Chapter Eight
T he following morning, Holden stood next to Sinjin, Hunter, and Mac, taking stock of the array of security and surveillance equipment and gadgets Carter was spreading out on a folding table in the ESI garage.
After Emily had driven away last night, Holden returned to the pub to bring the guys up to speed on the latest feelings of being watched, and that she’d apparently felt it inside, too.
Lyndsey and the other women had confirmed Emily mentioned the feeling of being watched on the dance floor and that they’d suggested it had been him—because they’d caught him admiring her…assets. He had, they had, and now everyone was in agreement that the dance floor and parking lot voyeur was most likely Perez.
So, at Lyndsey’s urging, they moved up the timetable of installing the equipment at her property from Tuesday—their day in the office—to today, their day off. Relief rippled through him and quieted his unsteady pulse.
He appreciated everyone giving up their Sunday to make it happen. Even the girls were involved, having already arrived at Emily’s under the guise of helping her paint the living room. Apparently, she’d only recently moved in, and the girls knew painting had already been on their friend’s to-do list.
According to Lyndsey, helping Emily paint would keep her friend from hovering and observing and asking too many questions as they set up her security system. It was possible she would recognize some of the equipment and its intended uses before being installed, but for the most part, once the devices were hooked up, people usually overlooked the stuff, which was exactly how Carter had designed it.
Still, Emily was as beautiful as she was astute, and it was only a matter of time before she realized the reason for the “extra” security equipment. He hated keeping her in the dark, but he knew what Perez was capable of and wasn’t about to let anything happen to Emily.
His concern for her had increased last night. Not just because someone had been watching her, but because their lips had met, and he’d gotten a taste of the sweet woman and her passion.
Kissing Emily had been even better than he’d imagined. Her lips had been eager to please and hungry for more. Her taste might’ve been similar to sweet tea, but her response to him had been far from sweet. Hot and demanding and full of need, an amazing combination, and he definitely needed more.
God, he couldn’t get enough. And the way she sighed and melted against him? Yeah, that had been his favorite part. Their chemistry had been off the charts, and in the space of that kiss, the woman had rocked his world.
Emily’s reaction was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. It had been primal, natural, and honest.
And he rewarded that honesty by secretly spying on her.
Holden clenched his teeth and blew out a breath. He hated dishonest people and now he was becoming one to a woman he really liked.
Mac turned to him and narrowed his gaze. “Everything okay?”
“He kissed Emily,” Sinjin stated.
How the hell had the guy known that?
“Give us a kiss. Give us a kiss,” Lex repeated, the lone bird in the cage because his sidekick was home with Dex and Rylee.
Carter’s head jerked back. “No shit? You kissed her?”
“That explains the muttering, exhaling, and pacing,” Hunter said. “A good woman throws off your equilibrium.”
Then Emily topped Santa’s good list, because Holden was unquestionably off-balance. Between concern for her safety, concern about her reaction to his dishonesty, and concern she would never allow him to kiss her again once she discovered that dishonesty, yeah, he was operating with an axis tilted on its side.
“I can relate, buddy.” Carter patted Holden’s back. “I had to spy on Mel, not just through surveillance, but up close and personal, and I knew she was going to be furious once she found out, especially since we started dating during that period.”
Damn.
Holden’s brows shot up as he glanced at the normally jovial guy. He was surprised to note no imminent punchline twinkling in the man’s gaze. His friend’s expression was serious.
“Was she furious?” he asked.
Mac chuckled, Carter snorted, while Hunter and Sinjin just shrugged, because, like him, they hadn’t been part of ESI at that time.
“Hello? Have you met my wife? The spunky redhead? Hell, yeah, she was furious.” Carter snickered and shook his head. “But I’d do it all again because I’d rather incur her wrath than allow her to get attacked.”
Holden shoved a hand through his hair and squeezed the back of his neck. Christ, the thought of harm coming to Emily made him nuts. His chest tightened and breathing became difficult.
“You like her,” Sinjin stated, his gaze unblinking.
Carter snorted again. “I should hope so, since he kissed her.”
The comic was back, but Holden didn’t feel like smiling, not even when Lex began to make kissing noises.
“Yeah, I like her,” Holden said. “I didn’t intend to. Hell, I certainly didn’t move to Harland County to find a woman, and definitely didn’t expect it to happen on my first day here. But, yeah, I do like her,” he repeated. “And I definitely can’t ever see her being happy that I’m spying on her or agreeing to the help in the first place.”
He didn’t understand why he had such a strong connection to Emily, but he did, and he wanted to nurture it, not lose it because of some damn ex-con.
Mac set a camera on the table across from him and straightened. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told Carter at the time. You are not spying on Emily, you’re guarding her. Keeping watch in case Perez shows up.”
The guys nodded.
“And keep in mind, none of us are going to sit in front of the monitors and watch them twenty-four/seven,” Carter pointed out. “I’m setting up the cameras and sensors to alert us if someone arrives. No need to stare at the screens and invade her privacy if Perez isn’t around.”
“True.”
“And we’re only setting them up outside, except for the outbuilding,” Mac reminded. “We won’t be invading her privacy inside the house.”
That was something he never would’ve allowed.
“I know you don’t like deceiving Emily,” Hunter said.
Holden nodded.
Carter patted his back again. “Neither do we, but it’s necessary.”
“He’s right,” Mac said. “Even Gabe believes there could be trouble. And we all agreed Perez poses a definite threat to Emily, and that she would never allow any of us to shadow her as a bodyguard.”
“Definitely not,” he said, and the others murmured in agreement.
“So, you need to make your peace with this surveillance, Holden,” Mac said. “Otherwise, it’ll eat you alive.”
“And interfere with your judgment.” Sinjin regarded him with a gaze that spoke of experience in that matter.
Holden was hit by the truth in that statement with an invisible blow to his solar plexus.
Shit.
That was the last thing he wanted. He needed a level head. A clear one.
“So, do you want Emily to be safe? And are you willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost?”
The answer was simple, fast, easy. “Yes.”
“Then we move ahead as planned.” Mac waved at the devices on the table. “Let’s load up and head out.”
Inhaling through a chest that was no longer tight, Holden not only breathed easier, he felt better.
Calmer.
Grounded.
Like his old self.
When put into simple, black and white terms, he was able to compartmentalize the pros and cons.
Did he feel guilty invading her privacy? Yes.
Did he feel bad about deceiving her? Absolutely.
Was it all necessary to possibly keep her safe?
Hell, yeah.
So, no more analyzing his options. Decision made. Move on.
With a plan now in place, he was eager to execute it.
“Thanks for suggesting this and for donating the equipment.” He thrust his hand out to Mac.
His boss shook his hand and his head. “No thanks necessary. You know I always have your back.”
He released Mac’s hand and watched him climb onto his motorcycle, which was parked on the other side of the SUVs. The guy wasn’t part of today’s installation crew. He was part of the go-home-to-his-pregnant-wife-and-relax crew.
And it was true. Mac always had Holden’s back.
Even when he’d screwed up and hadn’t followed his gut on that screwed-up CIA mission. The one that had incited half his buddies to leave the military.
Maybe if he had voiced his concern, Mac would’ve scrubbed the mission and those bombs never would’ve had the opportunity to explode.
Or maybe he would’ve ignored Holden and gone through with his orders anyway.
The age-old debate hadn’t changed in Holden’s head in the four and a half years since that fateful day. He would forget about it for months at a time, then something bad would happen and the past incident would come crashing back and fester like an open wound.
“You need to get out of that headspace,” Hunter said, as if reading his mind.
And damn…how the hell did the guy always seem to appear out of nowhere?
The ninja footwork was something Sinjin was capable of too.
“It’s not healthy,” Hunter added.
He shrugged. “I know. It just seems to surface out of nowhere.”
“Kind of like Hunter and Sinjin.” Carter chuckled.
Holden smiled at the guy who just stated what had just run through his headspace . “You’re a riot.”
Sinjin groaned. “Don’t encourage him, Holden.”
Hunter grunted in agreement.
“Don’t listen to them.” Carter shook his head. “They’re still working on pulling their heads out of their asses so their smiles can see the light of day again.”
Both Hunter and Sinjin simultaneously waved a middle finger at Carter.
He laughed, happy in the knowledge that none of his buddies had lost their sense of humor.
“Listen, don’t think you’re going to get out of telling us about kissing Emily.” Carter grinned, cupping Holden’s shoulder. “You are one smooth operator. You’ve been here exactly one week.”
“Nice try.” Smirking, he shook out of the guy’s hold and carried the final box to the back of the open SUV. “Sorry, that’s classified.”
Carter’s grin widened. “That’s code for it was good.”
Good?
It’d blasted past good and gone straight to knocked him on his ass. But he wasn’t about to share that.
“We need to go,” he said, heading for the driver’s side of one of the vehicles. “That’s code for—we need to go.”
A grin tugged at Sinjin’s lips as he headed for the other loaded SUV.
“Yeah, the girls are already there,” Hunter said, climbing in with Sinjin, leaving him with Chuckles as a passenger.
“Well then, let’s get to work.” Carter hopped in with him and sent him a sideways glance. “By ignoring my question, you already answered it loud and clear. Emily knocked you on your ass.”
He stiffened a second before starting the engine with the keys that had already been in the ignition.
How the hell had the guy known that?
Carter chuckled. “Aw, man, don’t sweat it. We’ve all been there. It just takes our thick skulls a little while to acclimate to the possibility that we aren’t really the Alphas in this world.”
Holden contemplated that as he followed Sinjin on the short drive to Emily’s ranch. His friend knew the location through Isla. Apparently, she and Lyndsey had been with Emily when she’d first toured the property.
“A good woman—the right woman—she’s our center, our balance,” Carter claimed. “To put it into terms you understand, she is our pack leader.”
His first instinct was to dismiss that theory, but when he thought about his mother, his sister, and his sister-in-law, he had to admit his buddy might be on to something. They didn’t exactly rule their relationships, it was more like their men gravitated to them. They were an anchor.
A few miles out of town, on a road that led to several large ranches including Shadow Rock, Holden followed Sinjin, turning onto a property with large, mature trees and heavy vegetation as natural privacy.
“This is nice,” he muttered
The long driveway opened up and a well-maintained two-story farmhouse sat in a clearing. Off to the left was an outbuilding that appeared to be in the middle of an overhaul, and surrounding the homestead were large fields and more vegetation as far as the eye could see.
It was homey. Calming. The perfect place for an animal sanctuary.
“I know, right?” Carter nodded. “I was here a few weeks ago with Mel, helping Emily move in. That’s how I was able to draw up plans and knew what equipment to bring.”
Several cars were parked in front of the house. He pulled up next to Sinjin and cut the engine.
“There’s a lot of open area. I hope you got creative on where to camouflage some of your equipment,” he told his passenger.
Carter reeled back and snapped his fingers while waving a hand. “Do you know who I am? The C in my name stands for creative.”
Holden groaned and shook his head. Man, it was going to be a long day. “There’s not enough room in here with your ego.”
“Nonsense.” His buddy winked as they exited the vehicle. “My ego is happy to sit on my shoulder, just like Lex.”
He snorted and shut the door. “Mel is a saint.”
“You’re just realizing that now?” Hunter smirked, exiting the vehicle next to him.
Before anyone could reply, the front door of the house opened and Emily stood in the doorway, waving them in.
“Hi, guys.” She smiled. “The coffee is on, and Lyndsey brought a dozen cinnamon buns from Champion Bakery.”
“Angels. Both of you,” Carter crooned, taking the porch steps two at a time where he followed a laughing Emily into the house.
Sinjin and Hunter weren’t far behind, and Holden entered on their six.
A beautiful wooden staircase was several feet back. In the room to his right, he noted an assortment of paint cans and supplies in an empty room. To his left was a dining room where Emily, Lyndsey, Christa, Isla, and Carter were seated at a large rectangular table. Hunter and Sinjin stood eating cinnamon buns.
Holden smiled. Those guys wasted no time.
He moved further into the room and stopped dead. In a corner, on a bed near Emily’s chair sat a small dog and a large one. Both were quiet, but he could tell one was nervous and that could be dangerous and quickly lead to aggression.
The chestnut Chihuahua was grounded and calm. The other dog, the nervous one, was a Rottweiler.
A very thin Rottie
Holden’s heart careened to his knees.
She didn’t...She wouldn’t…
“Hey, Holden, pull up a seat.” Carter motioned to an empty chair on his right. “We left you one.”
He ignored the invitation, his mind gripped by apprehension. “Jesus, Emily. Please tell me that isn’t Hera.”