cap covering his face. “Do you recognize this guy? Have you ever seen him?”
Those qualified as the questions she could answer without even thinking about it. One look and she knew. “No. Never.”
“Did he say anything that could—”
“Why is he here? Why my neighborhood?” That was all she could think to ask even though she knew the questions didn’t make sense or even match what Shane was saying.
A guy in a commando outfit storming into your house and holding a gun should raise a whole bunch of questions. None came to her in that moment. Her mind went blank. She chalked it up to some sort of weird self-protection mechanism.
She had no idea what her outward reaction looked like, but it had Shane standing up and reaching for her. His eyes narrowed as he stepped over the motionless body and put a hand on her arm. A touch she couldn’t even feel.
“Let’s try this,” he said as he stood there facing her. “Take a deep breath.”
“Okay.” He could say anything next. She was willing to do or say whatever would unravel the confusion of the last few minutes.
“Did you tell anyone about Holt or the Corcoran Team?” Shane pitched his voice low as he asked, “Maybe in conversation or by accident? Even a mention of the team’s name?”
It took a second for the question to register. She’d expected...something else. “No.”
“It’s fine if you did. I just need to know.”
“I said no,” she said, her voice growing louder with each word. She knew better. Corcoran’s work depended on secrecy and the ability to move freely without being identified. They worked for governments and corporations, protecting and rescuing. She would never endanger anyone on the team.
And she would never risk Shane’s life. Seeing him now, the broad shoulders and fit build that had his T-shirt hugging his biceps and hanging loose over his flat stomach, made her a little breathless. The short light brown hair and that familiar scruff around his chin just begged for her to run a finger over it. He possessed a handsome, almost pretty face that guaranteed an unending stream of teasing from his teammates...and she’d spent years loving him from a distance.
“It’s easy to do.” Shane shook his head. “More than once I’ve—”
“Honestly, Shane. No.” She’d failed at a lot of things in her life, but not this. The safety of the people she cared about ranked above everything else. She’d never even stepped close to that line.
His gaze searched hers for another second. “I believe you.”
“You should.” It was almost insulting that he experienced any doubt.
“That leaves very few reasonable options.” He stood so close and leaned in as he spoke. “Are you messed up in something?”
The words didn’t make any sense at first. It was as if the slam against the floor had rattled her brain. Scrambled whatever up there helped her comprehend simple sentences. “Like what?”
“Something that would bring armed men to your door.”
“Are you serious?” She worked at a desk. She read files and sat in on meetings. Nothing about her life shouted excitement...except for one thing. Her secret. The one piece she never shared. The same side work that kept her sane and would make Shane furious if he knew. She couldn’t even imagine the warnings and threats he’d issue if he knew.
More body aches sparked to life the longer she stood there. She tried to take a mental inventory. Sore knee. A twinge in her back. That pain when she moved her wrist a certain way. She was going to be one big thumping bruise tomorrow.
“I’m being thorough.” He talked slowly, enunciating each word. “We can’t miss anything. Even the smallest bit can sometimes provide the lead.”
“I work in college admissions. I can’t really imagine a kid or a kid’s parents resorting to this sort of revenge for an application rejection.” Maybe she could, but that didn’t mean they’d be able to find her. Neither her cell nor her address was public record.
But the other thing. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to reason it out. The part of her life, the private part, where she sat at a computer and conducted interviews. Pored through records and looked for lies. Those men could get angry enough to hurt her.
Shane stood over six feet and now he bent down until they stood eye to eye. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
His intense stare didn’t let up. “We’ve known each other for too long for me not to pick up on that bobble in your voice.”
“I was attacked.” But he was right. It had been years. She’d met him through Holt. Shane was her big brother’s best friend. The guy with the bad marriage and, eventually, the difficult divorce. The one who made sure Holt came home safe from their assignments. The one who hung around and joked and looked and smelled so good.
For Makena, appreciation and attraction had grown from the second they met. She’d kept her feelings locked inside and pushed them away while he was married. Once he was single again, her gaze started lingering longer on Shane’s broad chest. Even when they weren’t together, the memory of his deep voice vibrated in her head. She looked forward to seeing him, even if the peek amounted to nothing more than a quick glimpse as Shane dropped Holt off somewhere.
She missed him when he was gone and enjoyed whatever little time they spent together these days. And today she silently thanked him for getting there on time. His entry had made all the difference. Anything could have happened to her if he’d waited a few more minutes to show up.
A groan cut off her mental wanderings. Low and almost a growl, it had her attention zipping to the floor. The attacker didn’t move and his eyes didn’t open, but the air changed. She felt rather than saw movement.
She shifted so they could both look down. “He’s waking up.”
“Good.” Shane moved her back, just far enough that the attacker’s hand no longer rested next to her foot. “I have some questions for him.”
Funny, but all she wanted was to see the guy dragged out of her house and locked up. The why mattered, but seeing the guy’s presence triggered a constant shaking inside her. “Any chance we could handle those at the police station?”
“I want to question this guy without an official report.”
That sounded like one of those things Holt said and she tried to ignore because she did not want to know. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Shane took a step in the downed man’s direction and his eyes popped open. “You have two minutes to tell me who you are and why you’re here.” Shane aimed his gun at the attacker. “Or do you need an incentive?”
“Shane, please.” The only thing she wanted less than to hear about Shane’s work plans was to watch them in action. She understood the need for hard talk—even violence—to combat evil, but she did not want to witness it firsthand. She’d had enough of that tonight.
“Go
