Nate laughed. “Alright, alright. Go take a nap, Carol. Nothing is happening around here for a few hours at least.”
Cal’s lips tensed at the feminine nickname Nate had dubbed him with since they were in recon. “Go organize a circle jerk, you prick.”
Nate laughed. “Can’t. That’s E’s specialty.” He dropped some bacon and egg scraps to a not-so-patiently-waiting Rufus. “Really, though, catch a couple of hours. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
Cal shook his head. “I can’t sleep. You know how it is.”
Nate nodded, his expression quiet and understanding. A rare moment.
“Anything on Will Anderson?”
Nate blew air through his lips. “Not a damn thing. No record, no driver’s license, no lease agreements. He’s a ghost. But E’s working on it. If anyone can find him, it’s Ethan.”
Cal pulled out a chair and sat. Will couldn’t be a dead end. They didn’t need that shit right now. He ran a hand over his jaw. He hadn’t gotten the chance to dig deeper with Lana. His gut told him some answers lay with her, answers that she didn’t even realize she had.
“Let’s hope something turns up soon.”
Nate nodded. “Where’s your head at? You’ve gotta have a hunch on who’s behind this.”
“My gut tells me it’s a personal matter. The obvious scenario is something to do with her fame or her father. But it just doesn’t ring true.” He took another swig of coffee.
Nate joined him at the table, propping his feet up on the chair beside him. “How come?”
He raised his shoulder. “They offered a big sum of money and even paid Stamos a finder’s fee for locating me. That’s a total of two hundred grand. Seems pretty damn personal to me.”
Nate rubbed his jaw. “You going to tell me who your hunch is about?”
“Her stepbrother, Tanner. He came on to her and assaulted her. They had a big spat, but he apologized for it later. Still doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Could just have a mad crush on her. I mean, she’s gorgeous. Can’t say I’d blame him.”
Cal bit his tongue. Nate wouldn’t make a move on Lana, that he knew for certain. But with Nate’s roster of women, Cal didn’t like him commenting on her appeal.
“Man, don’t look at me like that. I’d have to be blind and deaf not to notice. She’s all yours—”
“You’re so gracious. As if there was even a competition.”
“—she has eyes only for you, dude. So calm your nerves.”
Eyes only for him? Huh. His stomach knotted. It wasn’t fair for her to think like that. Hell, it wasn’t fair for him to let his mind explore what life could be like with her. Life would be pretty damn good. Better than what he deserved. Last night, cramped in the seat of the truck, he’d slept better than he had in years. She was good for him. He was getting used to having her around. She didn’t belong in his world, and yet…she fit.
“Aw, you’ve got hearts in your eyes.”
“Shut the fuck up.” He shook his head and laughed.
“What’s the plan for today?”
“To find Will Anderson.” He set his coffee cup down and Nate nodded, his eyes small with doubt.
Ding, dong.
Rufus perked up under the table with a sharp woof. Cal stood. His muscles tensed as he focused on Nate. His hand went to the gun at the small of his back.
“It’s just E. Relax.”
Right. Ethan. He dropped his hand and sat back in the chair. Nate disappeared to the front of the house and returned with Ethan, Rufus in tow.
Ethan squeezed his shoulder as he passed, taking the seat next to him. “Nate told me about what happened last night. How’s she holding up?” Leave it to Ethan to be concerned about Lana. Ethan was a big dude, but he was also the biggest softie. He wasn’t afraid to show his sensitive side, and if anyone made a comment, as some had in the military, he’d put them in their place with one hard stare. He was respected and kind. Cal valued his friendship, and Nate’s, as well, when he wasn’t wanting to throttle him.
“Pretty damn good. She’s resting right now, though.”
“What’s the plan?” Ethan crossed his ankle over his knee, his mouth set in a grim line.
Damn, he was lucky to have such good friends. “I want to see what Nate’s buddies at the office come up with on some suspects. In the meantime, I need to pick our things up from the hotel.”
“I can go with you,” Ethan offered.
Cal watched Nate out of the corner of his eye. “Think it’s safe to leave him here with Lana?”
“Dude, c’mon. You really need to ask that?” Nate held his hand out, waiting.
“Nah. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you.”
“Good, because we have a slight problem.” Nate pulled out a chair and sat.
Cal groaned. He had enough problems.
“Lana is going to be reported missing. I know her whereabouts, so that puts me in a tough spot as an agent. This is a delicate situation, but I need to be careful. Ethan will probably have to join you on future head hunting.”
Ethan clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Sweet. I need to blow off some steam.”
Cal turned back to Nate. “I don’t want to get you in any kind of trouble.”
Nate shook his head. “Her safety is our main objective. I’ll keep a low profile and help as much as I can.”
Cal nodded and stood from his chair. “I’ll arrange to get my house back together and increase the security so we can stay there.”
“Already got a head start. There’s a team there now fixing the damage,” Ethan said before he stood and downed his coffee. “But you’re not going back there, are you?”
Cal lifted a shoulder. “What else are we supposed to do? I’m not going to keep hiding. All I care about is keeping Lana safe, but at some point, this has to end. Let them come for me, I’m ready.”
Nate made a tsking sound. “Man, that’s not smart. You can stay here.”
“No. I appreciate your hospitality, but—”
“I know where we can go.” Lana’s silky voice sounded from the hallway. Cal jerked his head up, and Ethan swiveled in his chair. Fatigue laced deep shadows beneath her eyes, and guilt spurred in his stomach. The last few days had been rough. He was used to it, but she wasn’t. She crossed her arms over her chest and her lips pursed haughtily. Not that her demeanor showed her fatigue. If he hadn’t been used to studying those unwavering eyes, he’d be convinced she’d been unaffected. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her sassy grin spread warmth through his chest. It was all he could do not to cross the kitchen and pull her mouth to his.
“Where?” His gravelly voice belied his train of thought.
“I have a place.” She stepped farther into the kitchen, pulled out one of the stools at the kitchen island, and sat. Ethan’s eyebrows rose, and he looked from Cal to Lana. Cal downed the rest of his coffee and then set the mug on the table, waiting for her to continue.
One slender leg crossed over her knee, and she smiled easily. “My family owns a chalet in Glacier. No one’s used it in years.”
Cal grimaced. With all the arrows pointing to Tanner, using one of her family’s properties was too close to the hornets’ nest. He shook his head. Lana drummed her fingers on her thigh, waiting for his rebuttal.
“Do you have a better idea?”
He swirled the empty white mug in his hands and his mind worked. Dammit, he didn’t. They could go to another hotel, but they had been found at the last one. He could always rent another cabin, but finding one available nearby would be a bitch.
“Well?”
“Sorry, babe. It doesn’t make sense for us to go to a place your family owns. I still think Tanner is behind this. That would bring us right where he wants us.”
Indecision weighed on his
shoulders. He had the perfect place to go, but he didn’t want to take Lana there. Not when it was an hour away and he had to keep leaving her behind to solve this shit. If something happened, and he was that far away…
Then again, no one except Ethan and Nate knew about it. Ethan’s eyes met Cal’s, his brow furrowed in consternation.
“Any other options, Cal?”
He let out a deep sigh. Screw it. It was a hell of a lot safer than Lana’s chalet, and he could be certain not another soul knew about it.
“I have a place.”
Lana’s shoulders snapped back and her lips parted. “Why didn’t you say something?”
He rested his elbows on the table and tented his fingers beneath his chin. “Because it’s more than an hour away and I don’t like you being that far. It’s my safe house. No one outside of this room even knows it exists.” He kept his gaze on Lana’s. “What do you think?”
She lifted a shoulder. “It seems the best option to me.”
“Alright, we’ll leave tomorrow. But for now, we need to pay a visit to Stamos. I’ll drop off our stuff from the hotel first. You should get some rest, babe.”
On cue, her lips parted with a slight yawn. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” She slipped off the stool and sauntered toward him, and his arm reached out for her as if he were a magnet welcoming metal. His hand looped around her hips as she pressed her mouth to his cheek.
“Be careful.” She squeezed his shoulder and waved to Ethan and Nate before leaving the kitchen. God, he couldn’t wait to be alone with her again.
Tonight.
He turned to Ethan. “Thanks for arranging to have my place cleaned. I wasn’t even thinking straight enough to call anyone today.”
“Don’t worry about it. You had enough on your plate. It should be done late tonight.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling expanded in his chest.
“Shit, you’re not going to kiss me, are you? Bro, don’t make this awkward.”
Cal elbowed him and laughed.
“He’s getting soft. I kind of like this side of him, though.” Nate stood and cleared the table.
“Shut the fuck up, you two.” Cal followed Ethan out with a shake of his head.
They took Ethan’s truck to the hotel, just in case anyone was looking for them—surely they were by now. Cal had left Nate his keys so he could move his vehicle into one of the garage bays. He climbed in the passenger seat and Ethan backed out.
“You’re not worried about Nate coming on to Lana, are you?” Ethan asked, his tone concerned.
Cal shook his head. “Like I said, I trust him. Both of you. Nate can be an idiot, but I know he would never overstep like that.”
“Aha.” Ethan grinned at him.
“What?”
“You’ve staked your claim. You just admitted it.”
Cal let out a long sigh. “What is it with you guys lately?”
Ethan shrugged, the ridiculous smile still on his face. “It’s about time, that’s all.”
“Me? It’s about time for me? Unbelievable.” He rubbed his jaw. “You’ve been pining over Brittany for what? Three years? And Nate has a different woman in his bed every night.”
“Two years. And I haven’t been ‘pining’, you make me sound pathetic.”
“Not pathetic. Sad, though,” Cal said as Ethan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“Can we not talk about it?”
Cal nodded. Regret knotted his stomach. He’d hoped Ethan would have been ready for the friendly nudge, but it was something he would need to do on his own.
They pulled up to the hotel and parked. Ethan turned to him. “I think I should go in and get your things. They’ll be looking for the person involved in the murder.”
“Good thinking. They’ve probably pulled the tapes by now.” Cal passed him the room key.
“They don’t have your credit card on file, do they?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t register under my real name.”
Ethan disappeared. Cal kept his head low and waited. Ethan was a good man. He would give the shirt off his back for anyone. He hated seeing his friend suffer, but hell. It was a personal battle. Nate had tried getting him out and partying, hoping he would get laid and move on. Instead, he’d gotten drunk and cried. It had been fucking depressing as shit.
He shook his head. Why the hell was he worrying about Ethan’s relationship status? Maybe Nate and Ethan were right and he was getting soft. Was that such a bad thing?
Christ. All he could think about was Lana. She’d monopolized his mind since the moment Stamos had showed him her picture, and now he was damn near obsessed. He scrubbed his hands over his face. It wasn’t lust. The guys were right about that much. He’d been in lust a million times before. One good lay got that out of his system. Not this time.
The smell of her hair, the way she laughed, the feisty spark in her eyes, and her smoking-hot body—every damn thing about her drove him wild. He’d never get enough. But he didn’t want anyone else, either.
He only wanted Lana.
The back door opened. “Got everything.” Ethan dropped their bags in the back and got in the driver’s side.
“Any luck tracking Will?” Cal asked as they eased out of the parking lot.
Ethan made a face, and disappointment burned in Cal’s chest. No, they couldn’t be wrong about this. If they were, they had jack shit.
“I might have a small lead, but I’m not too hopeful. I was actually hoping to have Lana have a look at something.”
Cal nodded. “I’m sure she’ll be eager to help.”
When they arrived back at Nate’s, they walked in without ringing the doorbell. Quietly, Cal tiptoed to the spare room and set their bag inside the door in case Lana woke and needed something. Rufus weaved in and out of Cal’s legs on the way to the kitchen until he dropped down to greet him.
“She hasn’t woken at all?”
Nate shook his head. “We need to talk.” His tone was gravelly, his eyes hooded.
A fist curled in Cal’s stomach.
“You said you had a hunch about the stepbrother? Tanner?” Nate and Ethan sat. Dread clouded his mind in dark shadows.
He’d been right.
Cal rose from his crouched position and took the chair nearest him. Rufus rested his head on his lap as if he sensed Cal’s pulse ratcheting up.
“Yeah. I saw the two of them in a picture, and he looked territorial. Enough so that I assumed he was her boyfriend and not her brother. Aside from that, he attacked her. I told you about that.”
Ethan made a fist on the table, matching Cal’s. Nate tented his fingers under his jaw, nodding that he remembered.
Cal’s patience thinned. “You going to tell me what you found out or what?”
Nate sighed. “I don’t know where to start. When Tanner was a minor, he was a suspect in a rape case.”
The bottom of Cal’s stomach dropped out. His breath came out sharply. “Motherfucker.” Blood thundered through him, making his head pound. He massaged his temples.
“He was charged. But he was a minor, so he got a slap on the wrist and it never affected him once he turned eighteen. But that’s not all.” Cal looked up at him, and Nate’s mouth firmed a tight line. “He was questioned about a murder.”
Cal dropped his hands to grip the table. “Questioned? What the hell does that mean?” He couldn’t think straight. He needed to stand, to blow off some steam before he imploded.
“It means he wasn’t a suspect, but a person of interest. It passed very quickly, before it even hit the papers, so no one knew about it publicly. My bet is his family had to pay a pretty penny to keep things quiet.”
“Whose murder?”
“Andrea Reid. She was a college sophomore, and he was a senior.”
Ethan swore. Cal rose to
his feet and paced the kitchen.
“What has Lana said about Tanner? Do you think she knew about this?” Nate asked.
Cal locked his jaw. Knew about it and didn’t tell him was what Nate was implying.
“Hold on,” Ethan said, extending his hand to Nate. “Give her the benefit of the doubt.” He turned to Cal. “And I’m sure she would have told you had she known, right?”
His neck muscles bunched. He couldn’t see her lying to him to protect Tanner. That didn’t make sense. He turned his attention to Nate to answer his previous question. “She didn’t say much about him. Except that he’s ‘intense.’ Whatever the hell that means.”
“You didn’t ask?” Ethan crossed his arms.
“We got to talking about her stepmother, and I made a mental note about Tanner. This is more than I had expected, though.”
Ethan and Nate nodded somberly, their expressions hard. “Find out if she knows about his past. In the meantime”—Nate looked to Ethan—“start snooping around Tanner. Think you can hack into his social media? I’d ask the techs at work, but I don’t want to alert anyone that he’s being watched. We should tread carefully now that we have a lead.”
Ethan nodded. “I’m sure I can.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ve got something here. It’s not much, just a social media account under the name Will Andy. I’d love for Lana to look at his picture, see if he looks familiar.” He passed the phone to Cal.
Cal studied the blond-tipped young guy with a bottle of vodka in one hand and a cigarette in the other. His mouth hung open in a wide laugh, his pupils so dilated that it was hard to tell his eye color. He turned his attention to the man next to him, with his arm looped around Will’s shoulders. They had the same wide nose and outrageous smile.
Not a single light of recognition struck him. Shit. He’d hoped to hell Will would look familiar. That at some point he’d have met him through Stamos, or at least seen them together. Cal rarely forgot a face.
“Doesn’t ring a bell for me. But Lana should have a look too.”
“Cal, you better wake her up. We need some answers.”
“Answers about what?”
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