Zane shook her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Officially. Eve’s been worried sick about you.”
Olivia slanted Eve a look, and Eve couldn’t help but remember the last time they’d seen each other, at their dad’s funeral, and the argument that had followed. She gripped her sister’s waist tighter, hoping to bridge the gap, wanting to make up for so many things she’d done wrong.
Ryder offered his hand too. “You gave us all a little scare.”
“Not me.” Marley turned in her chair and rested a hand on the back while she smiled up at Olivia. “I always knew Miller would find you. He’s the best of the best.”
Slowly, Olivia’s gaze slid to Miller at the end of the table. His eyes were locked on Olivia, and the look that passed between them . . .
Eve had seen that look before. The one that said, I won’t let anything happen to you. From the man on the other side of her sister. Her gaze drifted to Zane. And she saw it now as he stared over her sister’s head toward her.
Her heart picked up speed. Perspiration broke out along her spine. Tearing his gaze from hers, Zane smiled, looked down at Olivia, and said, “How about some food? I think we could all use some fuel right now.”
He stepped by Eve, squeezed her hand, and moved into the kitchen. And Eve hissed in one calming breath, then let it out. She definitely needed fuel. Because what she now knew she had to do tonight would take every last bit of strength she had left.
If someone had told Zane a month ago he’d be camped out at Tate Kendrick’s mountain lodge with Evelyn Wolfe and Jake Ryder, tipping back a bottle of wine and laughing about old times, Zane would have thought they were nuts.
No, he would have thought they were fucking high.
“So Archer’s cable snaps,” Ryder said. “It’s like this random, fluke thing, but of course, it happens to him. And he’s got a hold of the zip line with two hands. Luckily he’s wearing gloves, but at this point he’s barely hanging on. And he hears this noise and glances back, and here comes Tierney, barreling toward him at top speed, screaming at the top of his lungs to drop. ‘Drop! Drop! Fucking drop!’ in his Irish accent. And Archer hollers back, ‘You fucking drop, you psycho!’ ”
Everyone at the table laughed except for Olivia.
Eve glanced Zane’s way. “This sounds like some team-building experience. What did you do?”
“I fucking dropped.” More laughter. “If he’d hit me at that speed, I would have lost an arm. As it was, I only broke a leg.”
Eve’s eyes widened. “You broke your leg?”
He shrugged and reached for his wine. “It was a pretty long drop.”
“He was off for two months,” Marley said. “It was right after we’d hired him. And then four months after that he was injured in that raid in Guatemala.” She glanced Ryder’s way and tipped her head. “I’m thinking he’s costing us an awful lot in insurance. Are you sure you want him back?”
Ryder’s dark eyes narrowed on Zane. “He and I have some shit to discuss about his risk assessment.”
Marley chuckled. Miller lifted the beer in his hand toward his lips. “You’re in trouble now.”
Olivia pushed back from the table. “I’m tired. If you all don’t mind, I’m just going to go to bed.”
Miller immediately stiffened. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She pursed her lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just . . . tired.”
But she wasn’t. They could all see it. The last week was catching up with her.
Eve immediately jumped to her feet. “I’ll go with you.”
“Eve, I don’t—”
“Humor me, would you? If I stay down here, Archer will start telling stories about stupid stuff I’ve done to get the focus off of him. And trust me, I’m not in the mood.” She smiled Zane’s way, and her voice was relaxed, almost a soothing tone, but something was off. He knew she was just trying to make Olivia feel at ease, but Zane sensed something was bothering Eve. He’d sensed it all through dinner. Even before that really. Since they’d made love.
Something in the bottom of his gut tightened. A familiar warning shot of fear he knew all too well. “Don’t go far, beautiful.”
Eve rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs with her sister. “Where would I go all the way out here? There’s no need to handcuff me since we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
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.”
Eve 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.