Jordan stood facing the French doors that led to the back patio, his arms crossed over his chest, as he forced himself to stay in place.
“Are Micah and Nik in place?” he asked quietly.
“They’re ready to roll,” John told him. “They have the same view I have until she leaves the camera’s field of vision. After that, all he has is the tracker we placed on her car.” He gave a small, amused grunt. “Son of a bitch, it’s a good thing you warned me about the electronics detector she slipped out of base, because she’s running it over the vehicle now. I was able to modify the tracker so she can’t spot it, but damn, it wasn’t easy.”
Jordan almost had to grin. She’d slipped out several little goodies that the team had used in the course of their missions. The enterprising little thing had squirreled away well over a million dollars’ worth of high-tech equipment.
And he’d let her. Despite the fact that he had been certain she was covered, that her new identity was secure, he’d allowed her to take it.
Because he knew it would make her feel secure.
“It’s nice to know she came out of there with something for the six years she gave you,” Bailey murmured, apparently following his train of thought.
Jordan almost winced at the not-so-subtle dig. He knew that for years the women at the base had watched him and Tehya, expecting any day that their relationship would develop into something more. When it hadn’t, their disappointment in him had been apparent.
“Door’s up and she’s pulling out, Jordan,” John reported. “Micah and Nik are on her ass.”
Maverick and Renegade would make sure she was protected.
Jordan had known she would run. Once John, Bailey, Travis, and Lilly had shown up, she’d panicked, just as Kira had predicted when he had called and apprised her of the situation before arriving in Hagerstown.
He was praying that in allowing her to run they would at least catch a glimpse of who was tailing her here. If they could identify who it was then perhaps they could get lucky and trace them back to their employer.
Kira had known Tehya far longer than the rest of them had, and during that first year on base, she had kept Tehya centered on her job when her fears had almost had her running more than once. It had taken nearly a year for her to settle into the idea of being safe.
Staying in one place wasn’t something Tehya had ever done. Most of her life had been spent running, barely managing to stay one step ahead of her father, or the men he continually sent after her.
Settling down and accepting safety hadn’t been something Tehya could adapt to overnight. And as Kira had known, once she had accepted it, the agents with the Elite Ops had become her family.
The thought of endangering them, like those who had tried to protect her as a child had been endangered, had sent her back into the panicked running mode.
Those protectors had all died within weeks of hiding her with someone else. Her father had caught up with them, tortured and murdered them. For months after Tehya had moved into base quarters, her screams had echoed into the steel-lined hall outside her bedroom from the nightmares that haunted her. More than once Jordan had been unable to resist going to her, pulling her from her suite and putting her to work to exhaust her.
“What if she doesn’t come back?” Lilly posed the question worriedly.
“She’ll come back.” Jordan turned back to them. “She has roots here now, Lilly.” He gazed around the house and thought of the small business she owned. “She’s never had roots before. They’ll tie her to this damned house when nothing else could have.”
Lilly shook her head, her gaze somber. “There are no roots strong enough to hold her if her friends are endangered or if you are.”
“Then Micah and Nik can drag her back,” he said icily. “Either way, she’s right, it has to end here, once and for all. And hiding her isn’t an option any longer. If she doesn’t face it, if she’s not a part of her own protection, then she’ll never feel secure.” And he hated realizing that. Hated having her in the line of fire.
He had assumed the malevolent shadow of her father had died the night Sorrel had been killed. He had been certain she would be safe then. Until she was attacked in France while she had been aiding French and American authorities in going through Sorrel’s estate.
This threat was coming from either her father’s former allies, or from his former enemies. Though why, Jordan hadn’t been able to learn. Sorrel was dead, there was no leverage Tehya could provide his enemies. The Sorrel organization had disbanded, and those not in prison had gone on to much more lucrative ventures. Those men had no reason to want to strike out at her. It didn’t make sense, but there was too much proof that somehow, somewhere, this was coming from her ties to her Sorrel.
“You shouldn’t have let her go off alone,” Lilly said, the distinct, feminine arrogance of her European accent emphasizing her displeasure. Lilly had no problem expressing her displeasure when she felt it warranted.
His lips thinned.
“Enough,” he said coolly. “I’m no knight in shining armor, Lilly. I can’t be her savior. All I can do is try to get her through this alive.”
Lilly gave a delicate little snort as her husband cleared his throat. It was more than obvious he was covering a chuckle.
“There’s a difference between being her savior and her lover, Jordan,” Bailey said. “And don’t even try to tell me you weren’t, or aren’t interested.”
Jordan glared at John, then at Travis.
John held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, man, she has a mouth of her own. I just try to protect it when she pisses too many people off.”
Hell. He didn’t need this crap. He should be out there following Tehya, ensuring her safety rather than leaving the task to others. For now, she was his woman, his lover. She was his responsibility.
Not that they weren’t fully capable of protecting her, but the male protective instincts rising inside him didn’t care. She was his. He didn’t trust anyone to protect her as he knew only he could.
“I did get around to researching the landscaping company she owns,” Finally Bailey had something to say other than the subtle recriminations she and Lily were prone to aim at him. “I reached the previous owner before we came in this morning. He’s retired and living the life in Florida.” She rolled her eyes. “The company had been up for sale for over a year before Tehya bought it. There’s nothing suspicious there. He absolutely adores her, though. She negotiated the price down by several thousand dollars despite his best efforts. He said it was like stealing money from his own kid until he dropped the price for her.” Amusement and affection filled her voice.
Jordan could believe that. Saying no to Tehya was damned hard, even for him.
“It was near bankruptcy when she bought it,” Lilly said, taking over. “It’s now thriving. She has quite a few customers, many who began with simple, small projects and then ended up calling again for other projects as her flair for design became known. When I called them, supposedly for references, he sang her praises and all but demanded I hire her.”
“She has an excellent head for business,” Travis said, taking his turn. “I went over her accounts when I hacked her office computer this morning. She’s building slowly, taking her time and ensuring she’s not overreaching. As stated, she’s a damned good designer and she has a some good employees.”
“Losing the business would break her heart,” Lilly said as she stared back at him, her gaze hard, as though he were somehow endangering the business their friend so loved.
Hell, the two women weren’t going to stop.
“I’m not asking her to walk away from it, Lilly,” he reminded her, irritation hardening his tone. “You know that.”
Her lips thinned as she turned away from him. It was evident the two women were somehow blaming him for this situation.
Much more, Jordan admitted, and he would have to rethink his decision to bring the couples in. He may end up having to send them back
to their own lives.
“She’s stopped, Jordan.” John interrupted his thoughts as a report came through to the Bluetooth communications set he wore at his ear. “A bar in Hagerstown.”
“Friendly’s.” Jordan gave a short nod. “She’s been going there for a while.” Rory and his partner Casey had been watching her there for nearly a week.
“And she had a tail.” John turned to him as Jordan felt his body tighten with furious tension. “They pulled back for some reason, though, when she pulled into the bar. Micah’s certain he and Nik weren’t spotted, but when she pulled into the parking lot across from the bar, the tail turned around and disappeared.”
“They knew where she was headed,” Jordan guessed. “There’s someone either waiting at the bar or heading in behind her. They’ll wait to see who follows her in.”
John gave a tight nod. “Whoever’s following her here are damned good Jordan. That’s the only glimpse thats been caught of them. They’re careful.”
“Too damned careful and too damned quiet. We don’t even know how many are watching her, who’s hired them, and not even a peep regarding their agenda,” Lilly crossed her arms beneath her breasts as she frowned back at them.
John shook his head as his wife, Bailey, moved closer, and he wrapped his arm around her. “They can’t remain hidden forever though. Sooner or later, they’ll have to make a move, and when they do, we’ll be there, waiting.”
Jordan stared at the two men and their very capable wives as they stared back at him, and thought of the two men following her, as well as the one winging his way to Maryland even now. He’d called in the best help he could find to save the only woman who had mattered to his soul since he was a boy.
He’d called in the first, and the best, Elite Operations team that had ever existed.
His team, to protect his woman.
CHAPTER 5
“Hey, Teylor, you’re here early,” Kyle the bartender called out as she entered the dim interior of the bar and looked around.
The Saturday afternoon regulars were there, no more than half a dozen. Journey was there as well, a plate of Wing Dings, the bar’s exceptional chicken wings, and a glass of soda sat next to a heavy text book she had been reading. Friendly’s had become her only hangout, Journey had told Tehya a few weeks before. It was the only place she felt comfortable, she claimed.
Journey lifted her head and a smile crossed her face as she raised her hand in greeting before turning her attention back to her book, obviously more interested in studying than socializing.
Shoulder-length fiery gold hair fell over a delicate face as she frowned fiercely at whatever she was reading.
“This is the wrong place to attempt to study,” Tehya chided her in amusement as she caught Journey’s nails tapping against the table in time to the music. “I hope the test isn’t being given anytime soon.”
Journey grimaced as she lifted her head and pushed the book away. “A very boring dissertation on an even more boring poet. I’m still trying to convince grandfather to allow me to drop the English major for one of graphic design.”
“She’ll make a lousy English major with that attitude.” Casey stated sympathetically from the table next to Journey. “She needs to simply do what she wants and tell the rest of them to kiss her ass.”
“Is that your best advice, Casey?” Tehya shot him a look of amusement that took effort. “Maybe you should give her tips on pissing her grandfather off.”
“I would, but she keeps throwing that damned boyfriend up at me.” He shot her a quick grin. “I keep telling her Sebastian’s a sissy name and there’s no way he’ll stand up to good ole grandpop with her.”
Tehya gave a low, easy laugh. Another response that she didn’t feel. Journey had begun seeing Sebastian several weeks before, though she had only mentioned him to Tehya a few times and never with a last name.
After getting his beer, Casey came back to the table and Journey, who was still staring at her book.
Tehya headed over to the bar and accepted the cold bottle of beer Kyle set in front of her. She moved beside Journey as she remained silent, gripped the bottle and sipped.
Hell, why had she run here? Tehya wondered as she looked around the small bar. Journey was studiously ignoring Casey now as she always did when he teased her over Sebastian.
“Hey, Tey, you’re quiet today.” Casey looked over to her a few minutes later as he sipped at his beer, his brown eyes curious. “Everything cool?”
She nodded absently. “Fine, Casey. Just at loose ends at the moment.”
Tehya didn’t work Saturdays and Sundays. She usually cleaned house, took care of the yard, or did paperwork. Normally, she didn’t arrive at the bar until late for a drink, and to watch other customers while pretending she was a part of the joviality that existed among them.
Friendly’s was just what its name implied. No one put on airs, no one pretended to be superior to the others. It was simply a nice little place for a beer, friendly company, and a chance to unwind.
And still, she felt out of place. And today, she definitely wasn’t unwinding, while the sense of not belonging felt sharper than normal.
Always on the outside looking in.
Always dreaming about life, but never living it. She’d never had a chance to live, to love without fear, or to work to realize her dreams. And she hated that.
A shaft of light speared through the side entrance, drawing her gaze as she lifted the beer to her lips, pausing before taking a sip.
Tehya wanted to groan in frustration. Instead, she pretended not to see the new arrival as he strode to the table and pulled out the chair before sitting down.
That didn’t keep the few women in the bar from turning to stare. After all, he was tall, broad shouldered, arrogant, and had an air of sexy, dominant danger about him.
He was dressed in jeans, a casual dark shirt, leather jacket and boots, and there were probably no less than half a dozen weapons hidden on his body. Breathing out wearily she stood from the table, ignoring Casey and Journey’s curious gazes as she moved to the bar, followed by the silent, dark-eyed male everyone seemed to be watching. His arrival told her far more than words ever could. Jordan was serious about this unsanctioned operation. And he was serious about making certain someone was watching her.
He slid onto the barstool beside her. “Give me what she’s having,” he ordered the bartender, nodding at her beer.
Kyle shot her a surprised look before filling the order and taking the money tossed onto the bar.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice low as she lifted the bottle to her lips. “And who do you have following me? I know it wasn’t you.” She would have seen him. Micah wouldn’t have tried to hide from her.
“Nope, wasn’t me.” A flash of white teeth in sun-darkened flesh, the glimmer of devil’s black eyes.
Micah Sloane, aka Maverick.
She sighed. “You should be home with your family.”
What the hell had Jordan done, pulled in the whole freakin’ team?
“Seen the pictures lately? I’m telling you, that little rugrat is hell on wheels.” Pure pride filled Micah’s voice as he pulled a photo from his inside jacket pocket.
Tehya almost rolled her eyes at the proud papa move.
Laughing, radiant. It was almost as if the picture itself were infused with the love shining from his young blond wife and the toddler, black-haired, black-eyed Trace, she held in her arms. Micah sat beside her, his arm around her, and in his free arm he held an infant dressed in pink. Six-month-old Emmaline Allegiance Sloane.
The boy had a mischievous grin on his face, the daughter innocently content in her father’s arms, and the mother stared back with a secretive Mona Lisa smile. She was a woman who knew the joys, the secrets of being loved by a strong, powerful man.
He tucked the photo away again.
“They’re beautiful,” she said, taking another long sip. “Why aren’t you home with them?”
Fro
m the corner of her eye she watched as he reached up and scratched his jaw while staring at her profile. Black eyes were gentle, his expression compassionate.
“Well, see, I have this friend,” he confided, his voice low enough to carry to her ears only. “She’s in trouble and doesn’t want to accept help. Then I have this other friend. He’s lost his heart and doesn’t want to accept it. I’m here to help both of them. I’m a nice guy like that.”
And she wanted to cry, because he truly was a good friend like that and thought nothing of endangering himself to help a friend.
“Your friend hasn’t lost his heart,” she said, knowing exactly who he was talking about. “Trust me, it’s right there in his chest, just as hard and cold as it ever was.”
Micah chuckled.
“Hey, Teylor, this yahoo botherin’ you?” Casey’s voice came from behind her. It sounded more aggressive than she had ever heard him, and filled with a warning to Micah. Lord love him, Casey had no idea the weapon he was close to challenging.
She could only shake her head wearily.
“Hey, man, I got this,” Micah assured him with an amused, patient smile. “Go find a little plaything of your own, why don’t ya?”
Tehya choked as she fought back a weary groan. She really didn’t need the male posturing right now.
“It’s fine, Casey,” she turned and said to him. “What my friend means is that he’s a smart-mouthed ass, but he’s cool all the same.”
“Oh.” Casey looked at Micah, narrowing his gaze on him, his expression forbidding. “He looks like bad news to me, Tey.”
“Naw, he just likes to bring bad news,” she told him. “Everything’s fine, Casey, I promise.”
Casey scratched his head in confusion, as he looked from Tehya to Micah and back again for a long moment.
“I should just go back and aggravate Journey some more maybe?” he suggested, though Tehya could see the suspicion still darkening his gaze.
Tehya’s nodded somberly. “Yeah, I’d do that, Casey.”
He gave another glance toward Micah before grunting irritably and returning to a still-silent, studious Journey.