Garrett refused to rehash their split in the middle of all this mess. It wasn’t the time or place. She couldn’t tolerate his job and he’d never stop what he loved. From day one, she knew exactly what he did and why. She should never have agreed to live together if she couldn’t handle it.

Right now, they had bigger problems. They were on the run and he had to find a safe place for her so Nagi never got his hands on her again.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his boss. Frank needed to let Greg Lambert know right away that he had Haley safely tucked away.

“Hamilton.”

“Garrett here. I have Haley.”

Frank sighed, relieved. “Thank God. Who had her?”

“It was El Hashem. She claims he’s close to death, no matter what happens.”

“Did you call it in?”

“Harrington and Grey are handling that.”

“Are El Hashem’s men after you?”

“They were.” Garrett looked at her. “You need to know that Haley says there was another man there. I think it’s Nagi, and if that’s the case we have a serious problem.”

“You’re right. They’ve been flashing his picture all over the television for the airport bombing. If he’s working with El Hashem, we can assume whatever they’re planning is going to be big. Nagi hasn’t had two nickels to rub together since we cut off his cash flow last year. So, El Hashem is fronting the money unless he has someone here financing the operation.”

“You think he and El Hashem hooked up to hit the airport?”

“That might have been El Hashem’s idea, but I can guarantee Nagi has ideas of his own. Something much bigger. Another 9/11 would be more to his liking.”

“I figured this was off from the beginning. Why blow up the Baltimore airport?”

“It’s a soft target,” Frank mused. “Not that busy with easy access.”

Garrett thought for a moment “And they didn’t even hit at the busiest time of day. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Could Baltimore have been a distraction? Did Haley see anything that might indicate they had other plans?”

Garrett put the phone down and turned into a strip mall. Putting the car in park, he turned to her. “While you were being held, did you see anything that looked like they might have another target?”

Her light-colored brows drew together. Her pretty blue eyes sparkled, distracting him. He’d forgotten how beautiful she was.

He forgot the healthy glow of her complexion, how her mouth looked so kissable. He ached with desire and hoped he didn’t end up making a fool of himself by begging her to take him back.

“I don’t know what I’d be looking for,” she shrugged. “The place they took me was some kind of empty garage, with a small apartment in the rear. It was dirty and cluttered with trash. There were seven men there and all were heavily armed. Nagi had a gun as well. I didn’t notice anything in the room where they had El Hashem resting.”

“No maps, no books, papers, nothing on one of the walls?”

She shook her head slowly, as if trying to remember. “I don’t think so.”

“Did you hear them say anything?”

“They all talked, but in their own language. I didn’t understand a word being said.”

“How about the way the men treated Nagi?”

“They appeared more loyal to El Hashem. I could see their concern when I tried to tend to him.”

Garrett glanced at her and asked, “So, Nagi wasn’t in control?”

“Well,” she tilted her head. “Not in the beginning. When I first got there, Nagi acted like El Hashem’s loyal follower. Yet when I explained that he probably wasn’t going to make it, his whole attitude changed. After what you told me, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one who shot El Hashem. I’ll bet he took me, knowing full well there was nothing I could do. I was a sacrificial lamb, there to operate on a mortally wounded man, and all so Nagi could legitimately take control.”

“And you noticed nothing...unusual?”

She shrugged. “You mean, other than being kidnapped?”

Garrett picked the phone up and pressed it to his ear. “She didn’t notice anything unusual.”

“I heard. She thinks Nagi might go ahead and kill El Hashem since he’s dying anyway.”

“Makes sense, Frank,” Garrett said. “They leave him behind and we might be able to get something out of him that would expose their future plans.”

“Let’s concentrate on Haley. What do you think? Where would she be safest?”

Only with me. But he couldn’t admit to that out loud. “Dallas, but we’re not getting there unless we drive. I’m sure Nagi’s men are watching the airport and bus stations. Before we do anything, we need to determine their intentions. If they have bigger plans, she might not be in danger at all.”

Frank paused. “I’m not comfortable letting her go back to her apartment or to the hospital. You and I both know it isn’t going to be that simple. Nagi won’t let an insult slide. He’ll come for her.”

“It’s getting late. We’ll check into a hotel, get something to eat, and some rest. I’ll have Harrington and Grey check out where they were keeping Haley and see if they can find evidence they’ve moved on to a bigger target, then we can reevaluate.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Frank hung up and Garrett turned to look at Haley. The frown on her face said it all. She’d never liked people making decisions for her. “You heard the conversation and I know you’re too smart to disagree.”

“I’m not disagreeing, but I’d like to have been part of the conversation.”

“Okay, what do you suggest?”

“Nothing, other than keeping me out of the hands of the crazy men who like to play with explosives.” She pointed a neatly manicured finger at him. “And I don’t want them coming after me.”

“That means we find a hotel, get dinner, and hole up until we hear from Harrington and Grey.”

“I agree, but I want my own room.”

Here we go. “No. Not going to happen. If there is any chance they’re following us, I won’t risk them showing up in the middle of the night.”

“Can we have separate beds or connecting rooms?

“I’ll figure out something that’s comfortable for both of us.”

“Yes, please. Do that. God forbid we should be uncomfortable.” Sarcasm dripped from her words.

Jim Douglas unlocked the back door of his shop and shooting range, Lock and Load, then dropped the key back to his pocket. He grew more nervous by the minute. He and El Hashem had agreed to meet today. The money would change hands and then he’d take possession of the product. If something didn’t happen soon, Jim would be forced to clear out his weapons vault.

If the feds paid him a visit now, he’d be up shit’s creek. It was two hours later when customers started showing up. Jim put on a smile and worked the counter.

A man and woman in their mid-thirties approached. The man had a beer gut that stretched his sweatshirt and the woman wore her long hair down with a fat roll for bangs. Poor thing looked like she’d never seen the inside of a beauty salon.

They both had their weapons secured in cases and the guy proudly flipped out his concealed carry permit. “We came for some target practice. Need to teach the little lady here how to handle a weapon. She’s never been to a gun range before.”

She giggled like a six-year-old. “I never even shot a gun.”

Her husband leaned heavily on the counter and winked. “She’s a virgin.”

Jim kept his fake smile in place. “I’m sure she’ll love it. Surprisingly, more women like to shoot than men.”

The man didn’t seem to like the comparison. “That’s because half of them want to be men. Damn butches.”

Jim didn’t let his smile slip. The idiot hotshot didn’t impress him, and he seriously doubted ‘the little woman’ was either. A lot of women lived alone and only wanted to protect themselves. They weren’t out there playing Wild, Wild West.

“Do you need any ammunition?”

The man shook his head.

Jim pulled out two target sheets and laid them on the counter. “That’ll be twenty-five dollars for an hour each.”

The guy reached in his back pocket for his wallet. Both gun cases were on the counter. Jim opened them and inspected both the weapons and ammunition. They each signed the standard waiver and Jim rung them up on the cash register. The couple snatched up their target sheets and quickly headed back to the shooting lanes.

Most of his customers couldn’t wait to start firing their toys.

“You’ve been assigned lanes ten and eleven,” he called out. “Be sure to use the safety glasses and the noise canceling headphones.”

They didn’t say anything as they disappeared behind the thick door. Jim knew enough about his clientele to surmise that neither one would use any of the safety equipment. The guy wanted to show off, and the woman wanted to satisfy her curiosity about big bad guns.

Poor bastards.

Two hours later, Hiram walked in. Tall, lanky, and skinny as a beanpole, he worked part-time after school. Jim only paid minimum wage, but Hiram liked being around guns. Jim often worried that, when he had other business to attend to, Hiram got into his stash and played gunslinger with himself in the mirror in the corner.

Jim didn’t really care, as long as the kid stayed out of the back room. If he caught wind that Jim had hundreds of military grade weapons in there, he’d never be able to keep his mouth shut. That’s the reason for the combination lock. He just hoped it didn’t entice Hiram to try to figure it out.

“How’s it going, man. I’m sorry I’m a little late. My mom had to pick up my younger brother from school.”

“That’s okay, it’s been pretty slow.” He pointed toward the shooting range. “There are six active lanes right now, but business will pick up later.”

Hiram walked toward the back. “You want me to do a walk through and make sure everyone is obeying the rules?”

Barely eighteen, he enjoyed nothing better than scolding adults. While always polite, he often tended to be a little too dictatorial. Hiram complained their customers usually ignored him and went about their business. He wasn’t a bad kid, so Jim ignored his grumbling.

Hiram didn’t get it. Jim just wanted their money. If people were determined to ignore range rules and blow out their eardrums or risk an eye injury, they could have at it. Hell, if county didn’t do regular inspection, Jim wouldn’t do squat.

Not wanting the hassle this evening, Jim shook his head. “Nah, let them be. Dust the shelves instead. Also, I’m stepping out for a few minutes. Watch the place.”

Hiram’s disappointment felt palatable, but Jim had other things to worry about. He needed to hear from El Hashem soon or he’d have to sell the hardware to the Russians. They were always eager to buy more weapons, but he’d have to take a cut in pay.

He left and went to a local bar. Two miles down the road and in an out of the way area, his pickup wouldn’t be spotted. Mindy Anderson came over to him immediately. They’d had a thing going on for a few months, but so far he hadn’t managed to get in her pants...yet. That’s the only reason he hung around.

“Hi there, Jim.” She mindlessly wiped down the spotless bar. “What can I get for you?”

Jim grinned and leaned closer. “How about a blow job?”

Mindy laughed and casually danced away. She’d learned her lesson well. Last time he came in, she flaunted her tits and he’d grabbed them and squeezed. After slapping at his hands, she giggled and remained out of his reach until he finally got fed up and left.

She snapped the towel at him, but he easily ducked.

“I ain’t giving you nothing. I told you, I’m not that kind of girl.”

Hell, Jim knew every woman was that kind of girl, he just had to figure out what she wanted. And he would. The way those daisy dukes hugged her ass gave him a hard on just watching her strut up and down behind the bar. And that sweet little halter-top she wore didn’t hurt, either.

Haley grew uncomfortable as she and Garrett stood across the counter from the hotel clerk while checking in for the night. They’d managed to get a suite with two rooms on opposite sides of a sitting area. That way she could fight the urge to crawl in bed with him while he slept. The thought sent sensual vibrations through her body. Garrett Mann excelled at making love and was a master between the sheets.

What a strange time for the most intimate moments of their relationship to flood her mind. She wondered exactly how red her face had turned. They’d been so in love they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. How she adored him for that.

Key cards in hand, he turned to her and handed her one. “I know we’ll be together at all times, but you’ll need this if you step out for ice or something.”

They walked toward the elevators, conspicuously carrying no luggage. She stopped and looked down at her blue scrubs. “I have nothing else to wear.” She glanced up at him. “I don’t even a toothbrush.”

“We can pick up anything we need. I saw a little store beside the front desk. It has the essentials.”

She grabbed the seams of her pants and tugged at the legs. “What about some clean clothes? I worked in these all night.”

He looked at her and his lips curled into a polite smile. “We’ll deal with that later. Once I’ve heard back from Falcon and we have a plan to get you somewhere safe, then we’ll worry about buying some new clothes.”

They stopped at the elevator and he pressed the button, carefully eyeing everyone around them. Worry lines marked his face and she instinctively knew he wanted to make sure he didn’t screw up at a time like this. He punched the number four, then they moved to the back of the elevator.

When they reached their floor, he nudged her gently and they stepped off and turned left. Their rooms were the last at the end of a very long hall. He looked down the opposite way before heading in that direction.

Once there, he slid the card in and the door unlocked with a soft click. He shoved it open, stood aside, and allowed her to go first. She entered, then stopped two feet inside the room.

“Not too bad,” he said, trying to sound light hearted. “Believe me, I’ve slept in a lot worse.”

“It’s okay. Small, but I’m sure we’ll manage to stay out of each other’s way.”

She secretly wanted to laugh at the irony. Her Dallas apartment hadn’t been much bigger. She’d decorated it to make it more stylish and cozy, but its size was admittedly laughable. He’d wanted them to move into something larger but she’d

been adamant about keeping her own space.

A couch, matching chair, a leather recliner, and a large desk occupied the living area. A TV hung on the wall, and a small refrigerator with a table and two chairs sat in the far corner.

She went into the bedroom on the right and found only a bed, two nightstands, a TV, and a bathroom.

He stood next her, gazing into the room as if afraid to budge. “I assume the other bedroom is identical.”

They walked silently across the living room and checked out the other bedroom. He was right. They matched perfectly. She certainly didn’t notice any difference. He looked at her. “Which one do you want?

“I’ll take this one, if it’s okay with you.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve had worse.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “How much worse?”

He stilled, then seemed to stare right through her before shaking his head and walking away. “You don’t really want to know.”

“Maybe I do.”

He let out a weary breath. “I always managed.”

“You never talked about your assignments. Where you went, what you did.”

“I can’t tell you now, either. I go where they send me and do what I’m told.”

She pushed away from the door and came closer. “Garrett, did you ever cross the line? Do something illegal, anything that could get you called before congress or the FBI, or maybe arrested?”

He shook his head and she knew he wanted her to drop the whole subject. “You forget I work for a man who is accountable to the President and the DOD. They’re the good guys,” he answered softly.

“Those people are human, and in the state of politics today, I’m not sure I trust anyone.”

“President Davis is a great man.”

“Still, I always worried about you being gone.”

“You should’ve never let it get to you like that. It’s nothing more than a job. I was a Navy SEAL for eight years. I know how to handle myself.”

She lowered her gaze and realized he’d shielded her from all the horrors of what he did. She knew him well enough to know that he’d do whatever it took to get the job done. If his actions were ever questionable, they’d never end up in a report.

“You’re flesh and blood, Garrett. A bullet doesn’t have eyes. It kills indiscriminately.”

“I try to avoid those situations and just keep doing my job.”

“I know for a fact you put your life on the line whenever you leave for a mission.”

He chuckled. “Who told you that?”

“Frank Hamilton.”

His head shot up, and he sent her a questioning glare. “What does he have to do with this?” His discomfort showed in the somber expression on his face. “I can’t imagine why he’d confide something like that to you. He’s not one to talk.”

She stepped closer. “I told him I loved you and wanted us to get married. I wanted to know how high the odds were that I’d be a widow in five years.”

“Why did you ask him that, Haley? That’s a question you should have asked me, not Frank. We might have been able to work it out.”

“I didn’t ask you because I didn’t want you to lie to me, like you are now.”