Hours later, Jace sat back behind his desk at Brothers In Arms, twiddling his thumbs and becoming more jacked on adrenaline by the second. He’d learned a long time ago during his time as a SEAL that it wasn't so much the bullets or the bombs that took the greatest toll on a warrior. It was dealing with mind-numbing boredom between the battles. The tedium of waiting for hours until the enemy showed, and often for nothing. The quiet was a silent killer, easing even the most vigilant warrior into comfort and softness and, if you weren’t careful, sleep. His eyelids grew heavier and his breathing slowed and the sight of Felicity sitting on the sofa across the room, thumbing through a magazine while they waited for Quinn to show up, grew blurry and faded to black.

Grogginess overtook him. He was only resting his eyes for a minute. He’d not been sleeping well, despite having Felicity’s warm, soft curves beside him in the darkness. There was too much going on, too much at stake. Mark and Geneva were due back soon, to help keep watch over Felicity while Jace went out to perform another perimeter check of the compound. His loaded Glock sat snug in the holder at his waist, within easy drawing distance if that asshole Quinn dared to make an appearance in the office. He’d only rest just a second, only allow himself a few brief seconds before….

Bam, bam, bam!

Three hard knocks on the locked office door.

“Open up!” Mark called. “I forgot my key.”

Jace’s eyes snapped open, squinting into the daylight as he looked around, a bit disoriented before spotting Felicity still sitting on the sofa, reading her magazine.

Damn. So much for a quick power nap. Wouldn’t make that mistake again.

He pushed out of his chair and headed for the door, one hand on his weapon just in case. He unlocked the door and peeked through the crack with one eye. Mark and no one else. Jace waved him inside then re-secured the door. “What the hell took you so long?”

“The gas station had Quinn’s car towed,” Mark said, stalking over to his desk. He sat and stared at Jace, his green gaze narrowed. “Not like you to fall asleep during a mission.”

“I didn’t.” The words sputtered out, his voice still rough and a bit slurred. “I just closed my eyes for a minute.”

“He was sleeping,” Felicity said, giving Jace a small wink. “It’s okay though. I can take care of myself.”

Jace frowned and rubbed his eyes, focusing on Mark. “So no car means he’ll be coming here on foot.”

“Yep.” Mark grabbed the key to the gun cabinet. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Where’s Geneva?” Jace asked.

“She’s barricaded inside my farmhouse. We’ll hunker down there and keep an eye on the compound entrance.” Mark grabbed his Desert Eagle and a couple ammo clips then relocked the cabinet, clipping a walkie-talkie to his waistband then tossing a second one to Jace. “We can keep communicating through these. Old school, I know, but they work well in a pinch.” Mark headed out of the office again.

“Wait a minute.” Jace scowled. “What about Felicity?”

“I need to get back to Geneva. If things go south, the three of us are armed. She’s not. Besides, you’re here. You’ll protect her.”

“Shit.” Jace’s already buzzing nervous system went haywire. He grabbed the keys from Mark and reopened the cabinet, taking out his sniper rifle and extra bullets. Protect her was exactly his plan, but in order to do that, it would mean leaving her alone at the office, at least for a little while. And yeah, she was a trained FBI agent. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t guard the woman he loved.

Loved?

The realization caught him totally by surprise.

He stopped in his tracks and stared over at Felicity.

Yep. Somewhere in the midst of all this cockeyed bullshit with Kevin Quinn, he’d fallen hard for her. Now, he’d make damned fucking sure she survived this crazy scheme of hers. Mark wasn’t the only one whose instincts were on edge about what was about to go down. Quinn had trained as a SEAL, even though he’d flunked out in the end. He knew their ways, knew their strategies. He’d be prepared and Lord knew he wasn’t afraid to kill.

Travis was proof of that. So were the rest of his dead SEAL comrades.

“What the hell are you going to do with that?” Mark snatched the keys away again.

“I’m going out to patrol the perimeter. If Quinn’s coming on foot, I want to be ready for him. It’s better than sitting here like a target, waiting for him to strike.” He chambered a round then clicked on the safety. “Felicity, you stay here and barricade yourself inside until I get back.”

She tossed her magazine aside and stood, giving him a flat look. “Yeah. Okay, Rambo. Not sure who died and made you think you’re in charge here, but this is still my mission. We’re doing this my way. We know Quinn’s arriving on foot now. I’m staying here and waiting. It’s the safest way.”

“Well, I’m not going to sit around until Quinn decides to blow your brains out,” Jace growled. “I’m patrolling the perimeter. End of story.”

“Felicity,” Mark said. “You can come back to the house. There’s a good vantage point from there to this office building. You’ll be able to see if anyone is snooping around.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Go with Mark,” Jace said.

“Do as you’re ordered, soldier.” Her green eyes sparked with fury as she spoke.

“I’m trying to protect you.”

“And I’m trying to run a mission here. I don’t need your protection. I need your cooperation.”

Air. He needed some air before he said something he’d regret. It was the heat of the moment, the heat of the impending confrontation with Quinn that was driving this, he knew that. Didn’t stop his snarling anger from getting the better of him though. She wanted to sit here in the office alone? Fine. He’d guard the perimeter and this office too. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d been called upon to multi-task.

Jace stalked to the door and yanked it open. “Keep the doors locked and stay away from the windows until I get back.”

Her furious snarl chased him out the door.

The woods near the back border. That would be his best hiding spot. It would allow him a clear view of the office building. He’d started his walk of the perimeter so he’d end up there. And if he happened to run into asshole Quinn along the way, that guy better start praying because as pissed as Jace was right now, he’d shoot that son-of-a-bitch first and ask questions later.

He made it about a quarter of the way around the compound when his walkie-talkie buzzed to life. Mark’s voice crackled through. “Smooth moves back there, dumbass.”

“Fuck you.”

“She’s royally pissed.”

“She’ll get over it.”

Jace skirted the fences lining the vineyard, keeping an eye out for any suspicious footprints or tire tracks. Vann would’ve been proud.

“You love her. Admit it,” Geneva this time over the radio.

“How I feel about her is nobody’s business. Right now, this is about catching Quinn.”

A slight scuffle sounded over the walkie-talkie followed by Mark coming back on the line. “I’ll keep an eye on Felicity as best I can. I’ve secured the gym facilities and the storage building. I’ve also checked the office again. I’ll guard the farmhouse once I get there.”

“I’m watching the office from here too.” Jace kept moving, his tension and anger draining away with each step, leaving determination in its wake. “I’m heading for the woods. That will give me the best vantage point and that’s really the only place for cover, other than the buildings.”

“Agreed,” Mark said. “Be careful, Heinz.”

“You too.” Jace shook his head. “See you on the other side.”

“Yep.” The walkie-talkie went dead.

Jace finished his patrol about an hour later, finally reaching the tree line and slipping through the woods to the small hunting stand nestled in the branches of one of the older trees. He quickly climbed the trunk then hunkered down to wait again. At least out here, he felt like he was alive and doing something.

This was the same spot where he’d seen that amazing buck. God, had it only be a week? It seemed like an eternity ago now. Funny how life could change so fast. Felicity’s face flashed in front of him and he smiled, coming to a decision. Once this was over and things were safe and back to normal—well, as normal as they could be for a guy like him—he was going to tell her how he felt—how he really felt. No trying to minimize it like he had the last time he’d tried telling her. This time he’d tell her he loved her and see what she had to say about that. Knowing Felicity it would be plenty.

His chest still ached at the thought she was in that office building alone, but she had two SEALs guarding her from different angles. And like she’d said, she could take care of herself. That was one of the things he loved most about her. Some guys liked their women helpless, but Jace had always found smart, independent women the most beautiful. Perhaps it went back to his own mother being forced to take care of things herself. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t wait to see Felicity again and let her know how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

A twig snapped nearby and jolted him out of his head and smack into reality.

Slowly and silently, Jace clicked the safety off on his rifle and scanned the area.

The angle of the sunlight cast small shadows across the ground, making it more difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

Another snap, closer now.

His pulse tripled and he swallowed hard, calling upon his years of training to channel his energy into controlled action. He watched each spot long enough to detect anything suspicious before moving to the next—a tactic they’d used a lot when approaching and infiltrating enemy encampments in Afghanistan. Building-clearing. Close quarters combat. He’d never expected to use those same techniques at his place of business in the good old US of A.

Another two trees. Clear.

The small thicket to his left. Clear.

Creek. Clear.

Then a pair of antlers appeared. The same antlers he’d seen that day on the buck.

Jace held his breath as the huge deer stepped into the open, locking eyes with him.

A silent understanding seemed to pass between them, a silent respect.

No more hunting. At least not for this buck.

Having made a three-sixty check of his surrounding, Jace flipped the safety back on and exhaled slow. The walkie-talkie sizzled back to life.

“You in position?” Mark again.

“Yes, sir,” Jace replied, more out of habit than anything. “You?”

“Yep.”

Jace glanced over only to find the buck gone. Sighing, he hunkered back against the tree trunk to wait some more. Pulling out his phone, he thumbed in a quick text to Felicity. Not quite an apology, but close enough until he could give her a real one, until he could say the words he wanted to say. “Stay safe.”

No reply.

Dammit. Was she not answering because she was pissed or because she was hurt or worse?

The longer he sat in that tree, though, the more persistent those thoughts niggled. Kevin Quinn was a smart bastard. Crazy as fuck, but far from stupid. So why would a smart guy walk right into a trap?

He wouldn’t.

Jace frowned and shifted his position to relieve some pressure off his now-numb ass. So if Quinn wasn’t going to stroll into the compound via the front door and he wasn’t lurking in the woods—since Jace had seen nothing else move out here but the buck—then where the hell was he?

An idea occurred, lancing through his calm like a scalpel.

What if Quinn had been inside the office the whole time?

Agitated now, Jace shifted positions again. Mark had said he’d checked the buildings and secured them, but what if somehow he’d missed Quinn somehow. The office building was basically one big space with a bathroom and a tiny attic for storage above the—

Fuck.

Jace had shimmied down the tree and was racing back toward the building in an instant. He pulled out the ancient walkie-talkie and clicked the talk button. Nothing. Tried again, but still nada. Must be out of range. Screw it, he’d deal on his own. If Quinn had somehow gotten back to the compound before them and managed to hide himself away in the attic, that meant Felicity was alone with that murderous piece of shit. They’d grown so used to the odd creaks and groans from the faulty pipes that he doubted Mark had checked up there. Hell, he wouldn’t have checked up there either under normal circumstances.

Except they weren’t dealing with normal where Kevin Quinn was concerned.

They were dealing with a psychotic, homicidal maniac.

He pushed himself to go faster. The office building loomed in the distance like a bad nightmare, somehow seeming to get farther away with each step he took. Felicity could take care of herself, no question. But if Quinn had caught her off guard, gotten her weapon away from her, hurt her in any way….

Pulse pounding and muscles tense, he forced himself to run faster.

The woman he loved was in jeopardy and he’d do whatever was necessary to save her.

Or die trying.