Chapter 23
Dani was waiting on Miranda’s email early the next morning. She’d gotten a heads-up text from that girl that a list of names was coming in from a previous assistant coach, late the night before. The list had come in just after midnight, it looked like.
Dani had a task—find them all, see what kind of other connections existed, and run them through her precious little systems to see if anything interesting popped up.
Ninety percent of her job was following the digital and paper trails for her field peeps. She was very good at what she did.
In spite of what Michael seemed to think. He was escalating beyond what was normal here lately.
Shayna had run him out of their lab a few minutes ago.
Dani was almost certain he’d been digging into the printouts on her desk.
She always put the reports she’d send to Miranda in an exact order.
So why would a form be upside down and at the bottom of the stack?
She’d only gone to the restroom. Michael had been in the lab when she’d returned—waiting for her.
Dani was going to have a word with Richison.
Something had the hair on her arms rising.
Michael should not have been touching her reports.
Period. Sometimes, Dani handled exclusive reports that only those with the highest clearances were allowed to see.
A lab tech from a private contracting company was not on that list.
But there were security feeds.
And it would tell them exactly what he was doing.
She was going over everything when someone walked in the lab behind her. A hand landed on her shoulder.
Dani yelped. Tried to turn. Of course, she unbalanced herself.
Warm hands went around her waist. Kept her from falling.
Brilliant blue eyes. That was what she saw first. “Ward! You scared me.”
“I said your name three times.” He had a puzzled look in his eyes. And the man was not taking his hands off her. Of course, if he did, she might just flop down to the ground. She was not at a good angle here.
In fact…Dani was probably leaning a bit too much into the man holding her.
Damn it. He smelled good. He felt good…
And this was totally not something she should even be thinking about right now. “I…well…actually, if you could just help me shift a little left, I’d appreciate it.”
This was definitely embarrassing here. But the desk was right behind her, and he was in the doorway, mostly, and well…talk about a little trapped. She could not move her leg the way it would need to be moved to get herself out of this predicament.
This…she was so glad they were alone right now. Shayna would not let her live it down.
“I have you. I’ll never let you fall.”
His words were so…solemn.
Like he really meant it.
Dani just really didn’t know what to do at the moment.
“I…I need to get…Miranda. I need Miranda. I have results for her she’s waiting on.”
“What kind? I’m taking a flight in two hours down.”
His hands were still on her waist here. But he had shifted her a little to the left. He had just lifted her, like she didn’t weigh a thing. But…he should probably let her go here.
Considering.
Dani wiggled a little.
And his eyes darkened. Like…for real. In a hungry, kind of animalistic sort of way.
She needed to breathe here.
Dani did the only thing she could do. She moved toward her chair and sank down. Breaking the hold Ian Ward had on her.
At least physically, anyway. “I…Amanda Riccards. Her ex…alibis out, it looks like. He isn’t the guy they are looking for.
He was out getting drunk at a bar in Texas an hour or so away from where Kevin was killed—at around the same time as the murder.
Got busted for disorderly. Said he was celebrating his freedom or something.
And…and I am running down Kevin’s old team.
I’ve found most, but…one was…deceased. Accidental…
fall. But I think she died a few months before Kevin, so… ”
“Give me what you want Miranda to have. I’ll take paper copies, to go over on the plane myself.”
Well. Dani could do that.
She nodded. “Be safe out there…you never know what can happen.”
“No. That you can’t…” He was just watching her now. Like he wanted to say something else, but…he didn’t.
Because Michael chose that exact moment to walk in.
Interrupting everything.
Ian stepped back. Gave Dani a look. “I’ll be back.”
Dani just nodded again. Like an idiot here.
The man…just confused her in so many ways.
Ian stopped right in front of Michael. “Cause her any more problems, and you and I will be talking when I get back, too. Remember that.”
He sounded terrifying, menacing, and so beyond hot Dani just about melted right where she was.
That man…she was just so confused.
She needed to breathe here.
No. What she needed to do—get back to work. That was exactly what she did.