Shae didn’t realize how scared she been for Tristan until she saw him hop out of that black van. She took back everything she’d ever thought about black vans. She immediately jumped out of Hunter’s car and ran straight into his arms. He let out a little huff of surprise and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. She enjoyed the comforting feel of being held in his arms and tried not to read too much into it. “Are you okay? What happened? Where’s my dad?”

“Umm.... Fine, shooting, he took off the second we were clear. I have a feeling he did not enjoy his time with me.”

“He’s safe?”

Tristan shrugged. “He didn’t have a mark on him when he left me, but that doesn’t mean Damask isn’t going to give him any trouble. I offered to let him stay with us, but he decided he could take care of himself.”

Shae had her doubts about that. Manuel had always been king of his world, but this wasn’t his world. He was ruthless and cutthroat, but this was over his head. However, she also knew he was a determined and prideful man. If he didn’t want to accept help, she couldn’t force him. She would just have to hope he’d be okay, and focus on the bigger issues. “Tristan, I think I understand now. I think I know what Damask is looking for at the house.”

Tristan opened his mouth to say something, but everyone else started to file out of the van. Toni rubbed her neck, as if she’d been sitting still for too long, and Shae didn’t miss the small drops of blood on Gage’s shirt. “Oh my gosh, are you—”

“It’s not mine,” he said quickly.

“Hunter said something about umm, you guys doing some, umm, banking tonight?” There was no one around, but Shae didn’t want to say anything stupid out loud.

They’d pulled into a rundown-looking motel. Shae also noticed that they’d all backed in. As though they were trying to keep their license plates hidden if someone did a casual drive-by.

Toni nodded. “That was the plan, but right now it’s too late, and I think we can all use a shower. We’ll regroup, wait for Melissa to catch up and head to the bank tomorrow.”

“They won’t think it’s weird if we rent out like six different rooms?”

Toni gave her a “aww, honey” look.

“We’re getting three rooms,” said Scott. “Toni and I, Hunter and Gage, and then you and Tristan.”

She thought it was odd that she was the pick for Tristan, but she supposed she’d already been sleeping in his room. And to be honest, she hadn’t complained about it all that much.

“I’m getting all the rooms and paying cash so they don’t ask too many questions. That way, the clerk will only see my face. I think we’re far enough away that no one will be looking too closely for us. We’ll head to the bank first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll plan on reaching St. Pete around ten, and that will be a slow part of the day for the bank. Does that sound good?”

Everyone nodded and hung back for a few minutes while Scott handled the rooms. Tristan gave her a rundown of what happened at the house. The entire thing sounded utterly terrifying. It was odd how he talked about it as a normal, everyday occurrence. When she considered how many men they were up against, and how unscathed everyone was, she was shocked and impressed. Gage looked as if he had a bruise forming on the side of his face, but no bullet holes, no broken bones, no hospital trips.... She always assumed they were good at what they did, but she didn’t really understand the full extent of it until now.

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As soon as she and Tristan were in the motel room, he dropped all the bags on one of the double beds and turned to look at her. “All right. What do you think Damask is after?”

Shae took a deep breath and suddenly felt self-conscious. What if she was wrong? What if she made Tristan go back to the house for nothing? “I’m not sure. It’s really just a theory.”

“Okay, I like theories. Please share.”

“Well, he obviously wants something. The land isn’t valuable, so it has to be something, like, tangible, you know? If he really just wanted the property away from me, he would’ve burned it down, right? So he has to want something where he can’t burn the house down. So something inside that’s nonflammable.”

“Nonflammable?”

She rubbed her forehead in frustration. “You must think I’m crazy.”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I’m just trying to think of what he could be hiding that would be so important to him. He’s been going hard.”

“I know! It has to be something inside the house, right? If it was just buried in the sand, he could send any of his goons when I’m not home. Which begs the same question. Why didn’t he send someone to get it from the house when I wasn’t home?”

“It has to be evidence.”

“What?”

“What else would drive a guy as wealthy and powerful as Damask to these lengths? If he were normal, I’d think it was something sentimental. But he’s not normal. Everything he does is for self-gain or self-preservation. He has enough money that I don’t think he’d be trying to rob you. It’s not like there’s a stash of hidden treasure there. The man has paid thousands of dollars for people to scare you and rob you. I bet you anything that if we get to it first, we can really fuck up his day.”

She was so elated that he not only believed her, but was totally running with her theory. “So we can go?”

“Of course not. First, he already tried to kill you in that house. Second, he’s probably scouring the state looking for you. You need to lay low. I can go. We’ll be in St. Pete tomorrow anyway.”

“It’s my house,” she pointed out. “If anyone is going to find something hidden there, it’s me.”

“So think. Have you seen anything out of place or questionable?”

“I don’t know. Nothing that I’ve looked at and thought ‘Oh, yeah. This is definitely why Damask is so interested in me.’ But if you let me go, I’ll help.”

Tristan shook his head. “I’m not comfortable with this.”

“I don’t need your permission to go to my own house,” she bit out.

“Maybe, but you do need a car. And, considering what happened the last time you were there, you know you shouldn’t go alone. Don’t be too stupid to live.”

Shae’s hands suddenly hurt, and she looked down to see that she’d balled them into fists. “I admit that it’s not the safest place to be, but I’m not going to be scared away from even going to the property. I might as well just hand it over if that’s the case.”

“We’re not handing anything over.”

“But he’s winning! He’s getting everything he wants. How long until he realizes I’m too scared to go back, then goes in and takes what he wants?”

“At least then you’ll be safe.”

“And then he’s going to win! I won’t do it. I’m not giving that son of a bitch anything he wants.”

“For the love of God, Shae. Can you please, just this once, be a coward for me? I love that you’re brave, I love how strong you are, but you’re gonna give me a heart attack.”

“Oh come on. What does it matter anyway? You’ll be done with this job in a week or so and will be gone. I’ll have to live with what I do or choose not to do for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t.”

“What? Say the truth?”

“Maybe I don’t want to think about you leaving. I want to bring down Damask with everything in me, but the second I do, you’re leaving.”

She scoffed. “I’m not leaving! I’m going to be here in the same house you found me in. You’re the one who’s going to be heading off with your merry band of criminals. We both knew this wasn’t serious.” The words sounded ridiculous as she said them. They both knew it wasn’t supposed to be serious. But this sure as hell didn’t feel casual.

“You’re right,” said Tristan unexpectedly. “This is just a fling.” He said the words simply, as if he were trying to convince himself. “One and done,” he added.

“One and done,” she agreed.

And then he was walking for the door and she found herself almost speechless. “Wait! Where are you going?”

“I think it’s best if I don’t sleep here. I don’t trust myself.”

Didn’t trust himself? What the hell did that mean? He didn’t trust himself to not fight with her? Or didn’t trust himself to not touch her?

But then he was gone and it was too late for her to ask.

She sat on the bed with the luggage on it and waited. He had to be coming back. He wouldn’t leave her here alone. Not with everything going on.

She had just lost her patience when there was a knock on the door. Shae leapt up and ran to answer it, only realizing at the last minute that people wanted her dead. She looked through the peephole and her heart fell when she saw Hunter outside.

Jerking the door open, she glared at Hunter.

“Whoa,” he said, obviously picking up on the hostility. “Just remember that if you hit me, Tristan won’t feel it.”

She didn’t laugh at the stupid joke. “Where is he?”

“Your boyfriend? He went out. He asked me to stay with you for a bit.”

“Went out? He can’t go out. We’re in crisis mode.”

“He apparently disagrees.”

She wanted to shake him until he understood. But she tried to find the words instead. “He isn’t just going out,” she said carefully. “He’s going to the house. We need to find him.”

“All right,” said Hunter. “I’m not going to say no. Let’s go talk to Hart and he can say no.”

After they woke everyone up, it only took Toni a few minutes to use Tristan’s current burner phone to track him. The phone he was notably not answering. “You’re right,” she said. “He’s heading to Seaside Escape.”

“To Seaside Escape?”

“What the hell is Seaside Escape?” asked Hunter.

“It’s my place.”

“You named your place?”

Shae shook her head. “It’s a beach thing. And it doesn’t even matter. I’m going back there and I’m going to kill him.”

“You can’t go,” pointed out Scott. “Tristan wouldn’t want you to go alone.”

Her eye roll could barely be contained. “He left me alone!”

“I agree,” said Gage. “It’s too dangerous for you to go.”

“But it’s not too dangerous for Tristan?”

“He’s a professional,” said Toni.

“He’s a professional who’s about to track sandy footprints all over my business! Fuck this. I’m not wasting time debating with you people. You promised me I’m not a prisoner, so either you take me to Seaside Escape or I’ll walk out this door and find a way there.”

There was a tense silence, and right before Shae had been about to walk right the hell out of there, Toni ordered Hunter to go with her and said they’d be soon behind once they arranged a few last-minute items.

Which led to her cursing Tristan’s very existence while Hunter had to listen in annoyance. “Son of a bitch,” said Shae for the hundredth time. “Son of a—”

“Please stop,” blurted Hunter as he made another reckless lane change.

“I’ll stop when the murderous rage goes away,” she muttered.

Hunter tightened his grip on the wheel. “We’re almost there.”

Maybe she should shut up for a bit. She had a feeling Hunter was as pissed off as she was. She couldn’t believe Tristan had left. He knew how important this was to her. How important Seaside Escape was. She thought back to what it felt like to run into his arms when she realized he’d survived the shootout at the mansion. That joy. Had that meant anything to him?

“I can’t believe he would do this to me. I can’t believe he would leave me. Fuck, Hunter, he said he loved me. How could he do this?”

Hunter looked over at her questioningly. “Tristan said that?”

“Well, no. He said he loved how brave I was. That I was a fighter or some shit.”

“That’s a little different than saying the big three.”

“I....” She couldn’t fight that logic. It was very different. But damn it, she loved him. She didn’t even know whether she’d realized it until he’d walked out. But somehow that undeniable connection between them had turned into so much more.

“Hey,” said Hunter in a comforting tone. “He didn’t leave you leave you. He’s trying to take care of you.”

Shae shook her head. “Don’t bother trying to defend your friend.”

“I’m not just saying it because he’s a friend. We both know he can be a dick when he wants to be. But I’ve left someone I love to keep them safe before.”

That had Shae’s attention. She turned to look at Hunter. “Was she mad?”

“Knowing her? I’d bet my life on it. But I never saw her again, so I never felt the wrath.”

“Wait. If you loved her, why didn’t you go back?”

“Long story.”

“Well, why don’t you go back now?”

“What’s different about now?”

“Now you have me telling you to go back.”

It was Hunter’s turn to scoff. “She doesn’t want to see me.”

“You said you loved her. Isn’t it worth a chance?”

“You’re talking a lot about love for someone who just met Tristan. Exactly how serious are you?”

Shae knew he was changing the subject, but it worked. She immediately shut up about his love life even as she pondered his question. How serious were she and Tristan? She kept trying to convince herself they were a phase. A really fucking hot and passionate phase.

But as Hunter turned onto the road leading to Seaside Escape, she knew for certain that if she ever lost Tristan, she’d lose herself as well.