EVERY INSTINCT IN Nick told him to grab Kaylan and run as far away as possible. They could be happy somewhere else, anywhere that Janus couldn’t find them. A shack in Haiti. The beach in Australia. A cottage in England. He didn’t care. Any other option seemed better than reality . . . one of the most-wanted arms dealers in the world knew his girlfriend’s address.
Nick had to concentrate not to step on Kaylan’s heels as he and Micah flanked her all the way to her front door. “Kayles.” Nick placed his hand on her waist and nodded to Micah.
Without a word his friend took the keys from Kaylan’s hand and unlocked the door, then went on ahead to check inside. Nick pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek before glancing around the neighborhood.
“Is this necessary if you called in the FBI?” Kaylan’s soft voice reinforced his protective instincts. “I don’t see why you can’t just take care of this.”
“It’s necessary because this is way out of our hands. We asked them to keep a low profile, and we already told them all we could, but this isn’t optional, Kaylan.” He motioned for Kaylan to follow him into the house.
Micah met them at the door. “No one’s home.”
“Anything look out of place, babe?”
She walked through the house, her eyes darting back and forth. They followed her down the hall to the guest bathroom and Megan’s room then into her room. She shook her head. “It just looks lived in. Neither of us has been home much the last couple of weeks. I really wouldn’t know.”
Nick looked at her nightstand then to her bookshelf in the corner. “Think significant items. Things you might not notice right away but that would carry a lot of sentimental value for you, or us, or your family.”
Her eyes darted around the room, then she shook her head, tossing her hands in the air. “Nothing. I can’t think of anything. If whoever this is wanted to freak me out or take things I can’t replace, they already took my necklace. They took a photo. I’m officially freaked out.”
Micah nodded to her nightstand. “Anything in your drawers or under your bed?”
A faint pink tinged her cheeks and Micah chuckled. “Besides clean laundry, sis.”
Nick did a double take. “You keep clean laundry under the bed? No way.”
She turned on him, her pink face now red. “Hey, you said be vulnerable; this is vulnerable. I didn’t have time to fold it yet, all right?”
A grin spread on his face. “You aren’t as neat as you’re trying to pretend.”
She threw her hand over her heart. “My fatal flaw. Now can we get back to this?” She got down on her hands and knees and reached under the bed skirt, retrieving the wood box Nick had given her right before she left for Haiti.
Opening the lid, she rifled through a few papers. Then her hands stilled and her face went white. Nick immediately knelt at her side. Under a few letters lay a picture of her and Sarah Beth, both with red x’s over their faces. Kaylan’s face boasted a question mark over the x.
Micah punched the wall before turning to face her. “You are not staying here tonight. We are moving you now!”
Nick picked up the photo and turned it over, trying to touch it as little as possible. In the same Russian script he read, Continue to chase me, and she will end up like her friend.
“Nick, what does it say?” Kaylan’s voice shook as she leaned in to him.
He looked at Micah, and a silent understanding passed between them. Panic built in Nick’s gut and threatened to spill over. Never had he been so scared in all his life, not even when he couldn’t locate Kaylan after the earthquake. And he couldn’t control or fix any of it. He knew how to fight the enemy on foreign soil. He knew how to operate within the cloak of night and anonymity. He knew how to use the water as a shield and his body as a weapon. He knew how to use his mind to outwit and outlast any opponent. But he did not know how to protect his girlfriend in her own home on American soil, and the thought paralyzed him.
The front door banged open, and a high-pitched yelp sounded from the living room. He and Micah shot to their feet, every nerve in Nick’s body ready for a fight.
“Hello? Anyone home?”
Kaylan moved past the two of them to greet her roommate. Nick followed her down the hall.
“Well, I see soldier boy’s here.” Megan smiled as she dumped grocery bags on the kitchen floor.
“Soldier boy?” Micah glanced at Nick and grinned.
“Looks like he brought his sidekick with him.”
Nick choked down a laugh and put his arm around Kaylan, watching Micah process Megan’s comment.
“Sidekick? How do you know he’s not my sidekick?”
Megan looked at him and smirked. “It’s okay, Micah. Everyone either has one or is one. Just accept your role in life.”
“Do you have any other flavor besides sarcastic?” Micah’s voice held a teasing bite.
Nick could see this getting out of control. “All right, all right.” He glanced at Micah. “Hey, Megan, can you do us a favor?”
She hopped up on the counter. “I guess that depends.”
Nick looked at Kaylan, wondering if this would come better from her, praying she had the discretion to keep it vague.
She nodded at him, then turned to her roommate. “Megan, would you mind checking your room to see if anything’s missing?”
Megan’s eyes grew wary as she looked from Kaylan to Nick to Micah. “Why?”
“There’s a couple things from my room that are missing, and I need to know if it’s just me.”
“Do you think someone has been in the house?”
“We’re not sure, Meg. But we need to find out.”
“Think valuable or sentimental things,” Nick encouraged.
“Well, that’s a short list.” Megan hopped off the counter. “Perks of a rocky childhood. Give me a few and I’ll check.” She disappeared around the corner.
Kaylan turned to face them when Megan left the room. “It isn’t safe for her either. If y’all don’t want to tell us what’s going on, then fine. I understand. Kind of. But you need to tell her enough to convince her to leave for a few days. I won’t have her hurt by whatever psycho has a problem with you or me.”
“We understand, sis. I promise we’ll take care of it.” Micah plopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote.
Nick couldn’t stand still. He had to do something. He reached for Kaylan’s hand. “Let’s go talk to a couple of the neighbors. Follow my lead, okay?”
She trailed him out the door and onto the porch. “You don’t really think the neighbors had anything to do with this, do you?”
“No. But we’re going to find out if they saw anything.” He locked eyes with her. “Subtly. This person is good. The last thing we need is to cause people to ask questions or let this character know we’re asking around.”
“Let’s start with Nina.” Kaylan motioned to the middle-aged woman watering her flowers next door. “She’s the neighborhood busybody. All three of her girls are in college, and I think she just misses the ability to mother. Did I ever tell you her husband designs video games?”
Nick grinned. “Remind me to never mention I’m in the military around him. I don’t want to be part of the next generation of couch warriors.”
Nina saw them coming and waved as Kaylan and Nick crossed into her yard. “Kaylan, so good to see you again. Isn’t it nice that the weather allows for flowers as we move into fall?” She gestured to the yard around them, waving the hose in the process and grazing their feet with water. Kaylan jumped back, giggling in spite of the reason for their visit.
“Oops, so sorry. Can’t help it. I talk with my hands all the time. My girls tell me I will never lose a beat if I go deaf someday.” She chuckled and cast a glance skyward. “Fingers crossed that never happens.”
Nick smiled, but his heart wasn’t in it. He felt exposed out and about in the neighborhood. They didn’t know where Janus lurked. They only had a grainy shot from a bungalow in South America. His eyes wandered the neighborhood. A black car sat toward the end of the block, and he had a feeling Micah’s FBI buddy resided inside. He squeezed Kaylan’s hand, hoping she would direct the conversation. She replied with gentle pressure. Nick refrained from smiling. They were becoming an old married couple already if they could read each other’s body language.
“Nina, have you seen someone around our house the last couple of weeks dropping something off or anything like that?”
Nina’s eyes lit, and Nick knew they would have to be careful with their questions. If they could just ask the right one, maybe she would talk and let something slip that she wasn’t even aware was important.
“Uh-oh. Did you miss a package delivery? You and Megan know you can always have things sent to our house since I work from home and all.”
“We really appreciate that, ma’am.”
Nina groaned. “Ma’am. You Southern people make me feel so old.” She studied Kaylan and Nick. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen anyone around your house, but I’ve seen some action over at Mildred’s old house.” She motioned to the house across the street. “Like what?” Nick asked as he glanced in that direction.
Nina leaned in close, her short pixie cut curling around her ears, the gray giving her a distinguished look. “I guess her absentee kids finally decided to show up and clean out her house.” She shook her head, her light brown eyes sad. “She was an amazing woman. Too bad they didn’t spend more time with her.”
Nick squeezed Kaylan’s hand again.
She responded in stride. “Anything else, Nina?”
She sprayed another arc of water towards the flowerbed. “I did see someone wandering around the neighborhood at night around three a.m. a couple weeks ago. You know these teenagers, never up to any good. Thank goodness my girls made it through that stage and are in college now.”
Kaylan smothered a smile. “Well, I guess it was nothing then.”
“Oh, nothing is ever nothing, dear. I know what I saw.” She bit her lip and blushed. “Of course, I can’t be completely certain since it was dark and across the street. But I’m sixty-eight percent sure.”
Nick scanned the houses around the block again and moved his arm around Kaylan’s shoulders. “Anyone new to the neighborhood?”
Nina shrugged. “No. Not for a few months anyway since Jenna and Cathryn moved in. Both of them travel quite a bit. I suggested they should just move in together. We should all look out for one another, you know.” She leaned in close again, and Nick struggled not to laugh at his mental image of middle-school girls gossiping over the latest new kid in class. He could barely hear Nina over the water rushing from the hose. “If you ask me, though, I think Jenna has a man coming to see her.”
“I haven’t seen anyone over there,” Kaylan chimed in.
Nina rolled her eyes. “That’s because he doesn’t want to be seen. But I saw someone slip out just the other night when I was out for a late-night stroll with our dog, Roxy. She went crazy barking at a man who climbed into a black car.”
“Do you know what kind of car it was?”
Nina waved the hand holding the hose again, sending a stream splattering against the stucco walls of her home. “That’s my husband’s area of expertise.” Nick could tell she grew bored with the conversation. She walked over to turn the water off.
“You sure it just wasn’t another teenager?” Nick grunted as Kaylan elbowed him in the ribs, but Nina appeared not to have heard.
“I’ve got to get supper on, but I hope you find your package, dear. Please let me know if I can be of any help.” She waved to them both and disappeared inside.
Kaylan turned to Nick as they moved out of Nina’s yard. “I don’t know whether to laugh or be terrified that Nina sees ghosts wandering our neighborhood while I sleep.”
Nick tugged on her hand as he looked up and down the street. “Well, I know where we are going next.” He only hoped Jenna and Cathryn would be as talkative as Nina had been. Kaylan had said her new neighbors were reserved but kind, and she was usually a good judge of character. But right now Nick didn’t trust anyone, even the sweet gossip now cooking supper next door.