Gage’s whole body vibrated with rage as he stood by the kitchen counter while Opal scooped rocky road ice cream into bowls for the kids. He was an ice cream lover, especially any variety of chocolate, but the cream would curdle in his stomach right now. He was surprised David and Mia were still interested in eating it. Of course, no one discussed the bullet with them, and they only thought they’d been in a near accident because of a deer.

“If you don’t mind, Opal.” Gage forced out a smile and ruffled the kids’ hair. “I’d like to leave these two hooligans with you while I talk to the team.”

“What’s a hooligan?” David dug into a big scoop of rich chocolate.

“Nothing you need to think about,” Hannah said to her son. “I’ll be joining Gage, so you be good for Opal, okay?”

He smiled up at his mother. “Hard not to be good when I have ice cream.”

Gage smiled in earnest as he stared at the boy’s bright eyes. Warm affection followed, settling deep in Gage’s soul. David was such an amazing kid, but it was more than that for Gage. He was really coming to care for this boy. Wanted to see him succeed. Become the man Hannah no doubt wanted him to be. No wonder Mia blossomed around David. He was a special kid for sure. And Gage had to make sure he remained safe under his watch.

He gestured at the door for Hannah. She hugged David then started down the hallway. Midway to the office, she sagged against the wall, her chin quivering

“Hey,” he said coming around to face her. “What is it?”

“A bullet. Someone fired at me.” Her wild-eyed gaze darted around the space. “I couldn’t let David see me this way, but I’m scared, Gage. So scared.”

A lone tear slipped from her eye and ran down her cheek. Gage gently wiped it away and took her hands. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“You’ll do your best. I know that. And your best is better than most people’s, but still…if…the deer, if he hadn’t been...the shooter could have...David. Poor, sweet David. He might be alone. An orphan. I…” Her words faltered and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Aw, honey, don’t.” Gage released her hands and swept her into his arms.

She didn’t fight him, but readily stepped closer and clutched his shirt as her back rose and fell in anguished sobs. He tightened his hold, wanting nothing more in life right now than to keep her safe. To keep David safe, too. For her. For Mia. For himself.

Man, had he fallen for Hannah again? He could totally see them as a family. The four of them. On picnics at the beach. Playing in the park. Grilling out for dinner with family games to follow.

She pushed back and planted her palms on his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “I’m here for you as long as you need me. You know that, right?”

Her eyes flashed up to his, fresh anguish overflowing in her gaze.

“I suppose you can’t trust that, can you? Not with the way I bailed on you.” He had no right to be holding her—to consider a future with her when he’d badly hurt her. “I’m sorry, Hannah. More sorry than I can ever convey and I hope that you can forgive me.”

“I…I—”

“You needed my help, boss man?” Eryn rounded the corner and came to a halt. “Oh, sorry. I’m interrupting.”

Hannah pushed away. “No. It’s fine. What did you need Eryn’s help with?”

Gage dragged his gaze away to focus on Eryn. “The shooter knew we would be on that road this afternoon. Either he saw us leave, or he’s somehow tracking Hannah. Her phone is a logical tool for him to use as a tracking device, and I want you to look at it.”

Eryn’s ready smile lit up her face. “That’s easy enough to do.”

“I’ll grab my purse, then, and meet you in the office.” Hannah raced away as if her attacker was chasing her.

“Um, sorry again for interrupting,” Eryn said.

“It was nothing,” Gage replied, but suddenly it was something. Something big. Something he had no control over, and for that very reason, he couldn’t keep thinking about Hannah in this manner. He would have to consider her a client. Simply a woman needing his protection.

He pointed at the office door for Eryn. “The team’s waiting for us.”

He followed her into the room where team members sat in leather easy chairs, and Coop perched on the corner of the desk, gazing at his phone.

He looked up, his focus zeroing in like a riflescope. “Nothing else has happened to Hannah, has it?”

“No thanks to us. We’re screwing up. Big time. We have to do better and stop this guy from getting to her again. I can’t…” Raw emotions raged through his body. He clamped his mouth closed and ran a hand through his hair while trying to gain control, but Ellwood’s picture kept flashing in his brain like a warning alarm.

“This guy’s proven he has skills,” Jackson said. “Military or law enforcement for sure. Best bet is to keep her locked in the house and the team on guard duty 24/7.”

Gage glanced at the other team members. “Riley, don’t take this the wrong way. I mean, I value your law enforcement experience and training, but her attacker moved with a finesse and confidence I’ve only seen in spec ops.”

“No offense taken,” Riley replied. “I saw the hide he took the shot from. No one makes a shot like that without elite sniper training. If the deer hadn’t bounded onto the road, that bullet would’ve been right on target, and she’d be dead.”

A gasp came from the doorway. Gage spun to see Hannah standing at the threshold, her hand clutched over her mouth.

Talk about bad timing. In her emotional state, hearing Riley’s comment was the last thing she needed. Still, it was probably good for her to recognize she faced a worthy adversary and realize she had to be even more vigilant.

She took a step back, and he thought to take her hand, but didn’t want to raise questions with the team, and he’d just promised himself to think of her as a client.

“We’re upping our security measures, and you’ll be safe here. I promise.” He had no business making such a promise. Sure, he could do his best, but sometimes things went sideways. It’s just…he had to say something to give her hope.

After a clipped nod, she took in a breath and blew it out, her famous resolve firmly back in place. Still, he saw a chink in her armor, and he prayed that she could weather this latest setback.

She handed her phone to Eryn. “I’m sure this is secure, and my GPS isn’t on, so I doubt he could be tracking me this way.”

“At least not that you know about.” Eryn started tapping the smart phone. “You could have clicked on an email or text that installed a tracking app on your phone.”

“I know better than to click on strange emails or text links.”

“Good deal, but emails can be spoofed to look like they were sent from someone you trust.”

“I don’t think that happened, but I hope you do find something. That way we’ll know how he’s been following me and can stop him. Maybe we could even set a trap for him.”

“What if after you fled the cottage, he put a tracking device in your purse?” Alex asked.

“Mind if I check it out?” Gage held out his hand.

She pulled the canvas bag from her shoulder. “You don’t really think you’ll find anything, do you?”

He shrugged, not wanting to admit he thought that at this point anything was possible. “I’ll be dumping this out on the desk, so if there’s anything you don’t want us to see…”

“Nothing in there you won’t find in any woman’s purse.”

“Um.” Eryn grinned. “I think that’s exactly what he means. You know, girlie things.”

As understanding dawned, Hannah’s face colored. “I’m good with you seeing everything, but will you be?”

Despite the tension in the room, Gage chuckled at her comment and dumped the contents onto his desk.

“Did you leave anything at home in Portland?” he joked as he pushed through keys, a small dinosaur, protein bars, hand wipes, sanitizer, Band-Aids, and on and on. He opened a few items, then ran his fingers over the bag itself for a hidden device. He looked up at Hannah. “Nothing.”

“Nothing here, either.” Eryn set Hannah’s phone on the desk.

Gage’s cell rang and, when he saw Blake’s number, he answered.

“We recovered the missing skull,” Blake said.

“Where?”

“Hidden in a hollowed-out tree in the woods close to where the boat was dumped. A pair of teens found it.”

“Interesting.” Gage’s mind raced over the implications of Hannah’s attacker discarding the skull.

“The reconstruction is destroyed, but the skull’s intact,” Blake continued. “I have to believe if Hannah’s attacker killed Jane Doe, he would have destroyed the skull to keep Hannah from continuing the reconstruction.”

“Sounds like you think her attack has nothing to do with the skull and is someone like Ellwood,” Gage said, drawing everyone’s attention, but it was the way Hannah lurched back that hit Gage like a punch.

“Yeah,” Blake replied. “We’re dealing with another motive here.”

“But what?”

“No idea, and if it’s not Ellwood targeting her, I have to warn you. We’re fresh out of leads, and it’ll be nearly impossible to find the guy before he strikes again.”

The team exited the office, leaving Hannah alone with Gage. She couldn’t seem to catch a full breath. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. Tried to calm herself. But how could she when they suspected the attacks didn’t have anything to do with Jane Doe and someone was specifically targeting her?

Her! The most basic, live your life as good as you can and mind your own business kind of person, targeted for murder. Murder—for goodness’ sake! She could hardly process it.

She took a deep breath but got little air. Her throat closed. Her chest convulsed.

Maybe she should pray. Odd. She hadn’t considering doing so for eons, but she had to remain levelheaded. She was the key to finding this man now.

“You need to sit.” Gage took her by the shoulders and settled her in a chair. He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “Just breathe, honey. Slow, deep breaths. Like this.”

He drew in a long breath. Let it out. She mimicked his actions. Over and over until the air filled and expanded her lungs.

“Better?” he asked.

She nodded and continued the breathing pattern until the tightness in her chest completely eased.

Her phone rang from the desk. Gage stood and glanced at the screen.

“It’s the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department.”

Her heart lurched.

“A job maybe?” He handed it to her.

“I’ve never worked with them, but Nick fell at Smith Rock State Park in their county and they investigated. It must be about him.” She accepted the call and tried to hide her unease.

“Ms. Perry,” the male said. “This is Deputy Warner from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s department. If you remember, I’m the one who investigated your husband’s fall. We had a witness come forward a few days ago, and she’s shedding new light on his fall.”

“A witness? Really? Someone saw Nick that day?” Stunned, Hannah stared ahead, connecting with Gage’s wide-eyed interest. She couldn’t concentrate with him watching. She got up and walked to the window to put her back to him.

“Her name is Elyse Ramos. Do you know her?”

“No, but why didn’t she report this when he fell?”

“She didn’t know about the accident.”

“But if she’s a witness, how’s that even possible?”

“She’s from Mexico and was vacationing with family that week. She’d gone hiking and ran into Nick on a trail, but she left that afternoon to return home and didn’t hear the news stories about his fall. She came back this week to visit family again, and when she went to Smith Rock, another hiker told her about Nick.”

“What did she have to say about seeing him?”

“He wasn’t alone. He was with another climber.”

“Not alone?” Hannah’s heart thudded in her chest.

“No, and it’s highly suspicious that the other climber took off instead of reporting Nick’s fall.”

Hannah managed to stifle her gasp of surprise. “You think he might have pushed Nick?”

“It’s a possibility.”

Could it be true that Nick hadn’t fallen? That someone had murdered him?

She widened her stance to ground herself as she felt as if she was in some alternate world where everything she knew had turned upside down. “I don’t suppose after two years she remembers what this other man looks like.”

“Actually, she does. Apparently he’s quite handsome and a real flirt. She said she’d never forget his face. She also said he had a tattoo on his forearm matching Nick’s.”

“Nick’s was a SEAL trident.” Were they teammates? Brothers in arms and the other guy killed Nick?

Could this really be true? The muscles in her legs seemed to liquefy. She hurried back to the sofa before they gave out.

Gage cast a questioning look her way, but all she could think of was asking him to hold her as he’d done earlier and tell her yet again that everything would be okay. She turned her attention back to the call. “Do you think this woman is telling the truth? I mean you interviewed so many people who were in the park that day and none of them saw this other man with Nick.”

“Her story seems legit, and I’m reopening the investigation. If this other guy really did push Nick, he could have planned it in advance and met up with on a trail in hopes no one would see them together.”

“Then why flirt with Elyse and draw attention to himself?”

“Maybe he hoped he’d leave her too flustered to remember details.”

“Sounds possible, I suppose.” Did it? Did it really? She didn’t know. “How will you proceed?”

“We’re looking for a forensic artist to meet with Elyse and draw a sketch of this guy. But, as you know, there aren’t many artists in the area, and it could take time before we can get on someone’s schedule.”

“I’ll do the sketch,” she said before thinking about it. “And I won’t charge a penny, so your sheriff should be happy about that.”

“I wouldn’t think of asking you. Not with your personal connection to the case.”

“I’m doing it. End of discussion. If Nick was murdered, there is no one who wants to find his killer more than I do.”

Gage gaped at Hannah. He could hardly believe a witness had come forward now when Hannah was dealing with a death threat. He felt for her and didn’t care if he was thinking of her as a woman instead of a client. He wanted to ease her pain, but more importantly, he had to focus on her safety. He wasn’t about to let her run off to Bend to draw this man’s sketch when a stealthy killer was after her.

“You can’t go.” He reached out to take her arm—as if holding on would prevent her from leaving.

She stepped back. “It’s not up to you.”

“But your life is still in danger, and I won’t allow you to put yourself in a vulnerable position.” He planted his feet wide as if he could physically keep her here. “You have to drive over the Cascades to get to Bend, and you’d be a sitting duck on the mountain roads.”

She crossed her arms and held his gaze. “Nick was my husband, and now that it looks like he was pushed, I have to help. You would do it for Cass, right?”

His jaw clenched, but he reluctantly nodded.

“Besides, if Nick was murdered, maybe the same person is my attacker. If the deputy finds this guy, it could end my problems, too.”

Gage had been too busy worrying about her safety to consider the possibility of a connection. “You think Ellwood’s not our guy and this could be the man who attacked you?”

“It’s as likely as anything else.”

“But why now? Why two years after Nick died?”

“Maybe because the woman came forward.”

“But there’s no concrete connection, right?”

“Just that the hiker had a trident tattoo on his forearm like Nick, and we think the guy after me is—or was—spec ops.”

Gage thought about her comment and had to agree that the man sneaking into the compound the other night could easily have been a SEAL. But Gage didn’t want to believe a fellow SEAL was capable of committing murder. Sure, they all knew how to kill, but not an innocent person, much less one of their own. He’d much rather believe it was Ellwood.

But he had to consider all possibilities. “Say this is related to Nick’s death or Ellwood. Either way, leaving the compound puts you in too much danger.”

“Like I said, I have to do the sketch so Warner can locate this man, and we can all go back to our normal lives.”

Normal? Normal meant she would go home. Leave him. The thought felt like a knife to the gut, but he wouldn’t linger on this topic now and cloud the real issue. “Someone else can do the drawing.”

“Not on a timely basis. There are less than forty full-time forensic sketch artists employed in agencies across the entire country. Only one in Oregon that I know of. It could take weeks to get someone for the job. And what if Elyse has to go back to Mexico before then?”

“Then they can bring her to you.”

Hannah shook her head. “For the process to work best, she needs to be relaxed. What kind of impact do you think this crazy secure compound will have on her?”

“We’ll explain that this man is trying to kill you.”

“And then she’ll worry he’s trying to kill her, too. Again, not a good thing.” She planted her hands on her hips. “No matter what you say, I’m going. But… I can’t take David. I’d like to leave him here.”

“That goes without saying. I won’t let a child go headfirst into danger.” He scowled at her, hoping it would change her mind, but she tightened her arms and tilted her head in a stubborn stance. If she wasn’t directing it at Gage, he’d find it adorable. No way he was letting this woman who had somehow wormed her way into his heart step into danger alone. “I’m going with you. I don’t care what you say about that, but—”

She held up her hand. “No need to plead your case. I was hoping you’d offer to accompany me.”

“Well…good…good.” He blinked, caught totally off guard.

She smiled at him. A soft, warm smile that melted his concern and replaced it with awareness of her as a woman. Her curves. Her silky skin. Her full lips, soft and ready for kissing. He knew the feeling. The touch. Years ago. He wanted it now. Again. Couldn’t have it.

He forced himself to look away. “I’ll get to work researching the area and plan a safe route.”

He charged out of the room to head outside for a breath of air. The total darkness evaporated her smile from his mind, and the cold light of danger settled in.

He’d stay by her side, every second of the trip, that was for sure. He’d leave a team behind to protect David, have a forward team scout the trip, and a team bring up the rear. He’d pull out all stops to protect her—the woman he loved.

There, he admitted it. He was in love with Hannah again. No way he’d screw things up and lose her a second time.