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NICK PULLED ONTO THE interstate, his eyes moving again to the rearview mirror. Someone had been following him since he left Kaylee’s apartment complex, and he needed to lose the tail, stat. He glanced up again after he’d merged onto the highway, trying to memorize the plate. It was backwards in the reflection, but he could make it out in the waning light. He recited the letters and numbers to himself, committing them to memory, then sped up. He’d call his team to run a trace once he lost the car following him.
He switched lanes, moving around a truck, and cursed when the vehicle on his tail made the same maneuver. They weren’t even trying to be evasive. Or maybe they thought he was clueless, not realizing he’d been followed. Whoever was tailing him had no idea who Nick was or what he was capable of.
Nick stayed in his lane, speeding up as they approached an exit. At the last second, he pulled off, watching as the other car sailed past him, slamming on their brakes.
Nick checked his mirrors as he took the exit, the other car disappearing as Nick took the curve of the ramp. The GPS on his phone automatically rerouted him. He could pick up the interstate again in a few miles. Pushing a button, he called Gray. His other teammates would be happy to jump in, but they all had women now. Some of them had kids. He didn’t want to bother them right now unless it was urgent.
“What’s up?” Gray asked, his voice low on the other end of the line. Nick heard the crack of the cue ball in the background, and then a muffled sound as Gray headed somewhere quieter.
“I need you to run a plate for me—get with West. I need it tonight.”
“Will do. Did you find out anything about your girl?”
“She’s not my—never mind. Yeah, I heard from her. She’s gone into hiding but called when I was about to search her apartment earlier.”
“You work fast,” Gray said with a low chuckle.
“I got the keys from her mom,” Nick said. “Kaylee and I go way back. It was dumb luck that she called me when I was outside her door, but I’m not complaining. She’s not in Omaha, so I’m going to her. I don’t know what’s going on or who she’s hiding from, but someone was tailing me when I left her apartment complex. You ready for the tag?”
“Yep. Give it to me.”
Nick recited the license plate. “I lost them, but her place is being watched. Kaylee was in protective custody—or being hidden by someone impersonating a Federal Agent.”
“What the fuck?” Gray asked. “Where is she now?”
“A motel several hours west of Omaha. I’m heading to her now. I don’t know why she’s hiding, but I’m damn sure about to find out. I’ll probably have to move from her current location, because I doubt any motel she found is secure, but at least she’ll be with me.”
“Let me know what else I can do. I’ll get back to you on the plate tonight.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Watch your six,” Gray told him.
“Always do.” Nick ended the call, his gaze continuously scanning the area. It was getting darker out, which would make it harder for anyone to follow him. He’d gone a couple miles and was about to take the ramp onto the highway again. Hopefully the mofos on his tail were long gone, but Nick knew they’d be looking for him. For her. Kaylee was still several hours away, and he felt restless, the urgency of the situation sending his pulse pounding. Something was very wrong if her place was being watched, and he wouldn’t feel better until he laid eyes on her, ensuring for himself that she was safe.
***
THREE HOURS LATER, Nick was pulling into the outskirts of the little college town. He could see lights from bars and restaurants several blocks down, but the motel was in a quieter area. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, waiting for the traffic light to change. He’d been running on adrenaline since he landed hours ago and was tired yet anxious to see Kaylee. The drive felt like it had taken forever, the distance between them shortening as the minutes ticked by.
The light changed, and a minute later, he turned into the parking lot. Nick pulled into a space, glancing at his phone as he momentarily left the engine running. Nothing. Gray had texted earlier, saying they were working on finding out who owned the vehicle tailing Nick. He thumbed a quick message to Kaylee, and she responded with her room number. Moments later, he was striding toward the motel, duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
He hadn’t totally thought this through, because he hadn’t been planning to bunk with Kaylee tonight. They might’ve spent plenty of time together in bed long ago, but that was in the past. If she was truly in danger, however, he wasn’t about to leave her alone in an unsecured motel room.
Hell.
Nick jogged up the stairs to the second level, his gaze sweeping the area as he moved in the dark. His sidearm was tucked into his waistband, but he was lethal even without a gun. Nick was a highly trained operative, and it would take someone with a skill to get the jump on him right now.
A door opened as he moved closer, and then Kaylee’s head peeked outside. His heart thundered at the sight of her, but he cursed, wishing she’d stayed inside the room. If anyone had followed Kaylee or Nick to the motel, she’d just given away her precise location.
“Kaylee,” he said, his voice gruff. Her look of fear had briefly disappeared at the sight of him, but just as quickly, her distress was back, and she glanced toward the dark parking lot. “Let’s go inside,” he urged, his voice gruff even to his own ears. His hand landed on her arm without thought, and then he was guiding her in, his big body blocking her own in case anyone was watching them from down below.
Nick’s gaze swept the small space as he turned to lock and bolt the door. There was a small double bed and armchair, neither of which looked too comfortable. He’d sleep on the floor if he had to tonight in order to keep her safe.
“You brought your stuff,” she said unnecessarily as he slung his bag to the ground. He didn’t miss the way her gaze traveled over his muscled forearms. Nick kept in good shape and didn’t hate Kaylee’s eyes on him. Not in the least.
She flushed as she realized he’d caught her staring, but Nick decided to ignore her reaction to him for now. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice lower than usual.
The moment between them felt private—intimate. They were locked inside a motel room together, and his first priority was to make sure Kaylee was truly all right. His gaze tracked over her, drinking her in. She wore a hooded sweatshirt over a white tank top, and he tried not to stare at the way it stretched across her breasts. Her jeans clung to her like a second skin, and her face was flushed, her lips parted. She looked good. Damn good. He tried to ignore the hint of cleavage and the way her denim jeans hugged her ass and thighs. Nick’s body had immediately taken notice, however, and he felt his dick twitch. Kaylee was a knockout, all flushed and beautiful, standing mere feet in front of him.
She was also in danger. Scared.
“I’m fine,” she said, but the wavering of her voice betrayed her.
Nick kept a respectful distance from Kaylee—as much as he could in the tiny motel room, at any rate. His hands itched to touch her, to ease the fear written across her face. She’d always fit perfectly in his arms—and felt like she’d been made for him alone when she was stretched out beneath him, their bodies moving together as one.
“I brought my bag up because I didn’t want to leave anything in the rental. I was followed when I left your apartment earlier,” he said.
“You were followed?” she asked in surprise.
Nick hated seeing the worry in her eyes. Unable to stop himself, he finally stepped closer, brushing back a strand of her silky dark hair. He might have no right to touch her, but it was hard to stay away. He’d once known her entire body intimately. He wanted to explore all of the woman she’d become, but the need to soothe and protect her took precedence above all else.
“A car followed me after we spoke earlier. They tailed me on the highway once I left your apartment complex. Someone was watching your place.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Shit. Kaylee.” He drew her in for a hug, feeling her body meld against his own, her vanilla scent filling his nostrils. Her arms tightened around him, and he could feel her trembling. Nick slid a hand down her back reassuringly, needing to keep her close. “It’s okay. I lost the tail. No one knows that I’m here. We’re safe for tonight, but you’ll have to tell me what’s going on. We can keep moving in the morning, maybe even go back to New York.”
“To Shadow Security?” she asked as she pulled back.
He lifted a shoulder. “It’s a more secure location. It might be good to disappear for a while, and I can keep you safe there. We can figure out what exactly is going on. I work with a lot of my old buddies,” he said, licking his lips. Energy was already coursing between them, despite the nature of their conversation. His body had always reacted to hers on a primal level.
Her green eyes tracked over his face, lingering just a beat too long on his mouth. “God, Nick. I just can’t believe any of this is happening.”
She stepped back, but he took her hand, loving the feel of her smooth skin against his own. She looked so damn fragile and delicate beside him. He’d always been a lot bigger than her, and he’d loved that. Now it just made him realize how much more vulnerable that made her. Kaylee was his to protect, even if she didn’t know it yet. A part of him had always belonged to her, and he’d do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.
Kaylee clung to his hand, pulling him over to the bed. The gesture wasn’t sexual in the least. She needed someone to hold on to, and Nick was happy to be there for her. She sat down on the edge of it, clutching onto him as she began telling him what she’d witnessed.
“You think they were stealing classified information,” he said once she’d finished explaining what she’d seen a month ago.
“I know they were. No one should’ve had a camera or phone in the secure area.”
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, his other hand sandwiched between Kaylee’s. He wasn’t sure she even realized she was still clinging onto him, but he loved that after all these years, she still trusted him to keep her safe.
“I didn’t even know you were on a DEA contract,” Nick said. “I thought you were in marketing.”
She shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. “I was but got a new job a year or so ago. We didn’t really tell each other a lot about our lives, Nick.”
He looked down at their joined hands, clearing his throat. Even though Kaylee was scared, he couldn’t deny how fucking right it felt to have her close, clutching onto him. Her vanilla scent and smooth skin were tempting as hell. He wasn’t about to lay her down on the bed and do all the things he was dreaming of, but he’d be lying if he said being near Kaylee didn’t affect him. “You’re right. We didn’t share a lot of details after we broke up. I’m not sure I’d have wanted to hear about any boyfriends of yours over the years.”
Kaylee gripped his hand more tightly. “You dated, too, Nick. You left Omaha behind and went off to see the world. I know you weren’t single all this time.”
“I wasn’t,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “We agreed breaking up was for the best.”
“Was it?” she asked, and his head swiveled toward hers in surprise. “Never mind,” she muttered. Kaylee let go of his hand and stood, pacing the room. Nick wanted to know why she’d said that, but it was hardly the most pressing matter right now. Kaylee was in danger. He’d have to sort out his feelings toward her later—either that, or bury them back where they’d been for the past decade. She still lived in Omaha, and Nick was still deploying on missions all over the world.
“I don’t know who those guys were that shuttled me to a safehouse that night,” she said. “They acted like they were FBI, but now I’m not so sure. I never saw a badge. I didn’t tell anyone what had happened yet, either. I rushed back to my apartment in surprise. I’d gone into my office because I accidentally left my wallet there and needed to go grocery shopping. The next thing I knew, two guys in suits were at my front door.”
Nick shifted on the bed, frowning. “What’s the standard protocol for your office when something like that happens?”
“We’d report it to the Security Information Officer. I was planning to go in early Monday morning to speak with him. There’s a regular security desk in my building and of course guards at the entrances to base. I should’ve told someone,” she said, sounding frustrated. “I could’ve gone straight to my supervisor at DEA or even my own employer. I figured not saying anything until the next morning would be all right.”
“You did what you thought was best,” Nick assured her.
“I knew something was off,” she said, shaking her head. “They knew who I was and showed up at my apartment within the hour. If I hadn’t reported it yet, that meant someone else at Offutt or within DEA knew what was going on. They acted like I was a key witness to an ongoing investigation and leaving for a little while would be for my own safety.”
“Whoever was involved got access to your personal information. If you were in a secure space, I’m assuming you had to badge in. Someone there accessed that.”
“Yeah,” she said, worrying her lip. Kaylee was still pacing, playing with the zipper on her hoodie. The material fell to the side, revealing a creamy shoulder. Her breasts were rising and falling, pushing against the white tank top as her breathing sped up. Nick stilled. He had no right to want her, but God damn, he did.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on the back of her head as she turned and strode the other way, still agitated. “What’s the name of the military officer you caught sharing classified information?” he asked.
She whipped around, her gaze landing on him. “Colonel Mike Cornwell. I only found that out afterward, because I don’t directly work with him. We didn’t know each other before that night.”
“And the woman?”
“She’s in HR. I forgot her name but could find out. I don’t think she would’ve known exactly who I am either. I only recognized her from HR training. She wouldn’t know me from my face alone.”
Nick nodded. “One of them had access to the security databases or knew someone who did. They found out who badged in at that time, got your name, and then went to your home. If the men who you believed were FBI or other Federal Agents came to your apartment immediately after what you witnessed, someone at Offutt or DEA sent them.”
“They wanted me out of the way, so I couldn’t report them. But what happened to that classified intelligence? She was photographing some materials Colonel Cornwell had.”
Nick’s fist clenched. “The materials could’ve been sold already, unless they were waiting for the right buyer. Either way, you witnessed what happened, and that puts you in jeopardy. They already identified you.”
Kaylee let out a breath. “So, what should I do? I feel like I don’t even know who to trust right now. I don’t know if anyone else was involved.” Her chest rose and fell again, and he could see the fear in her eyes.
“We need to find the extent of who’s involved in this. I’ll have my team work on it.”
“Your team of bodyguards?” she asked skeptically.
“There’s stuff about me you don’t know either.”
She looked at him, her green eyes wide, and the vulnerability he saw there slayed him. Nick clenched his jaw as he stood, slowly moving toward Kaylee. If he was going to help her, she deserved to know the truth. “Shadow Security does provide bodyguards to clients, mostly former government officials. I do other work, too. Go on missions.”
Kaylee let out a breath. “You never got out of the Army?”
“I’m out of the Army. I run missions on a black ops team now.”
