Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) Read Online Free

again. He shook his head. He’d never felt this way about a woman before. When she’d walked away after his injury, he figured she wasn’t interested in having a relationship. This last time she popped into his life, one touch was enough to realize they had both been lying to themselves.
    Stacey was the one for him. He couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms and tell her how much he’d missed her, needed her in his life. Shadow marked her as Hugh’s. This time, he wasn’t letting her ignore what was between them. What had been between them since the first operation they performed together. This time she would listen, even if he had to tie her up.
    He smiled at the thought. Stacey was lethal. She could probably take him out without breaking a sweat. The question was whether she wanted to listen. If she let him in the door, he’d know she held feelings for him, the same feelings that crossed her face when she ran away this last time.
    Frowning, Hugh picked up his cell phone and called Charlie. The in-dash speaker picked up the call.
    “Charlie, any chatter on Stacey?”
    “No. There’s been a mention of Stinger, that assassin you’re after. A hit went down last night in Washington DC. An arms dealer collapsed in a hotel lobby. He was poisoned. No one saw anything remiss.”
    “An arms dealer? Was it a deal gone bad?”
    “It doesn’t look that way. I also found more information on Akilina Holland. Before the end of the cold war, she was suspected of being KGB. The general was in Moscow, stationed at the Embassy before they were married. I wonder if that’s how they met.”
    “Only Holland would know and I’m not going back to his office to find out. Right now, we need to concentrate on finding Stacey and getting her into protective custody. I hope she doesn’t fight me about it.”
    “The way she looked at you the last time she was here, I doubt it. She wanted you.”
    “Yeah? I hope so because I’m about to try and take charge of a trained operative. If she doesn’t want me, I could be in big trouble.”
    Charlie laughed. “We can put that on your tombstone. She didn’t want me.”
    “Very funny. Call me if you learn anything else.”
    “Will do.”
    §
     
    Hugh turned onto the last road listed on the map. The driveway to the cabin was somewhere ahead. He glanced at the houses, noting some were huge vacation homes while others were small, probably one or two bedrooms. Cell phone service was iffy, with only one bar that faded in and out.
    The road ran atop a ridge with canyon views that went for miles. He almost missed the nondescript dirt road that acted as a driveway to the cabin. If he could miss it when looking for it, others could too. That might work in their favor.
    The narrow drive between huge trees opened to a small wooden building with a small metal garage behind it. Hugh pulled up to the garage and turned off the car. Stacey would have heard the vehicle and he hoped she wasn’t waiting somewhere to ambush him.
    Before stepping out of the car, he reached for her with his telepathy. A gift that went with Shadow Walking. “Stacey, it’s me. I’m getting out of the vehicle now. Don’t shoot me, okay?”
    “Dammit, Hugh. How the hell do you keep finding me?”
    Hugh chuckled and stepped out of the car. “I’ll always find you, sweetheart. We’re mates, remember?”
    “So you say.”
    “No, so Shadow says. The proof is that little heart tattoo on your lovely breast. Are you going to open the door?”
    “It’s unlocked. Come on in.”
    Hugh frowned and reached for the doorknob. “You shouldn’t leave the door unlocked. It’s not safe.” He walked inside.
    The cold barrel of a gun pushed against his neck. “You shouldn’t walk into buildings with a known assassin inside.”
    “I’m not here to hurt you. Hell, you know I’d never hurt you, Stacey. The general sent me to get you to safety. Your cover is blown.”
    “Yeah, I figured it was something like that. I’ve been jumpy