Surrender the Dark Read Online Free Page B

mouth.
    With supreme effort, she kept her tone casual. “You said you didn’t come to my mountain on purpose. Just because you ended up here doesn’t change anything. But I
do
have a choice, McCullough. I made it two years ago. I don’t work for you any longer.” She kept a close watch, but his gaze didn’t soften. There wasn’t even a hint of what had passed between them the last time they’d seen each other.
    “I know that,” he said. “You were very clear on that point, and several others, the last time we spoke.”
    Bastard, she thought, careful to keep her expression blank. “Yes,” she said calmly, “I suppose I was.”
    Because she knew he expected her to retreat physically, she leaned over and removed the cool cloth from his forehead. Inexplicably, she had to curl her fingers against the sudden urge to brush away the damp black curls clinging to his forehead.
    “Gannon—”
    “Listen, McCullough,” she cut him off. She had to lay it out straight now, before he got any stronger. “I found you, I got you here, I took care of you. My choice. I could have left you to die. It doesn’t give you a claim on me.”
    “Why didn’t you leave me?”
    Her control slipped a notch. “Because I didn’t need another death on my conscience.”
    “Not even mine?”
    She drew in a sharp breath and studied him, but he revealed nothing of what he was feeling. “Not even yours,” she answered.
    “Water.” She helped him take a sip without comment. He watched her set the cup down and lean back in her chair, then said, “The last time I saw you, I wasn’t too certain about that.”
    “The last time I saw you, I wasn’t armed,” she shot back, wondering where he was heading with this. His body may have been damaged, but she knew his predatory instincts were still in fine working order. “If you recall, I was strip-searched before I was allowed to enter your office and your presence.”
    “You make it sound like I ordered it for my own personal enjoyment.”
    Caught off guard, she stiffened and knew her eyes had widened. Despite his emotionless and often ruthless command, he’d never once made a single comment to her that could have been construed as sexual. He’d been way ahead of his time on the issue of harassment and women’s rights. Of course, for McCullough, affirmative action meant equal opportunities for women to get killed in the line of duty.
    “And we both know,” he went on, “that the lack of a gun or knife didn’t exactly render you weaponless.”
    The added roughness to his already deep voice grated on her nerves. Her pulse was racing. He was getting to her, dammit. “True,” she said. “But I thought I made it clear that day that I would not—could not—be responsible for any more …” She faltered and wanted to kick herself for doing so at such a crucial moment. She strove quickly to regain her control. “Be responsible for any more violence,” she went on, her voice stronger than necessary. “No matter how good the cause.”
    “Patching me up helps even the scales, then?”
    Her eyes narrowed, her uneasiness vanished. Anger and hurt filled her voice and she didn’t give a damn. “Nothing could ever ‘even the scales,’ McCullough. But then, I never expected you to understand that.”
    Surprisingly, his response was to let his eyes drift shut. Power still radiated from him, but his having his eyes closed helped her to regain control. She was suspiciousof his apparent retreat. He couldn’t have simply backed off.
    When he didn’t say anything for several minutes, Rae realized he must have drifted to sleep, and she felt a twinge of guilt for badgering him as she had. After all, he’d been out of it for a good while and had just awakened.
    The guilt disappeared quickly. McCullough didn’t need her sympathy. She’d do damn well to remember that.
    She waited a few more minutes, watching his chest rise and fall, trying to empty her mind. That was another skill she’d