The lot of them, except Tank who had stayed because of Echo and to watch over Kia’s house and animals, landed in DC six hours later. The GPS pointed them to a boutique hotel just on the fringe of downtown and back against a suburban neighborhood of upscale townhomes. Paige went up to the manager and flashed her badge.

“How can I help you?”

“We’re looking for this woman. Is she staying here?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll need access to her room.”

“Yes, ma’am. Let me get my manager.”

Once the manager came out from the back, she explained the situation to him. He took them up to the room and then used his key card to unlock it. They burst inside, but even though all Kia’s belongings were there, she wasn’t.

Her phone sat on the nightstand.

Cowboy spied her laptop, and he walked over to the desk. The lid was up and there was a folded piece of paper sitting on the keyboard. It read: Turn me on.

“Dammit, I hate hackers,” Paige muttered under her breath. “Wait,” she called out. “Don’t touch that. It could be wired.”

“Kia wouldn’t hurt…she wouldn’t hurt me. She wants us here for a reason. She orchestrated it. Let’s see what she’s got in store for us.”

He pushed the “on” button and the screen came to life. It was the foyer of an upscale house, the security camera pointed at the front door.

There was a noise, then the door opened and a man walked in. The screen split and it now showed the living room. Kia was standing there just inside the wide doorframe.

He noticed she was encased in black fishnet. Cowboy smiled, remembering the name he’d playfully given her.

“Harold Jackson.”

The man turned abruptly. He frowned, his face thunderous. “How did you get in here?”

Kia shrugged. “I’m not really here to discuss my excellent breaking and entering skills, and don’t bother to check the silver. It’s all there. With what you pay me, I can afford my own.”

“You were stupid to come here, Kia. My guy might have missed you in your Podunk town, but the next one won’t. I’ve gone international.”

“Your guy. Right. The killer you sent after me. I thought I recognized him.”

“He was an idiot. Who do you think you’re dealing with here?”

“A backstabbing, treasonous snake. You set me up. You know I trusted you. You sent Bryant Anderson with his phony credentials, and I fell for it.”

“Anderson…what a fuck-up. He hired the wrong pilot. If he hadn’t gotten himself shot, we would have pulled it off. The only piece was the hacking and we knew you wouldn’t do it if you knew, reformed as you are.”

Shots sounded and Kia gasped as Harold’s back hit the wall, his face showing his shock as blood blossomed on his chest and he sank down into a sitting position, his eyes open, his face blank.

“He was right. You are a fool dead woman walking.” A man materialized out of the shadows, big and menacing. His accent was thick…definitely Slavic. Before Cowboy could blink. He fired at her point blank, four times in the chest.

“Kia!” His anguished shout reverberated in the room.

“Oops,” she said as her beautiful face popped up on his screen. Forgot to turn on my screen,” she whispered. His heart was pounding and the fear and adrenaline was subsiding making him tremble. “I didn’t expect that to happen, but did you get what Harold said before he was brutally murdered?”

“We got every word,” Cowboy said.

“Thank, God. Look this was supposed to be completely bloodshed free. A little candid camera, a little prodding, and he would spill his guts. Not literally, of course, but Ivan the Terrible showed up. And, FYI, he’s still here.”

“Kia. Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m in the pantry off the kitchen. That wasn’t me in the living room. It was a hologram. Pretty good, huh? I hacked into his security feed and then projected to the laptop.”

She was such a genius. A cute, sweet genius. “No, darlin’.” He would laugh if this wasn’t so dire. “Not where are you physically. The address!”

“Oh, right.” She smacked herself in the head. “I’m across the street.” She rattled off the address. “Hey guys.” She waved and all he wanted was her in his arms safe and sound. “Wow, that’s a lot of people to track down little ole’ me.”

“I think we better get over there before he discovers you’re a hologram.”

“I think he already has. He’s looking for me. Hurry.” Then she called out. “Oh, you need the code to the door,” she rattled that off, too.

They got plenty of looks when they came pelting out of the elevator en masse and crossed the street at a run. The eight of them spread out. Cowboy, Ruckus, Kid and Paige went for the front door and the rest of them covered the back.

Paige typed in the code and the door released. She nodded to Ruckus, Kid, and Cowboy.

As soon as she’d gotten the address, Paige had called an ambulance. The siren sounded in the distance.

They went in one at a time, guns gripped, fingers along the trigger guard. Like a well-oiled machine, they moved through the house. Wicked and Scarecrow headed up the stairs and Cowboy slid around through the living room, heading toward the kitchen. Suddenly the guy popped up and open fired. They all dove for cover.

When he lifted his head to peer over the sofa, he saw a door slide open a sliver. Kia. Don’t. But the door opened, and she moved very slowly, grabbing a frying pan off the stove. With two hands, she swung with all her might. There was a metallic conk and then she looked over at him.

“Too bad Tank couldn’t see me in action,” she said proudly. “It wasn’t a one-two punch, but cleaning a murderer’s clock with a frying pan sure is effective.”

“Yeah,” Scarecrow drawled. “We should all start carrying frying pans.”

She gave him a triumphant look and held up the pan as the guys laughed. Then started to introduce themselves. Finally, Cowboy walked up to her, dragged her against him and kissed her in front of them all.

“I thought you were going to throttle me.”

“I think a spanking is in order later.”

The guys all made catcalls.

“Kinda a half a garden party and half a goat fuck, but purely entertaining,” Wicked said.

Finally, Paige walked up, and Kia’s face fell. “I guess you’re here to arrest me.” She held out her hands.

“There’s still an open warrant. We’ll sort this out,” she said as she pulled Kia’s arms behind her back.

At the Navy Yard where NCIS was headquartered, it had been hours and hours since they brought her in. They were all waiting in the conference room when the door finally opened and Kia walked in. The guys cheered, fist bumping her as she passed through them. Cowboy glared at them until they filed out.

“Hey,” she said, looking disheveled, tired and relieved.

“What’s going on?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“You scared the bejesus out of me, so I’m a mite peeved.”

“Ooh, on a SEAL, a mite could be deadly.”

“Don’t you dare make light of this.” His throat suddenly tight, he spoke, his voice husky. “I was going out of my mind.”

Her eyes widened with that startled doe look of hers, then she released a breath, regret in her eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry. But I wasn’t going to compromise you not even to save my own skin.” Her chin lifted in defiance.

God, when she did that, he wanted to absorb her into his body, a peculiar soft feeling filling up his chest. “What do you mean?”

She looked down, her lashes thick and dark, covering her expressive eyes. She toyed with the top snap of his shirt. “As soon as I realized that I was an accessory that made me a criminal. I knew if you heard my side of the story, you would insist on being there for me.” She looked up at him and with her heart in her eyes, she whispered huskily, “I couldn’t put your life in that kind of tailspin.”

“My life is already in a tailspin, and we both know why.” She blushed and that was all he could take. He hauled her against him and covered her lips. Working his mouth slowly against hers, he shifted, and she clutched his shirt in both fists. “We both know I can handle the danger.”

She pulled and pushed at the material, shaking him a little. “I know you can handle the danger, but your honor is so deeply ingrained. It would have caused you pain. Deep pain. You could have lost everything.”

She had been trying to protect him, and what little anger was left over at what he perceived as her inability to trust him, dissipated. “You’re completely right. But if I had lost you. I would have lost everything.”

This time she dragged him into the kiss. “You’re so irresistible,” she murmured as she softly brushed her mouth against his, the warmth and moistness of the kiss making his pulse erratic. She licked his bottom lip slowly—very slowly. Opening his mouth against hers, Cowboy dropped his head just enough to deepen the kiss, resolutely keeping his hands loosely around her waist.

He broke the kiss before it got even more heated, pressing his forehead against hers. “So, are you a free woman, then? Can we go?”

She nodded, still gripping his shirt. “They vacated the warrant after seeing the footage. They aren’t charging me, even though ignorance was involved here. I was deemed as faithfully fulfilling my job duties under a conspiracy. I don’t know if they made it up. Oh, and they offered me a job.”

His head came up, his heart pounding. Did this mean she would even think about leaving Reddick? “What?”

“Strangest job interview ever. They said I was the best hacker they had ever seen and what I did with Harold ’May He Burn in Hell,’ Jackson was ingenious. Paige also confessed that if I hadn’t wanted to be found, she doubts they could have found me. There was no trace to follow me back and discover who I was. They want me to become an agent and chase down criminals…um…through the computer.”

He was so proud of her. “You’re kidding me?”

“I turned them down, but agreed to hack for them for a fee.” Was he a bit disappointed that she hadn’t taken a job that would bring her to San Diego? “I like freelancing, and it pays so much better. Okay,” she rolled her eyes, “I’m a teensy bit a material girl, but I like my beautiful things and my horses.” She moved closer to him. “Then I can do what I want with my free time.”

He rubbed his mouth against her temple. “Is that right? What exactly do you want to do with your free time?”

She gave a shaky laugh, and slid her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Well, there’s this SEAL I kinda have my eye on.”

He mimicked her hold, then leaned back and grinned at her. “You mean a rodeo as Sally Jean would say?”

She watched him, giving him a slightly scandalized look. “Yeah, so gorgeous…I think his name is…Hollywood or is that Wicked?”

His grin faded, and he brought his head up, his tone all business. “What?”

Kia gave a little shrug. “Might be Scarecrow. Isn’t he the one with that dreamy Southern accent?” she responded dryly.

“It’s overrated.”

A wry smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “Or Golden Buzzcut…Blue is it…he can play doctor with me.”

Cowboy pinched her bottom and grinned. “Like hell he will. I’ve got something for you.”

She gave him a slow, lazy smile. “I think I’ve seen that. What else do you got?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You like it.” He leaned down and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “I’m afraid that’s all I got, darlin’.”

“Are you sure?” She ran her palm over his biceps. “How about you show me what this can do?”

He grinned, getting a charge out of how she’d caught him unawares again. “What? Flex?”

“Yeah, or I could go ask Hollywood to—” She let go of him and turned toward the door.

He reached out lightning quick and jerked her back against him. “I don’t think so. I’ve got you covered.” He tightened his arm and she sighed softly, molding her hand around the thickened swell. “I have another hard bulge you can check out. It might be familiar, but you know I always give you a bucking good time.”

She looked around as if people were listening in, whispering, “I still have the hotel room.”

“Do you now?” he whispered back.

“Yes. How about we go there and see what comes up between us? I’m pretty interested in this flexing.”

“What else?”

“That thing you do when you’re coming, that guttural noise. I’m pretty much addicted to that.” She nuzzled his neck. “I believe you also mentioned something about a spanking.” She bit him. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m wearing my lucky collar, the one with the spikes.”

“Christ,” he whispered. “You’re killing me.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” Her sassy, too confident tone amused him.

* * *

Later on they all went to dinner in the hotel. She got to know his teammates a little better. “So, what I want to know,” Kia said, “is what is this garden party you guys keep mentioning?”

Cowboy looked over at Kid and chuckled. Kid shook his head. “You tell it,” Cowboy said.

“All right.” He leaned back and smirked. Several of the guys laughed or had big smiles on their faces. “So, we were training with some British commandos and man we were tired. We were going to this terrorist training op out in the British countryside. Cowboy gets the intel about where we’re supposed assault—a staged terrorist cell.”

Hollywood chuckled. “Yeah, remember we were pretty tired, wasted from pub partying with those crazy bastards the night before.”

Kid laughed. “Yeah, that was wild.” He slapped Cowboy on the back. “Cowboy gets the address and we go there. When we get out of the truck, we’re looking around, and I’m thinking this is quite an upscale place for a terrorist cell. I was expecting some farmhouse. Anyway, we surround the place, and I keep hearing orchestra music, thinking we picked up some kind of radio station.”

The guys started to laugh. “LT gives us the go ahead, and we go in guns bristling—only to find all these women sitting at tables decked out with the works—candles, finger sandwiches, champagne and little cakes. We all stand there dumbfounded. LT growls, ‘What was that address again, Cowboy?’ Cowboy says, ‘I might have gotten something wrong there.’ Finally, this elderly lady stands up and walks over to Cowboy because he was the closest. She says, in this proper British accent, ‘Young man, I believe you and your commando friends don’t have an invitation and are a wee bit confused. This is a garden party not a war.’ Cowboy apologies profusely with ‘dang it’ and ‘ma’ams’ in that Texas twang which charmed the pants off most of the women there, including this amazing old girl. We all start smiling after Cowboy gives her this knee-melting grin. Then she pushes the muzzle of his sub automatic down. We really wanted this woman on our team.” The guys were really cracking up now. “Then she says, ‘But in this case, I think we can make a few exceptions for brave, albeit unruly Americans. How do you take your tea, gents?’”

Everyone burst out laughing at the table. “Anyway, we ended up sitting down and having tea and cake. I leaned over and said, ’This is a damn sight better than fighting a terrorist cell.’” Kid looked over at him. “Tell her what you said.”

“I said, ‘In the future, we’ll go in blasting, unless it’s a garden party.’”

* * *

If it hadn’t been for Sally Jean’s distraction ever since everyone left for DC, Tank would have run the hills with the coyotes, howling at the moon. First off, he hated being left out of any takedown and even more importantly, he was attached to Kia. Like a brother and sister. She reminded him so much of the sister he’d lost so young. He closed his eyes, the rage at his father for his hand in her death never subsided. He grew up as a primal, basic beast, running the streets of the hood. Taking what he could when he could get it and hating every minute of his life. But the primal basics had kept him alive. He survived survival.

“Thanks for the lessons,” he said.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of being scared of a horse, especially if you’ve never seen one.”

He nodded. She stepped closer to him. The fire had been built up and they had eaten a great meal. “Look, I really want to fuck you. You interested in that? I bet you have a huge cock. I mean, look at you.” She grabbed the waistband of his black motorcycle pants, but before she could run her hand over him, he grabbed her wrist.

“I’d say you’re one hell of a straight shooter.” He instantly recognized that look in a woman’s eyes and often it was in his direction. He wasn’t a slab of meat, he was a man and his appetites went to being as earthy as he looked. If he wasn’t in the SEALs, he’d be pierced in other places, but his dick was somewhere that was private and didn’t show.

“You have a girlfriend, you say the word, but I’ve learned in life that if you don’t go for what you want, you don’t get it.”

“That’s a true statement.” He thought immediately of Becca, but they had a mutual agreement that what they had was casual. No exclusivity meant he could take Sally Jean up on her offer. He dragged her against him until her curvy, round hips were all up in his grill. “I have no attachments, but my dick is pierced. Some don’t like that. If you don’t, it’s cool.”

She breathed softly and looked down the length of his body. “Oh, man. Adds to the fantasy.”

“How do you like to be fucked?”

Her quick breathing made those soft, full breasts jiggle. “Every which way but loose, rodeo.”

He let her go. She pulled the T-shirt from his pants, and he bent slightly so she could get it off him. “God, the size of you makes me crazy.” Moving closer to him, she slid her hand around to the nape of his neck and brought his mouth down to hers. She was a full out, devouring kisser, her mouth soft.

As her mouth continued to arouse him, she pawed his chest, molding his muscles, skimming his ripped abs until she reached the button of his pants.

He caught her wrists to stop her, and a sound of protest rumbled from her throat. He lifted his head and gave her a slow sinful smile. “Give me a sec, sweetie. I’ve got a loaded weapon on me and we wouldn’t want it to accidently discharge, now would we?” he teased.

She made a soft sound and, giving him a moment to remove the holster and the gun he kept concealed in the waistband of his pants, he placed it safely on the coffee table.

Before she could go back to his pants, he grabbed her by the back of the neck, twining his fingers gently in her hair. Pulling it back, he raked her throat with his teeth. “Take your clothes off and make it slow. Then, I want to watch you get off.”

She went to comply as he pushed her back and onto the couch, tightening his hand in her hair just enough for a bad girl to like it. “If you make it good for me, I’ll fuck you with my mouth.”

She released a hard breath, and she did make it good, then he lost his restraint and spread her out on the table and took her from behind hard, fast and deep.

Sally Jean didn’t stay, and he was okay with that. She was only into the physical aspect of being with a man. Whatever was up with her was none of his business and something he didn’t want to know. He suspected she didn’t have sex with a man twice.

When he went to bed, glad for the reprieve on worrying about Kia, his mind drifted to her and her relationship with Cowboy. Boy, those two were meant for each other if he’d ever been the judge of that, and he wasn’t some yenta matchmaker Cowboy had, with a smirk, named him. But when he watched them, something hollow filled his gut. It had only begun lately after Ruckus found Dana and Kid had married his feisty Paige. It was a strange restlessness. He couldn’t figure out what was picking at him, except that he had this itch that wouldn’t go away no matter how many women he slept with. His gut tightened with a feeling that made him want to bust something. He clenched his jaw and rose stark naked. He stood at the window, moonlight limning his body in light and shadow and looked out at the wide-open spaces.

With a sharp, “Fuck,” under his breath, he reached for a pair of shorts, let Echo out of his kennel and padded to the front door. There he donned his sneakers and went out into the night. He didn’t howl at the moon, but he came damn near close.

* * *

“Kia!” Tank’s shout was full of joy as he came barreling out of the house when Wes and she pulled up. The rest of his team—what a delicious band of brothers—had all flown back to San Diego. She absolutely relished the dinner they’d had together, really bonded with Paige which was weird. But she couldn’t fault the woman for doing her job. They were all so very unique. Kid was so out there, such a hoot, Blue quiet and contemplative, but oh, boy did he know a lot about everything. Hollywood was a terrible, irresistible, drop-dead gorgeous flirt. Scarecrow was wry and intense. She couldn’t quite read Wicked; he was guarded as if he wore armor all the time, and she had to wonder if he’d been fostered as a child. Ruckus was quite intriguing and she suspected his fiancée, Dana, had to be one hell of a woman. He was complex, commanded by just sitting there, one of the most intense men she’d ever met. She suspected he would tire her out. She absolutely adored Kid and his story about the “Garden Party Job” had been hilarious.

She returned Tank’s hard hug. “You about gave me a heart attack.” She poked him in that wide, hard chest of his.

“You’re much too fit for a heart attack. But thanks for caring.”

He cleared his throat and gave Wes a sidelong glance. “Sally Jean taught me how to ride.”

“Oh, yeah? A horse?”

Wes laughed, and Tank smirked.

“Yes, ma’am, a horse.”

Kia’s brows rose, she knew all about Sally Jean and rodeos. “What else did she teach you?”

His jaw flexed and he looked away. “Plenty. She’s a powerhouse.”

That hussy, but Kia couldn’t really blame her. Tank might be contrary and liked things his way, but he was a very nice man…at least to her. She suspected she was an exception.

“You coming?” Wes called.

“In a minute. I want to say hi to my guys. I understand they’ve been a bit off their feed.”

She headed toward the barn. As Tank and Wes disappeared into the house, Kia turned toward the sound of a car. It was that damned Lincoln.

She went over to Red as he rolled down his window. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“You’re always busy. Have you made any progress?”

She had finally had enough of this charade, something in her snapped. “Yes, I have made progress,” she ground out and it was all about her being strong enough to tell this huge jerk off. “I own Sweetwater. I bought it out from under your father ten years ago. You will never bulldoze over history or Wes’s legacy ever, not as long as I live.”

“You fucking bitch. You played me.” He went to get out of the car and she slammed the door back.

“You deserved it.” She bent down channeling Wes’s tough look. “Don’t come back here. This matter is closed and over with.” Until she brought his father up on charges.

His face mottled with rage, he hissed. “This isn’t over you fucking freak!”

She watched him drive away with deep satisfaction.

Later, after she’d visited the horses, she unpacked. She looked over at Wes who was quiet. “I could use a nice, hot shower. Care to join me?”

This had all started the night he’d been so tender and kind to her when she’d been traumatized in that alley. Now the mark Lambert had put on her was barely visible.

The shower spray was so pleasant as it massaged her tired body. She was so relieved to have all that “dead woman walking” threat against her life behind her. But she was far from off the hook.

She should tell Wes, but she hesitated again because of the missing evidence. An irrational fear climbed up her chest. “Kia?” Wes said, tipping up her chin. “I think we need to talk about me leaving.”

Her stomach dropped, and she buried her face in his slick skin. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I know. But I have to mend some fences with my mom and visit with them before I head back. My time here is almost up. Have you had a chance to find out who owns Sweetwater?”

This was her chance to tell him everything. But she couldn’t get the words past her thick throat.

“I’m still investigating.”

“I can stay one more night.” He rubbed her back. “Do you want…something more out of this?”

She raised her head and cupped his face. “Yes, I do.”

He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “So do I, but we both know that the distance is going to be an issue.”

“We can figure it out. Can’t we?”

“I don’t know, Kia. I’m gone so much and I feel disjointed right now. Reconnecting to my roots has been a rollercoaster ride.”

“I understand. We’ll take some time to think about it. Okay?”

He nodded and pulled her close, but now the water didn’t help at all.