“Tell me you played nice with the FBI,” Mark said over the phone.

Jace scrubbed his hand over his face and leaned back in his chair. He contemplated lying, then decided against it. Mark would only find out anyway because he always did, then Jace would catch shit for a different reason. He shook his head and stared out the window. He loved his old team buddies, but there were times…. “It was fine. Really. They wanted to ask me a couple of questions about Trevor.”

“Shit.” Mark sighed loud over the phone line. “I’m still sorry about that, man. I know you and Fellis were close.”

“Yeah.” Jace swallowed hard against the hard knot of sorrow that never seemed to fully dissolve since his friend’s death. All the suicides had been bad, but this one hit far too close to home. Trevor Fellis had grown up in a similar neighborhood and under similar circumstances to Jace—single mom, little supervision or money, rough streets. Only difference was, where Jace had been lucky enough to escape the gang life, Trevor hadn’t. He’d been forced to join to survive and had only gotten out after he’d gotten busted for a string of petty thefts. At least a forward-thinking judge had offered Trevor a choice—a year in jail or a stint in the Navy. Trevor had chosen the military and his fate had changed forever. Two years in and he’d applied for the SEAL training program. Jace had kicked the guy’s ass into shape and Trevor had become one of the most loyal and most talented soldiers on their team. “He’s been dead fourteen days and I still can’t stop myself from expecting him to call or stop by or something.”

“Me too.” Mark said, his tone solemn. “So, did the agents say anything else?”

“The one agent had a theory about who might be doing the killings.” He left out the part about his unwanted attraction to Special Agent Felicity Belasko. It didn’t mean anything. He hadn’t dated anyone for months and couldn’t remember the last time he got laid. That had to be it. “You remember a recruit named Kevin Quinn? Came through about a year and a half before our discharge. Mousy-looking guy, always complaining. Acted all paranoid, like the world was out to get him.”

“Nah,” Mark laughed. “But based on your description, I’m guessing you weeded him out pretty fast.”

“Yep. Flunked him good. You know I can’t stand whiners.” Jace forced a smile, still unable to shake the persistent feeling that maybe somehow he’d caused all of this. Perhaps if he’d been nicer to the guy or let him stay in the program a little longer, Trevor might still be alive. That thought cut him to the core. “Anyway, I just finished this afternoon’s classes, so I thought I’d take a little ride out to the address I found on the Internet for the guy. See what he’s up to these days.”

“I don’t know, man. We’ve got enough problems at Brothers In Arms as it is these days. We don’t need you crossing purposes with the FBI too.” As if on cue, the pipes in the attic moaned loud, and Jace cringed. “I heard that,” Mark said. “You call the plumbers yet?”

“No, not yet. Too busy. And give me some credit, dude.” Jace scowled. “Trust me, if I don’t want Kevin Quinn to see me coming, he won’t even know I’m there.”

Mark gave a resigned exhale. They’d been friends long enough for the guy to know that once Jace had made up his mind, there wasn’t much anyone could do to change it. “Just be careful, okay? And call the goddamned plumbers.”

“Will do.” Jace grinned. “And you hurry up and get that hand back in shape. I’m getting lonely around here.”

“Any word from Vann on when he’s coming back?”

“Nope. He’s still with Mercy in New Mexico for some restaurant meeting. Won’t be back until the end of the week at least.”

“You okay holding down the fort by yourself?” Mark asked. “Cause if you’re not, I’ll be there. Just say the word.”

“I’m fine. Besides, I don’t want Geneva coming down here and kicking my ass because I made you go against your doctor’s orders, dude.” He chuckled. “Enjoy your rare downtime and get back in here once the doctor and PT release you, right?” Jace checked his watch then stood. “I need to go. Talk to you soon.”

“See ya. And watch yourself out there.” Mark ended the call.

After locking up the office and checking all the compound buildings to make sure they were secure, Jace headed for his beater pickup truck with the logo from the local garage where he worked part-time. Bright yellow letters proclaiming Burrell’s over the picture of a tow truck contrasted with the vehicle’s dark green paint and rust. The thing looked like shit, but thanks to Jace’s skills with anything mechanical, it drove like a frigging Porsche. He started the engine and headed toward Ortega.

This late in the year, the temps were cooler than they had been in the summer, though the weather was nice all year around. It was California, after all. He rolled his window down to let in some fresh sea air and propped his elbow on the truck door, cranking his favorite hip hop jams higher. It wasn’t until he’d reached the courthouse, smack in the middle of the small town, that he noticed a now-familiar black SUV two cars back, tailing him.

Well, shit.

Mark had warned him not to get into bed with the FBI and he wouldn’t. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun either. Especially with Belasko. Felicity. The name suited her, he thought, as the light turned green and he continued through Ortega, heading toward an older mobile home park on the other side of town. That woman was locked up so tight, it would be one hell of a challenge to get her to relax. He glanced in the rearview mirror, noticed the SUV still following behind him. Looked like she was driving this time, and alone.

Jace smiled. Good. He liked Ted, but he liked Felicity more.

She was pretty, beautiful even, yet she seemed to dress and groom herself to downplay that—no makeup, plain hair slicked back tight, androgynous, black, standard FBI uniform. Maybe she did it to compete in what was still the male-driven world of the intelligence community. Which made no sense to him. He’d always thought there should be more women operatives. They looked at things from a different perspective and used their intuition much more than their male counterparts, giving them better insight and instincts. Hell, just look at them now. While her male partner was off elsewhere, Felicity was hot on Jace’s tail. She’d known he wouldn’t listen and keep his nose out of their case.

Smart woman. Just one more thing he found attractive about her.

He signaled and turned into the Shady Pines Mobile Home Park and then weaved through the maze of ramshackle trailers and junk-filled yards toward the back, searching for lot one-seventy-four before stopping and parking a safe distance away to avoid any suspicion.

Kevin Quinn’s trailer was a double-wide and better kept than most. There was no junk in his yard, just freshly mown grass and a non-descript compact car parked off to one side. The mobile home itself was painted white with blue trim and looked like it had gotten a fresh coat or two recently. No lights were on, though the presence of the car suggested someone was inside. Maybe Quinn worked third-shift at a factory or something. He regretted that he’d not asked Felicity much about her suspect earlier.

Jace got out and walked to the front of his truck, using the binoculars he’d slung around his neck to peer at Quinn’s mobile home closer. There was a small plastic utility shed out behind the trailer. First priority—get in there and see what Quinn was hiding.

The quiet thump of a car door closing sounded behind him was followed by the crunch of footsteps on gravel. He braced for war. Next thing he knew, Felicity Belasko stood beside him, so close her heat penetrated through his camo green T-shirt. She smelled like flowers and sunshine and he had the sudden urge to kiss that dark frown off her face, just to see her reaction.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” she hissed. “Are you trying to get arrested?”

He gave her a side glance before raising his binoculars again. “Calm down, darlin’. No need to get the cops involved.”

“I wasn’t talking about the cops.” Her fists were clenched so tight her knuckles were white. “I was talking about me. Federal agent, remember?”

“How could I forget? You keep reminding me.”

“Enough with the bullshit, cowboy.” She pulled out her cell phone and held it up. “I’m warning you, Mr. Stevens. Back off my case or I will throw your ass in jail for interfering with a federal investigation.”

“Jace.” He dropped the binoculars against his chest and faced her at last. Her cheeks were flushed and her dark green eyes glittered with irritation, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen a prettier sight in his life. “I told you to call me Jace. All my friends do.”

“I’m not your friend.”

“You could be.” He grinned, knowing he was getting under her skin but having far too much fun to stop. “I’d like that.”

“I bet you would.” She pushed past him to scan the area around Kevin Quinn’s trailer then grabbed his arm and yanked him hard. “Get down!”

“Ow! What the—” Jace frowned. “I like the rough stuff too sometimes, but we hardly know each other, dar—”

Felicity pulled out her gun. “I swear to God if you call me darling again right now, I will end you. Now shut up. Quinn’s coming out.”

From around the front corner of his truck, Jace spotted the man in question. He didn’t look much different than he had years ago in SEAL training. Medium height, medium build, brown hair. The glasses were new, as was the muscle. Kevin Quinn must’ve started working out. Too bad he hadn’t put in that much effort to get into the SEALs. He might not have gotten kicked out so fast.

Jace’s gut clenched tight. If what Felicity had told him this morning was true, then Trevor’s killer was standing not more than thirty feet away. His fingers itched to grab the gun holstered at her waist and put a bullet in the guy’s head dropping him where he stood before he even realized what had hit him.

Except that would be too good for the son-of-a-bitch. No. If Kevin Quinn really had killed Trevor and all those other SEALs and was behind Mark and Vann’s accidents, then he deserved to suffer long and hard. Jace made it his personal mission to make sure that happened.

“Shit.” Felicity scowled as Quinn stopped near his car and peered over in their direction. “If he sees us or thinks we’re on to him, this is all over.”

They held their breath as Kevin looked around the area for a moment, then unlocked his car and climbed behind the wheel. Jace didn’t exhale until the guy had pulled out of his driveway and rumbled past them toward the trailer park exit.

“God, that was close. Too close.” Felicity slumped back against the side of Jace’s truck and rubbed her eyes “Seriously, do you see why I can’t have you poking your nose in around here? Quinn is paranoid enough as it is. He gets wind we’re tailing him and he’s gone.”

Jace straightened and stalked over toward Quinn’s trailer.

“Where the hell are you going now?” Felicity demanded, her tone exasperated as she jogged behind him. “Which part of leave now did you not understand, cowboy?”

And then, because he couldn’t help it, because he liked the way her eyes flashed when she was irritated, he said, “Trust me, darlin’. You’ll want my help on this case.”