Lacey wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

Ever since the horrible chat on the plane with Shane, he’d been a dark cloud, full of frowns, no words, and her constant shadow.

She sucked at relationships. Which was why she always went for the casual guys, like Isaac. Shane had commitment written all over him. She didn’t know how to be that person, and her attempt to talk about it head-on had blown up in her face.

Shane wasn’t a puppy. There was nothing cute and cuddly about him. He was good guy, and he deserved someone who would be gentle, loving, and stable. She was none of those things. Trying to be would hurt him and make her miserable. So why did she feel like the world’s biggest bitch for being honest?

She slid farther down in her seat, weariness wearing at her. Josh hadn’t answered the phone the last three times she’d called him, but Josh was prone to burying himself in work, a game, or whatever guy had caught his fancy. He knew she was coming. She just hoped he was home. She wouldn’t put it past Shane to haul her back to the swanky place they’d paused at to get the Jeep to drive here.

Shane took a right and Josh’s apartment building came into view. It was older, and most of Josh’s neighbors had lived there for decades. Whenever she’d asked Josh about why he stayed, he’d just point out he didn’t need to invest in sound-dampening panels. His neighbors were quiet, deaf and made him cookies on a regular basis.

“That’s the place.” She made herself smile, the false cheer ringing flat. “You can just drop me at the—wow. What do you think happened?”

A coroner van sat in the small cut in, blocking the entrance.

“I’ll walk you up,” Shane said.

They were the most words he’d said to her since the plane.

“You don’t have to.” Lacey wanted this torment to stop. The sooner they could say their stilted goodbyes, the sooner they could both move on.

Shane didn’t bother replying. He slid into a newly-vacated spot at the curb and killed the engine.

“Stay there.”

Lacey blinked at his backside.

Two whole sentences?

Maybe things weren’t as bad as she’d thought?

Shane circled the Jeep, glancing up and down the street, before he opened her door.

“Hey—can we talk real quick?” She turned toward him, hands clenched in her lap.

He stared at her through the reflective sunglasses, no acknowledgement of her question visible. Since he didn’t speak or move, she figured this was her moment.

“I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to you—and your team. But mostly you. I’m not the easiest person to deal with, and I can be...well, you’ve seen me. I’d really like for us to be okay, and I don’t know what to say or do to make that happen.”

“You’ve made yourself perfectly clear. There’s nothing else to talk about.” He gripped the door so tight his knuckles turned white.

“And I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“We’re both adults.” He lifted his shoulders.

“Shane—stop acting like you don’t care that we fucked.”

He glanced away, his frown lines deepening.

“Maybe I gave you the wrong idea. I don’t sleep around a lot, but I also don’t stay in one place very long. Relationships take a lot of effort, and...with the way I live, they don’t last long. I disappoint people. All I’m trying to say is that...this was special. But I can’t be anything else.”

“I got the message loud and clear.” The tight set of his jaw was indication enough that he wasn’t really hearing her. Maybe he never would.

“Okay.” Lacey slid out of the Jeep, defeat hanging on her shoulders.

This wasn’t the first time her impulsiveness had gotten her in trouble, but this time it mattered more. Shane wasn’t just anyone. He was special. Deserved better.

She led the way into the building through a side door, bypassing the coroner’s van. She’d seen enough horrors lately.

They rode up the elevator in silence.

Lacey knew that eventually she’d have to put down roots, but she hoped to squeeze in another five to ten years of nomadic living. It would take her that long to figure out where she wanted to be and what to do with herself. Living out of a backpack was easier and had fewer responsibilities. It wouldn’t last, though.

The elevator dinged and she stepped out onto the sixth floor, nearly walking into the yellow police tape.

Shane’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back.

Lacey stared in horror at the stretcher wheeling a black body bag out of the apartment.

She sucked down a deep breath and then another.

No...

“Is that his apartment?” Shane’s voice was a deep rumble against her back.

“Oh, my God.” She gulped down air, her eyes stinging.

A man wearing a blue windbreaker turned toward them, his gaze sympathetic.

“Did you know him?” the man asked her.

“Is that Josh?” She pressed her hand over her mouth.

“I believe so,” the man said.

“Are you with the coroner’s office?” Shane asked.

“When was the last time you spoke with him, ma’am?” The man turned toward them, ignoring Shane entirely.

“Uh, yesterday. Is he really dead? What happened?” She peered down the hall at the stretcher rolling away.

“We need to go,” Shane said. He pulled her back into the elevator.

“No—wait. Shane.”

He picked her up around the waist and carried her into the elevator, jabbing at the buttons. The moment her feet touched the ground, she stumbled back into the corner, hiccupping for breath. Shane held the Close Door button, staring out into the hall.

“Josh is... Is he really dead? Oh, my God.” Her knees went to jelly.

“Lacey?” Shane turned toward her, grasping her by the shoulders. “Hey, you have to stay with me.”

“W-who would do this? Are we sure that was Josh? Maybe...”

“Maybe, what?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes Josh brings guys home.”

“Guys?”

“Josh is gay.”

“I see.” The elevator dinged. Shane wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close to his side. “Come on.”

Lacey was too stunned to protest.

Shane ushered her out onto the sidewalk and back into the Jeep.

She’d just talked to Josh. They’d talked about watching the latest Shark Week. He’d had ideas about her next few destinations.

“He can’t be dead, can he?” She turned toward Shane, hoping he’d tell her this was all a nightmare.

“I can’t tell you that, Lacey.” Shane glanced up and down the street, then reached into the glove box and produced a handgun.

“What... You think you need that?” She glanced from the weapon to him.

“We just upset a mercenary’s business. You have video evidence of the mercenary in question. And the person you sent the video to just wound up dead the day we arrived. I don’t believe in coincidences. Buckle up.”

Lacy scrambled to fasten her seat belt.

Was Shane serious?

Could this be her fault?

Marcos powered on his phone while the plane taxied to the terminal. He had half a dozen texts and a handful of voicemails already—just from his client.

The one that worried him was an email from Tommy’s nanny, the woman Marcos had entrusted his son’s care to while he was away.

He tapped into the email, bracing himself for bad news.

Instead, a crayon drawing filled the screen. Two stick figures were throwing petals over what looked to be a railing. Some sort of festival?

Even the drawing was progress. Six months ago, Tommy hadn’t been able to hold a crayon, much less draw a whole picture. Now art was quickly becoming his favorite. The boy might never make a baseball team or be up for full-contact sports, but he was getting healthier and happier as the treatments progressed.

Marcos had to do everything in his power to keep them going.

The fasten seatbelt sign dinged.

He tucked those fatherly emotions down deep. His men would not tolerate weakness, and they didn’t know about Tommy. No one could. The boy was safer the less they communicated, the fewer ties they kept. Soon, this would all be over and they could go back to their quiet lives. But only if Marcos did the hard work.

He had to stop Lacey Miles from turning that video in to the authorities at whatever cost, and he needed to complete this job. If he didn’t, Tommy’s heath—and life—were at stake.

Marcos couldn’t put his client off much longer. He had to tell the guy something, but he was at a loss for what. He was supposed to keep the couple off American soil, tucked away, until someone coughed up the cash.

It’d been Alex that reminded Marcos Lacey was present during their in-person negotiations. If she had Marcos’ client on tape, that was a whole other world of problems he didn’t want to deal with.

Which meant he had to end this, sooner rather than later. Before they were exposed.

His phone began to ring. Thankfully, it wasn’t the client.

“Tell me you got something,” Marcos said by way of a greeting.

“She was just here, but not alone,” one of the Torres brothers said.

“What the fuck did I hire you for?” Marcos peered through the window, willing them to disembark already.

“I took care of the video and the geek, didn’t I? I’m watching her now. I’d have taken care of it earlier, but there were cops everywhere and she had some sort of bodyguard. You aren’t going to like where she’s at.”

“Send me the address and stay on her.”

Marcos’ phone beeped with an incoming call.

His client’s name flashed across the screen.

Shit.

He hung up with the Torres brother and muted the incoming call. There was a time and place for everything, and right now was not the time to talk to his client.

First, he’d see what the lay of the land was, then he’d figure out what to tell his client.

Shane stroked Lacey’s back, her whole body shuddering. He wished he could stop the tears, that he had the ability to take her pain and suffering away. But he didn’t, and even if he could she wouldn’t want him that way. She’d made that perfectly clear on the plane. All he was good for was protecting her body.

“I need to go talk to the team. Will you be okay?” He didn’t want to leave her, but the sooner he faced off with Kyle, the sooner they could coordinate with local law enforcement. This job was a whole lot bigger than simply bringing a couple hostages home safely. Regardless of what Shane wanted or felt, Lacey needed to be protected.

She nodded. No sarcastic come back or quip passing her lips. She was in shock, all the more reason he didn’t want to leave her.

Shane knelt next to the bed, peering up at her.

“I’m going to be right down the hall. Don’t open the door for anyone or for any reason, got it?”

“Do you have to leave?” she whispered. Fear didn’t suit her, though part of him wanted her to need him. Just not in this way.

“I need to talk to the team and make a plan. You don’t want to listen to us.” Besides, Shane was likely to get his ass chewed out. Their orders might have been to liberate any other hostages Marcos was holding, but this was taking extensive liberties.

Lacey stared at him, her lashes wet, brow furrowed.

“I’ll be right back.” He squeezed her hand.

“Okay.” She tried to smile, but it flickered and faded. “Thank you, Shane.”

He wanted to lift the fear and anguish from her, but the only way to do that was by getting justice. And that couldn’t happen until he came clean with Kyle.

If Shane didn’t get fired over this, he’d be shocked. After the accident with Cisco, Shane was surprised anyone would work with him. Lately, all he was good at was fucking shit up.

He closed the door behind him and prayed Lacey stayed put until he could get her situated in one of the inner rooms of the suite they’d rented for their clients. He didn’t want to leave Lacey. She was still shell-shocked. Next would come grief and then anger. Being alone would make it worse. But he needed to let the others know the gig wasn’t over.

He strode down the hall to the suite and rapped his knuckles on the door.

A moment later, it swung open, and Felix admitted him to the main living room. A two-man team would be on the door at all hours, leaving the other three to handle logistical issues and rest until their clients were safely at home.

Kyle glanced up from the dining table strewn with the equipment they’d managed to leave Jamaica with.

“What happened?” Kyle asked.

“Where are the clients?” Shane crossed to the table, keeping his voice low.

“Showering or eating. Why?”

“I think someone just had Lacey’s friend killed.” Saying the words was worse than thinking them.

Kyle’s shoulders jerked, and he sat upright, staring at Shane.

They didn’t believe in coincidences.

“What happened? From the beginning.” Kyle circled the table and picked up a tablet to jot down notes.

“We pulled up to the apartment building. A coroner’s van was outside. We took a side elevator up, just in time to see a body rolled out of her friend’s apartment. There was a guy there, black pants, navy jacket, dark-skinned—Hispanic or Indian maybe? He had a hat on and kept his face down—he started asking Lacey questions. No badge, no credentials. I got a bad feeling, so I hauled her out of there. I know she’s not a paying client and I know it’s my fault we’re involved in this, but—”

“The guy. Describe him,” Kyle said, ignoring Shane.

Shane closed his eyes and related every detail he could remember, down to the dark leather boots.

“Where’s Lacey now?” Isaac asked when Shane was done.

“Our room.” Shane swallowed. “I know she’s not a client, and she’s not our responsibility—”

“Our responsibility is to our clients, and it is in their best interest to have Lacey alive so she can be a material witness so they all see justice.” Kyle stared at Shane, his gaze hard. It was looks like that which inspired men to follow someone like him into the worst of it. “The boss started Aegis to give guys like us something to do when our time in uniform was up. We’re here to do a good job, to help people, and Lacey—just like our clients—needs us.”

Shane nodded, the knot in his throat easing.

“I know you’ve taken this gig pretty personally, after what happened with Cisco. We all make mistakes, Shane. Every one of us. And sometimes someone dies because of our fuck ups. But Cisco didn’t die. Hell, his wife might just thank you for it. You need to let it go and focus on right now. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay. Good.” Kyle straightened. “The police are sending a detective over to take statements. I suspect they will turn this over to the FBI, and we will be stuck here for a day or so. If you’re right and someone is after Lacey—and our clients—then we need to be extra vigilant.”

“I’ll coordinate with building security.” Shane had started to, but then Lacey had mentioned calling a cab.

“I’ve got this one. You should talk to Lacey, get what she remembers down before she forgets it or it blurs,” Isaac said.

“Let’s move her into this corner room, here.” Kyle gestured at a smaller room off the main suite. “We can shift the rest of us around.”

“Why bother?” Isaac smirked. “Shane’ll be in there with her.”

“I’ll get on the phone and see if we can’t get a protective detail on the building.” Kyle moved on, ignoring Isaac’s dig, but Shane didn’t.

He glared at Isaac. This was not the time to poke fun at Lacey. Besides, she’d made herself quite clear when it came to where they stood.

Lacey stared out of the window, arms wrapped around herself.

Josh was dead, and it was her fault.

It was all so surreal. Her life was a nightmare. Ever since that night in Negril, when everything went wrong. She tipped her chin up and stared into the sky. If she could go back and change things, she would. It was bad enough she’d had to live through his horror story, but now she’d brought it home.

If Josh was dead because of her, she might never forgive herself.

Lacey was so mired in her grief that the knock on the door barely registered.

“Lacey? Hey, Lacey.”

She turned in time to watch Aanya step through the door, her arms full of stuff.

Aanya laid what appeared to be a pile of clothing down on the queen bed and circled to her side.

“I just heard. How are you doing?” Aanya’s face creased and she clasped her hands in front of her.

“It doesn’t feel real, you know?” Lacey turned back to the window. “Isaac set me up to check the server where I uploaded the video and...it’s gone. All of it. Just—vanished? Deleted?”

She couldn’t wrap her head around why it would be worth it to someone to kill Josh—or her—over some video footage. Marcos must have realized what she’d done. But how?

“What happens next?” Lacey asked.

“Kyle said the FBI will be here tomorrow to talk to us. They don’t think it’s safe for any of us to go home yet. Where is home for you, Lacey?” Aanya sat on the edge of the bed. She’d showered and put on clean clothes, something Lacey should think about doing herself.

“I don’t have a home,” she said.

“No family, or...was...?”

“Josh was a friend. My family doesn’t really understand me.” Lacey turned from the window and dragged a hand through her hair.

“They don’t have to understand you to be worried about you.” Aanya tipped her head forward, the dark wave of black hair hanging over her shoulder. She was so elegant in an effortless way.

“You make me think of my sister. She’s absolutely perfect.” Lacey had lived her life in her sister’s shadow. Lacey had never been enough for anyone.

“I’m far from perfect.” Aanya shook her head. “Have you spoken to your family?”

“Not in a while, no. Kyle said someone from their offices would call them, let them know I was safe.” Lacey grimaced. She should call her parents, but not right now. She was too raw.

She sat next to Aanya, staring at the floor and her toes.

“What will you do next?” Aanya asked.

“I...don’t know. Josh and I were going to talk about where my next trip should be. He’d had some ideas to pitch at me. Now I’ll never know what they were.” Lacey swallowed the lump in her throat.

“I’m so sorry, Lacey.”

“Me, too.”

“You do...travel blogging?”

“Yeah. I go places most people won’t. Talk about it.” She shrugged. Most of the time when she talked about what she did, her feet got restless, and all she wanted was to hop the first plane out of town. This time, it took all her self-control to not dive into the bed. “If I can time it just right, sometimes I can double up, do a research trip and travel.”

“That’s an interesting way to live.”

“Interesting is a good word for it.”

Lacey wrapped her arms around herself. She wouldn’t have Josh to call anymore. They’d never been super friendly, but he would chat with her. They’d toss around ideas. And now he was gone. Josh was probably the only person who cared that she’d been missing, and even then, it was likely because she wasn’t able to pay him for work.

No one cared about her, but there were people who would mourn Josh’s death.

It should have been her.

“Do you need anything? Want anything?” Aanya turned toward her. “I brought you some clothes.”

“Thank you.” Lacey looked down at her knee-length cargo shorts and tank top. “I’ve been wearing this for over a month. I should probably burn these clothes.”

“Probably time for a change.” Aanya smiled. “Shane seemed very upset earlier about...everything.”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy.”

“You like him, don’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Lacey shrugged and looked away.

“I’m not an expert when it comes to relationships. My husband and I knew each other for six weeks before we decided to get married.”

“Six weeks?” Lacey stared. That sounded like both a lifetime and far too short a period to get to know someone.

“I know.” Aanya chuckled. “His family is very traditional, and did not like a short courtship at all, but we knew it was right for us.”

“I can’t imagine what that must be like.” Lacey shook her head.

“I couldn’t either, and then I met my husband.” Aanya’s smile widened. “I’m not trying to say Shane is your soul mate, just...some things are right for us.”

“I can’t wrap my head around spending the rest of my life with someone. Most people can only put up with me for a few days, maybe weeks.” Lacey shrugged.

“Love changes people. Maybe the person who fits you will want to travel? Maybe you’ll gravitate to a different kind of lifestyle? Who knows?”

Lacey stared at the wall, her vision going blurry.

She’d never seen herself as the settling down sort. Eventually, she’d need to find something else. Age would limit what she could do. Did she want to spend her remaining years alone?

Josh had been her one, constant tether to the normal world. Without him, she was lost.

It was crazy, but all she wanted right now was for Shane to come through those doors. She’d fling herself into his arms and hold on. She had no right to ask him to comfort her, and yet, he was the one person she wanted to see.

“I’m going to see what the dinner plans are. You should shower, then join us.”

Lacey didn’t respond, she just kept staring into space.

She wanted Shane. It wasn’t reasonable or rational, but there it was. His quiet strength had calmed her fears during the worst of this, and now he was gone. Because she’d told him that was what was best for both of them.

If only she could go back in time and take those words back, she would. It was selfish, which was why she knew it was wrong. As it was, she couldn’t ask Shane for anything.

It was time to put on her big girl panties and figure things out.

Someone had killed Josh, either because of her or for some other reason. The least Lacey could do was ask questions and offer up what she knew. Besides, if it was her fault, the reasons might be on her footage, and Aegis Group had a copy.