Tansy fumed on the drive home.
And Midnight Lodge was now her home. A home that some jerk had tried to invade the other night.
A home she’d opened up to Sam, right along with her heart.
A home she was now going to be sharing with at least three over-protective men.
To be fair, it was Joe’s home, too. And she’d told Sam he could share it with them as well. And she’d agreed to having Graham stay.
But still.
At the moment, she was annoyed with pretty much every male she knew, and she felt cornered and out of control. She really enjoyed being in control, and knowing James had used her from the beginning made her feel like a fool.
Embarrassment filled her to the point she wanted to hide from the world for another four months. Or years.
She wanted to take off as soon as Sam stopped the car, but she wasn’t ready to be quite that childish. Although it was tempting.
Joe pulled his car in beside them and they all stepped out of the vehicles together.
Reluctantly, she took off the headphones. She’d hoped the music would help her absorb everything that James had told her.
And what Sam and Joe hadn’t told her.
Joe grinned at her and swept her up into a hug, despite her mood. Maybe because of it.
“It’s good to see you, Sis.” He always used that instead of her name when he was worried. Reminding them both they weren’t alone in the world.
He’d started using it after their parents had been killed and they’d both felt so alone.
Most of her annoyance simply faded away at the reminder.
She was loved. Sometimes by cavemen, but she was loved.
Joe’s voice lowered for her ears only. “Don’t make him suffer too long.”
That had her smiling into his jacket, and she hugged him back.
When they separated, she found Sam watching them warily.
Might as well face the issue head on. There wasn’t going to be much chance to avoid it on the two-mile hike in.
“Why didn’t you two tell me what you were planning?”
Sam sighed. “You’ve been really stressed since setting up the meet with Stephens. You’ve barely slept. I figured you’d argue about Joe taking a leave to be here, and that would only add to your stress. In hindsight, maybe not the best decision.”
Joe chimed in. “We’re trying to help, Tansy, and now that we know who’s involved, we’re going to need more of it.”
Tansy sighed again and started toward the trail. “I take it you know this Howard that James mentioned? He wasn’t just making up a name?” Then she stopped as Sam’s words fully registered. “Wait. You took a leave? You shouldn’t have done that, Joe. There’s no reason to do that. We had a break-in attempt days ago and nothing since.”
Her brother swung his arm around her and kept walking down the trail. “You’re my sister. Of course I’m here. And I’m doubly glad of it now. Bernard Howard is an arms dealer.”
Tansy’s stomach lurched, and she had to force herself not to vomit. “He’s not getting his hands on my work.”
Joe squeezed her into a hug and then kept moving. “Of course not. No one is going to let that happen.”
It took her a few seconds to unfreeze her feet. This was why she’d insisted on the changes to her contract with the DOD. She didn’t want to be a part of anything that would hurt people. She only wanted to help.
Sam moved closer and gripped her hand. “We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen. All of us.”
The warmth of his hand and the steadiness of his voice and the conviction in it helped.
By the time they reached the lodge, Tansy wasn’t angry at them anymore. All of her anger was directed squarely at James. Where it should have been aimed in the first place. She didn’t get angry very often and she needed to work on not throwing it around willy-nilly at everyone.
Inside, they found Graham setting up a meal buffet-style on the coffee table in the main room.
She’d only met him briefly the previous day, but she liked this friendly man with the shadows in his eyes.
She was surrounded by handsome, over-protective men. One she liked, two she loved. One she was in love with.
Graham smiled at her. “Figured you could use something to eat after your meeting. Must have been a gut-punch to see the jerk again. Don’t suppose you got a chance to kick his ass?”
Tansy smiled back. “There’s always next time.”
Sam yanked her into a one-armed hug. “No way that jerk is getting close to you again.”
Graham laughed. “Eat before you get even growlier and she has to kick your ass instead.”
The comment made them all smile as they sat. Graham had made up sandwiches and had heated up some of her minestrone soup.
Before she could protest that she wasn’t hungry, Sam handed her a bowl of the soup and a spoon.
Graham broke the tension again. “Joe wouldn’t share details with me, so give me the highlights.”
Sam growled. “Stephens is a dumbass who isn’t as smart as he thinks he is. He appears to believe his own bullshit and thought he had an actual chance of getting Tansy to agree.”
All completely accurate. Embarrassment at being duped filled her again, and she stirred her soup but didn’t eat.
Joe chipped in. “Stephens said that Howard wants to bid on the tech.”
Sam grinned. “Tech he kept calling camouflage when that’s not what it is. Pissed off Tansy without even trying.”
In so many ways, but she was just as pissed at herself for being the fool for so long.
Graham held up a hand. “Howard? As in Bernard Howard? Jackass of all trades?”
That almost made Tansy smile.
Sam and Joe nodded, and soon Tansy knew more about the illegal arms trade than she’d ever wanted to know. It made her feel ill even as it strengthened her determination to ensure this creep never got his hands on her ideas.
Graham looked at her then Joe. “I’m guessing both of your names are on the property records for this place?”
The question brought her attention back to the topic. And she realized the implication. “Yes. If Stephens has told this Howard my name, he can find us.”
Sam immediately reached to take her hand and squeeze it. “He’s not going to get to you.”
Which wasn’t the same as finding her.
At first, Tansy had thought Sam’s worry about the plane was an over-the-top reaction. Now, she had to agree that it was entirely possible this man, or one like him, was scouting her place.
“I need to get this experiment finished and out of my hands. I want it gone.” She stood and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to grab my things and head to the cabin. I need to run a new trial with the data tweaks I’ve made.”
Once it was done, she could forget all about it and all about James Stephens as well.
Sam blew out a breath as he watched Tansy jog up the stairs.
She was vibrating and hadn’t eaten even a bite of soup. He wanted to scoop her into his lap and hold her. Forever.
He was a goner for her, but it wasn’t the time to tell her. Hell, she was pissed at him for bringing in Joe without telling her. But he’d do it again.
He’d do anything to keep her safe.
Joe thumped down his bowl. “I’ve never seen her this upset. She’s really pissed.”
Sam nodded, but Graham let out a sigh. “Seriously, you think she’s only pissed? She’s a whole lot more than that.”
“What the hell does that mean?” And why did Graham suddenly think he was an expert on someone he’d only met the night before?
That kind of comment might have come from Nico. He was the hot-shot FBI profiler. Graham preferred engines and electricity to people.
“Oh, come on, you two. Seriously? She’s embarrassed. Maybe even crossing into mortified territory, and it’s eating her up.”
Sam exchanged a look with Joe, but he looked just as confused.
Graham picked up another sandwich. “Tansy’s pretty much the smartest person in any room she’s in. She’s used to being smart. Probably takes it for granted if she even wastes time thinking about it.”
They all knew that. “So what?”
Graham finished chewing before he answered. “So, James Stephens made her feel like a fool. He used her from the beginning. Got her to talk about her hush-hush project enough that he found it was a money-maker. I’m assuming he slept with her. Then she finds out he had no use for her. Not her as a person, anyway.”
“But that shit’s all on him.” Sam’s anger rushed up again. The jerk deserved to pay.
“That’s what most people are going to think. But I’m pretty sure that’s not how Tansy’s feeling.”
Was Graham right?
Before they could discuss it any more, Tansy reappeared with her backpack. She headed to the door to switch out her moccasins and he realized she was planning on going alone.
“Wait up. I just need a second.”
She turned at his voice and frowned. “I don’t need an escort.”
He closed his eyes briefly. “You’re getting one, anyway. I’ll just grab my stuff.”
Tansy sighed but nodded.
Sam rushed up the stairs, relieved when she was still there when he returned. Graham passed him a container. “In case anyone gets hungry.”
Good plan. She needed to eat.
And then they were jogging through the woods. Well, running. Tansy had excess energy to burn and Sam didn’t waste any on words. Maybe if she got some of the nerves out, she’d be ready to listen to him.
That didn’t turn out to be the case. Once they were in the cabin, she pulled on noise-cancelling headphones and told him to feel free to make noise. She needed to focus on the hologram.
Sam checked the area, and the cabin, but nothing appeared touched.
He called Joe and Graham. They brainstormed ideas for her protection and for their business.
Midnight Security was going to be a reality soon.
Joe had put in calls to his office and to the terrorism group of the FBI as well. They were in wait mode until they had more information.
Sam called Marcus Ramirez and updated him, sending him the okay to update Troy Phail as well. Ramirez had heard of Howard and assured him they’d be on standby for assistance.
Graham and Joe were doing a recon of the property while Sam stayed with Tansy.
It was hours later when Tansy suddenly stood from her chair, took off her headphones, and stretched. She’d been immobile for most of the time, except for her fingers flying over the keyboard.
She blinked and looked around, smiling when she saw him. That changed almost instantly as reality dropped into her headspace.
Her shoulders slumped and her eyes went carefully blank. Unable to stay in his chair, Sam crossed the room in three strides and pulled her in for a hug.
She stiffened for a moment, but he continued to hold her. With a big sigh, she softened against him and leaned in.
Nothing felt better.
Not even sex, and that was saying a lot. Sex with Tansy was sublime, but this intimacy was better. She was showing she trusted him enough to let down the façade she often showed the world.
She was letting him in her fort with her.
And while that sounded fun and dirty, it meant the world to him. She was letting him be there with her when everything overwhelmed.
After a few minutes, he whispered into her hair. “I’m sorry I sprung Joe on you today. I was trying to keep the added stress away from you, but I know it was a dumb move.”
She moved her hands from where they’d been curled in front of her to wrap around his waist.
“I know I overreacted, so I’m sorry, too.”
He moved his arms over her back and her hair. “It’s been a rough day.”
She nodded against him. “One of the worst. I’m so embarrassed and ashamed.”
Graham had been right. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. None of that. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Tansy snorted into his shirt. “I was a fool. He targeted me because I might be developing something he could use. He had no interest in me as a person, but I couldn’t tell. I fell easily into his plot.”
“People like that have done it before. They’ve perfected their techniques and know exactly how to play on a person’s personality to get what they want. You weren’t supposed to see behind the mask and you didn’t. With Stephens believing his own bullshit, it would have been impossible to see behind it. No shame in that, Tans, no shame in any of it.”
She shook her head.
Sam leaned down to kiss her hair.
“We all get fooled sometimes.”
“Not you.”
A sarcastic laugh slipped out. “Right. Only one of the other reasons I’m not going back to the FBI.”
Tansy shoved back enough to see his face, but she didn’t let go of him. “What happened?”
“This case was a year or so back.” He’d only ever discussed this with his team, but he needed to share it with her.
“The courts had refused this guy access to his daughter. He was an alcoholic and drug user. After the girl disappeared, the first place we went was this guy’s apartment. He opened the door, looking like a regular guy. Clear eyes, clean apartment, good clean clothes, properly horrified that someone had taken his girl.”
Now it was Tansy’s hands that were offering comfort. “But he’d taken her?”
“He had. Spent a week cleaning up his act so that he could get away with it.”
Tansy kissed his chest and tightened her hold.
“We knew something wasn’t right, so we went back, but he was gone. The place was empty. Took us a week to track him down. He was two states away and on his third stolen car.”
He took a deep breath and let Tansy’s hands soothe him. The images still haunted him.
“He hadn’t even locked the motel room door. The baby was on the floor, unconscious. The jerk was passed out on the bed. Vomit and drugs were everywhere.”
“Was the baby alive?”
Sam squeezed her. “Barely.”
“Is she okay now?”
Sam shook his head. “No. The injuries and internal bleeding were too much. She died a few days later without regaining consciousness.” It haunted him. Always would.
His breathing was ragged and he could feel Tansy’s tears on his shirt, his own in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Sam, so very sorry. That’s horrific. That poor little girl. Tell me he’s never getting out of jail.”
“He’s never getting out.”
She nodded sharply into his chest. “Good. He never deserves to be free again.”
They stood wrapped in each other for long minutes and then Tansy looked up at him again. “Thanks for sharing that with me.”
“I’ll share anything with you. Always.” And he meant it.
Tansy nodded seriously and then watched him for a minute before nodding. “Me too.”
Relief swamped him. They’d get through this. He caressed her cheek and eventually, the serious look in her eyes changed.
She smiled, and her eyes twinkled. Then her fingers traced over his chest, following the lines of his muscles.
Heat built, and for a long moment, they simply looked into each other’s eyes.
“I have an idea about what you could share next.”
Sam laughed, and Tansy grinned.
“You do, do you?”
She nodded and her hand moved lower. “I do. What do you think about that?”
Sam lowered his hands and squeezed her ass, then boosted her up so that her legs wrapped around him.
“I think sharing is caring.”