A killer was on the loose and the lives of non-guardian personnel were being put on the line because of me.
Because I'd been able to really believe that Kye was as cold and as ruthless as he portrayed himself. Because I'd been unable to see past my own twisted feelings for the man.
"Riley," Kade said softly, "don't be too harsh on yourself. None of us seriously suspected that Kye could be involved. It's as much our fault as yours that he's on the loose."
"But I was with him a lot over the past few days. I knew he was playing some sort of game, but I—"
He placed a hand on my bare knee, squeezing it gently. "Enough. You did what you could. No one could ask for anything more."
"Jack could."
"Jack hasn't. The only person angry at you is you, and you don't deserve the beating you're giving yourself. Besides, you did take out one of our killers."
"That was more Kye than me."
It might have been the truth, but Kye hadn't really come there to save me, but rather to preserve the ideal of control. He was a man who kept a tight leash on every little aspect of his life, and he'd needed to prove to me—and to himself—that nothing and no one could get past him.
That's why we'd made love. He might have wanted me, but it was also another means of proving that I would comply with his wishes, no matter what the situation.
Which was probably why he wasn't running now. That would be messy. Kye didn't do messy, or leave unfinished business behind.
It could only mean he planned a more personal ending to this. Maybe that's why he'd warned me to come alone. The man who needed to be in command of every little aspect of his life planned to end all this his way.
And his way meant guns and death.
"Riley," Kade said softly, squeezing my knee again.
"Enough. I mean it."
"You're such a sweet man, but—"
He snorted softly. "You wouldn't be thinking that if you knew just how good your skin feels under my fingers, or what is currently going on in my thoughts."
I grinned. "Once a stallion, always a stallion."
"Too true, my dear." He sighed wistfully, and withdrew his hand.
The computer beeped again. I hit another button and a floor plan popped up on the screen. I studied it for a moment then said, "It looks like we have two main entrances and a fire exit. There's two floor levels and several out buildings."
"He'll be in the main building. There are more options there for running and hiding."
Neither of which I could really imagine Kye doing. "He's run there for a reason."
"Of course he has." Kade turned off the Ring road at Pascoe Vale Road and slowed down for the lights, checking the traffic to the right before pulling out and slapping his foot on the accelerator again. "Professionals always have their escape routes planned beforehand, and I'd be very surprised if Kye didn't have every expectation of walking away from this."
And I'd be very surprised if he did. Kye was a realist, if nothing else.
All too soon we were pulling up several buildings away from the one I suspected held Kye. Kade climbed out and opened the trunk. He had a veritable arsenal inside.
"Good grief," I said, sweeping my gaze over the rifles, lasers, guns and stakes stashed in neat little secured rows. "Does Jack know you've raided the weapon store like this?"
"Nope," he said cheerfully. "And a man can never have enough fire-power."
I snorted softly and reached for a laser. He slapped my hand away. "Take a gun. Lasers don't fire up instantly, and you can't afford to give a man like Kye even a half-second advantage."
He had a point. I reached for a Browning simply because it was more lightweight than some of the others and fit my hand better, yet still packed a hell of a punch.
"So what's the plan? We sneak in front and back and pin him down in the middle?" Kade said, stashing several different pistols and knives about his body before picking up a rifle then slamming the trunk shut.
"You take at the back. I'm walking right in through the front door."
He frowned. "I really don't think—"
"Kade, we're soul mates. He's going to know I'm there the minute I walk into that building." If he wasn't already aware that I was here, that was. "So it's pointless to try any subterfuge. But doing the obvious might just give you the chance to get close enough to bring him down."
"I like the last half of that plan, but the first is decidedly unpalatable." He ran a finger down my cheek, his touch warm and not at all sexual. "He's the sort of man who'd want to go down in a blaze of glory, and it may be that he plans to take you with him."
"Trust me, I'm more than aware of that possibility. But I've been tested by Gautier, the best guardian the Directorate ever had, and I'm the only person to ever score a hit on him. Trust the skills behind that, if nothing else. "
But yet, even that didn't make me the killer Kye was, and that put the advantage squarely in his court.
I reached up on tippy-toes and gave Kade a kiss. "Please be careful. I don't want to have to explain your death to Sable."
"Ditto." His bright smile flashed, but just as quickly faded. "We both know that this job is a walking death sentence. Sooner or later, it's going to happen, Riley, no matter what precautions we take."
"Well, you're not dying on my fucking shift," I said, and slapped his arm. "So please be careful."
"Oh, I have many more mares in the stable yet to service, so don't worry your pretty little head." He flashed me an insolent grin. "I'll see you in the middle, my sweet."
I watched him walk away, then took a deep, calming breath that didn't do one iota to calm the churning in my stomach or the trembling in my limbs, then walked toward the front gate.
It was unlocked, as were the front glass doors that led into what looked to be an old office area. I paused and blinked, briefly flicking my sight to infrared. There was no sign of body heat in the offices lining the walls of the office area, and nothing in the immediate area behind the double swing doors. But there were huge blobs of darkness preventing me from seeing deeper into the factory.
Frowning, I walked forward, pushing the swinging doors open and letting them slap close behind me. The noise echoed, filling the shadowed silence.
I walked on, the click of my heels against the concrete grating against my nerves. One way or another, I wanted this done and over with.
The blobs of darkness that had foiled my infrared turned out to be vast metal machines and long tracks of conveyers. They looked to be still in a usable condition, despite the cobwebs and the dirt that draped them. Maybe the factory hadn't been closed all that long, despite all the smashed windows high up near the roof line.
I punched open another set of swinging doors, but paused in the doorway, my gaze sweeping the room and my senses on high alert. This room was also double height, and like before, silent machines lined the concrete floor. But it also had storage rooms or offices lining the walls of the upper story and a walkway that ran around the entire perimeter.
No familiar, joyous warmth rose to warn me of Kye's presence, but I suspected he was near, regardless. It was the perfect place for a show-down.
"Kade?" I said softly, "I'm in the second machine room. I suspect he's here."
"I just got into the back loading bay," Kade said. "The bastard's set up some trip wires, so I'm going to have to move forward cautiously. Play for time if you can, Riley."
"Will do." I hesitated, then added, "Just remember that this link will go dead once I'm near him."
"At least that'll let me know the game is on."
I stepped forward and let the doors swing closed. They clipped each other on the way through, and the sharp slap of sound had my nerves jumping.