knew I’d never do anything to hurt him. Ever. I guess he realized that in time and—” he paused and shrugged “—sent you to me. Also because…” He stopped, the rest of his answer hovering on his lips.
A knock at the door sounded.
Pulling his gun, he checked the peephole, then returned the weapon to its holster. “That’s Carly.” Relief at the reprieve filled him, and he opened the door. A young woman in her early thirties, with the same blue eyes as her brother, stepped into the room.
Ian shut the door and gave her a hug. “Thanks for doing this.”
Carly grinned up at him. “Always loved the night shift.” She turned her gaze to Gina, studying her. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
Ian stepped to the door. “I’ll let you guys get acquainted, but I’d make it short if I were you.” He looked at Gina. “Get some sleep, it’s already almost 2:00 in the morning. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
Gina blinked at Ian’s sudden departure.
Well. Then she narrowed her eyes. He was getting out while he could, avoiding any more questions he didn’t want to answer. She let him go, moved to the bed and sank onto it.
Carly settled herself into a chair, facing the door yet away from the window. “So, you’ve got someone after you, huh?”
“To say the least.”
Compassion softened the features she shared with Ian.
“Why don’t you get some rest? No one will bother you tonight.”
Fatigue hit Gina like a truck, and instead of getting up and taking the shower she’d planned on, she fell back to stare at the ceiling. “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Then she sat back up. “I think I’m too exhausted to sleep.”
Silence reigned for a moment; then a sympathetic Carly asked, “How did you and Mario meet?”
Gina smiled at the memory. “He wanted to buy a house.”
“Ian told me you’re a Realtor.”
“Yep. Mario wanted to buy a house in North Carolina. I was working with a firm there, and he got put through to me. We met and the rest was history as they say.”
“Did he ever buy the house?”
Gina chuckled. “Not in North Carolina. He eventually bought the one near Myrtle Beach. The whole thing in North Carolina was an undercover deal. The president was going to be at the Charlotte Coliseum. There had been reports of a terrorist attack there, and Mario was assigned the case. My real estate office was right across the street from the Coliseum. It made for a good cover.”
“And he called you after the mission was finished?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes grew heavy and she gave in to the desire for sleep, murmuring, “I think I might be able to get a little rest, if that’s okay.”
“Go right ahead—that’s why I’m here. I brought a book to read.” With that she opened a thick novel and conversation ceased.
While Gina’s body demanded rest, her mind wouldn’t shut off. What had Mario been thinking? What had he been involved in that would cause someone to come after her?
Racking her brain produced nothing but a headache, so she turned her thoughts to Ian—what was it about him that caused Mario to trust the man? Why, of all the people Mario knew, did he practically order her to contact the one person who—in his eyes—had betrayed the unit by leaving?
Okay, if she was honest with herself, she’d have to admit betrayed might be too strong a word. Deserted? Bailed on? Abandoned?
Whatever the word, he’d left the unit and, as a result, disharmony had ensued. The team recovered, of course, but it was never the same. And while Mario had not shared the details of everything, she knew he blamed Ian for the fallout. He’d been quite vocal about that because the guys had never really liked Robbie Stillman, Ian’s replacement.
She rolled to her stomach. Lord, I need you. Please help me figure out what I’ve gotten myself in the middle of. And take away this weird attraction I feel for a man who has as many secrets as the one I lost.
She must have slept, because the next thing she knew, she awakened with a start, heart pounding, at the click of the door closing.
Who was there?
Where was Carly?
THREE
Ian paced in the tiny area between the two beds and the small bathroom, glancing at his watch again. Carly had just knocked on the door to let him know Gina was still asleep and she had to get going to report in to her day job. He regretted her lack of rest, but it couldn’t be helped.
As for himself, he’d slept a little, dozing until Jase called to say he was on his way. Night had passed without incident. He could only hope the day would go as smoothly. Something told him not to hold his breath.
He pushed the curtain aside just enough to see out.
Where was Jase?
Jason Sutton and Ian had served together under Commander Mac Gold. Jase was a dedicated man and in love with patriotism; Ian couldn’t remember the guy ever making a mistake on his watch.
Three short raps swiveled his attention to the door. Crossing the room in three long strides, he knuckled back two short knocks.
One tap answered.
Ian opened the door.
Jase, tall and dark as midnight, slipped into the room, silent as mist. “I made it as fast I could.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
“Haven’t heard from you in a long time.” Ian picked up on a coolness in the man’s voice that hadn’t been there before he’d left the unit.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He left it at that.
Jase grunted. “Whatever.”
A rap on the door brought both of the men’s attention to it. Ian walked over, peeped out and then opened the door, pulling Gina inside. “Gina, what are doing? You don’t need to be out in the open like that.”
Spying Jase, she drew up short, her eyes taking on a wary look. “I heard the door shut and it woke me up. I thought…” She shuddered. “Anyway, Carly left me a note saying she had to leave and that you would be over shortly.”
“Yeah, you should have waited on me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just ready to get back to work on this.” She looked away and over at Jase. “Hi.”
Ian saw what she didn’t offer. She was scared to be alone. He didn’t blame her. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he said, “You said you knew Jase. We were all in the same unit once upon a time. Jase transferred out right before Mario was
