She frowned. “Enough with the little bird comments, okay?”
Cole held up his hands. “Okay, I hear you.” He squeezed her arm, then went to the coffee bar to fill his cup.
Derrick, Kat and Dani entered into what looked like a heated discussion. Luke watched them. Kat was a brown-eyed, curly-haired spitfire. Dani was elegant and graceful. Long, lean and lanky like her twin, but they looked nothing like their siblings. Kat barely topped five feet. Ethan was stockier and powerfully built. None had similar hair coloring or matching facial features.
“We’re a hard group to figure out,” Cole said from behind.
Luke met the gaze of the most physically imposing of the brothers. “Just looking for the resemblance.”
“You won’t find it except with Dani and Derrick. We’re all adopted.” He sipped his coffee.
“That explains it, then,” Luke said, letting the surprising knowledge settle over him.
“Gives us a bond that I think is stronger than many blood siblings.” He fixed a hard stare on Luke. “You should know we have each other’s backs, and if anyone tries to take advantage, we come running.”
“Not sure about your bond being stronger. I’d give my life for my younger sister.”
“Guess that means you’ll respect my kid sister, too.”
“Dani?”
“Yeah, Dani. She might try to come across all hard and tough, but her heart is soft and it can be broken.”
“I’m not sure why—”
“Save it.” Cole held up his free hand. “You’re looking at her like most men do, and I just wanted to tell you not to mess with her.”
Dani caught Luke’s gaze, and she stepped up to them. “You two look like you’re about to come to blows.”
Luke shook his head. “Your brother here was just warning me not to break your heart.”
Her mouth fell open. “You didn’t?”
“Not in so many words.”
“Argh.” She fisted her hands. “I apologize for his unprofessional behavior. Since I’m the youngest of the family, he seems to think I’m not old enough to take care of myself. Feel free to ignore him.”
Luke loved seeing the fire behind her eyes and words, and he couldn’t resist teasing her. “So I can break your heart then?” He ended with a smile he knew women found charming and waited to see how she reacted.
“Go ahead and try it. I’m pretty sure you’re the one whose heart will be broken.” She walked away, leaving behind her subtle coconut scent that reminded him of happy family vacations at the beach.
He watched her long legs lead her across the room with a gentle sway of her hips. She was not only beautiful but spunky and determined and had gotten under his skin. Deep under his skin. He forced his attention back to Cole, who frowned at him.
Luke would do well to remember Cole’s scowling face, as Luke had no business following his feelings until he could be the man he wanted to be.
With the way things were going with SatCom, that wouldn’t be soon...if ever.
TEN
Dani sat across Kat’s long dining table from Luke and Derrick. At the far end of the table, Jennie sat next to Ethan, his arm securely around his wife. Next to Dani, Alyssa had snuggled against Cole the minute he’d finished his dinner. Kat took one end of the table; the other remained empty as Mitch had caught a case and had to work late.
Despite having her family surrounding her, Dani couldn’t join in the conversation centering on SatCom’s problem. At first, she assumed it was unease from the attack last night or today’s bomb, but as she contemplated, she realized keeping her secret about Echo from her family was the source of her anxiety.
“Earth to Dani,” Kat said as she poured a cup of steaming coffee. “This is your case and you’re not even listening.”
“Sorry.” She twisted her napkin in her lap.
Instantly alert, Kat sat forward. “What’s wrong?”
Dani glanced at each of her siblings. Maybe with the relaxed atmosphere after a wonderful meal, now was the perfect time to share her secret. “I have something I need to tell you, but before I do I want you to promise not to get mad at me.”
Ethan frowned. “I won’t promise anything like that.”
Jennie jabbed him in the ribs. “Yes, you will.”
“And before you say the same thing as Ethan—” Alyssa gave Cole a pointed look “—I remind you that my elbows are as sharp as Jennie’s.” Alyssa shared a conspiratorial look with Jennie.
“Henpecked much?” Derrick shook his head.
Ethan’s lips tipped in an unexpected grin, and he tightened his arm around Jennie. “Yep, and proud of it.”
Cole rolled his eyes. “What did you want to say, Dani?”
“The suspect we’re seeking in both SatCom’s hacking and Smash’s death is Echo.”
“Echo!” Kat and Ethan shouted at the same time.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Derrick jumped to his feet, his chair scraping over the wood floor, then teetering and crashing. “And you ran around out there without telling us, leaving yourself unprotected. Un-be-lieve-able.”
“I concur.” Cole’s voice was deadly calm, which meant he was royally upset.
“You all promised not to get mad,” Jennie offered.
“That’s before she told us we’re hunting Echo.” Kat shook her head. “Echo, Dani? Really, Echo!”
“Who is this Echo?” Luke asked calmly, but Dani could see his breathing had quickened even though he knew nothing about Echo.
“He’s the creep who killed Dani’s partner at the FBI and threatened to kill her, too, if they ever cross paths again.” Derrick glared down on Luke. “Now he’s back and it’s all your fault.”
“Derrick!” The vehemence in Dani’s tone caught her brother by surprise.
After Dani’s situation with Paul, Derrick was just acting protective and warning Luke to back off, but he didn’t have to be rude.
“You’ve had it in for Luke since you met,” Dani added. “You’re not making this easier for any of us.”
Derrick crossed his arms. “Don’t try to change the subject.”
“How do you know it’s Echo?” Ethan asked, seeming the only focused one in the bunch.
“If everyone will calm down and take a seat, I’ll tell you.” Dani eyed her twin until he picked up his chair and sat. “I first suspected it when I looked at the code for Crypton.”
“You’ve known this for days?” Luke joined her family in their look of incredulity.
“Suspected it for days. I didn’t know it was Echo for sure until yesterday when he hacked into the network again and sent me a warning message to back off. And then last night, Smash was killed execution-style using hollow-point bullets like Grace.”
Luke drew in a breath, and the disappointment clouding his eyes hurt Dani far worse than her siblings’ anger. “And you didn’t think it was important to share any of this with me?”
“There was nothing anyone could do that I wasn’t already doing.”
“Hold on there.” Cole fired off a severe look that had often scared Dani as a child. “We’re a team—always been a team—and a team sticks together for the good of all.”
Luke nodded his agreement. “No man is left alone to fend for themselves. Ever.”
“All right already.” Dani held up her hands in surrender. “I got it. I just didn’t want you to take me off the case. And before you say you wouldn’t have, you all know you would have.”
“That’s right,” Alyssa said. “I haven’t been part of this family for long, and even I know you would’ve put her under lock and key.”
Dani smiled her thanks at her newest sister-in-law. Besides loving the fact that Ethan and Cole had found special women who made them happy, the male-to
-female ratio in the family had evened out so she at least had a fighting hope when it came to family matters. Agency business was still a whole other ball game.
The kitchen door opened and closed. Everyone turned in that direction except Luke. He wouldn’t quit looking at Dani, and it was starting to make her uncomfortable. She only hoped no one in the family noticed.
Yeah, right, like any of them ever miss a thing.
Footfalls pounded their way, and Mitch appeared in the doorway. The second he caught sight of the family, he arched a brow. “Maybe I should come back later.”
Kat jumped up. “Don’t you dare.”
“With a look like that I know better than to leave.” He crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek.
“Henpecked,” Derrick mumbled as he shook his head.
Mitch spun, and Dani thought he might deck her brother. Instead he said, “Your time is coming, man, and unless you want to be hounded by all of us, I suggest you back off.”
“Bad day?” Kat asked.
“The worst.” Mitch ran his fingers though his hair that he liked to wear on the long side. “We can’t catch a break on Smash’s murder. Not a credible lead in the bunch.”
Kat cast a pointed look at Dani. “You want to tell him or should I?”
“Tell me what?” Mitch focused his best interrogator’s glare on her.
Dani nearly wilted. “Maybe it’d be a good idea for you to do it, Kat.”
“C’mon.” Kat snaked her arm in Mitch’s. “I’ll heat up a plate in the kitchen and tell you all about my little sister’s big secret.”
As Kat passed Dani on their way out, Dani mouthed, “thank you.” Kat responded with a look that told Dani she would hear all about this later tonight. Based on Luke’s continued stare, Dani knew the same thing was true of him, and she prayed she had the strength to withstand it.
* * *
A killer named Echo? Seriously?
With a known killer after Dani, Luke wanted to knock some sense into her and make her promise never to leave his sight. Or did he really want to take her in his arms and cocoon her from the danger? Hah, like she’d let that happen.
Derrick fixed a deadly serious look on Dani. “The safe house we discussed earlier is no longer optional.”
“Fine, I’ll agree to stay in a safe house at night, and I won’t go anywhere without at least one of you with me.” Dani crossed her arms, and that stubborn look Luke had come to know so well took over her face. “But I will be going to SatCom during the day. The only way to track Echo is through SatCom’s network.”
“Can’t you access that remotely?” Luke asked.
That earned him a glare from Dani. “I could, but I also need to work with Tim to review the software, and I need to do that at the office.”
Luke thought she could work around that, too, if she wanted, but not a one of them in the room possessed enough computer knowledge to prove it.
“Look. You can relax.” She uncrossed her arms. “SatCom has top-notch security. The property is gated with a security guard at the entrance. The employee section of the building is locked at all times and monitored with video cameras. The only risk will be in transport, and you all are the best at that so what’s the big deal?”
No one spoke, and Luke could almost feel the tension pulsing in the air.
“Let’s vote on it,” Dani demanded. “Raise your hand if you’re in favor of letting me go.”
“Only agency workers are allowed to vote,” Derrick said, and when Alyssa and Jennie glared at him, Luke felt sorry for the guy. “What? This is agency business, and you’ve never wanted to be included before.”
“Never wanted to or haven’t been asked,” Jennie said vehemently.
“Do you want to vote?” Ethan asked his wife.
“No, but I also don’t want you guys to gang up on Dani like you always do.”
Ethan looked at Jennie for a long moment, then raised his hand. “I say Dani can go.”
Kat’s hand shot up. “Me, too.”
Cole raised his hand.
“I want to go on record as saying this isn’t a good idea,” Derrick said, the harsh glint that had darkened his eyes lessening. “But now that we have a majority vote, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re safe, sis.”
“Not that I’m part of the agency, but I’ll do my part, as well. I’ll continue to carry, and I assure you, I will also be at the safe house when you’re not in the office.” Luke met Dani’s gaze, and even though she never responded well to being told what to do, he wasn’t going to back down.
Surprisingly she didn’t say a word but simply nodded.
“That’s not necessary,” Derrick said, drawing Luke’s attention. “We’ve got her back.”
“Another person on her detail won’t hurt,” Luke replied.
“I agree,” Cole said. “SEAL training qualifies him to help.”
“I’m in, too.” Mitch let his fork clank to the plate.
Dani flashed a smile at him. “I appreciate your support, especially since I wasn’t forthcoming with you.”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Don’t let it happen again.”
Kat rested her fingers on her husband’s hand lying on the table, and a flash of jealousy bit into Luke. He wanted the same closeness with a woman that Mitch, Cole and Ethan had. But then they were nothing like Luke. They were real men, as his father and Wendy would say. With wives and the hopes of a family.
Not in the picture for you, he reminded himself, hoping it would ease the longing.
“So, Dani,” Ethan said. “You’ll stay here tonight. Kat and Derrick can escort you to SatCom tomorrow and spend the day with you. I’ll take care of finding a safe house for tomorrow night.”
Kat pulled her hand from Mitch’s and picked up her coffee cup. “If you give me a list of things you’ll need, Mitch and I’ll run over to your house and pick them up tonight.”
“Anything else we need to resolve tonight?” Cole asked. “Alyssa needs to get home to the twins.”
Luke remembered the brief discussion about Alyssa’s twins that Cole had adopted. Another spark of jealousy flashed. Cole had it all. A wife and a family.
Dani glanced at Luke. “Since I’ll be at SatCom under lock and key, can we use the conference room to hold a family meeting tomorrow morning?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, we’re done here, then.” Dani clapped her hands, then cringed, likely from residual pain from her many injuries. “I’ll create a game plan tonight and hand out your assignments tomorrow.”
The Justice siblings groaned in unison, and Luke couldn’t contain his chuckle at their unified grumble. Dani fired an irritated look at him, so he clamped down on his lips.
“We’ll look forward to that, Dani,” Ethan said sarcastically.
“Hey.” She wrinkled her nose at her brother. “Remember all the grunt jobs you’ve given me in the past few years? Payback is coming.”
He took Jennie’s hand. “We better get out of here before she gives me something to do tonight.”
The family members got up, but Luke stayed put and watched Dani say goodbye to her siblings. That jealousy spark ignited for the third time. His family had once been this close and fun-loving. Now he and Natalie were alone and the dynamics had changed. Sure, they had fun together, but after Mom and Hannah had died, a current of sadness still permeated their lives.
Kat lingered behind and took in the chair next to him. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Dani the past few days.”
Surprised that she seemed to trust him with her sister’s care, he smiled wryly. “I wish I could say I’d done my best, but she didn’t let me do much.”
“Yeah, she’s like that. Stubborn about proving herself at all costs.” Kat met and held his gaze. “Don’t le
t her use it to push you away, okay? She needs a strong man in her life whether she knows it or not.”
Interesting. “Other than the job, I’m not exactly in her life.”
“You will be.”
He didn’t know how to respond, so he said nothing.
“Just don’t take my acceptance as license to hurt her. I know four Justices who’ll come gunning for you.”
“Who’s gunning for you?” Dani asked, joining them.
“Nothing to concern yourself with.” Kat smiled sweetly. “I was just getting to know Luke a little bit, that’s all.”
With a wink, Kat left the room as suspicion claimed Dani’s face. “What did she say to you?”
“Nothing, really. Just making sure that I understood how important you were to her.”
“Translated—she warned you not to hurt me.”
“Yeah,” he said, wondering if he was heading down a path to do just that. “Something like that.”
Dani started collecting the plates and silverware. “Now you can see why I’m so determined to do things on my own.”
“I guess.” He got up to help. “But honestly, I can understand where they’re coming from.”
She stopped stacking dishes to look at him. “Seriously? You’re siding with them?”
“There are no sides here, Dani. Everyone wants the same thing. For you to be safe.” He grabbed a handful of silverware and set it on a plate. “They hover over you because they love you.”
“So you’re saying love excuses everything. Even stifling me from living the life I want to live.”
He jerked up his head as his dad’s controlling ways came to mind. “I’m not saying that at all. My dad used love as an excuse to control all of us. Especially my mom. He was obsessive about losing her, and he didn’t want her doing a thing without his knowledge.”
Dani shuddered. “I know all too well how traumatic a relationship like that can be. I’m so sorry you had to go through it.”
Luke let go of thoughts about his family for a moment to focus on Dani. Her breathing had quickened and she seemed preoccupied. Had his mention of his dad’s obsession made her think of the former boyfriend? The one Kat had called a stalker?
Thread of Suspicion Page 12
