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before becoming happily married to Rurik Volkov.”
    “Asshole,” she muttered at Jack’s retreating back. The spectators returned to their training while others followed their leader and left the room.
    “Your what?” Rex rolled over onto all fours and then stiffly rose to his feet.
    A clammy feeling washed over her. She’d hoped to break the information to Rex slowly and in private. When they’d been lovers, she’d hid everything about her past and her family, never stopping to think how she could explain the truth after they were married. Being involved with a covert organization had been only part of it, as any operative knew how family could be used against them. Her lying started after her mom kicked her out at the age of eighteen. Telling everyone that her family was dead eased the hurt a little. Then later, she almost believed it was true.
    A shadow fell across her face, drawing her back to the mess she’d started years ago. She looked up. Rex stood toe-to-toe with her, leaning over her with his huge tree-limb arms crossed over a broad chest. The sparks in his eyes reflected the intense anger he obviously held back.
    “You have some explaining to do.”
    “Is that like, ‘Hey, Lu-cy! You have some ’splaining to do’?” She really shouldn’t tease an overgrown ape when he was so close and pissed. Letting a wisecrack loose during tense moments was a bad habit of hers.
    He clasped her underneath her arms and lifted her until they were nose-to-nose. “I’m serious. We were going to be married. Had you started feeling guilty about lying? Is that why you never returned to the— Ugh!”
    Her first kick grazed his knee. She pulled her leg back to take better aim.
    “Put me down.” She dug her nails into the tender flesh near his wrists.
    “Dammit! What did you do, sharpen your claws?” He didn’t release his hold and neither did she. Then he began to shake her. “Stop it! I want answers!”
    Her hands slid up and gripped his upper arms the best she could, but the muscles were wider than her palms. The firmness beneath her fingers and the way he lifted her without a grunt reminded her of how easily he could toss her around and arrange her in any position for lovemaking. All those years ago, his strength excited her, just as much as his gentleness took her breath away.
    Memories heated the juncture of her thighs, causing tingles to race across her torso and up to her breasts. Her gaze dropped to his lips. One corner lifted in a permanent sneer from the scar on his face, giving him a lethal air. She found her lips only a breath away from his, and before the thought registered, her tongue darted out and traced the pale line of his scar.
    He flung his head back. His face whitened with unseen pain. A second later, he released her.
    Abby stumbled. She reached for his arm to regain her balance, but he jerked away as if he couldn’t stand having her touch him. A knot twisted in her chest. All romantic feelings dissipated as she tried to find her voice. She’d forgotten how he’d always ignored her questions about the scar. She guessed she wasn’t the only one with secrets.
    “Why did you lie to me about your family?” His gruffness softened with each word.
    “Can you say for certain that in our line of business operatives’ families are safe?” She rubbed her upper arms. “My father died when I was a teenager, but I still have my mom and brother. Edward is married with a little boy. I don’t want to see them dead.”
    “Using a lot of caution, it’s possible to keep them safe. People getting married should be able to trust each other, tell each other everything.”
    “Like you told me about when you and Jack were kids and how you got that scar?” His attitude was justified, but she didn’t care for his tone. He’d always brushed off any questions about his life before working for the OS. She’d let it slide to stop him from asking the same of her.
    “I told you, my childhood was nothing to