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NICK’S PHONE BUZZED on the nightstand, and he muttered a curse, reaching over to grab it before the sound woke Kaylee. He’d been a light sleeper ever since joining the Army, which was both a blessing and a curse. He was always alert and at the ready and now had even more reason to be protective. While Kaylee said she hadn’t slept well at the safehouse, she didn’t seem to have trouble with him here, and a sense of satisfaction coursed through him at that thought. He loved that she felt safe enough to sleep in his arms every night. There’d never even been a discussion of him sleeping on the couch or Kaylee crashing in his guest room. He’d taken her to his bed the night before, and that was that. Now her few belongings were scattered about with his own things, and having her here felt so fucking right, he didn’t want to ever let her go.
Fumbling with the phone, he blinked at the screen and saw a text from West.
West: We just ID’d the guys. Call me.
Nick: Got it. Give me a minute.
He sat up in the bed, scrubbing a hand over his eyes, and inadvertently tugging the sheets off Kaylee. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, her dark hair spread on the pillow, her creamy skin soft and enticing. The sight of her bare breasts made his libido rise. She had pretty pink nipples that he loved to suck on and tease. Kaylee had always been sensitive, and he enjoyed exploring various ways to make her come apart in his arms. Nick had held her against him earlier as he leaned against his headboard, one of his hands cupping her breast, the other between her spread legs as he fingered her slick folds. She’d been whimpering and begging for him in no time, and he’d brought her to orgasm, enjoying the sound of his name on her lips and her body arching against his, lost to the pleasure he was giving her.
They hadn’t had sex yet, but Nick wasn’t in a rush. They’d made love frequently as teenagers but somehow both knew that when it happened again, it would mean something. Kaylee was sexy and gorgeous, something to be treasured, and his protective instincts rose whenever she was near.
Readjusting the covers so she wouldn’t get cold, his feet hit the floor, and he stood. Nick was wearing only boxers, but he grabbed his phone again and headed down the hall so as not to wake Kaylee. He stood in his kitchen, pushing the button to call West back, his body already tense and alert. West wouldn’t call in the middle of the night unless it was urgent. The woman sleeping in Nick’s bed meant everything to him, and he needed to know who these fuckers were that had shown up at her door.
“We just got ID on the two mofos who had Kaylee,” West said, sounding surprisingly alert for the middle of the night. Vaguely, Nick wondered when the man slept. He seemed to always be on duty, helping out the team from the technical side of things.
“Who are they?” Nick asked, his voice harsh.
“Jarid Cronin and Kyle Levins. Both men are wanted criminals,” West said. “How Cornwell became involved with them is anyone’s guess, but they’re both former military, dishonorably discharged three years ago. They’re hired guns, taking under-the-table jobs, and they’ve evaded the law on multiple occasions to remain working underground.”
“Hell. What are they wanted for?” Nick asked.
“They’ve got an entire laundry list of charges, the most recent highly concerning. They both have charges for abduction and rape. The last woman they held wasn’t as fortunate as Kaylee,” West said, his voice grim.
Nick’s hands clenched into fists, rage coursing through him. He wanted to go beat the shit out of something, find these assholes and end them for even so much as looking at her. “Fuck,” he ground out. “They’re goddamn rapists?”
“She’s lucky to have escaped unharmed,” West said.
Nick saw red. He couldn’t believe Kaylee had been kept with those assholes for a month. That an officer in the military had seemingly hired them, leaving Kaylee at their complete and utter mercy. “What the hell stopped them from harming Kaylee?” he asked, realizing his voice had risen. He glanced down the hallway, but didn’t hear her stirring. His house was silent, and he focused back on his phone call.
“Money. They were no doubt given explicit instructions not to harm her. I believe Cornwell was biding his time. He needed a plan on how best to handle her, and he had no idea if she’d told anyone yet about what she’d witnessed. Kaylee ending up killed after her sudden disappearance would be suspicious given they were all in the same office that night. Records at Offutt would have each of them badging into the space.”
“Motherfucker,” Nick spat out, his voice quiet but deadly. “She could’ve been hurt because of him.”
“They’re not going to be happy that she disappeared,” West warned. “If anything, Kaylee might be in even more danger now. Cornwell will still be looking for her, but now these assholes probably will be, too. They’re not getting paid if she escaped from right beneath their noses. They’re going to want her back.”
Nick hadn’t even considered that. He was in the situation so deeply, he felt like he couldn’t even see things clearly. He was missing the big picture. “They can’t track her here,” he said boldly. “She took a bus west of Omaha to a small college town. They don’t know who I am. Even if those fuckers were the ones on my tail leaving her apartment the other night, I had a rental car.”
“We don’t know the extent of their connection or resources,” West said.
Nick huffed out a breath. “You think they got the plate and figured out who I am? Hacked into the records at the rental car place?”
“I’m saying nothing’s off the table,” West stressed.
“She’ll be safe at my house,” Nick said. “I’m not going to let her out of my sight. When I come in to headquarters, Kaylee will be with me then as well. Shit,” he said, realization dawning on him. “You think these guys are the ones who offed the Security Information Officer?”
“That’s a valid point. I’ll see what I can find out. I wanted to let you know right away though. If they are looking for her, she’ll be in trouble. Apparently, both were dishonorably discharged from the military because they were accused of assault. I hate to say it, but Kaylee was very lucky. Watch your six,” West said. “It’s doubtful they can track her to New York, but I can’t guarantee they won’t. She had her laptop with her. Her backpack. I think they would’ve already shown up if they had some sort of GPS tracker on her and were monitoring her movements, but I honestly don’t know what to think about their capabilities.”
“Roger that,” Nick said. “I appreciate the call.”
He set his phone down on the counter after West disconnected, looking around his dark kitchen. The only light was from the moon outside, peeking in through the blinds. His house was silent. Still. Suddenly, it felt all too vulnerable. He had locks on his doors and an alarm but not a security system like Jett did at his large home. He didn’t have cameras around his property. If someone truly wanted to enter, Nick alone would be the one to stop them.
Uneasiness churned through his gut. For a man used to being on alert, lying in wait as a sniper, he was scared he’d miss something. Operating on foreign soil was different than monitoring things in Omaha or worrying someone might show up in his own backyard. He didn’t think they had any way to track Kaylee after she’d left the safehouse, but what if he was wrong?
