“Lacey? Lacey, are you there?” Shane shouted into the phone.

What the hell was happening?

“Mr. Basu...”

Lacey’s whisper was barely audible, but it was there.

Holy fucking shit.

Where were the agents? The security detail? Where the hell was Travis?

“What the hell are you bellowing about?” Isaac pushed the SUV door open and peered out at Shane over his sunglasses.

“Varun Basu just raided the FBI safe house, took Lacey, and he might have killed everyone else.” Blood pumped so hard in Shane’s veins his head hurt. Lacey was in danger, she needed him now, but there was a process for a reason. He couldn’t run off, half cocked, because that was how they lost more lives.

“What?” Kyle leaned back from the front passenger seat.

Shane braced his hand on the door and took a deep breath.

“We have to go,” he said, enunciating each word carefully.

“Isaac, take the wheel, I’m calling Travis.” Kyle began barking orders, ignoring one crucial aspect—this wasn’t even their vehicle. But they had the keys and the gear to do the job.

Shane traded spots with Isaac. As much as he wanted to put the pedal to the floor, he was in no shape to think clearly. They had Lacey. His Lacey. And they might have killed Travis and the rest.

“Adam, liaise with the FBI, let them know what the hell just happened.” Kyle had his phone pressed to his ear.

Isaac shifted into reverse and they shot backward, narrowly slipping through the barricades. He did a whiplash-inducing one-eighty and they were pointed out of the housing development in moments.

Felix handed their helmets forward from the back of the SUV, followed by their weapons.

“Travis—thank God.” Kyle jabbed at his phone screen. “Where are you? What happened? Shane heard Lacey say Varun Basu just attacked the house. Is that true?”

“I don’t know the identities of the men, but yes. The house was just hit hard. There are two downed agents, superficial wounds, and I am following the getaway vehicle. It’s just me and one of the guys on site they could spare. We are staying back, running without lights, to see where they go.”

“Good. What’s your location?” Kyle asked.

Shane rested his forehead against the back of the driver’s seat.

They had eyes on Lacey. They knew where she was.

God, he shouldn’t have left her.

“We are still on the move, headed south,” Travis said.

“Have you roped in the FBI? Adam’s talking to Susan now.” Kyle glanced back at Adam who was speaking in a quieter tone.

Adam gave them a thumbs up, whatever that was supposed to mean right now.

“Yes, I am driving and my partner here is talking with his CO. They’re stopping behind a...it looks like an old storefront.” There were some dings in the background and muttered voices. “We have a visual, I see Varun Basu—and there’s Lacey. We’re looking at four armed men with them, maybe more inside. I am moving to block their exit from the back, texting you the address now. We need to barricade the front of the location.”

“Got it.” Kyle tapped his screen. “We are three minutes out.”

Shane swallowed.

This was not the clear-cut, for-profit operation Marcos ran with his team. This...this was personal. Varun Basu wanted Lacey to cover his ass. There was no situation where leaving her alive served Varun’s purpose.

Marcos paced the back room. This was going to shit. If he could go back and do things differently he’d do it in a heartbeat. The moment he knew Lacey wouldn’t bring them any profit, he should have dumped her ass. Put her on the boat they picked the Basus off. Killed her. Blindfolded her and left her somewhere.

Instead he’d held out, hoping for a payday.

All he was getting was trouble.

He strode toward the front room.

Half his guys were gone. They’d split sometime that morning, while Marcos was trying to track down Varun.

Fucking pathetic, that’s what they were.

The six in the front room were all down on a knee, their heads together. Some had pennies, others had dimes and they were staring at them as though they could divine the future.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.

Their backs remained rigid and several found somewhere besides him to look at.

The former cop sat back on his heels.

“We’re taking a vote,” he said.

“Who said you got to vote?” Marcos crossed his arms over his chest.

He’d wondered if this would happen. The cowards had gone, now the smart ones would either follow orders because they trusted him, or they’d start making their own choices.

Marcos could feel how out of control things were. It wasn’t a subtle tug, either. He’d unwittingly gotten on a bucking bull and strapped on. There were no safety ejectors or cushioned landings.

Before one of the men could figure out an answer, Marcos’ cell phone rang, and it wasn’t the cops again.

“Speaking of cowards...” He pressed the answer button. “What?”

“Marcos, I know you’re pissed, but hear me out?”

“Why should I?”

“Because... Alex talked us into helping the client kidnap that girl again. We’re barricaded in some store. Things went sideways fast. Is there any way you could help us?”

“Help you? I’ve got the FBI breathing down my neck. You made your bed, now lie in it.”

Marcos hung up the phone and glared at the others.

“You want action?” He jabbed the last ignored contact on his phone and hit the speaker button.

“This is Agent—”

“Yeah, your place was just raided and one pain in the ass, Lacey Miles, was abducted by Alex Miller and Varun Basu, that son of a bitch you think wants his bawling baby boy back. You’d better get him into custody, because if I get my hands on him, he’s a dead fuck.”

Varun rubbed his chin to give his hands something to do.

He swallowed, but his mouth and throat were still dry.

“That wasn’t a friend’s house.” He managed to keep his voice from wavering as he stared Pedro down.

“I didn’t tell you it was a friend’s house. I just said she was at a house, man.” Pedro threw up his hands while his lookalike brother glared on. The sweat beading the man’s upper lip gave away his nervousness.

Varun turned his eyes on Lacey.

Her chest heaved, and in the dim light of the abandoned store her skin shone with sweat. She stank of fear.

“That was more than just a house,” Varun said.

It was supposed to be easy. Send the boys in to grab her, get out, bring her here, make her tell him who else had a copy of the video, kill her, and leave it to Pedro and Juan to handle the body.

This wasn’t supposed to be complicated.

Tires screeched out front.

Varun backpedaled from the windows while one of the hired men darted forward and peered out between the strips of brown paper taped to the windows.

“Plainclothes, tactical gear,” he said.

“I’ll check the back.” Alex jogged to the rear of the building.

“What the fuck do we do?” Varun demanded.

No one answered.

“I’ve got a vehicle back here cutting off the drive, but no unis yet,” Alex yelled.

No.

This could not be happening.

Varun was supposed to be able to sit back and let Marcos do his thing, but he’d failed. So Varun had stepped in. Pedro had promised him it would be fine, they’d handle it. But this woman was destroying everything.

Varun turned toward Lacey. She tried to take a step back, but the man holding her had a tight grip.

“Who are you working with?” he asked.

“No one. I don’t work with anyone,” she said in a rush.

“Then who are they?” He pointed at the headlights aimed through the windows.

“Uh...”

“I see patrol cars.” The man at the front of the house spat several curses.

“Who are they?” Varun took several steps toward her.

“The FBI.” Lacey cringed back, shrinking.

“The FBI?” He stopped, her words sinking in. “Do they...?”

“You could let me go?” Lacey suggested. “If you let me go, we could say this was all a misunderstanding.”

“I’m not stupid.” He sneered at her.

Alex jogged toward them, his expression grim.

“You said you had a plan.” Varun jabbed his finger at Pedro.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have all the information, now, did I?” He batted Varun’s hand away. “She did all of this, I’m just trying to clean it up.”

Varun turned toward Lacey.

It really was all her fault.

She thought she could take him down? The fuck she could. He hadn’t held onto what was his for this long to allow some woman to ruin his life.

His vision narrowed to Lacey’s face, the flex of her throat, the whites of her eyes.

He took a step, imagining his hands closed around her throat, choking the life from her. It would be a pleasure to end her.

Shane stared at the shop windows. With the headlights pointed at them and the sun dipping below the horizon, they could see figures inside, moving around.

“We have to get in there,” he said.

“Chill.” Kyle placed his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “You should sit this one out.”

“The hell I will.” Shane shrugged off Kyle’s hand.

“I don’t think that was a suggestion,” Isaac said without looking at Shane.

“Fuck you.” Shane glared at Isaac.

“I’ve got a visual,” Travis said through the headsets.

“Where?” Shane swung his head, searching for the other man.

“From the roof across the street. I can see two guys, but that’s it. Wait—there’s Lacey. She’s alive, unhurt.”

Shane wished those words could ease the fear cramping his stomach, but nothing short of having her back would.

Situations like these rarely went well.

The reason their team was so good at bringing people back was that kidnappers couldn’t get paid if the people were dead.

He doubted Varun Basu wanted money. This was about covering his ass. It was personal.

Didn’t the others see that?

This was a kidnapping with intent to murder. The longer Lacey was with them, the more danger she was in.

What they needed was leverage on Varun Basu, something he wanted more than Lacey’s life or his son’s money. What could that be? What could they bargain with?

“Guys,” Travis’ sharp tone sliced through the on-going conversation. “Guys—something is happening. I dunno what’s going on, but it isn’t good in there.”

“Shit.” Kyle turned, surveying the street. A meter maid and bicycle cop were there, but that was all their backup for the moment. “Suit up, get ready to go in if Travis makes the call.”

Shane wouldn’t hesitate.

Lacey tried to twist her arms out of the man’s grasp, but he had too tight a hold on her. She remembered him from Jamaica. He was particularly cruel, with a mean smile and a glint in his eyes that said he needed a short leash.

“This is all your fault.” Varun Basu was close enough now she could smell his lunch on his breath, the soap from his hands.

She cringed, shrinking in on herself.

Help was on the other side of that door, but there were an awful lot of guns and people on this side.

“You meddling bitch. I want to see you die.” Spittle flung from Varun’s lips as he spoke.

He lunged forward, his hands grasping at her shoulders. His nails scraped her skin. He got one hand around the back of her throat, his thumb pressing against her windpipe.

Lacey jerked, flinging her elbows.

Someone shouted from the rear of the building.

The hold on her went slack.

Varun got his other hand around her throat, squeezing so tight her vision momentarily faded, hazing in and out.

No one would help her.

Shane wasn’t there to protect her.

If she didn’t get away, she’d never be able to tell Shane that she loved him.

Lacey gasped for breath, clawing at Varun’s hands and wrists. He was too strong.

She kicked, but missed. Her foot went behind him and she tripped over his ankle, twisting them around. She kept turning, moving, striking out, but the lack of air made her sluggish. She needed something.

Lacey flung her hand out.

Her palm hit a smooth, glass surface.

The window?

She dug her nails into the material, ripping it with her fingers. The blood pounded in her veins so hard she couldn’t hear anything but the sound of herself choking to death.

The blackness wrapped around her and her limbs stopped obeying her orders.

This was it.

She hadn’t done enough.

Shane would never know.

“Go. Go now.”

Shane’s vision narrowed to the rip in the paper and the glimpse of Lacey stumbling to her knees, Varun Basu’ hands around her throat.

Adam charged forward, the borrowed ballistic shield in his hand.

“I’ve got men out the back door. I repeat, they’re fleeing out the back,” Travis said.

Shane sprinted after Adam, keeping close to the guy’s heels.

At the last moment, Adam sidestepped and Shane kicked the door. The top hinge busted free and the door tipped inward.

Shane kicked again, Adam hitting the wood a second after him.

The old shop door collapsed inward, part of the casing going with it.

Varun knelt with his knee on Lacey’s chest, hands around her throat.

Shane couldn’t shoot, not with Lacey so close. He took a running stride and swung his rifle like a bat, clocking the man in the head with the butt of his gun.

Adam turned, shield up, ready to lay down cover fire.

Kyle was right behind them, diving on top of Varun.

Shane went to his knees next to Lacey. All his training, all his knowhow fled from his mind.

Red and purple marks around Lacey’s throat were swelling, the damage to her throat already evident.

“Move,” Isaac snapped, shouldering him aside.

Felix went to her other side, feeling for a pulse as Isaac felt for breath.

“I’ve got a heartbeat,” Felix said.

“She’s alive,” Isaac agreed. “We need an ambulance.”

Just because Lacey was hanging on didn’t mean she was okay. If her throat was crushed, if there was internal damage...

He couldn’t think about that.

Shane took her hand, the rest of the room fading away.

“Easy, man. Be easy,” Felix said.

Shane knelt over her, watching the rise and fall of her chest, feeling her fingers curl around his. Her lip twitched and she grimaced.

“Don’t move, stay right there,” he said.

Lacey’s face creased and she frowned. One eye cracked open, then the other. She blinked up at him, her eyes dilated and not quite focused.

Sirens wailed in the background. People yelled. None of it was Shane’s concern.

“S-Shane?” Her chest heaved and she reached for him.

“I’m right here. Hey, you’re safe. Okay? Stay still—”

Lacey wrapped her arms around his neck and hoisted herself up, clinging to him.

“Give me that,” Kyle muttered, taking Shane’s firearms and freeing up his hands.

Shane sat down and Lacey crawled into his lap, right there in the dusty store with cops and FBI arriving on scene. She buried her face against his neck, her tears dampening his collar and her words muffled by all the noise.

“I’ve got you,” Shane said.

A few feet away, the first officers on scene had Varun in handcuffs, his face practically red with rage.

“Get his phone.” Shane pointed at Varun. “Call Marcos, tell him it’s over.”

If there was a chance they could end two situations with no deaths and everyone going home safe, it would be the best possible outcome.

Travis entered through the back, glancing around the room. He didn’t even bat an eyelash at Shane. Then again, given how he’d met his wife, Travis was the last person to utter a word about anyone and clients.

“We got the guys going out through the back. They sending someone for these guys?” He thumbed over his shoulder.

“Marcos?” Kyle glanced at Shane. “This is Kyle Martin with Aegis Group. I wanted to inform you Varun Basu is in custody. There won’t be a penny coming to you for this little stunt.”

Shane kissed the top of Lacey’s head.

It was over.

“I don’t know that I can do that.” Kyle caught Shane’s eye.

“What does he want?” Shane gripped Lacey a little tighter.

Kyle held the phone to his shoulder.

“He wants to talk to Lacey. Says if he can, he’ll let the hostages go.” Kyle grimaced.

“No.” The way Shane saw it, Marcos was out of cards to play.

“He just wants to talk to me?” Lacey sat up and swiped at her cheeks.

“You do not have to talk to him,” Kyle said.

“But it’d get Aanya and Dev out safe?” she asked.

“Maybe?”

“Give me the phone.” Lacey held out her hand.

“Put it on speaker,” Shane demanded.

Kyle tapped at the phone.

“Marcos, you are on speaker. Lacey is here,” he said.

“Lacey?”

“I’m here.” Her voice wavered a little, but otherwise it was strong. She was coming back to herself, if a little more battered and bruised than before.

“You are the toughest, most stubborn bitch I’ve had to deal with. If I didn’t want to kill you so bad, I might just try to hire you.” There were notes of respect in Marcos’ tone, but Shane didn’t doubt for one moment Marcos would try to kill her.

“Fuck off.” Shane jabbed the End Call button and wrapped his arms around Lacey.

It was over, and if it wasn’t, he was about to kidnap Lacey and steal her away somewhere so that at least for her, it was done.

Lacey’s eyes wouldn’t stop leaking. She wasn’t usually a crier, but for a moment when everything faded, she’d thought it was the end. All she could think about was that she’d royally fucked up her chance with this man.

There were things that came along that were once in a lifetime opportunities.

She’d never before hesitated to leap into one, until Shane.

Because he was quite possibly the best thing that’d ever happened to her.

His quiet support, the way he believed in her, accepted her for who she was, all of it, was something she’d never before experienced. And how did she treat him? She’d nearly thrown it all away.

The EMT fussed at her a bit more, but she had no intention of going to a hospital anytime soon.

Shane sat by her, holding her hand the whole time.

The FBI agents on scene weren’t done chewing out Kyle for their little rescue stunt. If Shane’s team hadn’t done what they did, if they hadn’t rushed in, she’d have been dead. Without a doubt.

“You sure you won’t go to the hospital with us?” the EMT asked for the tenth time.

“I’m sure.” She didn’t want a doctor poking and prodding at her after everything.

“She’ll see someone tomorrow,” Shane said.

She glared at the side of his head, because it was habit. Deep down, the part of her that was getting used to his must-be-in-control mannerisms got all warm and fuzzy.

Shane at least meant to hang around until tomorrow so he could twist her arm into seeing a doctor.

“All right. Fine. Go.” The EMT did not seem happy about their decision, but it wasn’t like he could force her to go with him.

Shane stepped out of the ambulance and helped her down.

Officers and agents were still walking the building, covering it from top to bottom.

“Come here.” Shane pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her.

She sniffled and buried her face against his chest, glad his Kevlar vest was gone for now.

“Hey, there’s no reason to cry. Aanya and Dev are on their way to her family’s hotel. Marcos and his guys are in custody. Everything’s fine.” Shane stroked her back, his soothing words not even touching the heart of the matter.

She opened her mouth, trying to form words, but they came out in a jumble. Her thoughts were so mixed she couldn’t pick a place to start.

“Lacey? Hey, take a breath. It’s okay.” He cupped her face in his hands.

But it wasn’t okay. Didn’t he get that?

She could have died.

This moment could have never happened.

She swiped at her face and took a deep breath, her abused throat protesting.

“What’s wrong?” Shane tugged her closer, still trying to fix things.

“I just—”

“Hey?” Isaac leaned around the rear of the vehicle.

Lacey glanced at Isaac, the moment getting away from her.

“Give us a minute,” Shane said in a hard tone that brokered no argument.

Isaac rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Lacey—”

“Shane, this is crazy.” Her voice broke. She laid her hands on his shoulders and closed her eyes. For once, she couldn’t say what needed saying looking at him. “I just—I made a mistake before when I said—whatever. I think I’m in love with you, and I could have died without really wrapping my head around that and...”

She hiccupped, her voice failing her, overwhelmed by the intensity of it—and Shane’s silence.

“Come on.”

“Shut the fuck up and go sit down, Isaac,” Shane said without taking his eyes off Lacey.

She had her eyes screwed shut, and her face looked as though she were in pain.

Wasn’t that how the song went?

Love hurts.

He’d been ready for that, prepared his head a little for the eventual swift end of things, but this? It blindsided him.

What did he say?

He’d counseled himself to keep his thoughts to himself, that any feelings he had toward her were unwanted and not reciprocated. Everything had been shaken up and turned on its head now.

Shane cupped Lacey’s face and swiped his thumbs over her cheeks.

Her skin was still damp from her earlier crying jag, which she’d hated. A strong woman like her didn’t take to being helpless well, and love had a way of removing all that carefully-crafted control. Ever since that moment he’d given in and kissed her he hadn’t truly been the one calling the shots.

“Lacey? Look at me, sweetheart?”

“Do I have to?”

“I’d like you to.”

She didn’t immediately open her eyes.

The stubborn ass was likely considering it just to irritate him, but her strong-willed nature was one thing he liked about her. She didn’t capitulate to his wishes because it was what he wanted, it had to be what they both desired.

Lacey cracked one eye open, then the other.

“I realized watching you flirt our way into the airport that I’d gone and fallen for you when you stuck your finger under my nose and told me to stop overreacting. I don’t think I’ve stopped falling yet.”

“Oh my God, that’s like, sappy perfect. Who are you?” She pinched his cheek and sniffled.

“Stop that.” He frowned, but she just pinched harder. “I take it back.”

“You can’t do take-backs. You don’t fall up.” She stared up at him, all the kidding aside. “I don’t think this is a phase. Usually I’d say, give it an hour, it’ll pass, but...I think I’ve changed.”

“I don’t want you to change. Ever. I fell in love with this stubborn woman just the way she is.”