Chapter 10
Lane swore. He’d sensed something was off and he’d been right. The weapons were locked in the car and with people running around, he couldn’t see the real threat. Now, Cassie wasn’t cooperating. It was his job to protect her. She needed to get away from this scene, ASAP.
It looked like the explosion was little more than a big smoke bomb. Clearly a distraction tactic. But why? To give one person another chance to kill her? Or were they up against a team ambush this time?
Damn it.
He crouched behind a tire. Further down the same aisle, Cassie did the same. “Go!” He kept his voice low.
She shook her head and mouthed “Where?”
Away from danger. He shook off his irritation that she’d ignore the obvious answer. What did he expect? She was a trained bodyguard. Her career was built around protecting people. When the explosion sounded, she’d lunged in that direction and his heart had stopped.
He wasn’t the only person who knew that would be her automatic response. Couldn’t be. Anyone observing Cassie at work would see that immediately.
Waylen’s latest message, with more background on Welker Specialists, hadn’t been any comfort at all. They were the kind of security group that did just enough work on the right side of the law to claim they were respectable in the right circles. Lane could read between the lines. Waylen mentioned rumors of ops that blew past any legal boundaries and general common sense. Welker conducted old fashioned mercenary jobs that kept the company well-funded. On those jobs, they had a reputation for the best equipment, plenty of personnel, and being as slippery as Teflon. No complaints or formal charges would stick to the company.
Now, it seemed, Welker had targeted Cassie. But why?
Answers would wait. Right now, he had to get her out of here. To where? He had no idea. He added that to the growing pile of questions he’d answer later.
Ignoring the shouting going on closer to the explosion, Lane dropped to his stomach. He searched for any movement under the nearby vehicles. There were a few civilians moving around, based on the footwear he could see. Had he overreacted?
First time for everything.Although he felt mission ready, he was retired. No training in months meant his instincts could be off. If he had made a mistake here, he didn’t care. Cassie’s safety was more important than his pride.
They were only a few rows from where he’d parked. If he could get to the Jeep, he’d have access to the weapons and a radio. Being able to defend her and call for backup would make him feel a whole lot better.
He signaled Cassie to wait, then belly-crawled under the truck sheltering him to get a better view of the scene. Alone in the row, he stood up slowly, until he could peer over the edge of the truck bed.
People were still scrambling away from the smoke. He shook his head. No one on this island needed another breathing hazard. When he caught up with the responsible party, he’d gladly break a nose or a jaw for that offense alone.
In the reflection from the side mirror, he caught movement behind him. Not a tourist. The tight t-shirt, bulging muscles, and purposeful stride were a dead giveaway. And that was before Lane spotted the gun. Ducking down low, once more, he hurried back toward Cassie.
“You waited,” he said, pressed flat on his belly.
She rolled her eyes. “How many?”
“Only saw one man.” Though he doubted the guy was out here alone. “Someone with delusions of becoming The Rock is searching the parking lot. Gun drawn,” he added.
“Not a cop?”
“Nope.” A cop wouldn’t be out here alone. He’d be mic’d up and coordinating with hospital security. He tipped his head. “We need to move. Low and quick.” At her nod, he hesitated. “We stay together,” he added, just in case she needed the reminder. He had to get her out of here before the police could set up a perimeter. Playing chicken with armed men wasn’t his idea of vacation fun.
If the situation was reversed, Lane would put eyes on the target’s vehicle. And after missing their shot last night, he suspected Cassie’s enemy would be more deliberate and diligent today. With that in mind, he guided her past their car, hoping to get a glimpse of the person serving as the spotter.
With Cassie pressed up close to his hip, he said, “Go to the car.” He handed her the keys, making a note of the fresh scrapes on her hands. He’d been too rough back there. He owed her an apology as soon as they were safe. “Back out and drive toward the exit. I’ll meet you at the end of the aisle.”
Thankfully, she nodded, but before he could move, she gripped his shirt and hauled him close. The kiss she planted on him was fast, hard, and sexy as hell. “Be smart,” she said, giving him a little shake.
“You too,” he murmured, but she was already on the move.
He scurried in the opposite direction, passing several cars before popping to his feet. He wanted to draw their attention so Cassie had a chance to get out of range. The lack of immediate reaction gave him a second to doubt his plan, but he didn’t pause. Had to stay the course.
At last the reaction came, if a beat slower than he’d hoped. Behind him, someone whistled. Probably The Rock-wannabe. More importantly, the signal drew a reaction from the spotter.
Lane smiled to himself. He’d guessed right and was practically on top of the spotter.
Male, younger than expected. Or maybe Lane was just getting older. Regardless, the guy wore a shirt with the Welker logo on the sleeve.
What a newbie. Poor sap.
That was the extent of Lane’s sympathy. He attacked, swift and sure, pulling the man over the edge of the truck bed where he’d been hiding out and watching the parking lot. One quick punch and the guy was out. Lane grabbed his wallet and gun as Cassie drove up.
“Perfect timing.” He grinned at her. “I’m driving.”
She moved to the passenger seat and buckled up. He dropped the wallet and gun in her lap and drove as quickly as he dared away from the scene.
“Police response seems slow,” Cassie said, tucking the gun in the glove box.
“They’re in the middle of a bigger crisis,” he reminded her. If he didn’t know it was impossible, he’d think Welker timed their stunt to coincide with the volcano. But this eruption had surprised everyone, including the experts. As much as he hated to give the enemy any credit, they were currently making the most of the unexpected distraction.
“Anything helpful in the wallet?”
“Just the basics. Some cash, a couple of credit cards. No hotel key. The driver’s license is from Kansas, assuming it’s real. I’m sending the info up the line. Hang on.” She grabbed her cell phone.
“What is it?”
“This guy from Kansas.” Another pause. “Yeah. That’s him in the picture Mandy took at the resort.”
“The nanny?” He was too distracted to remember names.
“Yes. So he had to be in on the kidnapping with Greenlee.” She muttered a dire promise to make the man pay. “Claudia will sort it out.”
“Hope she’s quick. Ask her to inform Hawk too.”
“Done,” Cassie said after a minute.
“Toss the wallet,” he said. “We’ll turn over the gun to the cops at the first opportunity.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later, Lane nearly groaned. “Does Claudia monitor your location?”
“Yes, why?”
“They’re tailing us again,” he reported.
She swiveled around, glaring hard at the pickup truck a few cars back. “Back to the bar?”
“Doubt that will work for us today.” It was one thing to use that hard curve in the dark. Bright sunlight wouldn’t be nearly as effective. Amid a squeal of brakes and blaring car horns, the pickup truck made a move to get around another car, closing the distance between them.
“I don’t want to do this here,” Lane said, mostly to himself.
The resort was close but he dismissed the option as too predictable. These guys already knew how to find Cassie there.
At the next traffic signal, he changed lanes and turned down a street that would hopefully take him inland, away from the more populated resort area. He didn’t know exactly where he was headed, only that he had to lose the tail without injuring any bystanders or drawing the attention and ire of local law enforcement. Based on the erratic driving behind him, it didn’t appear that Welker had the same aversion to unwanted consequences.
“What about the ranch?” Cassie asked, her gaze on the side mirror.
“Hawk’s wife is pregnant,” he said. He wouldn’t drag his mess to their doorstep, although he had every confidence Hawk could protect the ranch, his family, and anyone else who might need it. Working together, he believed they could hold their own against the thugs behind them.
“If something happens to me, you should go there. To the ranch, I mean.”
She glanced at him. Riding sideways in the seat, she kept her eye on the truck barreling closer. “If something happens to you, I’ll be with you. Helping.”
“No.” An unsettling flare of panic lanced through his chest. He reached out, found her hand and gripped it hard. “Your boss trusted me with your protection. Promise me, Cass. If this goes sideways, you find Hawk.”
“I’m not without resources and skills,” she reminded him sharply. “We’ve got this. We just need to get a step ahead of them.”
He agreed with her logic, though it was easier said than done at the moment. The pickup truck was gaining. If they made it to the open road, all bets were off. The Wrangler was durable, but the truck had more power. “Let your researchers worry about that,” he said. “I need you to find us a place to shake off this guy.”
“On it.” Phone in hand, she pulled up a local map. “Take the next left.”
He did, just as the signal turned yellow. The squealing of tires told him the pickup had followed.
“Left again.”
He had to fight his instincts and trust her. She had the map and as much desire to get clear of this mess as he did. He took the turn.
“Second right.”
“They’re still behind us.”
“I’m aware,” she said, eyes on her phone. “Take the turn and gun it. Road is clear.”
Glancing over, he realized she wasn’t using a standard navigation app. Someone else was feeding her the directions in real time. He took the turn, gunned the engine and gained precious distance on the straight, deserted roadway between two warehouses. Checking the rear view, he saw the truck fishtail and clip a garbage bin. The harsh sounds of crunching and scraping metal bounced between the corrugated buildings.
“Stay to the right, toward the trees.”
Obediently, he followed her advice through two more intersections as pavement faded to a blackened road that withered to little more than a rutted track leading into a dense green forest. Thanks to a quick cloud burst, his tires didn’t kick up any dust to give away their location.
“Don’t tell me your Claudia can summon a rain cloud on demand.”
She swiveled in her seat, facing forward again. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
He kept going, slower now, picking his way along and ready to go off road if the pickup found them.
“No sign of them since the alley,” Cassie said.
He found a likely spot and tucked the Wrangler back into the trees, cutting the engine so he could better hear the approach of another vehicle or person. Since the old Jeep didn’t have a roof, their clothing was soaked through from the rain. If they’d been anywhere else, they might be chilled. Not here. One more reason to love Hawaii.
They waited in an easy silence for several minutes. At last, he was confident they were clear. “You okay?” he asked.
“I am.” She plucked her shirt from her skin, trying to dry it out. “Thanks to you.”
“Team effort, all the way.” Without her directions, they might still be in a populated area, doing their best to avoid disaster. He rubbed a hand over his head, brushing the water from his short hair. “Gotta say, I worked plenty of missions in messy conditions. Training too. That was the nicest rain ever.”
“It’s a new experience,” she agreed. Reaching back, she pulled the tie from her hair, combed her fingers through the wet locks and wound it into a neat knot once more. “Thanks for getting me out of trouble. Again.”
“My pleasure,” he said sincerely. Despite understanding the demands of her job and her expertise, he liked being the person watching her back. One of them anyway. “You have friends with interesting access.”
She nodded. “I do indeed. As a rule, we don’t talk about how our researchers get their intel.”
He laughed. “I sure don’t want to be on Claudia’s bad side.”
Her lips tilted and she shook her head. “Drives me nuts that companies like Welker give private security a bad name.”
“They give mercenaries a bad name.” He climbed out of the car, giving the seat and the rest of him time to dry out. “Lucky for us, the team they sent sucks. The spotter was wearing a company shirt.”
Her brow pinched. “Put that way, maybe I should be offended.”
He looked over and caught her grinning. No way. This made her smile? She couldn’t really be so relaxed after all of that. His heart felt heavy inside his chest. What if the truck had stayed on them, or worse, started firing at her?
“This is what? The third direct attempt on your life?”
“Maybe the second.” She frowned at him.
“I call bullshit.” His hands curled around the windowless door of the rugged little vehicle. The situation, the danger to her, was getting out of hand. “Don’t blow this off or underestimate the risks. Those annoying incidents have escalated. Twice in less than twenty-four hours Welker personnel have pointed guns at you. I bet there were things in D.C. you didn’t even notice.”
“Watch yourself, Lane.”
He paused, heard his words the way she must have. “That wasn’t an insult, just a fact. You were focused on preventing any threat to the family. At some point, your partner started working a different agenda.”
She was quiet for several minutes. Damn, he’d messed up again. He tried to sort out the best course of action to recover from yet another miscommunication. He willed her to look at him, but she was on her phone. She needed to hear his concerns and take them seriously. They could not keep allowing Welker to take pot shots at her. There was a reason she was being targeted. A reason her laptop was stolen. Someone needed to figure that out while he kept her safe.
Aside from scouting, mission intel hadn’t been his job. He’d relied on others, then and now. Her team should be working on this, on learning why she was in danger. Either they weren’t as good as she claimed, or they had other priorities.
Lane gritted his teeth. His top priority was her. He was starting to think it would always be her. Shoving aside wispy ideas of the future, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Waylen asking for any help he had time to provide.
“At no time in D.C. did we find ourselves on the wrong end of a lethal weapon,” she said, breaking the silence at last.
Was that significant? It might be. “If I find out the feds are using you as bait, I’ll…” He shut his mouth before he revealed too much. He was invested. More than that. He was attached. Hell, he’d barely learned her name and yet she already meant the world to him.
Maybe it was crazy to care so deeply for her. Not that outside opinions would sway him. He’d learned to accept life as it came—the good and the bad.
Cassie was good. Meeting her was a gift. It was that simple for him.
And he wouldn’t let her down. He scrubbed a hand over his face and turned away, leaning back against the closed door. The vehicle shifted as she climbed out and came to stand in front of him.
“Thank you for caring,” she began. “I’m not nearly as dim or helpless as you seem to think.”
“That’s a wildly inaccurate interpretation.” She was one of the brightest, most capable people he’d met—and he’d served with the best in the world. He opened his mouth to give her those words and she shushed him.
Pressing her body close, she looped her arms around his neck. “Just kiss me.”
He obliged, letting his mouth and hands tell her the things he didn’t dare say. Not yet. Maybe not ever, if she booted him out of her life. He wanted her today and tomorrow. He wanted her for as long as she’d have him. His thoughts, his heart had never run off in this direction. It should scare him. Instead he was eager, ready to race headlong into these previously unexplored emotions.
His hands gripped her waist, slid lower over the curve of her hips. The woman was a dream come true in his arms. Better than anything he’d anticipated the first day he’d spotted her on the beach. He swore and, hating himself for breaking the mood, dragged himself away from her sweet mouth.
“The picture,” he said.
She stared up at him, eyes wide and dazed. “What?”
“The one they sent with your face circled. I know where it was taken. The angle,” he clarified. He had her full attention now, that sweet lust replaced by intense focus. He looked forward to being able to rekindle that incomparable desire as soon as possible.
She shifted away from him. “Clearly, my kissing skills need work.”
“Not true.” He brought her close again and smoothed a hand over her hip. “This reminded me.”
“My backside reminded you of the photo?”
He looked to the heavens and saw only the green canopy. “I am normally a much better communicator.”
“Mm-hm. Keep talking. About the photo.”
Her hands were soft and warm on his chest. It was a wonder that his damp shirt wasn’t giving off steam.
“Do you still have that picture on your phone?”
“Of course.” She handed him the device. “Claudia said the metadata confirmed the location.”
He glanced down at the awful picture filling the screen and had to pause for a measured breath. Maybe he’d learn that Greenlee had taken it and doctored the image and the silver lining would be that he didn’t need to kill anyone else. Though he would never shy away from that task if it kept Cassie safe.
“I’m sure it did.” He pinched and zoomed in on the picture as much as possible, growing more confident in his theory. “The water is behind you, meaning the photographer was in the resort.”
“I’m sure Claudia has thought of this. Or another tech expert at the agency figured it out.”
“Right. But I know exactly where the bastard had to be standing. He’s above the beach.”
“So any number of rooms.”
“No. Only one place would give him this angle.” He tapped the side of her phone, recalling that morning. Just a few days ago, before he knew her or how he’d feel. Shocking how fast life could change. “You were walking back from the waterfall end of the lagoon.”
“To see the turtles. They’re beautiful.”
He’d gone snorkeling in that lagoon for the same reason. “I get it.” Was it any wonder he was hooked on her? Maybe, if he could convince her to stay in Hawaii for a few more days, they could go snorkeling over there together.
She frowned. “I should be creeped out that you were watching me so closely.”
“Correction. You should be flattered, because unlike our photographer, I’m not a stalker. This guy was watching you from up on the overlook bar.”
“Which would’ve been closed at that hour,” she said, thinking it through.
“Yes. So it should be easier for your team to find some kind of evidence on the security system.”
She took her phone, her fingers flying as she sent the information on to her team. The reply came back in less than a minute. “Claudia says thanks.” She turned her phone so he could see. “All caps,” she added with a wry smile. “What now?” She gazed up at the green canopy overhead. “Do we hide here or back at the resort?”
It was obvious she wasn’t eager to hunker down and hide until this was over. And, considering the persistent pursuit, he didn’t think Welker would stop just because they got away again. They seemed determined to take Cassie out.
Pleasant as it was out here alone with her, safe from any threat, staying was a selfish option.
Going back to the resort was also self-serving. He knew himself too well. With privacy and a bed close by, he’d be doing his best to turn hot kisses into scorching sex.
“There’s a third option.” He smiled at her wary expression. “Wait a minute.” He studied her face, the soft flutter of her pulse at the base of her neck. “Are you thinking about having wild sex with me out here?”
“No.”
He leaned in close, until his lips feathered over her ear. “Liar.”
“I kissed you, for all the good it did.”
Not the response he’d anticipated. The woman was delightfully unpredictable. “Cassie.” He stroked her cheek and tipped up her chin, waiting for her to meet his gaze. “If I could, I’d spend days kissing you. And much, much more, if you were so inclined. But until we know why Welker is hunting you, we can’t forget the risks.”
Her phone chimed from her pocket and he wondered which of them was more relieved.
“It’s Claudia.”
That’s all he got as his cell started ringing. He glanced at the caller ID. “Waylen?”
“Where the hell are you?”
“Don’t you know?” If the call had come through, surely Waylen had a location on him. More important to Lane at the moment was the stress in his friend’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
“Hawk has GPS on the Wrangler. He called me asking what the hell you’re up to.”
Crap, he hadn’t sent updates to Hawk or Swann. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Are you good?”
“For the moment.” He put a few paces between himself and Cassie. “She doesn’t know why she’s been targeted.”
“It’s gotta be Knowles or the connection to the Pentagon,” Waylen suggested.
“She’s off that case, the family’s out of reach. If Knowles is the issue, they should’ve shifted their attacks to the new team.”
“Then she’s holding back,” Waylen pointed out. “I’ll keep looking.”
“No. Don’t do that.” Lane was her bodyguard, it was his job to earn her trust and get her to open up. Factoring in his personal interest, he wanted Cassie to open up on her own. “Keep looking into Welker.” That was the place Lane couldn’t access with his skills. “Please.”
“Sure thing.” Waylen didn’t sound particularly enthused.
“Is there trouble?”
“On this island?” Waylen snorted. “Plenty to go around. You watch over your new friend. And call Hawk.”
The call ended, leaving Lane to wonder what the hell his buddies were dealing with, aside from the active volcano crisis. But Waylen was right. Lane’s hands were full with the team hunting the woman he was falling in love with.
As the thought flitted through his mind, he tried to dismiss it. To ignore it. Being in love was crazy and about as far from safe as a man could get. But it was true. His feelings for Cassie weren’t like anything he’d ever experienced. Strange how he knew that, how he recognized what it was. More astounding was that he could fall so hard after a little danger and a few hotter-than-sin kisses.
Cassie had perched herself on the tailgate of the Wrangler, her gaze on the wilderness while she tapped her phone against her knee. He walked over, somehow keeping his hands to himself. “Any news?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Claudia found my computer in a pawn shop. I offered to pick it up, but she’s already arranged to have it shipped back to the Chicago office.”
She sounded devastated over being benched yet again. “She doesn’t want you involved in case it’s another trap,” he pointed out.
“Probably.” She rubbed her hands on her pants, leaving behind streaks of dirt and dried blood.
“Was the laptop damaged?”
She shook her head. “According to the pictures she received, it’s in perfect condition. No one has even tried to log in.”
“Another distraction, like Josie’s kidnapping.” Another attempt to draw Cassie to a place where they could get to her. Not cool. There had to be a way to put a stop to this.
“Apparently so.”
There was more, he could see it in her eyes and the set of her mouth. “What else?”
“She moved us to a different part of the resort.”
“Us?”
“Yes.” Her cheeks puffed up as she blew out a dramatic sigh. “She pulled strings to upgrade your room to one of the condos deeper in the resort. The resort staff packed up your things and mine and just got it done.” She paused. “You didn’t have anything, um, sensitive in the room, did you?”
“No,” he replied, wondering what ideas made that blush color her cheeks. “I came to Hawaii for a vacation and a party.” He was on a permanent vacation and the weapons he carried were in a locked compartment of his suitcase. No one who knew him would accuse him of being sensitive, much less having any sensitive items or info.
“And you got stuck with me.”
“Again, not at all how I would describe the situation.” He shifted closer, catching her hand in his. Turning it over he frowned. “Hold that thought.”
He went to grab his bottle of water and the first aid kit. “Can’t do anything for the pants, but we can take care of these scrapes.” He set the first aid kit on the bumper as he rinsed her hands and gently scrubbed the debris off her palms. Rolling up her pant legs, he cleaned the scrapes on her knees next.
“I could do this myself.”
“Sure you could.” He smiled. “But then I wouldn’t have an excuse to touch you.”
She stilled his hands. “You don’t need an excuse, Lane.”
He was caught in those amazing eyes, uncertain how much to push or retreat. His pulse kicked, yearning to get lost in her. “I might.” He didn’t want to take advantage of the situation or the woman. “What changed?”
“Nothing.” She kissed him, her lips light and teasing. “Maybe everything. Just kiss me right here,” she tapped her lips, “and make it better.”
Never let it be said that he couldn’t take orders. He moved between her knees, carefully drawing her legs tighter to his hips. This interlude was nothing short of a miracle. He made the most of it as his mouth claimed hers. Slow and tender, the heat building with every heartbeat. He toyed with her hair, traced the delicate column of her neck down and away over the curve of her shoulder. Her skin was warm and soft, a contrast to the cool, tough security expert she showed the world.
Her hands roamed over him and her soft sigh was the best reward.
If she wanted a distraction, he could provide that. Be that. He wanted more and nearly admitted it. Not the time to dump his unexpected feelings on her. Now while she was in limbo with her career and her life.
He couldn’t recall a time when he’d been more than the one-night-stand guy. The sexy, short-term fling that burned bright and flamed out fast. Cassie deserved more, and for the first time Lane thought he might deserve more too.
It shouldn’t bother him if her affection was based on an adrenaline surge. He would damn sure be whatever she needed.
Friend, protector, lover.
For Cassie, he was all-in.