Chapter 5
Cassie was exhausted by the time the Knowles family was reunited. Walking into the suite with Josie had been akin to entering an emotional tornado of gratitude and relief. It was a beautiful moment for Josie, a testament to both her courage and how much she was loved.
Cassie and Lane let Josie tell her tale. The girl glossed over the more dangerous aspects of the search and rescue. Everyone gave kudos to the nanny for her quick thinking when it came to the photo. An image the police would be asking for soon. Unless Claudia was dealing with those details.
Cassie needed to send in her preliminary report, with all those details they hadn’t burdened the family with. And she would, just as soon as she confirmed that Drake was all right.
The family put Lane through a gauntlet of hugs and praises just as intense as the affection showered on Cassie and Josie.
Cassie loved this family. So much. She felt closer to the Knowles than she did to her own relatives back in Iowa. And she had to confirm that the protection plan for them was solid before she made her exit to clean up and get some rest.
She spoke with the protection team that had taken over so she could search. The two men confirmed that aside from worry over Josie, nothing untoward had happened in her absence. Together, the three of them gathered around the table and called the Chicago office. Arrangements were quickly made to move the family to a safe location. Additional personnel were also coming in to assist until they understood the impetus behind the kidnapping. The logistics would be tricky, considering the crisis created by the volcano, but Judith and Dave remained confident in the Guardian Agency.
That warmed Cassie’s heart as much as anything else. It was important to her to do a good job and represent her agency well.
“You’ve gone above and beyond, Cassie,” Nolan Swann’s voice came through the speaker. As a managing partner of the elite protection firm, his praise was welcome.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I’ve had good help.” With an effort, she kept her gaze from wandering toward the door where Lane waited.
For her?
That was odd. He should be gone by now. They weren’t actually a team. His assistance had been appreciated, but his part was done. Who was she kidding? He’d been invaluable out there and she did want a chance to thank him personally.
As soon as this call was done, she’d do that and send him back to Hawk.
“We’re relieving you for a few days,” Swann continued. “Take some time to rest up. We’ll talk again tomorrow afternoon when we have more information.”
“Yes, sir,” Cassie was floored, but the response to his authority was automatic.
She stared at the phone, hoping no one else could see her internal struggle. Her chest went tight as she resisted the order. This couldn’t be happening. The Knowles family was her case. Her people. Her responsibility. She’d been with them from the start. There hadn’t been a single scenario in her mind in which she walked away.
Everything inside her wanted to protest, but she couldn’t do it. Not with everyone here.
She’d never been pulled from a case before. What did this mean? The Guardian Agency didn’t make a move without cause and thoughtful reasoning.
Her mind spun. Where had she screwed up? What did they know that she didn’t?
When the plans were set, Swann ended the call and Cassie pushed back from the table. She endured another round of hugs from the family, wishing them the best and promising to stay in touch.
Assuming that was allowed. She’d ask Claudia about the protocol in these situations.
The last few months of her life had been interwoven with these four wonderful people. As she left their suite, she felt as if she’d been set adrift.
Did that make her clingy? Maybe Swann feared she’d grown too close to be an effective protector.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
She turned toward the source of the softly-spoken words and saw Lane. He hovered a few feet behind her. In her shock, she’d walked right by him. Swann might have a good reason to be concerned, after all.
“I’d like to believe you.” She moved toward her room, across the hall and a few doors down from the Knowles’s suite.
“Then do that.”
She swallowed hard as she passed Drake’s door. “Why are you following me? I’m in no mood to flirt or go for drinks.” In fact, as soon as she washed off the grime of the search, she was heading to the hospital.
“You want to see your partner,” Lane said. “I can drive.”
In her pocket, her phone chimed, but she ignored the alert. “I’ll drive myself when I’m ready.”
He leaned one of those firm shoulders against the wall, his gaze unrelenting. “Then I call shotgun.”
“Go away, Lane.” She shook her head. “No, wait.” She couldn’t send him away without keeping her promise to herself. Staring at him, she tried to get the words in the right order.
“I’m waiting.”
She looked up and down the hallway. Inviting him inside her room wasn’t an option. Guards were posted near the elevator, the closest stairwell, and right outside the Knowles family suite. She didn’t need word getting back to her agency or his that he’d joined her in her room.
“I appreciate you,” she began, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Thank you for your help tonight.”
His eyebrows, several shades darker than his hair, arched upward. “You don’t say.”
She ignored that in favor of being the mature adult in this conversation. “I appreciate you,” she repeated. “You were a big help to me, Lane. Without you I might still be searching for Josie and Drake.”
He scowled, apparently unimpressed with her gratitude. “That’s quite a sendoff.”
“I mean it,” she insisted. She rested her fingertips on the warm skin of his forearm, hoping no one noticed the contact. “Thank you.”
“I’m not standing here for your gratitude.”
He might as well have dumped ice water over her head. Unhappier than she had any business feeling over a man she barely knew, she turned away and tapped the card to the lock. “Then go. I’ll let Hawk know you were everything I needed,” she snapped, shoving open her door.
He tried to follow her, crowding her through the doorway, but he didn’t come all the way inside. “You didn’t tell them about that picture you received.”
She hauled him inside and let the door close behind him. “Is that why you’re hovering? It’s not an issue.” His lips parted, ready to argue. “If it becomes an issue, I can take care of myself.”
“Why hide that kind of threat from your bosses?”
“I didn’t hide it.” She’d meant to forward the photo to Claudia. “I didn’t mention it back there because it could’ve upset the client. And I have more important things on my mind,” she shot back. “Besides, my tech assistant has access to my phone. She’s probably already working on it.” It could even be why she’d been removed from the protection detail. Swann had said they would talk more.
“You’re in danger.” Lane’s eyes dropped to her lips, then lifted away to scan the room behind her.
After their trek through the forest, she wouldn’t blame him if his interest in her had faded. She folded her arms. “I could say the same about you.” He didn’t take the hint, standing firm. “Leave, Lane.” Couldn’t get clearer than that. “I’m fine.” Or she would be soon. Shower, clean clothes, and seeing Drake would go a long way to restoring her balance.
He shouldered past her. “Lane!”
“Does your group always leave their employees to fight solo?”
“Never.” She’d always felt as if she were part of a team. “That’s not what’s happening here.” Gamble and Swann would never leave her hanging out to dry. “That picture was a stunt, a diversion to throw off my search for Josie.”
He turned on the overhead light. “She was kidnapped to draw you out.”
It took a second for her to understand the scene. Her room had been searched. It didn’t make any sense at all. The contents of her suitcase had been dumped on the bed. She didn’t usually unpack into hotel dressers or closets, preferring to keep her belongings contained. Made it easier if she ever needed to leave in a hurry.
“Anything missing?”
“Yes.” Stifling the urge to scream in frustration, she pulled out her phone. “My laptop is gone. It was on the desk.”
She took pictures of the room, making sure Lane wasn’t in any of them, and sent the photos on to Claudia with a text message.
While she waited for the call back, she debated calling the police.
“Call the cops,” Lane said.
“No, thanks,” she disagreed. “They have bigger issues to deal with right now.”
He rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue with her.
Her cell phone rang and he turned away, taking a look at the sliding glass door. Cassie wasn’t expecting to see Swann’s name and number on the caller ID. Braced for the worst, she answered.
“Are you injured?” he asked.
“No, sir. I’m fine.” It was true, as long as she didn’t think about Lane being here in her personal space that was dominated by a bed. “I took every precau?—”
“You’re not at fault, Cassie,” Swann said, cutting off her apology. “No one thinks that. In fact, I called because Claudia is already tracking down the laptop.”
Cassie was so tired, she’d forgotten the company computers had tracking devices. “Good. What can I do to help?”
From across the room, she heard Lane muttering. She didn’t need his permission or approval on this. It was her life, her career. And if Swann gave her a task, she’d follow through. She loved her company and wanted to keep her job.
“Pack up your belongings, change rooms, and get some sleep.”
Cassie sank into the nearest chair, avoiding eye contact with Lane. Change rooms? If this one had been searched, couldn’t she just stay? Her mind was reeling and she was pretty sure she had the logic wrong, but… “Pardon me?”
“You’re exhausted,” Swann said, his voice filled with kindness and concern. “The police are overextended with the volcano emergency. And honestly, this break in and theft isn’t something I want to advertise.”
“Of course not.” That much she understood. Did she dare mention the Welker Specialists connection? “Sir, we never received a ransom for Josie.” It had been one of the first details she’d planned to share in her preliminary report. The report she couldn’t file so easily now without her laptop.
“Tell him the rest,” Lane ordered in a whisper.
“I’ve been wondering about that too,” Swann said. “Getting you out of the resort gave them easier access to your room and the laptop. Is there a connection to you that we need to explore?”
She cringed. Everything a hacker might want was on that laptop, from her personal banking information to the itinerary for Judith and her family. She didn’t need to point out that she followed all the recommended security protocols. If someone skilled enough wanted access, they would find a way. “I don’t suppose it was just a stunt to inconvenience the agency?”
Swann made a humming sound.
“Tell him the rest,” Lane said, loud enough to be overheard this time.
“You’re not alone.”
Cassie knew by the tone that Swann wasn’t pleased that she’d hidden that detail. Cassie glared at Lane. If he got her fired, she’d wring his neck. “No, sir. Lane Benning is here.”
“That’s the scout Hawk sent over to help you search for Josie.”
“Yes, sir.” No surprise that Swann knew about Lane, Hawk, or anything else. The Brotherhood Protectors and the Guardian Agency had a history of cooperation. “He’s concerned for my safety.” She closed her eyes. “During the search I received a text with an image of Drake on the ground.” She had to swallow the emotion before she could explain the rest of it. “I meant to forward the message to Claudia.”
“Hold on.”
The line went silent on the other end.
“What did he say?” Lane demanded.
“He put me on hold.” She was too weary to kick him out or tell him it wasn’t his business. She tapped the speaker button and set the phone down so she could pack her suitcase.
“What are you doing?” Lane asked, whispering once more.
“Now you’re discreet.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been ordered to change rooms.”
“Good.” He reached to help with her clothing and she swatted his hand away. “You’ll move to my room.”
She froze, startled speechless by the absurd suggestion. “Not an option,” she said.
“Cassie!” Swann’s voice intruded, vibrating with urgency. “Tell Claudia you give her permission to access that message with the threatening photo.”
“It’s your personal device,” Claudia explained, in an arch tone. “And I value our privacy policy. Since you’re not incapacitated, we require consent.”
“You have my permission,” Cassie said, smothering an untimely urge to laugh. Claudia was a stickler for the details because she was so good at what she did. That was one of the things that made her invaluable, even when her integrity frustrated the boss.
The thought gave Cassie some comfort in the midst of yet another layer in this crisis. If the tech and research expert could speak her mind without worrying about getting fired, Cassie could do the same. Before she could bring up the idea of staying put, Swann swore.
She scrambled to take him off speaker, but Lane grabbed the phone first.
“Bad isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes,” Swann replied, completely ignoring that Lane shouldn’t be privy to any of this. “In this image Drake looks dead.”
“Whoever did this didn’t think we’d ever find him,” Cassie admitted. “Without Lane, we wouldn’t have,” she added.
“Drake is too tough for that.” Swann’s voice was rough around the edges. “He would’ve found his way out eventually.” He cleared his throat. “The bigger issue is the obvious threat to you. We’ll dig in, of course, but it’s hard to believe they only wanted to nab your laptop.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Lane chimed in.
Under different circumstances, she might give him points for not being cowed in the slightest by her obvious displeasure. At the moment, she was irritated as hell. They were railroading her and she needed to remind them she was a force all on her own. “Please dig into Welker,” she said. “Their man Greenlee was behind the ambush after we’d found Josie.”
“And he didn’t fire at the girl,” Lane added.
Cassie fumed. When this call was over, she was going to rip Lane apart. She was the lead—or had been. She wasn’t only well-trained and capable, she’d demonstrated her skills time and again. Whatever he was doing, inserting himself into her life this way, was completely unnecessary.
“Claudia knows that Greenlee was also seen here at the resort before we went out to search,” Cassie said.
Swann’s sigh was heavy. “Welker Specialists doesn’t have the cleanest reputation, but this is…” His voice trailed off. “This is a serious breach if the incidents are connected.”
Cassie was well-aware of that. Along with the fact that there didn’t seem to be any motive for Welker to be involved in any of this. And she couldn’t think of any reason for them to target her. “What if Greenlee was freelancing?”
Another sigh from the speaker.
Lane asked the question that was at the forefront of her mind. “Who wants Cassie dead?”
“We’ll find out,” Swann promised. “Cassie, keep a low profile until we can get you out of Hawaii.”
“I’d rather not leave my assignment.” It was her last ditch effort to stay with the Knowles family.
“Even if you’re a threat to them?” Swann queried gently.
The sympathy in his voice touched her. “Well, obviously no. I don’t want that.”
She’d studied and trained, mentally and physically, for her role with the Guardian Agency. Her job was to protect others, to prevent trouble, not to multiply the risks. She glanced at Lane, wishing he wasn’t standing there, staring her down like he knew how she felt.
He couldn’t possibly.
Well, that was blatantly untrue. As a SEAL, Lane would’ve worked with high-caliber teams, the military’s elite. No way anyone survived a career like that without making a few mistakes and picking up plenty of scars, inside and out.
“Can I go check on Drake?” she asked.
“I’d rather you didn’t go out alone,” Swann replied.
She opened her mouth, ready to fight on this point. No way they would keep her locked in a hotel room, away from everything until they deemed it safe. That was madness. She’d have cabin-fever within a day. There had to be another option. If she couldn’t help the Knowles family, she could surely be useful somewhere. The island was in a state of emergency. They couldn’t expect her to hide until it was possible to leave. She was about to suggest she head toward Hawk’s operation when Lane cut her off.
“I’ll be with her.”
“What?” she blurted. “No. No he won’t.”
“You have the time?” Swann asked over her objection.
“I do.”
She suppressed a shiver as those two little words seemed to reverberate through the room. What was happening? He held her gaze as if he was making a personal vow. “I can take care of myself,” she reminded both men.
It had been years since she’d actually needed a man’s strength or protection. Years. Back when she’d been a teenager on the farm in Iowa. Yes, Lane had taken the lead a few hours ago, stepping between her and Greenlee, but her aim had been as true as his. Cooperation and teamwork were important. Despite her independence, she considered those traits essential in a working relationship. But this conversation felt more like she was losing ground, as if Swann was dumping her with a babysitter.
“Your background checks out,” Swann was saying. “We appreciate the assistance while we get to the bottom of this. I’ll expect daily updates. Be safe.”
The call ended and Lane held out the cell phone. “You’re pissed.”
“You better believe it,” she snapped. “I can?—”
“Take care of yourself, I know.” He didn’t look pleased about it.
She returned to her packing. Not her job to manage his feelings. She had her hands full with her own. Pride bruised, she zipped up her suitcase, avoiding his gaze. “If you know, why… Why did you do that to me?”
“Because you need protection too.”
She resisted that with every fiber of her being. Exhausted or not, she could take care of herself. Especially in this case. There wasn’t any reason to target her. It had to be blatant intimidation, nothing more.
In the mirror, she caught a reflection of her scorched shirt and the mild burn on her arm. That was more than intimidation. She didn’t want to agree with him. “I’m not staying in your room.” She didn’t trust herself not to do something ridiculous, like kiss him.
“You are.” He pressed a keycard into her hands and gave her the room number. “I can clear my stuff and crash with one of the guys.”
Oh, that could work. “Waylen or Kian?”
He shrugged. “Harlan or Raider wouldn’t lock me out either.”
She admired Lane’s connections. The man had good friends. Friends who had responded in a hurry to help Drake. “Keep your room.” She handed the keycard back to him. “I’ll go to the ranch and check in with Hawk. At least there I can stay off the radar without being bored.”
“Not a bad solution.” He folded his arms, watching her.
He probably expected her to swoon over the flexing biceps. And okay, a little part of her was all too willing to do just that. Lane was striking with his pale eyes, chiseled jaw, and a hint of a smile always on his lips.
She did not need to be thinking about his lips. But she continued staring, blaming the gaffe on weariness.
“How about this?” His voice was gentle. “I’ll take you to my room so you can clean up. Then we’ll go to the hospital and see your friend. After that, we’ll decide what’s next.”
She hesitated.
“Would you rather stay here?”
It wouldn’t be the smart move considering she had orders to leave. “Fine.” She tugged the suitcase along behind her as she headed for the door.
She had to compartmentalize and focus on the big picture. That’s all. Drake mattered a whole lot more than where she showered or slept. Figuring out why Greenlee had ambushed them—and taken aim at her—was far more important than her misgivings about being with Lane.
They were both professionals and, right now, he was the only one behaving accordingly.