Rowan staggered dizzily. Her ears were ringing.

God. She was so mad. Clutching her head where it burned, she spun, and saw her captor was down on the ground.

And very dead. Her stomach rolled.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

Lachlan’s roar made her ears ring even more. She turned back to face him, and relief ran through her. She stepped toward him and saw his eyes widen as he took her in.

His face changed and he cupped her head, tilting it to the side.

“Fuck. Fuck.”

“Lachlan?”

“It’s only a graze.” He yanked her close and pressed her face to his chest. “Just a graze.”

Then he pulled back and kissed her.

Rowan forgot everything—the artifact, the bad guys, her aching head. She opened her mouth and kissed him back, her hands gripping him hard.

Lachlan kissed her like she was air and he needed her to breathe. Warmth flooded her.

It was the sound of running footsteps that made them pull apart. Lachlan kept her pressed close to his chest.

Seth appeared and lowered his weapon. “Shit. She okay?”

“Graze.” Lachlan’s hand slid into her hair. “Don’t want to lose you, sweetheart. Can’t lose you.”

God. God. Her heart was beating so hard, emotion choking her. She curled her fingers into his vest.

The rest of Team 52 sprinted into the alley.

“I’m fine.” Rowan reluctantly stepped back, looking at them. “I think I need a drink, and chocolate isn’t going to cut it this time. Maybe tequila.”

The team all sucked in shocked breaths and stared. She took in their serious, grim looks and reached up. Her hand came away, sticky with blood.

She winced and looked at Lachlan. “It looks bad, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” He pulled her close again.

“Airman Kowalski got away,” Blair said. “The tranq wasn’t strong enough to stop her.”

Lachlan cursed. “Smith, can you track her?”

“I can try,” the big man said.

Lachlan nodded. “Do it. Axel, go with him.”

The pair swiveled and were gone. Lachlan took Rowan’s hand and led her out of the alley.

“SUV’s down that side street,” Blair said. “Police are en route. Figured just one of us can deal with them.”

Rowan blinked and saw the soldiers who’d tried to capture Airman Kowalski all sitting in a bunch, their hands and feet zip-tied. Callie was standing watch over them.

“You got this?” Lachlan asked.

Blair huffed out a breath, her gaze skating over Rowan’s head. “Yeah. You get Rowan cleaned up.”

“I’m fine,” Rowan said.

“I’ll stay with Blair,” Seth murmured. “You take care of Rowan.”

“I’m fine,” she repeated.

They’d just reached the SUV when Rowan heard the sirens and the screech of cars pulling up. She looked over her shoulder. Blair’s stance was strong and defiant.

A tall man, wearing jeans and a black, button-down shirt, swung out of the lead police vehicle, a badge clipped to his belt. His gaze locked on Blair and he started walking toward her.

“Who’s that?” Rowan asked.

“Detective Luke MacKade,” Lachlan said. “He’s our contact at the LVMPD. He’ll help smooth things over.”

Rowan had the vague idea that Blair and the detective looked like two gunslingers meeting down a dusty street. Then Lachlan opened the SUV’s back door and nudged her in.

Before she knew it, he had a first aid kit out and was pressing some antiseptic wipes to her temple. The sting made her hiss.

“You were lucky, Rowan. Another inch…”

She nodded. “I really am fine, Lachlan.”

When he pulled back the wipes, she saw they were soaked with blood. Oh. God. Her stomach pitched. “Wow, that’s a lot of blood.”

“Head injuries bleed a lot,” he told her.

“Jeez.” She glanced down at his shirt. It was covered in blood, as well. “That’s all from my head?”

“Yep.”

Dizziness hit her.

“Hey.” Lachlan stepped closer, sliding a hand behind her neck. “You’re fine, remember?”

At that moment, she saw the wound on his arm. “My God, you’ve been shot too!”

“I think being shot in the head takes precedence over a flesh wound on the arm.” His face changed. “You should never have followed Airman Kowalski.”

“I couldn’t let her get away.” Rowan gripped his uninjured arm. “I couldn’t let her hurt anyone. Lars has to live with killing his friends for the rest of his life. I just couldn’t…”

“Okay, okay.” Lachlan blew out a breath.

He went back to work, cleaning her wound and lecturing her about fighting with bad guys who were holding a gun to her head. She looked back toward where the police were rounding up the prisoners. She watched Blair throw her arms in the air, and the tall detective lean down and get in her face. That looked like it was going well.

Rowan’s gaze fell on the SUV she’d been driving. The front of it was a crumpled wreck.

“Sorry about the SUV.”

Lachlan stopped his lecture but didn’t even glance at the damaged vehicle. “I don’t give a fuck about the SUV.”

Man, he was really angry. Her head throbbed. “Lachlan, my head hurts. Can you stop yelling, please?”

She watched him suck in a breath and try to rein it in. Then he stepped closer, wrapped his arms around her, and scooped her into his arms.

It felt good. Really good. She held on to him and nestled closer.

“This has got to stop, Rowan. You being in danger.”

“It’ll be over soon.” She stroked his stubbled cheek. “I’m glad we’re all alive.”

His hold tightened. “Me, too.”

He put her back in the SUV and buckled her in. It wasn’t long before an amused Seth and Callie, and a silently fuming Blair, returned.

“I’m driving,” Blair snapped.

“Everything okay with MacKade?” Lachlan asked.

“Peachy.” Blair slammed into the driver’s seat.

Rowan found herself wedged between Lachlan and Seth in the backseat as Blair drove them back to Lachlan’s condo.

Once they were back inside, Rowan collapsed on the couch.

The others instantly got to work, with Brooks on the screen, and got in touch with Smith and Axel. It sounded like the men weren’t having much luck tracking down Airman Kowalski.

When a glass appeared in front of her, Rowan looked up at Blair.

“Drink it,” the woman said.

Rowan took it and tossed back the whiskey. She tried to enjoy the burn, but wrinkled her nose.

“You scared him,” Blair said.

Rowan’s gaze slid to Lachlan across the room. His palms were pressed to his kitchen counter, his back tense. He was clearly still mad at her.

“You scared us all,” Blair added.

“Am I growing on you, Blair?”

The woman’s lips twitched. “Yeah, like a fungus.”

Rowan snorted out a laugh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I am fine.”

Callie appeared with her backpack, eyeing Rowan’s head wound. “All right, time for me to work my magic.”

“Okay, but then you fix up Lachlan.”

Callie tilted her head. “He won’t let me near his arm until he’s sure you’re okay.”

Rowan blew out a breath. “Fine.”

* * *

Lachlan sat on one of his stools, his shirt off, while Callie patched up his arm.

“You’ll have a scar,” Callie said.

“I’ll add it to the collection.”

His gaze fell on Rowan. She was on the couch, sipping a hot chocolate, her legs tucked under her. She’d have a scar too. Lachlan was still angry. He’d come within an inch of losing her.

“You like her a lot,” Callie said.

Lachlan looked at his friend. “Yeah.”

“There’s a lot to like, Lachlan. Gorgeous, smart, nerves of steel. None of this has made her fall apart. Sounds like a woman who can handle our lifestyle.”

Lachlan kept looking at Rowan. The sweet slope of her nose, the stubborn jut of her jaw. “I suck at relationships. Always have.”

Callie made a sound in her throat and pressed a bandage over Lachlan’s bicep. “We all do until we find the right one.”

Lachlan raised a brow. “You a romantic, Kimura?”

“Nope. But if a gorgeous, smart, good man burst into my world and looked at me the way Rowan looks at you, I wouldn’t screw it up.” Callie pulled back and started packing up her kit. Her gray eyes turned sad. “It is so easy to lose people. You should hold on when you can.”

“Smith lost Kowalski’s trail,” Blair called out, frustration in her voice.

Fuck. Lachlan stood and shrugged his shirt on. “Okay. We keep monitoring for any sign of her. I need everyone on standby. If Brooks gets word on a sighting, we move out.”

“It’s likely the tranquilizer slowed her down,” Callie said. “My guess is that she’s holed up somewhere, sleeping it off.”

Damn, so it could be a while before she surfaced. He looked at Blair and Seth. They were hunched over a laptop at his coffee table.

“Blair, you keep in touch with MacKade, and see if he gets anything out of the soldiers.”

She pulled a face but nodded. “They weren’t the Red Wolves, Lachlan.”

No, they were far better organized. He nodded. “Keep me posted. Rest up while you can.”

His team finally shuffled out, leaving him and Rowan alone.

“You still mad?”

Rowan’s soft voice made him turn. She was standing right behind him.

His gaze went to the white bandage on her temple and anger flared again. “Yeah. But I’m not mad at you, I’m just mad in general.”

She leaned into him. “Any way I can distract you?” She slid a hand under his shirt.

Desire kindled. It appeared all Rowan Schafer had to do was breathe, and it turned him on. “Maybe.”

She went up on her toes and touched her mouth to his. He drank her in, kissing her deep. He cradled her face and moved his mouth to press a kiss to the bandage.

She sucked in a breath. “No one’s ever kissed my boo-boos.”

Fuck her parents. He took his time, pressing more kisses to her skin. Then he gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it gently over her head. He backed her up until she hit the wall.

He lowered his hands, opening her trousers and yanking them down, taking her panties with them.

“Lachlan—” Her voice was husky.

“Shh. I’m going to make love to you and make us both feel better.” He yanked his own shirt off.

“God,” she breathed.

Her hands clenched on his shoulders as he lifted her up. He cupped her sweet ass, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“You on the Pill?” he asked.

“I get a contraceptive shot.”

“We have regular physicals at base. I haven’t been with anyone since my last clean bill of health.”

She licked her lips, her gaze glittering “I had a checkup before the Ellesmere trip. I’m healthy.”

He reached between them and flicked open his trousers. His cock was throbbing at the thought of sliding inside her with no barrier between them.

“You okay with this?” he asked. “Me ungloved?”

“Yes. Hurry.” She undulated against him.

Lachlan thrust inside her. It was like coming home.

“Yes.” She threw her head back.

He slid one palm behind her head before it could hit the wall, and cupped her ass with the other. Then he started pounding inside her.

“So wet, so tight,” he said between gritted teeth.

“Faster, Lachlan.”

He changed the angle of his thrusts so he was rubbing against her clit. He held on tight, feeling the sensations slamming into him. She felt so damn good, and he’d never get enough of her.

She was alive. She was everything he’d ever dreamed about and more.

A few more thrusts and she came with a cry, her body convulsing. He kept working her up and down on his cock.

Her body was clamping down on him, and a moment later, Lachlan came with a shout, spilling inside her hot body.

Shit. He was wrecked. She undid him.

He gripped her more securely, his cock sliding out of her. He carried her to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. As they lay there, he stroked her hair.

“I was afraid today,” he murmured. “Been a long time since I felt like that.”

She burrowed into him. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled her closer. “I couldn’t help my dad. He came home a changed man, an angry man. I couldn’t help him, or my mom, when he’d get in a rage and hit her. I hate being helpless.”

Rowan’s arms tightened around him. “You can’t save everyone, Lachlan.”

He stayed silent. He’d joined the Marines believing he could make a difference, maybe believing he could save everyone who needed help.

“But you try anyway,” she said quietly. “That’s what a hero does.”

Hero? Hardly. “I just do my job.”

“I’m afraid every time I look at you,” she murmured.

“What?” He looked down. His heart clenched at the idea that she was afraid of him.

“You know my parents…” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “No one’s ever cared for me enough to stay around very long. No one’s ever risked their life for me.”

Lachlan rolled her over. Damn, her parents. “That’s their failing, not yours, Rowan. You’re gorgeous, smart, and you care.” He leaned down and kissed her, nipping at her bottom lip. “I’m going to find your parents and—”

“Hey.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. But Lachlan could see her blue eyes were still sad.

He leaned down and kissed her nose. Then her jaw. Then he moved his lips lower and kissed along her collarbone.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

“I’m going to worship every part of you, Rowan. I’m going to kiss and caress every inch of you until you understand how amazing you are.”

Her chest hitched and he saw something in her eyes. “Lachlan.”

He lowered his head and set to work.