Extreme Measures

21

Eve stood at the counter in the massive kitchen, chopping vegetables for the stir-fry Zane was making. Someone had recently stocked the refrigerator as if they knew the house were about to be used, which seemed so strange to Eve—having people who rushed around preparing things for your arrival. She’d gotten so used to doing things on her own over the years, she couldn’t comprehend relying on others like that.

Soft lips pressed against the nape of her neck, and the knife stilled in her hand as she felt Zane move in at her back. He threaded one arm around her waist and up under the shirt she’d grabbed from the master closet. Something else she couldn’t comprehend. He’d said this house belonged to a client, but when he’d told her to find something clean to wear in the closet, she’d been startled to discover a variety of women’s clothing, in all different sizes.

Zane’s palm pressed against her bare lower belly, and he splayed his fingers, sending tiny tremors of heat all through her body. His other hand reached around for a yellow pepper from the cutting board. “Don’t cut me, beautiful.”

He popped the pepper in his mouth and chewed, and a chuckle vibrated at her back when he kissed her nape again. “Tasty. But not as tasty as you.”

He eased away, and as she heard the sizzle and pop of the wok at the stove, she closed her eyes and tried to tell herself she hadn’t just fucked things up royally by sleeping with him again—correction, by making love with him. But a tiny voice in the back of her head said she had. That if she’d hoped to save his life, it was going to be near impossible now.

“Are those almost ready?”

His voice dragged her out of her wandering mind and back to the moment. Setting the knife down, she lifted the cutting board and took it over to him at the stove. “Here.”

She wasn’t the least bit hungry, but she knew she needed to eat. Plus, making a meal kept her hands busy and her mind off her sister and Carter and everything else she couldn’t change now.

“There’s wine in the cellar,” Zane said, stuffing one hand into the front pocket of his low-slung jeans, using the wooden spoon in the other to stir the steaming vegetables. “Why don’t you go pick one out?

“Really?” Eve wiped her hand on a dishtowel and lifted her brows. “The owner won’t care?”

Zane chuckled. “Trust me, he won’t even notice it’s gone.”

Curiosity got the best of her. She leaned a hip against the granite counter. “What kind of guy has women’s clothing in different sizes hanging in his closet? Whose house is this?”

Zane lifted the pan and shook the vegetables around. “You listen to much rock music?”

“Some.”

“What about reality TV?”

Eve’s brow lowered. “Not much. Not a lot of it overseas.”

“A few years ago there was this guy on one of those singing shows who tore up the charts. Really made a name for himself. He didn’t win, I think he placed like third, but he was the big story of the season.”

Eve didn’t watch a lot of TV in general, but she did like to page through magazines in the airport. She thought back to what she knew about those voice competition shows, and when she realized who he was talking about, her eyes flew open wide. “Tate Kendrick. You’re saying the front man for Kendrick, the wildly popular rock band that’s exploded these last few years, owns this house?”

He nodded. “Aegis did some security work for him. After his success on that reality show, his band totally took off. He’s got a place on Whidbey Island. This is just his ski chalet.”

“His ski chalet.” Eve glanced around the enormous great room with its great everything. “I can’t imagine what his real house looks like.”

Zane chuckled and stirred the veggies again. “He likes Ryder, though why, I don’t know. Gave us free reign of the place, including the wine cellar.” He pointed toward a door at the far end of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go see what you can find?”

If Eve expected to find a couple bottles of chardonnay in the basement, she’d thought wrong. When she flipped on the light and climbed down the cool, polished wood stairs, she found herself gasping at the four full walls decked out in rows and rows of racks, each one filled with a different bottle.

Holy cow. She turned a slow circle, not knowing where to look first. This kind of money wasn’t even something she could comprehend. As she stared at the collection, something Zane had told whispered through her mind.

After he’d been injured in Guatemala, he’d gone to Mexico to recover. To some compound. She hadn’t thought much about it then, but now she couldn’t help but wonder who it had belonged to and how well he knew these people with money coming out of their ears. His life now was completely different than it had been before. He hobnobbed with the rich and famous. Aegis had to pay him well. A lot of guys who left government work went on to make a killing in the private security field, and he’d inherited a good chunk of change when his grandparents had died. By staying with him, she wasn’t just jeopardizing his safety; she was jeopardizing a future that could be extremely successful for him.

Her chest tightened. Hand shaking, she grabbed the first red she came to, pulled it off the shelf, and headed back up the stairs.

The kitchen was empty when she stepped out of the cellar and closed the door. The vegetables hissed in the pan, but the wok sat on a cold burner, and the stove was turned off. Voices echoed from the front of the house. Voices Eve didn’t recognize but immediately guessed had to belong to Jake Ryder and whatever people he’d brought from Aegis.

Her stomach knotted, and she immediately thought of the failed op in Guatemala. Of Zane’s menacing voice when she’d called to make sure he was still alive. Of the hate she’d heard in his words. Others at Aegis had to hate her too. For over a year they’d believed she was a traitor, just like Zane had.

He doesn’t believe that anymore. He loves you.

That knot in her stomach twisted tighter, and perspiration broke out all along her skin. Hate she knew what to do with, but love . . . ? Love was a foreign emotion she knew she didn’t deserve.

“You look like shit, Archer,” a man’s voice said from the foyer. “I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to kick your ass right now, so I’ll save it for later.”

“Let’s not destroy Kendrick’s house, shall we?” a woman said. “He was nice enough to let us use it. I think the least we can do is make sure it’s still in one piece when we’re done.”

“See what I have to put up with?” the man said. “She’s no fun at all. Where’s Wolfe?”

“Through here,” Zane answered.

Eve stiffened. Seconds later, Zane appeared in the great room, followed by a dark-haired man wearing jeans and a blue button-down, and a woman in black slacks and a pale yellow sweater, with blonde hair tied back in a neat tail and wire-rimmed glasses perched on her small nose.

“Eve,” Zane said, “this is my ex-boss, Jake Ryder, and Marley Addison, his conscience.”

Marley snorted.

Ryder frowned. He crossed the floor and held out his hand to her. “Current boss. Jackass over there never formally submitted his resignation.”

His grip was solid, his eyes a dark brown, almost black, and Eve recognized the edge he held, marking him as former special forces. Eve released his hand. “Archer doesn’t seem to do anything anyone wants him to do.”

The corner of Zane’s lips turned down. He rested his hands on his hips, then looked toward Marley. “I think they’re ganging up on me already.”

Marley chuckled and set the bag she’d had slung over her shoulder on the ground at her feet. “Don’t look at me. He was in a mood all the way out here. I’m not getting in the middle of this one.”

Ryder glanced toward Eve at the stove. “You cooked? Oh man, a chick with a gun who’s not afraid of a kitchen. Forget about all the terrorist crap and you might be my fantasy woman yet.”

Marley snorted as she pulled a folder out of her bag. “Your idea of the perfect fantasy woman changes every five minutes.”

Ryder shot Marley a perturbed look, and as Eve glanced from face to face, she relaxed, just a touch. While she could definitely feel the tension between the two men, they were both working hard to keep things civil, and Marley was a good buffer. Plus the fact that Zane’s boss—ex or not—had flown all the way out here from Kentucky meant he was committed to helping. And that he cared. Which was a hell of a lot more than she could say for her superiors.

She pushed that thought aside and tucked the hair tickling the side of her face behind her ear. “Sorry. My cooking skills are limited to the microwave, and I’m not even good at that. Zane cooked.”

Ryder’s surprised gaze shot to Zane, then landed on Marley. “He is trying to butter me up.”

Marley lifted her brows. “I warned him ahead of time.” She glanced Zane’s way. “Three double Crowns on the plane helped. But food was a good idea.”

“I get no respect.” Ryder took the bottle of wine from Eve’s hands. “Why don’t I open this? I think we all need more alcohol.”

Zane moved into the kitchen, opened the cupboard door, and reached for a stack of plates. “Rice should be done in a few minutes. Then we can eat.”

Marley stepped toward the dining room table. “Shouldn’t we wait for Miller?”

Eve’s heart skipped a beat, and she froze, for a moment unable to think. “Miller’s coming?”

Marley looked Ryder’s way. “You didn’t tell them.”

He poured wine into four glasses and flashed Marley an annoyed look. “I wasn’t sure we should share that just yet.”

The sound of an engine cutting off echoed from out front. Heart in her throat, Eve bolted for the entry.

“Eve,” Zane said. “Wait—”

Her bare feet skidded to a stop, but Zane’s hand against the door prevented her from opening it. “Move,” she said.

“Hold on.” His hand landed on her shoulder, warm, solid, supporting her. Everything she always felt when he was close. “He might be alone. You need to be prepared for that. But if she is with him, don’t crowd her. Give her room. After what she’s been through, she might not be able to handle it just yet.”

“She’s my sister.”

“I know, but . . . she’s been missing for several days. I just . . . If she’s there—and I don’t know that she is—I want you to be prepared for the fact she might not . . . be her normal self.”

Sickness rolled through Eve’s belly, and images of what Olivia could have been through pinged rapid-fire through her brain. But more than that, she was blindingly aware that even now Zane was worried about her. About how she would react and feel when she saw her sister. Not about himself or the situation or even what she was doing to his future. His only concern was for her.

If she hadn’t believed his declaration of love earlier, she believed it now, and it sent a host of butterflies fluttering all through her already queasy stomach.

Nodding slowly, she closed her hand around the door handle. “I-I’ll remember that.”

He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m right here with you. Don’t forget that either.”

How could she? Her pulse raced, and her heart felt like it grew every time he touched her.

Steeling herself for what she’d find, she pulled the door open and stared through the light drizzle toward the black sedan parked in the driveway. A man sat in the driver’s seat, but more than that, there was a passenger next to him. Someone small. A woman.

Eve stepped out onto the porch, and her heart lurched into her throat. “Olivia.”

Landon cut off the ignition and looked up at the lodge-style house. He’d been here only a few weeks ago with Kendrick. He had not planned to be back anytime soon.

He glanced toward Olivia in the passenger seat. She was eyeing the house like it might just jump out and bite her. “You ready for this?”

“Eve’s in there?”

She’d slept during the drive up here, and he’d thought about calling Archer to let him know they were on their way, but he hadn’t wanted to wake her. The swelling had gone down a little on her face, but dark circles had taken up refuge under her eyes, and he guessed she hadn’t slept in days. “Yeah. Along with some other people I work with. You don’t have to worry. You’re totally safe here.”

Her gaze slid his way, and when those rich green eyes landed on his, he felt that punch to the gut all over again. “Eve will freak out when she sees me. I-I didn’t think about that until right now. I-I don’t want to have to explain things, you know?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t want to have to talk about it.”

He laid his hand on hers, resting on her lap, and squeezed. To his surprise, she didn’t flinch, only opened her fingers and squeezed his hand back. “I’ll run interference, how about that?”

She exhaled a long breath and swiped her free hand over her face. “I’m such a mess. I’m sorry. It’s not your job to babysit me. I’ll be fine. I just”—she tried to pull her hand away—“I’ll be fine in a minute.”

“Olivia.” He gripped her fingers tighter. “Look at me.” Tears swirled in her eyes when she looked his way, and something in his chest knotted. Something he’d thought had died a long time ago. “I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there. You’re not a mess. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than any woman I’ve ever met. Remember that.”

She blinked several times. Movement on the front porch drew his attention. She looked in that direction just as the front door opened and Eve stepped out on the porch, followed by Archer.

For a heartbeat, he held her hand and wished they could go on being alone. But that was impossible—and totally fucking unrealistic. Olivia Wolfe was not the kind of woman who’d be interested in a man like him, especially not if she knew about his past. And as much as her pretty eyes might get to him, he knew it was lack of sleep and adrenaline that had him feeling crazy things for her. She wasn’t his type. He didn’t do relationships. And by tomorrow, he knew he’d no longer care.

“Time to face the fire,” Olivia whispered.

She let go of his hand, and cool air washed over his palm, dousing his spirits. But before he could think of a reason to stop her, she popped the door and stepped out into the rain.

Moving away from him for good. Which was exactly where he needed her to go, for both their sakes.

“Oh my God.”

Zane didn’t stop Eve from rushing down the porch steps and into the rain. Didn’t even think to try. As soon as the slim woman climbed out of the car, relief flooded every cell in his body.

His biggest fear was that Miller was going to show up alone. Eve had already survived that bombing, the deaths of her CSIS contact and Carter. Even though she put on a tough face, he didn’t think she could make it through one more major blow. And losing her sister would have been that.

The two women hugged. Eve cooed over her sister, checking every inch of her. He couldn’t tell what they said, but he knew from Eve’s body language that her sister wasn’t in the best of shape. But she was alive, and right now that was all that mattered.

Miller climbed out of the car, stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, and jogged up the front steps of the house. Shaking the rain from his hair, he looked back toward the car. “That woman should be in a damn hospital. She’s weak as shit, but she refused to stay there. She’s got a hell of a lot of fight in her. Like her sister.”

If she was anything like Eve, Zane could only imagine. He turned toward Miller and held out his hand. “I owe you, man.”

Miller returned the handshake with a frown. “Yeah, you do. Don’t fucking forget it.”

Zane waited while Eve wrapped an arm around her sister and ushered her up the steps and into the house. She was a whole head taller than Olivia, but the slope of their noses was the same, the shape of their eyes. He could definitely see the family resemblance. Closing the door at their backs, he watched while Eve took the light jacket from her sister and threw it over a bench in the entryway.

“Give me your hat too,” Eve said. “It’s all wet.”

Olivia clamped a hand over the top of her head, and as she did, her shirtsleeve pulled back just enough so Zane could see the multitude of bruises on her arm. “No. My hair’s a mess. It’ll dry.”

Eve twisted her hands together, like she didn’t know what to do, but there was a light in her eyes Zane hadn’t seen in all the time they’d been together, and warmth bloomed in his belly while he watched Eve’s face soften and heard her whisper, “I’m so glad to see you.”

She drew her sister in for a tight hug. Olivia stiffened at the contact and cringed, as if she were in pain, and when she lifted her face and looked his way, Zane saw the bruises around her eyes.

At his side, Miller tensed. “Hey, is Ryder here already? Jacka—”

Olivia eased out of Eve’s arms and looked his way.

Miller closed his mouth and frowned. “Idiot owes me money.”

Zane looked between the two, sensing . . . something.

Eve swiped at her eyes and threaded one arm through her sister’s. “Yeah, he’s here. Zane made dinner. Liv, you’re hungry, right?”

Olivia pulled back on her arm, stopping her sister from drawing her into the main part of the house. “No. What I’d really like is a shower.”

“Sure,” Eve answered, eyes wide. “Yeah. We can do that. Come upstairs with me.”

Instead of letting Eve pull her toward the stairs, Olivia drew her arm out of her sister’s grip. “I don’t need you to coddle me right now, Eve. I know you’re trying to help, but you can’t. I just need . . .” She sucked in a deep breath. Let it out as if it could calm her. “If you just tell me where it is, I can do it alone.”

Surprise rippled over Eve’s features, and then that light Zane had just watched jump to life dimmed. “I-I’m not trying to coddle you.”

Olivia closed her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. I just . . .”

Her voice trailed off. And at Zane’s side, he sensed Miller tense all over again.

Helpless. They were all helpless. Only time was going to heal this wound.

Zane stepped up to Eve and squeezed her shoulder. “This place is pretty big, Olivia. I keep getting turned around in here. Why don’t you let Eve show you where the shower is, and you can come down when you’re ready.”

Olivia’s gaze snapped his way, and in her green eyes he saw relief. And thanks. She nodded.

Eve, he could tell, wasn’t sure what to do or say. She twisted her hands together again, swallowed, and then moved for the stairs. “This way.”

When the girls were halfway up the curved staircase, Zane said to Miller, “She’s not okay, is she?”

From the corner of his eye, he watched Miller’s jaw tighten. “Would you be after a week with a bunch of psychos?”

No, Zane figured he’d be pretty well fucked up.

“She doesn’t want to be smothered right now,” Miller said, still looking up the staircase. “Tell Eve not to bring up what happened to her.”

Frustration welled inside Zane. He understood that the poor girl had been through a major trauma, but they needed answers. “She might know about—”

From his pocket, Miller pulled a small zip drive and turned his way. “About this?”

Zane’s heart skipped a beat. “Tell me that’s real.”

“Tyrone Smith was locked up in the room next to her. He stashed this in a locker at an athletic club in downtown Seattle and told her where to find it. That’s why she checked herself out of that damn hospital.”

Miller eyed the drive in his hand. “Something tells me this puppy is what everyone’s looking for. Whatever’s on here is worth killing for.”