Aegis Security 03 - Extreme Measures (29 page)

True. It’d be virtually impossible for her take off on her own. But with Eve,
impossible
was never a word he used lightly.

When they were both gone, Ryder lifted his brows. “Handcuff?”

Zane’s cheeks warmed. He downed the rest of his wine in one swallow. Pushing back from the table, he said, “Law enforcement technique.”

“You were never in law enforcement, dumbass.”

Zane grinned. “Whatever works, right?”

Ryder stood. “Let’s you and I get some air, Archer.”

Marley rose as well. “Miller, that means we’re on dish duty.”

“Aw, Mom,” Miller groaned. “Do I have to?”

She smiled and moved into the kitchen. “We’ll make a game out of it. For every Ryder joke you can come up with, I’ll clean two dishes to your one.”

He bolted from his chair. “Done.”

Ryder shook his head. “See the shit I put up with?”

Zane couldn’t help it. He smiled.

The cool mountain air felt good against Zane’s skin, and as they stepped out onto the back deck that overlooked the black lake, he filled his lungs with sweet, mountain air. The rain had stopped, and breaks in the clouds filtered just enough moonlight to shimmer like ribbons of silver across the surface of the lake.

Ryder leaned his forearms against the railing. “You think Wolfe will go along with our plan?”

Zane shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. That unease was still there about Eve, but after their heart-to-heart earlier, he knew they’d turned a corner. “She doesn’t have many other options. She’ll go along with it.”

“I talked to Tierney just before dinner. He’s in New York at a photo shoot with his wife. He’ll meet us in DC day after tomorrow.”

“You don’t think Roberts will be suspicious?”

“Of course he will be, but we’ll use that to our advantage. I know the way the guy thinks. Which brings me to you.” He turned, still leaning against the railing but this time with one elbow. “I have no fucking clue how you think. And that’s usually a liability.”

Zane stiffened. “I already told you I quit. You don’t have to worry about—”

“I don’t want you to quit. I didn’t want you to quit a year ago. Tell me this. Did you know Wolfe was innocent? Did you have any hunch before you went after her?”

Zane thought about his answer. And knew lying right now wouldn’t do any good. “I wanted her to be. But no, I didn’t think she was.”

“And yet your instincts still said to go after her.” Ryder turned back toward the railing, rested both forearms on the damp wood, and looked out at the sparkling lake. “I can teach tactical maneuvers. I can teach an operative how to read a situation and analyze a threat. What I can’t teach is instinct. I’m not happy about the way you went about it, but your instinct on this one was right.”

He slanted Zane a look. “Just, next time, tell me what you have fucking planned before you go off the reservation. It’ll sure as hell save me an ulcer.”

Zane’s muscles relaxed one by one, and a slow and easy smile spread across his face. “Will do.”

He turned for the door.

“Archer.”

One hand on the door handle, Zane looked back over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Don’t fuck things up with Wolfe tonight. We need her on our side on this.”

Zane huffed a sound that was half laugh, half disbelief. “Don’t I know it.”

The kitchen was empty when he went back inside. Marley and Miller had obviously gone to find rooms of their own. Since the lodge boasted eight bedrooms, there was plenty of space for all of them to spread out, but Zane didn’t want a room of his own. He wanted Eve. And he wanted to make sure the distance he’d felt her drawing between them was just his own damn insecurities and nothing more.

He found the master bedroom empty too. Turning back for the hallway that ran to the other end of the house, he peeked into the first bedroom and found it quiet. Miller’s duffel bag sat on the bed in the second, and water ran from the adjacent bathroom. He was just about to try the third door when it opened and Eve drew up short with an abbreviated gasp. “Zane.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Geez, you scared me.”

“Sorry.”

He moved back just enough so she could step out into the hall and pull the door closed behind her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Sleeping, finally. I made her take the sleep aid the hospital sent home with her.”

He nodded and studied her closely. “How about you?”

“Me? I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

He brushed a lock of hair back from her temple. “Eve,” he said softly.

She closed her eyes and. “We argued. The last time we talked. At our dad’s funeral. Did you know that? I’d flown all the way back from Turkey for the service, and she laid into me about never being around. And I was already feeling guilty enough about not being there with him at the end. I was so mad at her. I just . . .” She shook her head. “I just had to get out of there. So I left. I left her to take care of it all. And when I think about that, and then about the fact that none of this would have happened to her if it weren’t for me—”

“Stop.” He couldn’t let her beat herself up anymore. “Olivia’s alive. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Kinda hard to believe that when I look at the bruises on her face and arms.”

He tipped her chin up with his hand. “Open your eyes, Evie.” He waited until she did, until her amber irises focused on his. “She’s alive because of you. Because you didn’t give up on her and because you sent Miller to get her. And speaking of Miller, something tells me he’s not gonna let anyone get within ten feet of her.”

She swiped at her cheek. “I saw that too. And I’m more than a little worried about that fact. Miller’s an ex-assassin.”

“Can you think of anyone better to protect her?”

Eve frowned, and a sexy little crease formed between her eyebrows, one he wanted to kiss away. “That’s not funny. Don’t try to make jokes right now.”

“I’m not. I’m being perfectly serious.”

She looked away, then ran a hand through her hair.

“Look, if it makes you feel any better, your sister isn’t Miller’s type. He likes his women long-legged, big-breasted, and short on brains.”

Eve huffed. “That’s definitely not Olivia.”

One side of Zane’s lips curled. “No, it’s not. Whatever’s going on between them has to do with the rescue and nothing more. Miller’s not stupid enough to get involved with one of his principals, no matter how sweet she might be. And honestly, I’m pretty sure the DIA trained any kind of real emotion out of him long ago.”

Eve’s gaze met his. “I just wish Olivia knew that.”

“She will. Trust me. By tomorrow, anything you thought you saw between them will be long gone. Miller will make sure of it.”

Eve frowned like she wasn’t sure, but she heaved out a breath. “I’m too keyed up to sleep right now. Maybe I need to go for a walk.”

He lifted her off the floor and threw her over his shoulder. “I think we can find another way to tire you out.”

“Archer.” She pressed a silky soft hand against his lower back. One that warmed him from the outside in. “I’m not really in the mood right now.”

He dropped her on her feet, kicked the master bedroom door closed, and then tugged her into his arms. “You will be.” Before he was done, he planned to make sure that distance between them vanished for good. He lowered his mouth to hers and reveled in the soft sigh that slipped from her lips just before she sank into the kiss. “Give in to me, Evie.”

Her fingers threaded into his hair, and her hips pressed flush against his. “I already have, haven’t I?”

He needed to make sure she always would. He walked her back toward the bed. “Do it again.”

E
ve waited until Zane was sound asleep before she eased quietly out from under his warm, naked body.

The clock read 2:00 a.m., which meant she didn’t have many hours until daylight. Tugging on a long-sleeved shirt and slim jeans, she bit her lip to keep from groaning at the ache in her muscles. This was a sweet ache, though. From Zane’s adventurous lovemaking, which had lasted way longer than she’d expected.

Warmth rolled through her belly and hips when she remembered his hands, his lips, the wicked things he could do with his tongue. As she sat on a bench in the walk-in closet and pulled on a pair of hiking boots, then reached for a light jacket from a hanger, she reminded herself she wasn’t running. Not like the last time. She was doing this for him.

Yeah, he’d be ticked when he awoke and found she was gone, but she wasn’t about to let one more person she cared about get hurt because of her. Even if they thought they had a foolproof plan. Because there was no such thing as a foolproof plan in this situation.

She checked the magazine on the Glock she’d set on the shelf in the closet when they’d first arrived, then holstered it at her back. Her gut said Roberts was not the mole.

And if you’re wrong?

Well, then she’d be the one to take him out.

Quietly, she stepped out of the closet and paused in the middle of the bedroom. Zane’s rhythmic breathing echoed from the bed. She moved to the end of the mattress and stared down at him. He was lying on his side, his cheek pressed against the pillow, his hand up near his face, the blanket low against his lean hips, showcasing the muscles in his belly and chest and arms, making her ache to slide back in next to him and forget her stupid plan.

But it wasn’t stupid. And she was done sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to happen. Olivia was safe. She knew Miller and the others would protect her. Now it was her turn to protect the people she loved.

She didn’t kiss him goodbye. Knew if she did and he woke up, she’d lose her chance to make a clean break. Pulse racing, she stepped out of the room, took one last look, and then closed the door softly at her back.

The keys Zane had left sitting on the dresser in the bedroom jingled in her pocket as she made her way downstairs. She paused on the bottom step, waiting to see if anything moved in the house. When only silence met her ears, she crossed to the dark kitchen, scribbled a note, and then folded it and left it on the entry table.

He’d parked the car in the adjacent garage building. Her eyes grew wide when she opened the door to the garage, stepped inside, and flipped on the light. Four shiny snowmobiles, a pristine tractor outfitted with a snow blade to clear the drive, two dirt bikes, and a Range Rover. Top-of-the-line, of course. So new it looked like it had hardly been used.

She bypassed the toys and headed for Zane’s Taurus.

It took a little maneuvering, but she was able to put the vehicle in neutral and push it outside. After closing the garage doors, she got out and gave the car a push, then rushed back to the driver’s side and jumped in. The door closed softly at her side. She coasted down the driveway. When she was a hundred yards away, she finally turned the key in the ignition.

A quick look in the rearview mirror assured her no one had turned on the lights in the house. No one even knew she was gone.

And that was good, because where she was going, she didn’t want anyone to follow.

Zane sat straight up in bed. His heart pounded hard. His skin was slicked with sweat. He wasn’t sure what had woken him, but the tightness in his chest screamed that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Early-morning light speared through the wall of windows that looked out toward the lake. Water sparkled in the distance, and blue-green mountains rose on every side, but he didn’t see the beauty around him. Leaning back on his hands, he looked around the quiet room while his heart beat a staccato against his ribs. “Eve?”

No answer.

Panic crept into his chest, taking up space. He darted a look toward the bathroom. The door was pushed partway open, but no light spilled from the other side. “Eve?”

A cold chill spread down his spine. Throwing back the covers, he tossed his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his jeans from the floor. After tugging them on, he crossed the floor and pushed the bathroom door open wider.

The lavish bathroom was dark and empty. He flipped on a light and looked around. That panic condensed, growing with every silent second.

Moving back into the bedroom, he headed for the master closet and found it empty as well. But Eve’s gun was gone from the shelf.

Panic rolled to disbelief, then downright betrayal. “Son of a bitch.”

He snagged a shirt and pushed his feet into his boots, then rushed down the stairs. Marley and Olivia were sitting on the couch quietly talking when he entered the room. Miller and Ryder were in the kitchen, arguing over a griddle of what smelled like burning pancakes. All four looked up when he entered. There was no sign of Eve.

Son of a . . . goddammit.
He’d caught the signs last night, and he’d all but ignored them. He was either the biggest fucking idiot on the planet or . . .

He clenched his jaw. No, there was no “or.” That was him to the letter.

“She’s gone,” he announced.

Olivia’s eyes grew wide, and she pushed up from the couch “
What?
What do you mean by ‘gone’?”

Ryder set the spatula on the counter, his brows dropping low. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty damn.” Zane raked his hand through his hair. He’d fallen asleep after their lovemaking, and the whole time she’d been plotting to run. Had the last few days not meant anything to her? He hadn’t missed the fact she hadn’t told him she loved him. Obviously, he was still nothing more than a means to an end to her.

“I’ll check outside.” Miller moved for the back door.

“Maybe we’re jumping the gun.” Marley pushed up from the couch and stepped into the kitchen. Her hair was loose around her face, and the glasses she always wore were currently sitting on the table next to her laptop. “Maybe she’s just out for a walk.”

“Out for a walk. Right.” Zane rested his hands on his hips. No, she was long gone. And he wouldn’t find her until she surfaced, which could be months—years—later. No one was better at disappearing than Evelyn Wolfe. “Her gun’s missing.”

“Um, Zane?”

Zane looked toward the archway where Olivia stood. In her hand she held a slip of paper.

“What is it?” Ryder crossed the floor and took the note from Olivia’s fingers. He scanned it, then looked up at Zane. “It’s for you.”

Zane took the paper and stared down at Eve’s handwritten scribbles across the sheet.

Sawyer—

I lied. It’s the only thing I know how to do well. Forget about Roberts. If you’re smart, you’ll disappear, just like I plan to do.

—Juliet

His heart thumped hard while he read the words again and again. But this panic wasn’t clamping down over the fact she’d left. This time it was fear over what she planned to do next that caused his pulse to soar.

He caught Ryder’s gaze. “I need to get to DC.”

Miller thrust the back door open, and a wave of cool air washed into the house. “Vehicle’s gone.”

“She’ll be hours ahead of you,” Ryder said.

“I don’t care. I just need to get there.”

“I don’t understand,” Olivia cut in. “Why DC? The note says she plans to disappear.”

“Because she’s going after Roberts herself,” Marley answered before Zane could. Slowly, she shook her head. “She’s trying to protect you.”

Yeah, Zane had already figured that out. He looked toward Eve’s sister. “She’s lying. She doesn’t believe Roberts is the mole, so she’s planning to confront him herself.”

“Stupid woman,” Ryder muttered. To Marley, he said, “Get on the horn to Mack and get our plane fueled and ready to go.” Then to Zane, “She can’t have more than a three- to four-hour head start. Flying private, we might beat her. If we hustle.”

Zane wasn’t so sure. When Eve put her mind to something, she found a way to make it happen, then and there.

“I still don’t understand,” Olivia said. “She can’t show her face anywhere. The government’s watching for her.”

Olivia obviously didn’t know the extent of Eve’s career. “She knows that. And she’ll find a way around it. She has a stash somewhere in Seattle—money, passports, disguises—in case things went wrong.” He focused on Ryder again. “If she went back for that, then yeah, it’s possible we might beat her. But probably not. This is Eve we’re talking about.”

He headed for the stairs, already cataloging what he’d need to take with him. Ryder’s voice stopped him. “Archer.”

With one hand on the newel post, he looked back. Ryder stood in the archway between the entry and great room. “Yeah?”

“Is she worth it?”

Eve had asked him the same thing. In that motel. And then he hadn’t been able to give her an answer. His gut told him she’d run this time because she loved him, not because she was trying to end things. But there was always the possibility he was wrong. Was she worth getting his teeth kicked in again if he found out he really was just a means to an end?

“I loved you, you son of a bitch.
”

Confidence swirled in his chest. “More than worth it.”

Ryder nodded. “Then I’m in. Get your gear. We’re gone in ten.”

Eve stood in the trees outside ADD Ian Roberts’s brick colonial on the banks of the Potomac in Alexandria, Virginia. Dusk was just settling in, and no lights had come on inside the house yet, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t home.

Common sense told her surprise was her best friend at the moment, but her mind kept second-guessing her decisions. She knew Archer was probably spitting nails right now, but she didn’t want him to walk into another situation that could possibly get him killed. Not when she was the reason, and not when she could be the one to end it.

She’d gotten the lay of the land earlier. The big old colonial was at least three stories, with tall white pillars that rose from the front steps all the way to the roofline, and a balcony that stretched above the double-door entry. A daylight basement and multiple decks opened to the back, and more windows than she could count gazed out at the wide river. Beyond the patio sat a swimming pool, a dock, and a forty-foot sailboat bobbing on the river.

The more she looked around the lavish property, the harder it was for her to deny the fact the man had money. More money than she’d expected. That didn’t mean he’d gotten it selling Company secrets, though. He could have inherited his money, like Archer.

Yeah, right. When, during this entire ordeal, have you been right about anything?

Pushing aside the doubt, she tried the doors on the bottom level and first deck. All were locked. Thankful for the dimming light, she climbed the closest tree, then jumped to the roof. Her boots crunched on the roofing material. She paused, waiting to see if anyone came running out. When nothing happened, she climbed over the peak, then dropped to the third-floor balcony and reached for the door.