“What are you going to do, with your career, I mean?”

Tiffany had cut straight to the chase with the questions as soon as the men were roaring off on their mission. Lana laughed in surprise, not sure who would be in more dangerous territory, Hawk or her.

“I haven’t thought that far,” Lana said.

“You should. That team sort of gets into your blood, you know? One minute I’m this badass SIS agent, complaining that James Bond and I are not the same thing, the next I’m bumping pelvises with this sexy SEAL who can quote range qualifications. I swear it was a match made in heaven.”

Lana laughed at T’s ridiculous description, but she understood the sentiment. There must be something in the water because the minute she looked at Hawk, she wanted him. Over the past nearly two weeks, she’d realized she’d been waiting for a man like him to pop into her life. Maybe it was the situation surrounding their coming together. She’d heard it said that dangerous, life and death situations brought people together in ways they never would have otherwise. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she trusted Hawk with her life and her heart. Said organ quickened in her chest. And if she were pregnant? Well, then it would be fate, and she would have to see how long she’d be able to work before her pregnancy took her off the circuit. Afterward, if she were ready, maybe she could return and get her body into shape. But she had a feeling she’d be just fine staying home with a little version of Hawk.

“I went from thinking I’d be a model for a few more years to running from my stalker, right into the arms of a SEAL, who might have just knocked me up,” Lana told T.

“Ha! You, too?”

“Wait, what?”

Vixen smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve missed my period. I haven’t told Cry Baby yet. I wanted to make sure I was, but I hope I am.”

“What about your work with the CIA?”

T scoffed. “What about it? There are desk jobs available during my pregnancy, if needed. I don’t always have to be in the field. Besides, I don’t go into the field as much anymore. Once you get a bit of tenure under your belt, you’re a bit redundant. You have assets to do that for you.”

Lana laughed. “It’s that simple for you.”

“Love is like that,” T returned. “It doesn’t have to have a time stamp or rules. You feel what you feel and make no apologies for it. And that stalker might have tried to ruin the night you shared with Hawk, but I looked at those pictures. What he had was jealously, absolute anger and jealousy at the looks on your faces. I looked into your eyes and saw love. That’s what angered him.”

“What?”

“That’s what I saw. Between you and Hawk. If he’s the one you want, and you feel anything for him, hold on. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He’s out there risking his life for you, and it’s more than a job.”

Tiffany, of course, was right. Lana had been thinking all of those things since coming back to the ranch and Hawk disappearing for his last stand against her stalker. She wished she’d been able to see him before he left. She would have told him she loved him, and no matter what, they’d find a way to make things work between them. There was no way she’d allow a man like him out of her life after he’d stormed all her defenses. And the way he’d bared his soul to her the other night would be something she’d always remember.

“I’ve got a good one?”

T shrugged. “He’s not my Cry Baby, but he’s alright,” she teased.

“Why do they call a grown man Cry Baby?” Lana asked, her laughter bubbling.

But Tiffany twitched, her smile fading, and her skin went pale. “T?” Lana asked, worried.

“Hide,” T urged.

Lana got to her feet, but she was too afraid to leave her new friend. “What’s wrong, Tiffany?”

“Here. Hide.”

“Who’s here?”

T didn’t answer. She slumped forward on the couch, a dart protruding from her neck, the bright-blue feathers on the back too festive to be so sinister. Lana stumbled to her feet, but she didn’t want to leave Tiffany—the woman who, with the last of her strength, had tried to protect her. But Lana believed she knew exactly who had been cowardly enough to shoot T in the back and put her to sleep. If Lana left her alone, T may be harmed. Lana lowered the comatose woman to the couch and put a pillow underneath her head. With one last thought, she raced out the back of the house and into the open field. The tall grass should hide her, as best it could.

“Not so fast, bitch. I’m going to make sure he sees exactly what he tried to take.”

A fist curled into her hair, jerking her backward, her feet flying out from under her because of her forward momentum, and she slammed into the ground. Her heart skipped a beat. The voice, she knew the voice. Fire spread across her scalp where her hair was pulled, and she struggled against the uncompromising grip. But she couldn’t swallow. She’d never thought it could be him, that he’d want to hurt her. Lana’s mind went numb as she screamed for Hawk, for anyone, to hear her.

“He’s too far away. Always, always some other man, when I’ve always been standing right here.”

Lana’s stomach bottomed out. She knew what he’d promised to do, how he’d defile her before ending it for them both, but she’d fight her way to the end. She’d never let him have her the way that Hawk had. She forced her body to go limp, dead weight, and heard her attacker grunt.

“It won’t matter,” he threatened.

Maybe not, but she’d try. When Damien Mitchell, her manager, hunched over her to grip her under her arms, Lana threw her head back as hard as she could, just like Hawk had taught her. Ringing sounded, far off, like back in the house, but she wasn’t sure it was from the blow she’d administered. Hawk said it would hurt, and it brought tears to her eyes.

“You cunt.”

She jerked away as his hand went lax in her hair. Scrambling to her feet, her heart pounded. Lana knew he could shoot darts, but she also knew he’d probably brought some other type of weapon to kill them both at the end, most likely a gun. She needed to put space between them, fast. The dirt slid under her feet as she fought for purchase, and Damien groaned behind her. She didn’t look back as she raced into the house. Slamming and locking the back door, in case he followed her through, she went back to T’s side. She had to have a phone somewhere. T’s body rested on the couch, and Lana struggled to roll her over and search her pockets. After a few attempts, she found a smartphone in one pocket. On a whim, she searched for Cry Baby first and dialed the number.

“T, baby, I’m almost there. Why didn’t you pick up?” Cry Baby roared into the phone. The loud sound of a motor conflicted with his voice, but Lana had never been so happy in her life.

“He’s here, Cry Baby. It’s my manager, Damien. He shot T with some sort of dart. He’s outside the house, but—”

The phone went flying, and Lana screamed as the door exploded inward, a boom reverberating through her. A gunshot. He’d blasted the door open.

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Damien taunted.

Lana ignored the hot, helpless tears spilling down her throat and dragged T’s body to the floor next to her. As best she could, she pulled hard and headed toward the cupboard under the stairs. It wouldn’t take long for Damien to find her, and she wanted to hide. T’s weight didn’t help, but then she moaned, and Lana cried out in relief.

“Wh—”

“He’s coming, T. We don’t have time. Can you help me?” Lana asked.

Tiffany nodded her head, though it looked more like she circled it, before she stood and leaned on Lana. Together, they staggered into the room under the stairs just as another shot blasted through the house.

“I don’t even want to fuck you now. I loved you, and you loved me. But you let him sully you! That fucking Indian. I knew there was nothing with Terry, my pure girl, but you didn’t have to take the show so far.  You were mine. My virgin. My sweet little angel, and when it was time, we’d come out as a couple. You just weren’t ready yet, focusing on your career. Terry told me about it.”

Another shot.

Lana pressed her back up against Tiffany’s front, protecting the woman who couldn’t fight right now. T’s head lolled from side to side. The medicine may have been fading, but it wasn’t out of her system.

“Where are you? I’m sorry. I love you,” Damien wailed.

She’d never heard him sound like that. He hovered between angry and hysterical in waves and she couldn’t keep up.

“Just tell me you love me and this will all stop. I’ll kill that bodyguard, and you can help me bury his body. Then we could be together. It’ll be over.”

Another blast, this one hit the stairs, sending splinters of wood raining over them. Lana swallowed her scream and pushed it to her toes, right next to her stomach as it bottomed out. So close, oh so close, but if she made a sound, she knew they were dead.

“Come out here, right now,” Damien hollered. “I made you.”

He’d managed her, but it wasn’t because of him that she’d turned into the person she was. Her heart was heavy. How had she missed this? He’d never showed a sign, and in all the time she’d worked with him, he’d been nothing but caring and had pushed her to be better. There had been no sign, at all, and that terrified her more than anything.

Please, Hawk. Hurry.