She was hurting, almost as badly as the dog in his arms. He could hear it in her words, see it in the way her gorgeous lips turned down at the corners. And for some reason, Diggs suspected it wasn’t just over a dog.

But he didn’t have time to probe her thoughts now, he needed to do some serious triage here. The dog was steadily losing precious blood and his lungs rattled every time he panted. Diggs hadn’t detected any broken ribs, but that didn’t mean they weren’t cracked. Or that he didn’t have some internal bruising.

He’d have the doc run him through their x-ray equipment in the lab and see if Trigger had any internal bleeding or a fractured spine.

Then he’d deal with the fallout from his team. Bringing a civilian into their hidden compound was equal to treason, especially a hot red headed one who’d appeared out of thin air. He’d been ready to send her on her way and walk the dog back but then he’d heard the drone. It had approached from the south and if it hadn’t been for the tall thick trees lining the road, it would have spotted them.

He’d had no choice but to toss the dog and the girl in the car and bring them both back with him, or risk discovery by something that was a much more serious threat.

The fact that he’d been right earlier that morning in detecting the device didn’t outweigh the potential menace the drone represented. If Rainier spotted any of them on or near the property, their hideaway would be doomed.

Now he just had to get Audra out before his team returned and before she figured out who they really were.

“Stay close. I don’t want you getting lost.” Diggs walked past her, taking the steps up to the front door as easy as he could so as not to jostle the dog.

Audra raced past him and yanked the front door open. “Hurry.”

Even though he knew she was speaking out of concern for Trigger, Diggs still frowned. “If I move too quickly, I might hurt him more.”

She blanched, as if she hadn’t thought of that possibility, and nodded, biting her lip. And caveman that he was he couldn’t help but stare at the tiny white row of teeth digging into one of the most gorgeous mouths he’d ever seen.

Using his iron will to stay focused, Diggs entered the cool foyer and kept on going. Past the giant winding staircase that led up to the second and third stories of the mansion and into the back, where the hallways grew sparse and narrow. Serviceable not luxurious. He liked the simplicity of the unadorned halls and hardwood floors.

Audra’s tiny footsteps thumped behind him as she raced to keep up with his long stride down the maze of hallways that provided the first barrier to the lab entrance. He hadn’t detected his team, yet. Which meant they were either all up in their personal quarters on the upper floors, or all underground. He prayed it was the first. He hadn’t thought of a decent excuse as to why he’d brought a complete stranger into their compound. An injured dog would be plausible, but the woman? A nice ass wasn’t going to fly as an acceptable excuse.

After her severe reaction to Trigger’s injuries, the thought of turning Audra away put a nasty taste in his mouth.

Finally, they made it to the blank stretch of wall with the hidden panel leading down into the lab. Diggs glanced over his shoulder uneasily. “I have a research facility down here with state-of-the-art medical equipment.” He prayed she was distracted enough with worry for Trigger to buy his story. “I don’t usually allow anyone down here, but I need to run an x-ray on the dog to see if anything is broken.”

Before she had time to respond, Diggs placed his palm on the wall and a bright green line flashed from the tips of his fingers, down to the base of his hand. The airtight locking mechanism hissed and the door slid back, revealing a steep dimly lit staircase leading down deep into the earth below the mansion. Diggs glanced back at Audra once more before he stepped into the darkness.

She started looking queasy. “What do you do for a living again?”

* * *

Audra’s feet turned to wet cement, anchoring her in the hallway. What had she gotten them into? What kind of guy lived behind a locked gate with a driveway no one could see and a hidden panel leading down into a basement?

The kind trying to hide something. Or someone.

The thought hit her out of left field. Had they stumbled into a madman’s grasp? Was he hiding from the law? Or had he simply moved out into the country to escape the hustle and bustle of city life like one of those survivalists?

Stupid. She hadn’t requested any identifying information from Diggs other than his name. He’d been standing on the road in the middle of nowhere and she’d let him get in her car and drive her to his house.

What had she been thinking?

She hadn’t—she hadn’t been thinking about her personal safety. She’d been thinking about her brother and his dog and Diggs’ incredibly gorgeous ass.

“I’m retired.” He looked her square in the eye and gave a flat response.

A tingle of unease slid down her spine as she shifted uncomfortably. “From what?”

“Securities,” he replied just as briskly.

Two answers that didn’t answer her question at all. She moved as slowly as she could, so as not to draw attention to herself. She slid her hand toward her pocket, blindly searching for the pepper spray she knew wasn’t there. She’d left it inside the car.

“Audra,” Diggs blew out a long sigh, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She wanted to believe him. Every cell in her body said he was trustworthy, but that’s what all serial killers seemed like, according to crime TV. “That’s what Hannibal said before he ate his victim’s brains.”

Diggs rolled his eyes. “You’re just like my brother, addicted to TV. Don’t you know it scrambles your brain?” He paused and then said, “I’m not like some fictional horror movie serial killer either.”

“You have a brother?”

“Yep.” Diggs stared straight ahead, as if mentioning his brothers were a sore subject.

Seeing as how she wasn’t sure yet whether he was really taking her home to save Trigger or play ninja chop on her organs, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t ask him to elaborate.

“Listen, you’re just going to have to trust me. I swear to you, I have no intention of harming either you or the dog.”

She took a cautious step back.

Diggs let out a frustrated sounding sigh. “Fine, stay up here if you want. I’m taking the dog with me. He needs medical attention.” And with that, he turned and descended the stairs, leaving her to stare in mute shock after him.

The door started to close. It was now or never. Audra sucked in a breath and squeezed past the door just before it slid shut and locked behind her.

Darkness swallowed her up. She had a brief flash of Jonah and the whale. She couldn’t help the tremble that started in her limbs and didn’t try to fight it knowing that Diggs couldn’t see her anyway. The only light seemed to be emanating from beneath her very feet, each step dimly illuminated just enough so that she didn’t trip and go head first down the stairs. Stairs of which she couldn’t see the end.

She could barely make out Diggs’ feet moving down the steps in front of her, so that’s what she focused on, mimicking his movements in an attempt to keep up. But her insides were a jumbled-up mess. Was she descending to her own death?

She nearly missed a step and would’ve tumbled if Diggs hadn’t reached back and caught her midair. “Watch your step. There’s no guardrails.”

Audra’s heart jammed up into her throat and lodged there, making it impossible to speak.

“Just a few more steps.”

Finally, she heard the click and hiss of a door opening and a low blue tinged light flooded the doorway directly below her. A doorway she hadn’t seen at all, but was thankful for nonetheless.

Hesitantly, she stepped from that platform out into the hallway. Diggs moved off to the side to allow her to pass by before he kicked the door shut behind him. White half walls topped with glass lined the hallway, the same way they did in hospitals. “What is this?”

Diggs’ response was a grunt as he strode past her and muttered, “Medical. Follow me.”

Audra searched every nook and cranny for hints of machetes or chained-up prisoners hanging from the walls. Cubicle-shaped room after cubicle-shaped room were full of empty stainless-steel tables and what looked like tubes in a college biology lab.

Completely confused but unwilling to leave Trigger behind, Audra stayed a few steps behind Diggs as he turned right and entered a room a little farther down the hall. If he so much as twitched the wrong way, she’d grab the dog and haul ass out of there. There was no way she’d let them end up as this guy’s supper.

But as soon as she entered the room behind Diggs, her fear was eased by a small measure. This room was darker and held a padded table at the head of which stood a giant white circular machine. “You have a CT scanner?”

The only reason she knew what it was, was from the time she’d twisted her ankle walking down the stadium staircase at Jeremy’s junior world championship game and they’d rushed her to the emergency room to make sure it wasn’t broken.

Diggs gently laid Trigger on the table and all thoughts of fear for herself vanished. Audra flew to his side, running her fingers lightly over the fur on his head, “It’s okay, boy. We’re going to take care of you.”

Trigger’s eyes were closed and his tongue hung from his mouth as he continued those short shallow pants. Fury blasted through her entire body. How could her father have done this?

“Audra, I need you to step behind the wall.” Diggs’ gentle voice penetrated her thoughts and she turned to see him standing behind her, his brown eyes full of understanding.

“But he’s hurting,” she said.

“The sooner I run this scan, the sooner we can give him something for the pain. Trust me.”

What was it about this man that made her want to believe him? She had to be insane to even be down here in the first place. “Okay, just hurry. Please.”

He nodded and gestured for her to follow him around an open corner. “This will protect you from the radiation, and it only takes a couple of minutes to run the test. There will be some loud noises, but if you watch the screen here, it will show you the scan as it develops. Ready?”

She wasn’t ready for any of this. The entire situation had been thrust upon her. What she wouldn’t give to go back in time and yank Jeremy from that recruiter’s office in the strip mall downtown. Their entire lives changed the moment he’d stepped through that door.

She might not have been able to stop her brother, but she’d stop the bastard responsible for his death, even if she had to take down the whole United States military to accomplish it.

“Ready.”

Diggs hit the button and the machine started up. She kept her eyes locked on the monitor in front of them. A white image on black background appeared, and although she wasn’t a doctor, she recognized that the machine had started at Trigger’s head and was working its way down his body. She frantically searched the picture for anything that looked remotely out of the ordinary, not that she even knew what to look for.

As if he could sense her confusion, Diggs pointed to the screen and said, “See that line right there? That’s a fractured rib. Not broken, which is good news, but we’ll have to be careful with him for a while.”

Audra stared at where his finger indicated, trying to pretend she could see what he did. “Do you see anything else?”

The image of Trigger lying on the table continued to develop on the screen. Diggs moved his finger over, pointing another area. “Looks like he’s got a couple more fractured ribs here. Spine looks good though. The dog is tough. Took that beating like a soldier.”

Audra’s lungs contracted and a dose of ice cold fear shot through her chest. Soldier?

“Just a saying, means he’s tough.”

Had she said something out loud and not realized it? She nodded but couldn’t fight back the twinge of unease his words had caused. She found herself studying Diggs more than she did the image, trying to figure out exactly who and what he was.

“Audra?” And right now, his face was only inches from hers. He was staring down at her with such an intense expression she’d completely forgotten how to think.

His hand skimmed down her arm and squeezed her hand, as if he was testing the waters and he was unsure.

Ever since finding out about Jeremy’s death and then the message, learning that someone in his unit had done something to cause Jeremy’s death, she’d been on the edge of desperation, lonely and scared, constantly looking over her shoulder and yet still trying to find out the truth.

She hadn’t realized until now just how frayed her raw nerves had become, being pulled in two completely opposite directions. Diggs made her feel centered. His rough, calloused hand offered her comfort, nothing more, nothing less, and she found her fingers twining through his.

A beep sounded in the room, this one different, like a low short buzz and then the door opened and a woman in a lab coat strolled in, her long mahogany hair hanging loose in waves around her shoulders, her deep blue eyes flashing. “What are you doing?”

Audra jerked instinctively, pulling from Diggs’ grip as a bucket of ice cold harsh reality was thrown in her face. His wife. Or girlfriend. Or whatever. She’d known he was with someone and she’d just latched onto him like her life line.

Diggs raked a hand through his hair, not looking the least bit contrite. In fact, he looked a little annoyed himself. “We found a dog injured on the side of the road. I was just checking him for broken bones.”

The woman’s arms went around her chest, and despite the lab coat she was one of the most beautiful women Audra had ever seen. “Since when do you know how to use a CT scanner?”

Diggs didn’t even blush. Audra wanted to sink through the cracks in the floor and worm her way out like the scumbag she was. She always despised men who cheated on their wives or girlfriends. Her father had screwed every whore in town, staying out drinking all night while their mother stayed home and tried to raise her and Jeremy basically alone. And she’d turned into one of those whores herself, jumping into a married man’s arms.

“Melissa, maybe it’s a good thing you’re here, so you can see this,” Diggs said.

He wanted her to see them? Was he using her in some sick twisted fantasy? The disgusting role of incredulous fury burst from her lips. “I’m so sorry.”

The woman’s crystal blue eyes turned on her and Audra shut her mouth, knowing there were no words that could even remotely explain why she and Diggs had been so close. But Melissa wasn’t studying her with disgust. She wasn’t even breathing hard. She was looking at Audra as if she were simply a person she’d just met who meant absolutely nothing to her. Why wasn’t she screaming or yelling? She had every right to.

“For what exactly?” Melissa asked coolly.

Audra felt her eyes bulge in her head and then without thinking vomited out, “He’s your husband.”

Just as cool as before, Melissa blinked and put her hands in her pockets as if they were discussing the weather. “My dear, he is not my husband, nor will he ever be my husband.”

Diggs slapped a hand over his face and covered his eyes so that she couldn’t see his expression but she could feel his amusement. He was laughing at her. And he just stood there and let her make a complete fool out of herself in front of a stranger?

“Diggs, if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now I swear to God you’re going to regret it.”

His shoulders were definitely shaking now with laughter and Audra took a threatening step in his direction, even knowing she would be completely useless against his strength. Her whole body was on fire with embarrassment. And Melissa was still standing there studying her every move like she was some test subject.

“Diggs, I think your woman means business.”

“I’m not his woman,” Audra bit out.

Diggs slid his hand down his face, not even trying to hide the small curve in the corners of his mouth. Damn her, she thought it was sexy as hell that little grin.

“Audra, why would you think she’s my wife?”

“Because, outside you said I could borrow her clothes. Men don’t usually loan out other women’s clothing, unless they’re in some sort of relationship.”

Diggs grin didn’t drop, in fact it grew even bigger. “Melissa and I work together. We are in no other relationship than that, but I know her well enough to know she wouldn’t mind loaning you some of her clothes in this situation.”

Audra glanced down at herself, the dried blood caking her shirt and shorts, and then back at Melissa, tall, almost with the air of a supermodel. Her clothes wouldn’t fit Audra in a million years.

“I will gladly loan you some clothing, if you would kindly tell me why you are both covered in blood and standing in my lab using my equipment.” Melissa crossed her arms once more and started tapping her foot on the tile floor.

“The injured dog,” Diggs said, pointing to the table.

Trigger.

No longer listening to the conversation, Audra rushed around the corner. Trigger lay on the bench, with shallow pants full of pain. She dropped to her knees beside him and gently skimmed her fingers over his firm head. “It’s okay, boy, I’ve got you now. I’m going to make it all better.”

How could she have completely forgotten about Trigger? She just walked around the wall—and into Diggs dark gaze.

“Diggs, let’s move him to the main lab so I can do a more thorough examination. The CT shows some fractured ribs, but I want to check for any internal swelling.”

Audra glanced over her shoulder to see Diggs and Melissa walking toward her. From this angle, he practically towered over her, full of raw masculine power.

He squatted beside her, putting them on eye level. “Audra, I need to move him again. I’ll do my best not to hurt him,” he said quietly.

And just like that, her anger vanished. How could a man so big be so gentle? “Thank you.”

Diggs eased his arms beneath Trigger’s shoulders and hindquarters, moving slow. Trigger whined and Audra’s heart contracted as Diggs eased him up in the air close to his chest. “Follow us down the hall, it’s not far.”

Melissa led the way and Audra followed on Diggs’s heels. Down another winding set of hallways of blurred white walls and thick glass and stainless-steel tables.

Then they turned and entered a much larger lab. This one was almost like an emergency room with big green examination tables, the kind with white paper covering their surface. There had to be at least 10 of them around the walls lining the edges of the room, each with their own equipment and monitors set up alongside.

In the center was one large padded table upon which Diggs was laying down Trigger.

Melissa immediately stepped in and he moved out of the way. Audra found herself nearly running to the other side of the table, wanting to reach out and hold Trigger to soothe him but too scared to touch him and cause him any more pain.

She could tell from the way Melissa was checking the dog, she knew what she was doing. She pressed in certain parts of his body. A few times Trigger whimpered and Audra had to curl her fingernails into her palms to keep from reaching for him.

“I’m checking for internal swelling of his organs. As soon as I finish my examination and determine the extent of his injuries, I’ll give him something for the pain,” Melissa explained as she continued her examination. She ran her hands down his one good front leg and then his back two. She checked his sides, back, stomach, and then she went for his head.