TUESDAY. SAFE HOUSE, Las Colinas, Texas.

Riley turned the SUV off and glanced around the gated community. Their latest safe house was a bit too close to its neighbors for his taste, with no perimeter fence. He’d have preferred a hotel or something, but this was what Zain had lined up. He had to have his reasons.

Vaughn and Nolan climbed out, stretching after still more hours sitting in uncomfortable chairs at the hospital. At least now they knew the extent of Erin’s injuries. A fractured rib and deep tissue bruising wasn’t fun, but it was better than being broken. The pain she’d experienced was due to knots and tension, both of which would be helped by a healthy dose of muscle relaxers.

“Come on.” Nolan knocked on the roof. “They’re supposed to have BBQ for dinner.”

“Right behind you,” Riley said. He glanced in the rearview mirror.

Erin had yet to move. That haunted look was still on her face, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

Nolan glanced from Riley to Erin, then shook his head. Vaughn nodded at the house and Nolan followed the other man across the stone walk to the front door.

Riley got out and opened Erin’s door, bracing his hands on either side. She’d been closed off from him all day, and he didn’t like it.

“You still bothered about that guy? The one you saw at the airport?” he asked.

“He was looking straight at me.” She turned her head and stared at him.

“You’re a pretty woman. You were also clearly not doing well. Maybe he was concerned and didn’t know what to do? People see shit happening all the time and just stand there taking video instead of helping.” Riley didn’t like the way this unknown man had scared Erin, but he didn’t want to let on to his own concern.

She just kept staring at him.

“If he comes around, we know what he looks like. Come on, let’s get inside.” He nodded at the house.

Erin reached out her hand and he took it. The muscle relaxers must be kicking in. She held on a bit too tight, not that he minded. He enjoyed being the one she turned to. If he could figure out how to make her trust him more, he’d do it. With any luck, he’d get a chance to when he came to Miami. If he had to ask off from work, maybe it was worth it. At least until they knew where they stood with each other.

She got out of the SUV and glanced around.

“Is it just me, or does this part of Texas feel like the Middle East?”

“They share a longitude line with northern Africa and the Middle East, so it makes sense the climates would be similar.”

“Stop making sense.” She set her eyes on the house. “Anyone from NexGen call to see where we were?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

Riley and Erin walked hand in hand toward the sprawling ranch style home that would be their safe house for the next twelve hours. Given what they’d discovered while on the flight, he was glad they were postponing the visit to the NexGen offices till tomorrow. They needed to figure out what the hell they were going to do about the video Erin had found embedded in those sub-folders. With any luck, Zain had already cracked that nut, but Riley wasn’t going to hold his breath.

“Hungry?” Riley asked.

“I know I need to eat. Does that count?”

“Sure does.” He opened the door and ushered her into the house.

The smells of dinner had his stomach growling before he even got over the threshold.

“We didn’t leave you any,” Nolan called out.

Brenden wasn’t anywhere to be seen, probably because he’d taken first watch and therefore wanted to pass out on a horizontal surface for a bit.

Grant and Melody were in the living room adjacent to the kitchen and dining area. For once, they seemed to have found a companionable state of existence. They sat on opposite sides of the sectional, both with laptops. Erin’s equipment was on the ottoman with the screen lit up.

“What did you find out?” Erin crossed to the sectional and gripped the cushions.

Grant glanced at Riley. Grant, Melody and Brenden had left the hospital earlier in the hopes of doing some digging. Judging by that look they’d found something.

Erin reached out and waved her hand.

“I’m right here,” she said.

“He doesn’t know if it’s a good idea to tell you everything.” Riley didn’t need Grant to say the words. They’d worked together long enough that some things, Riley just knew.

“Not a good idea?” Erin frowned up at him.

“I’m guessing he’s figured out who the people are.” Riley kept staring at Grant, whose face didn’t change. “He probably even knows who the victims are.”

“Tell me.” Erin turned to glare at Grant.

“It’s not that simple.” Melody set her laptop down and twisted to face them. “Erin, you have to walk into NexGen tomorrow. We don’t know what NexGen’s role in all of this has been. Were they complicit? Were they customers? Are they innocent?”

“I don’t want to walk in there ignorant. Either I was set up, or I was pulled into this. I want answers. I want those people’s families to know what happened to them. I want Thomas and Mark to pay.”

“I get that.” Riley held up his hands. He wasn’t sure if Erin was about to throw a punch what with all that teeth grinding.

“So I’m doing nothing? Is that it?” Erin glared at Melody then Grant.

“You’re doing something.” Melody stood and took a few steps until her knees bumped against the cushions separating the two women. “All we want to do at this point is handle this correctly so that you are safe, and we do our job. It’s a delicate balance.”

“What are you doing, then?”

“Our home office has the link. They’ve made the identifications and will reach out tomorrow through the proper channels to report Mark and what we know.” Melody bit her lip.

Riley knew what she wasn’t saying.

They didn’t know if Mark’s company, his off the books arm, did jobs for the government or someone else. By doing the right thing and handling this through the correct channels, they could be inviting problems for Erin and themselves. Erin could become more of a target and Aegis Group could find themselves on the wrong side of some influential people. Not everyone cared about the costs to getting the job done.

“This is bullshit.” Erin turned and stalked down a hallway, leading away from the main part of the house.

“Erin...” Melody stared after her.

Riley grimaced and watched Erin duck into a room at random.

“I should talk to her,” Melody said.

“Let me?” Riley knew Erin better. He understood the guilt driving her to do something. Melody could never get that.

He strode down the hall to the closed door.

“Erin?” He tapped on the door. “You aren’t trying to run away again, are you?”

He tried the handle and found it was unlocked. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Erin sat on a padded bench at the foot of the queen-sized bed, bent forward with her face in her hands. He shut the door behind him and crossed the room to sit next to her. The shit she’d been through this last week was the kind of stuff no one should have to deal with, and yet she’d taken it all in stride. It spoke to the strength of her character and her resolve to see this through till the end. She was more concerned about others than her own safety. He admired that about her even if he would like nothing better than to lock her in a closet for her own good.

“I get that this is frustrating, but we’re trying to protect you and take care of Mark. It’s not simple,” he said.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Erin pushed her hand through her hair and sat up slowly.

“Then what are you mad about?”

“Everything?” She blew out a breath. “I should have gone through his stuff sooner. I should have found the link. I should have done something sooner.”

“You had no idea. You couldn’t have done two jobs at once, anyway.”

“It shouldn’t have stopped with him. Someone should have been told. We should have taken care of this.”

“What did you tell me? I can’t shoulder the blame for everything? Erin, you’re taking on too much responsibility. The way I remember it, when you found out about Mark’s team doing shady shit, you called them on it and got them fired.” In his book that was some pretty stand up stuff.

“I just did the right thing.”

“Not everyone does that. I bet when Allied got let go they had a lot of fires to put out and you weren’t on their radar but now that you are, it’s personal with them. Which is all the more reason to be ultra careful. We aren’t trying to hide this. We’re just trying to make sure the good guys stay alive.”

“I hate not knowing what’s going on.”

“You’ve got a bit of a control freak in there, don’t you?”

“You’re just now noticing?” She chuckled.

“I only know one way to rein in your control freak.” He reached over and tugged on a lock of her hair.

“Don’t.” One side of her mouth screwed up, betraying her words.

“We’re going to do the right thing. We’re all on the same side here.” He wound her hair around his finger, not pulling, but he could. “NexGen hired us to bring you home safe, and we’re committed to that. Even if that means protecting you from them. We don’t know if they’re involved yet. Okay?”

She nodded and leaned against his shoulder. He slid his arm around her waist, some of the tightness easing in his own chest.

“Any word from your brother?” she asked.

“Which one?”

“The one who was hurt? Matt?”

“I’m taking no news as good news right now. Casey did text me back. He’s got something tonight, but he’s going to try to meet up with us tomorrow afternoon.” If everything worked out that would mean he’d meet up with Casey once the protection detail job was over.

“Will I get to meet him?”

“Do you want to?”

“It might be useful to know a local cop.”

“He’s not exactly local, but if you’re going to be here even for a few days I’d like to know someone can look in on you every now and then.”

“Careful, I might start to think you care about what happens to me.” She poked his ribs.

“I care.” And that didn’t make him panic. It was new, weird and oddly appealing.

Erin lifted her head off his shoulder and peered up at him as though she didn’t quite believe him. He didn’t know how or why, but this was different. He cared about her. He felt things that made him want to run, but not as much as he wanted to stick with her. It was a change. One that didn’t leave him second guessing himself. It was like he looked at her and knew this was his destination.

“Yo.” Nolan knocked on the door. “You want to make a room service order?”

Riley grit his teeth and resisted the urge to tell Nolan to fuck off.

“You want to go out there?” Riley nodded at the door.

“Not really. If I do, I’m going to want to dig.” Erin pushed to her feet.

“Okay, then how about I make us both a plate and we eat in here.” He nodded at the TV. “We can find something to watch.”

“I guess.” Erin wore the weight of her stress on her shoulders. It had to be exhausting.

“I’ll be right back.” He stood and watched her pace away from him for a moment.

When she crashed, it was going to be hard. He wanted to be here for that. She shouldn’t be alone. His family might very well need him. How did he choose between them? Could he?

Maybe he could talk Casey into going in his stead. It wasn’t nice, but when it came to needing help at the homestead that responsibility usually fell to Riley. Yeah, it was time to cash in all those brother points from having stood up for Casey.

Riley left the room and Erin in peace.

Melody and Grant were back in their separate corners.

Vaughn was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t surprising. With their cameras busted at the Erbil site, he was probably rigging up something to work in a pinch for their surveillance. Riley was glad he didn’t have Vaughn’s job.

Nolan was in the kitchen tidying up after the meal.

“Decided to come out, huh?” He didn’t glance at Riley.

“Everyone’s got to eat.” He lifted the foil off the dishes and peered inside.

“I take it you’re keeping Erin to yourself?” Nolan dried his hands and turned to face Riley.

“Don’t.” He wasn’t in the mood for Nolan’s bullshit.

“I love this. She’s got you wrapped around her finger. It’s precious.”

“Fuck you.”

“So defensive. It’s cute, you know?”

“Your face is going to be cute when I punch it.”

“Oh, them are fighting words.” Nolan grinned and lifted his fists.

“You know, some day you’re going to be an asshole to the wrong person and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Riley hoped he was around to see it. He’d get a good kick out of seeing Nolan brought low.

“She’s got you whipped.” Nolan landed a glancing blow on Riley’s arm. It was more of a tap.

“Someone gave you coffee, didn’t they?”

“You’re whipped, and you like it.” Nolan danced around Riley.

“God, you’re worse than my brothers.” He loaded two plates down with food and forced himself to ignore Nolan.

“Bet your brothers aren’t pussy whipped.”

Riley bit his tongue to the point he could almost taste blood. Verbal sparring with Nolan would get him nowhere.

He picked up the plates and carried them back to the room where he’d left Erin. The door was cracked open, and she stood a few feet away, one brow arched.

“Pussy whipped? Really?”

“Nolan’s a dumbass.”

Erin shook her head and closed the door behind him.

“Spying on me?” He set the plates down on the dresser in lieu of a real table.

“Nolan’s loud, and sound carries in this house.”

“You think this is Nolan loud? Don’t let him have more coffee.” Riley shook his head.

“He gets worse?”

“You don’t want to know.” Riley pasted on a smile. Nolan’s antics were funny, but they hid some deeper issues. Riley didn’t know the half of it, and he didn’t need to. So long as they all reported for work and did their job, Nolan could hide his past behind all the smiles and jokes he wanted to.

“Hungry?” He gestured to the food.

“I guess.” Erin crossed to stand in front of him.

She didn’t seem terribly interested in food. He wished he could alleviate her fears or shoulder some of the worry that weighed her down. He wanted to do something for her. Be there for her in a more meaningful kind of way.

“Hey?” He stroked his hand down her back.

She glanced up at him.

“We’ve got this.” He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her in for a hug.

She leaned against him and sighed.

That sound, the way she let him hold her, they were special. Erin trusted him. She was giving him another chance. For that, he wanted to be better. For her. For what they could be together.

“Let’s eat so I can try to sleep. These things have me all drowsy.” She waved at her head.

Riley secretly hoped she would rest. To his knowledge, she’d barely dozed at the hotel and hadn’t slept at all on the plane.

If he thought she’d go for it, he’d pack her up and take her to his parent’s. There was nothing to do up there but sleep. Then again, knowing her she’d find some trouble to get into.

ERIN STOOD UNDER THE hot spray of water. She could still feel Riley’s hands on her, his mouth against hers.

This was becoming a habit.

What the hell was she going to do about Riley? About all of this?

Riley said his team was going to handle the mess she’d uncovered, but she was the one responsible for everything. Her relationship with him complicated everything. What Riley said ended with him. He didn’t speak for the others or Aegis Group. That wasn’t how these things worked. They were paid to do a job. That was their priority. If it came down to who to trust to do the right thing, she’d have to have faith in herself. People were dying, and she had the evidence to stop it. But at what cost? What if Mark killed her? What if something else happened?

She could always take a copy of the video and send it to the police. Except the murders didn’t happen in America. Someone at the Department of Defense, then? The last resort would be taking the video to the media. Exposing something like that would lead to more problems than solutions. The already tense situation in the Middle East would worsen. NexGen would no doubt get dragged into it. Angry families would want revenge.

She turned under the spray so it hit her back.

The muscle relaxers helped, but they made her head funny. Right now, she needed to think clearly, weigh her options.

The fastest way to ensuring her safety and that something was done about Mark Forest and Allied Security was to put the video in the hands of someone she trusted. Someone who could do something about it. If she did that, Mark and everyone else would have no reason to go after her. They’d have bigger problems to worry about.

She leaned against the shower wall and stared at the steam, the shapes billowing around her. She’d been introduced to NexGen by a commanding officer who had a cousin or something that worked for the company. What were the chances she could get a hold of him?

Lieutenant Colburn would know the right people. She’d worked with his unit a few times and he’d always impressed her. Plus, he was a local which meant she had options available to her right now.

Erin twisted the knobs, turning the shower off while her plan solidified.

Riley was going to be pissed.

She couldn’t make her decisions based on what his feelings were. She cared about him. They could be good together, but that didn’t change her responsibility to the truth. She had to do what was right even if that meant losing Riley. If he was the man she thought he was, he’d understand.

Erin dried off and pulled on a new change of yoga pants and a t-shirt. She appreciated the thoughtfulness behind having clothes, but she was sick of stretchy pants. With any luck, in a week, she’d be living in a bathing suit and shorts.

She tied her hair back in a braid and considered her next move. This would be where her actions went against the team. Was she willing to do this?

Or, a better question, was she willing to take the chance that nothing would change? She wasn’t, which meant her mind was made up.

She gathered her things and tip toed down the hall to her room. She crept into the room to the tune of Riley’s soft snores. She dumped the dirty clothes and snagged the canvas shoes she’d almost worn through.

Riley rolled over in his sleep, his arm flung out toward her.

She stared at his dark shape and her heart hurt.

Tomorrow she hoped he understood and could forgive her. She still wanted to give what they had a chance, but she’d never forgive herself if she sat back and did nothing.

Erin slipped on her shoes and left the room. There would be at least one other person awake if not two. With any luck they had yet to find a solution to the camera problem, which meant she could slip away easier.

She peered out onto the empty living room. The laptops and electronics were neatly stacked on the ottoman. Lights were on in the front room, kitchen and dining area, but not a soul stirred.

“Anyone awake?” Erin asked.

“In here.”

Brenden.

She swallowed and crossed the house to the front room.

Brenden was the team member she’d spoken with the least. He was quiet, in that brooding sort of way that made her want to give him a wide berth. He sat at the desk dominating the office area, a dismantled hand gun spread out on paper towels in front of him.

“Hey, everyone asleep?” she asked.

“Yup.” He barely glanced up at her.

“Do I need to ask about making personal calls?”

“No. There’s a landline or you could use my phone.”

“Landline is perfect, thanks.” She pushed off the wall, eager get a hold of someone.

“Melatonin,” Brenden said.

“I’m sorry?” Erin blinked at him.

“The sleeplessness. Take Melatonin. It helps.” He glanced up at her briefly.

“Thanks.”

Erin turned and did her best to not scamper away. She still wasn’t ready to confront her demons, like the inability to sleep. That was going to take time and soul searching she didn’t have the luxury of spending right now. She grabbed the laptop and took it to the dining table on the other side of the house putting a wall and the kitchen between her and Brenden. A quick boot up and internet search provided her with the contact information she needed.

It was late, and she’d probably need to make some apologies later. Neither stopped her from dialing. She pressed the phone to hear ear and glanced at the living room.

Brenden might still hear her.

The line rang.

She glanced around, looking for a hiding spot.

The pantry.

Another ring.

Small. Enclosed. Probably dark.

She gritted her teeth and ducked into it before her head could talk her out of it.

Another ring.

She wasn’t going to get an answer.

What did she say? What did she dare leave in a message?

“Hello?” a gravelly voice asked.

“Lieutenant Colonel Colborn?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Erin Lopez, I was a translator—”

“Erin?” His tone changed. His voice shook with a chuckle and she could hear the man’s smile.

“I, um, have something I need to talk about. It’s sensitive. I didn’t know who to go to about this.”

“What kind of sensitive are we talking about?” The good humor was wiped away.

“The sort of thing that could start a whole new kind of war.” She knew from firsthand experience how tired people were of fighting and death. If they learned about Allied Security’s black ops work, it could start something horrible.

“We need to have this conversation somewhere safe. Where are you?”

“I’m in Las Colinas. Texas? I’m not real sure.”

“I know where that is.”

Erin gave him the address off a card stuck to the fridge and the gate code written on the back. She didn’t volunteer the information about who she was with or her accommodations. If she couldn’t get away from the team, it wouldn’t matter.

She slung the laptop bag across her chest and spent a moment listening to the stillness of the house. She’d kept her voice down, but who knew what Brenden had heard? Not much if he hadn’t come to investigate.

Erin scrawled two notes on a pad of paper, one to the team and the other to Riley. His she folded. Her words were for him alone. Either he understood, or he wouldn’t. If it was the latter, this was the better way to end things. If she had to tell him goodbye in person, how she really felt would slip out. That done, she let herself out into the back yard through a glass sliding door, no one the wiser.

She skirted the house on the far side, away from the office where Brenden was set up.

The quiet street boasted several lights and trees. It was probably a nice place to live. But right now, it was her prison.

Erin walked as fast as she could toward the gated entrance, the skin between her shoulder blades prickling the whole way.

Any moment now, Riley was going to race out after her. He’d have some good point about how stupid her plan was. They’d fight, and she’d try to leave. Or maybe he understood, and he’d go with her, like he had in Erbil. Unless he’d learned his lesson following her lead.

Erin glanced over her shoulder at the gray brick house with the two black SUVs in front of it.

This was the right thing to do. Then why did her heart hurt leaving Riley behind?

She let herself out of the community by way of a side gate.

Colburn had indicated he’d be there in a short amount of time.

She stepped onto the grass, deep into the shadows of the trees and hedges framing the entrance to the development.

This was the right thing.

Erin wrapped her arms around herself despite the heat.

She had a bad feeling in her gut.

What was it Riley had said?

A gut feeling saved his life?

She glanced back toward the house. Was this really the best decision?

The grass rustled and the prickling between her shoulder blades intensified.

Her gut screamed run!

Erin straightened her spine. She would not be afraid of the dark and the make-believe shadows that haunted her.

She turned toward the sound, peering into the darkness.

A figure in the shadows moved.

Erin wasn’t alone.