He wasn’t sure how he felt about Jed declaring something that should have come from him. When her gaze rested on him, Liam smiled gently. “I know it wasn’t supposed to happen. I certainly wasn’t looking for it, but Tru, I fell in love with you. I’m not sure when or how it happened, but it did. That’s why I was so mad at you last night. I wanted to be as important to you as you are to me.”
A tear fell from her right eye. More followed as her left eye got into the game.
Liam moved his leg so that Jed could sit next to her hip. Jed wiped her face with a tissue, and she turned those luminous, bloodshot brown eyes on him. “Princess, I’m sorry too. I’ve never been jealous before. It doesn’t bring out the best in people. We’re not expecting you to reciprocate, but we’d like to ask you to consider making this a permanent arrangement. You know—a serious relationship?”
She launched herself at Jed, somehow managing to throw her arms around both of them and bring them in for a tight hug. There was more incidental touching, but Liam noted it only because it had become a normal part of his life. She cried harder while he and Jed petted and attempted to soothe her.
“Tru, honey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Liam didn’t like these tears because he didn’t know what had caused them and he didn’t know how to stop them.
“Because I love you too, and I didn’t expect any of this either. I should have because I’ve been having visions of you two for years.”
“Visons?” This was the second time she’d said something like this, and Liam was beginning to think she wasn’t talking about fantasizing.
“Tru has visions.” Jed mumbled into Tru’s wild hair. “She sometimes sees images of the future.”
Liam didn’t know how to take that. Not long ago, he’d dismissed the psychics and their abilities in a conversation in which Tru had only marginally participated. He’d unwittingly shut her down and made her reticent to open up to him—but she’d opened up to Jed. He kissed her cheek. “That’s a pretty cool superpower. Any clue as to when we’re going to catch these scumbags?”
Tru eased her stranglehold and drew back. “It doesn’t work like that. I don’t control the visions that come to me.”
He pushed her hair away from her face. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me about this. I want you to know that I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”
She nodded and sniffled. Her tears had subsided. “I’m new at this relationship thing. You’re going to have to be patient with me.”
Jed chuckled. “This is new for all of us, Princess. It’s good that the trial-and-error method seems to work for us.”
Her Sirs took turns showering while Tru choked down waffles and fruit. Normally she’d be over the moon about waffles for breakfast, but with a headache pounding out a rude rhythm behind her eyes, she was happy she managed to eat most of a waffle. After two ibuprofen capsules and a nap between Liam and Jed’s warm bodies, she woke in the afternoon feeling much better.
While she showered, Liam and Jed took turns talking on the phone and typing on their official FBI laptop. They seemed to be planning something more than a jaunt through the caves, and they shipped her off to spend the day with Jewell and Alex to keep her out of the way, lest she should overhear some confidential information. Since her only role would be as their guide, they didn’t feel she needed to be in on the plan. For her part, Tru raided the storage room in Alex and Jewell’s lower level, searching for the spelunking gear they used to have. She couldn’t see Jewell—the woman who still had every note someone had passed to her in high school—getting rid of it. Jewell was not only sentimental, but she firmly believed she’d use everything again one day.
“Do you have any idea where it might be?” Tru moved a stack of plastic containers labeled for Halloween.
Jewell crossed her arms. “This doesn’t feel right.”
Pausing, Tru looked back at her friend. “What doesn’t?”
“You going down there. I don’t like it.”
The prospect of being here to catch the murderer or murderers in the midst of a crime gave Tru a little thrill. Though the experience hadn’t been on her bucket list, she wasn’t in the habit of letting that stop her from trying new things. “I think it’ll be cool, and I’m excited to be part of taking down people who could so heartlessly murder a man and throw his body in the ocean. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still see his face with those lifeless eyes staring up at me. I want to replace that image with one of those two in handcuffs being shoved into the back of a police car.”
“I still don’t like it.” Jewell’s mouth twisted sourly, but she helped Tru move boxes and more plastic containers. “This is what you’re after. There’s gear for four. Maybe I should go with you.”
Jewell had accompanied her several times when she’d explored the caves. She had some skills, certainly more than Liam or Jed. However Tru shook her head. “They wouldn’t let you. They don’t even want me to go, but they don’t have a choice. I’m the only guide available. Plus Alex would just as soon tie you up at home to keep you safe.”
She sighed. “You’re right, of course, and I’m glad he would forbid me from going. Sometimes I wish I was as fearless as you, but I’m not. I’d be terrified the whole time.”
Terror wasn’t an emotion Tru accepted. So many terrible things had happened to her that she didn’t acknowledge the idea that a horrible emotion could usurp control of her life. Except that it had. She’d let fear keep her from taking emotional chances. Jed and Liam had somehow slipped past her defenses, and now she realized how closed off she’d been. Well, no more. From this day forward, she would embrace and cherish the love she’d been so fortunate to find. She unpacked the helmets, knee pads, flashlights, and other equipment, checking them for signs of wear. “I’ll do anything I can to help my Sirs.”
Jewell giggled. “It’s so refreshing to hear you call someone by title. Alex and I lamented that you’d ever find someone who could break through that wall around your heart, and now you have two very wonderful men.”
Tru rolled her eyes. “Help me smuggle this stuff into my room.”
“I have just the thing. Alex ordered a new spanking bench. We’ll put it in that box, and then everyone will just think you’re going to have a great time tonight.”
The box was larger than expected, and the unwieldy size meant it took two of them to carry it across the large expanse of lawn to the inn. They made sure people saw them, and Tru found herself grinning as Zarah Braithwaite read the description on the side of the box.
“Have a fun night,” she called after Tru and Jewell.
Tru laughed. “I’m sure I will.”
Alex greeted them in the lobby, and he helped carry it down the hall by calling out helpful instructions. “Turn left. That’s it. Just a little farther. Don’t scuff the paint.” Then he knocked on the door because their hands were full.
Liam answered. He frowned at the box. A line formed between his sexy, dark eyebrows. “What’s that?”
Jewell clucked her tongue. “This room has no kinky equipment, so we found a spanking bench. If you move out of the way, we can bring it in.”
Liam stepped aside, but the question didn’t fade from his eyes. She and Jewell set the box on the floor on the far side of the room.
Jewell slapped Tru on the ass. “Master and I have things to do. You guys enjoy your present.” And then she took Alex’s hand and led him from the room. The door closed softly behind them, and the lock automatically engaged.
Jed examined the box. “Princess, I like this in theory, but we don’t have time right now. I promise when this is over, we’ll spend some quality time with you tied to a spanking bench.”
“It’s not a bench.” Tru opened the box and drew out an oversuit, a one-piece coverall made from abrasion resistant material. “It’s spelunking gear, but Jewell and I figured that we shouldn’t advertise the fact that we’re going into the caves. I saw Zarah Braithwaite on my way here, and s
he wished us a fun night.”
With a thoughtful nod, Liam took out a pair of elbow pads. “Smart and sexy. I knew there was something I liked about you.”
She preened under his compliment. “When is this going down?”
Jed laughed softly at her double entendre. “We’re in a holding pattern until Schatz and Braithwaite make a move, which we hope isn’t until after our team gets in place.”
Liam scooted the laptop so that she could see the screen. “Alex put a surveillance camera tied into his closed-circuit system on both entrances to the cave as well as the door to their room. We’ll know the minute they step foot inside.”
Waiting sucked, and as the hours ticked by, the excitement wore off, and Tru found herself knocking out a couple of blog posts. She wrote about base jumping, white water rafting, and falling in love. If her blog was supposed to be an accounting of her exploits, falling in love was the most dangerous thing she’d tried yet. Of course she didn’t disclose personal or professional information about Liam or Jed, but she couldn’t refrain from confessing to her readers that she’d fallen for two men.
Liam stretched out on the bed next to where she was propped against the headboard. He waited for her to stop typing and glance over at him. “Remember the first time we met?”
That wasn’t something she was likely to forget. “Yes.”
“Did you know this was going to happen?”
She needed to be honest. “Yes. I mean, not at first, but I eventually put the pieces together.”
“And when you met Jed—did you know you’d end up with him as well?”
“My visions aren’t that specific. I knew I’d be with him, but I didn’t know I’d be with him and you together. Hindsight definitely puts the visions into perspective.”
He tucked his hands under his head. “The other day, you said that I should be nice to my birth mother. Right before that, your eyes kind of glazed over like you were lost in thought. Were you having a vision?”
At his reminder, the image of him peering hatefully at his birth mother resurfaced. “I saw the two of you together. Others were around. It was some kind of public place. She tried to talk to you, but you wouldn’t listen.”
He considered this for several moments. “That seems about right.”
“The expression on your face was malevolent.” She set aside her laptop and slid down to snuggle against his side. “I don’t think you still hate her.”
His arm came down, and he played with her hair. “No, I don’t hate her, but I probably haven’t forgiven her. I have no interest in hearing excuses for what she did to me.”
Tru’s heart went out to him. “I don’t know what she was trying to say. It’s just an image. But know that I’ll be there for you, Sir.”
He shifted, rolling to face her, and his kiss was full of slow-burning tenderness. Delicious feelings radiated from that point of contact, spreading through her body. Though he was a skilled kisser, the languorous feelings were equally the result of this newfound mutual closeness. Knowing that they cared deeply for her and that she returned their feelings had changed everything for the better. She slid her fingers over his chest and down his abdomen. With a low, throaty moan, he pushed her onto her back and covered her body with his.
“We’re on.” Jed’s pronouncement interrupted anything erotic that might have happened.
Liam rolled away, grabbing his holster from the table and putting it on before he was fully vertical. “Are they in the cave?” Liam had channeled the feed from Alex’s camera into his laptop, so they had a real-time view of what was going on.
An image flashed in Tru’s mind, a memory of a vision. She dropped to her knees near where Jed and Liam stood.
Jed touched her shoulder. “Princess, I love that you’re kneeling for us, but right now we don’t have the time to properly appreciate what you’re giving.”
“Sir, please.” Bucking protocol, she grabbed his hand. “It’s about a vision I’ve had. There’s going to be a rockslide. If you dive to your right, you should avoid the worst of it.” Next she took Liam’s hand. “And Sir, after the chaos, stay put. It’s better if I come to you.”
Liam squeezed her hand, his way of letting her know that he believed her vision. “Where are you when all of this goes down?”
She shook her head. “Not hurt. Don’t worry about me.”
“Not hurt? Excellent. I knew leaving you behind would be a better option.” Liam hauled her to her feet and crushed her to him.
“Sir, we’ve been over this. I know the cave system. You don’t.”
“She’s got you there.” Jed took her from Liam and kissed her hard on the lips. “Get into your gear. They’ve entered the tunnel. I don’t want to give them too much of a head start.”
Liam and Jed issued a series of commands, and before she knew it, the three of them, dressed in coveralls, kneepads, and helmets, were ready to enter the cave. They used the service entrance to get into the kitchen, and she found Alex waiting in the cellar. He nodded to Liam and Jed. “Bring her back safely.”
She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Tell Jewell that I’m going to want a snack when we get back.”
“Will do.” Alex gave her a brief hug, and then he slapped Liam on the back. “They have a six-minute head start.”
Tru switched on her headlamp and went through the heavy metal door that wasn’t supposed to open. The coolness hit her immediately, as did the stillness of the air. The moment the door to the cellar closed, the lack of light registered as well. Their headlamps were adequate enough to lead the way, but not bright enough to illuminate more than a few feet. Thoroughly in her element, Tru grinned. She led them down the only path that led from the cellar, widened years ago by nameless smugglers. They walked silently, Jed halting her progress several times to take the lead.
The part of the system with passable passages wasn’t overly convoluted, but including the parts where crawling or squeezing through a narrow opening was required lent a whole new dimension to the available routes. She didn’t think that Schatz or Braithwaite would take those routes when easier options were available, but she kept them in mind in case they came in handy.
When they came to a point that opened up to a sizeable room, Tru held up her fist as a signal for her Sirs to stop. She wasn’t sure it was a real thing, but she’d seen it in enough movies and TV shows to be reasonably certain that they’d get the right message, which they did.
“The path opens up into a sort-of room with alcoves on either side.” They’d been very silent, but if Schatz and Braithwaite had heard them following, this would be the perfect place for an ambush.
Liam nodded. “Stay here.”
He and Jed disappeared around the bend. Tru knew they were clearing the room so that it would be safe for her to enter. It hit her for the first time that she was in a cave with murderers. Either Anton Schatz or Zarah Braithwaite—or both—had bludgeoned Angelo Braithwaite to death. It took a depraved mind to kill another human being on purpose. Though she very much enjoyed the danger associated with sports, she found that this kind of peril didn’t give her the same thrill. In fact she was a little afraid.
Liam returned, the beam from his headlamp leading the way. “It’s clear.” He held out a hand, and he guided her to the familiar little room—which looked very different from the last time she’d been inside. The empty alcoves weren’t so empty anymore. Someone had stacked boxes and boxes of supplies in them.
“What’s in there?”
“Looks like heroin and guns.” Liam’s lips set in a grim line.
This was some serious shit. Tru swallowed her trepidation and took a step forward. “I’ve been thinking, and I know where the perfect spot is for a meeting with someone coming from below. Are you up for taking a parallel path to get there? It’s hidden from most of the room, so they won’t be able to see us. On the downside, it’s about a fifty feet above them, so we most likely won’t be able to hear them clearly.”
Jed nodded.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Liam agreed.
“There will be crawling involved. If you have a problem with tight spaces, then this won’t work for you.” She’d been spelunking with someone who had a panic attack in a tight space. It hadn’t been easy to calm him down and get him to a larger space, and that had been without the added pressure of catching a murderer.
“It’s fine.” Jed gestured for her to get moving.
They walked along for another ten minutes, the path steadily dropping to a lower altitude. At high tide, the lower sections of the cave were underwater. Tru mentally calculated when she thought the tide might come in, and though she based her estimate on recent experience, the tide schedule changed, and she wasn’t sure how close she was. However, if they wanted to exit at the bottom, she figured they had about six hours left.
She led them through a tunnel that narrowed. When she got down on her belly and shimmied under a low overhang, Jed and Liam followed suit without grunts or complaints. Eventually they emerged on an ovoid rock overlooking a narrow space that widened into the largest room in the cave system. Light came from down below, a sure sign their quarry was near.
Liam and Jed doused their headlamps before lowering to their bellies and peering over the edge. Tru sat, leaning against the wall of the passageway, while they assessed the situation and had silent conversations that consisted of looks, pointing, and FBI sign language.
When at last they scooted back and joined her, they didn’t look all that encouraged. Jed exhaled. “Six people. Schatz, Braithwaite, the two men they’re meeting, and two bodyguards.”
“I can see where the other tunnel enters the room. We’re going to have to go in that way and surprise them in the act.” Liam handed over his phone. “Record everything, Princess. This is going into evidence.”
Though she didn’t think she’d get any clear footage, she took the phone. “I’ll record everything, but I’m going down there with you.”
“Negative.” Jed gave her a look that brooked no argument.
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