Chapter 13
Cassie woke up to the muted light of early morning filtering through the gauzy curtains covering the big windows in the bedroom. She was tangled with the incomparable heat of Lane, snuggled skin to skin. It was the best morning in recent memory.
She closed her eyes, recalling the wonder of last night, with one pleasure layered over another. Being with Lane had been mind-blowing. Enlightening.
She breathed him in. It probably couldn’t last, but she found herself wishing all the same. What would life be like with a real partner? That wasn’t a fair question. She didn’t want to come home to just any man. Didn’t want to be so open and vulnerable with anyone but Lane.
Cultivating a real relationship with him tempted her more than ever before.
Because she loved him.
Love as a concept had always seemed fleeting to her. Resting with it here, with him, feeling the rise and fall of his chest under her palm as he slept, she understood love in a new way. Her heart belonged to him. Wanted him. Love was true. Irrevocable.
Did that make her a sad cliché or a woman who knew her mind?
She really should question such a big leap of her heart within their short acquaintance. And yet, it felt right. Touching her lips softly to his chest, she eased out of the bed, letting him sleep. The first item of clothing she found was his shirt and she slipped it on as she padded to the bathroom.
She was finishing her shower when she heard Lane’s voice just outside the door. “One second,” he said.
At the knock, she told him to come in as she quickly toweled off.
“Claudia,” he murmured, handing her the phone. Then he kissed her cheek as he traded places with her.
“I’m here,” Cassie said. “What’s wrong?”
“Good news first. I found Troy Welker,” she said. “Bad news. Your location is compromised.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.” Claudia swore. “If you move fast—like, right now—maybe you can catch him off guard rather than be on the defensive.”
Cassie could get on board with that idea. Much better than having him storm the condo and put innocent bystanders at risk. “You’re sure he’s gunning for me?” she asked, heading to the bedroom to dress.
“Absolutely,” Claudia said. “Lane too, since he was there when Greenlee attacked you. Troy found the resort employee who moved you to the condo. Beat the kid to a pulp.”
Cassie muttered an oath. She thought about the wide open areas around the condos. Those spaces weren’t enough to deter Welker.
Putting herself in his shoes, she cringed. Assuming he wanted to minimize the collateral damage and exposure, Troy would subdue the guard at the gatehouse, drive up to the condo, and break in. If he had numbers, he’d use the advantage to kill her and Lane and leave their bodies behind.
Too easy.
Cassie heard the shower shut off. She wouldn’t let Troy skate on this. She and Lane had proven an effective team on the zipline trail. With good intel—the only kind Claudia provided—they could turn the tables on Welker.
“How much time do we have?”
“Not much,” Claudia said. “So far, I don’t have any evidence that will hold up in court,” she continued, “but I’m sure Troy sent Greenlee to Hawaii to kill you and Drake. Didn’t Lane tell you his theory?”
“We had other things to discuss.” And much better things to do. She could feel guilty about it later. This wasn’t the time to berate herself for snatching a moment of joy in the middle of this mess.
“Fair enough,” Claudia continued. “I know losing Drake was a big blow.”
That was putting it mildly. Cassie moved to the windows, searching the view for any signs of trouble.
“Everyone is reeling,” Claudia said. “I haven’t seen Gamble and Swann this upset in ages.”
Cassie let the wave of grief wash over her. Survival first, then closure. She’d make sure Drake’s memory was honored. “Clearly Troy is cutting off any and all loose ends.”
Claudia agreed. “I’ve been scrambling to get ahead of this.” She paused, only the soft sound of her fingers on the keyboard coming over the line. “We do know Drake was trying to learn whatever Greenlee knew about the issues you were having on the Knowles assignment. Primarily, he was pushing Greenlee to talk about why Welker was causing trouble.”
“But you still don’t know?”
“No confirmation yet, but I think Troy was trying to prove himself,” Claudia explained. “Stay relevant to the company. Lane’s theory is that the kidnapping would’ve painted Welker as heroes and they need the good publicity. I’ve found some communications that Troy’s big brother hasn’t been impressed with him hanging around, acting tough, and doing nothing. In my opinion, your access to the Pentagon is no coincidence.”
Cassie could see the logic. Troy makes a bold move, takes advantage of a tie between Greenlee and Drake and then has to clean up fast when things go sideways. At the minimum, it made her feel better about her partner. “If you’re right, I can stop wracking my brain for when my path crossed Troy Welker’s.”
“You definitely have better things to do,” Claudia said. “I’ve sent his current location. It’s a vacation rental in a residential area south of you. Welker and at least two other men are inside. The guys involved with the smoke bomb at the hospital.”
“At least?” Cassie wanted clarification on the numbers.
Lane came out of the bathroom and she turned away so she could focus on the information. He was such a marvelous distraction.
“If he recruited additional local help, they might be holed up in there with him,” Claudia said. “Doubtful, but I can’t rule it out. I’ve scoured nearby cameras and that’s the best I have.”
“Any food deliveries within the last day?” Cassie asked.
“Oh! Great idea. Hold on.”
Cassie went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of Cokes. They didn’t have time for coffee if they wanted to maintain an element of surprise, but she needed the caffeine boost. Lane walked out of the bedroom, dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and cargo pants. She put the phone on speaker.
“Here we go,” Claudia said. “Food was delivered twice yesterday. One grocery order and a later delivery from a local restaurant. Based on the order, looks like it’s Welker and two others.”
“Might be better to let them come to us,” Lane said.
“Are you kidding?” Cassie stared at him.
“Sounds like you two have more to discuss. Don’t take too long,” Claudia urged. “Once you have Troy under control, call the FBI office. They’ll coordinate with Gamble.”
“Was that the FBI at the hospital yesterday?” Cassie bristled. “They should’ve identified themselves.”
“Told you,” Lane whispered.
“You know how weird feds can be,” Claudia said. “I’ll let you know if Troy mobilizes.”
“Thanks,” Cassie barely got the word out before the call ended. “So. Um. Good morning,” she said to Lane.
He glared at the Cokes on the countertop. “We have time for coffee if we let Troy think he has the advantage.”
“Are you seriously building a tactical strategy around a cup of coffee?”
Ignoring her, he poured beans into the grinder. She didn’t want to admit it, but just the aroma perked her up. When the coffee was brewing he pulled her into his arms, lingering over the kiss. “This is a proper good morning.”
“I want it to be.” She glanced toward the balcony. “We can’t just sit here and wait.” She tried to shift away from Lane, but he kept her close. “Lane, he beat up the employee who moved our things here.”
“So we’ll add that to the growing list of charges.” He squeezed her waist. “You and I can’t take him down in the middle of a neighborhood.”
“This is a neighborhood too.” The risks were real no matter where they did this. “Can’t we lure him to the volcano and toss him in?”
Lane chuckled. “That’s a great visual. And I’d take that option in a heartbeat if there was any hope of success.” He rested his forehead on hers. “We are the only guests in this building,” he countered. “Welker can’t come in here guns blazing without making more trouble for himself.”
“So you and I against three mercenaries?”
“Two and a half,” Lane corrected. “The newbie he brought along isn’t much of a threat.” He turned and poured coffee for each of them.
She sipped the hot brew. Coffee was the right choice. “My boss won’t be happy to get the bill for damages if we tear up this condo.”
“I thought a couple of lawyers ran the Guardian Agency.”
“That’s true.” She eyed him over her coffee. “You’ve been doing your homework.”
“Grief knocked you out for a while yesterday. Had to fill the time somehow.” He gave her a wink. “I think your bosses will make sure Welker Specialists gets the bill for any mess they make here. Plus the invoice to replace your favorite shirt.”
“You really want to do this here?” She sipped her coffee, wary as another thought occurred to her. They were both in Welker’s crosshairs and she wouldn’t let Lane shield her from the fight. She could hold her own and, after what happened to Drake, she intended to face Welker head on. “This isn’t some ploy to keep me out of the fight?”
“No. I need you with me.”
She suddenly wished he’d spoken those words romantically. Because she definitely needed him. For more than Welker. When this was over, they needed to have a heart to heart. Studying him now, she wasn’t sure she trusted his cool composure. “You say that now, but I won’t sit back, Lane.”
“Aren’t you listening?” He stroked her cheek. “I need you. I don’t want you to sit back. I’ve seen you in action, remember?”
She wasn’t sure if he meant out on the zipline trail or if that was a reference to last night. She opted to assume the best. “We’ll need to work together to finish off Welker.” She thought again about the guard at the gatehouse. “How do we protect the guard? I don’t want Welker to hurt anyone else.”
“Leave it to me.” He smiled, but this time the expression was flinty and calculating. His jaw was tight too. Something about the combination settled her better than any amount of planning or conversation.
“All right,” she said, refilling her coffee. “And tell me we have more ammunition than what’s left in my gun.”
“You can count on me, Cassie. And you can count on my friends too.”