my entire life, finding solace, excitement, happiness, fear and love in the pages of books. If anything has been a constant in my life it's reading.
I also remember all of the times in my life when being able to buy a book was a luxury, a treat that I didn't get every week. I've never forgotten those times.
That's why I am so grateful to you, the readers. Regardless of your level of income or profession, I understand how precious your reading dollars are and I feel humbled that you've used some of those dollars to purchase my books.
I hope my stories prove worthy of your investment and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Many blessings.
Ciana
You can find all of Ciana’s books on Amazon. Visit her author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Ciana-Stone/e/B002BLJNUY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1410121040&sr=8-2
Books by Ciana Stone
The Whisperers: Simply Irresistible – A Three Book Box Set
Holdin’ On for a Hero: A three book set
Tales of Betrayal, passion, danger and love
Hunger: The V’Kar Series – A three book set