Danni’s pulse sped as Frank headed toward her hiding place. She held her breath and squeezed into the narrow space behind the speaker. The crowd’s shouts for more when the set ended was background noise to her fast-beating heart reverberating in her eardrums. Instead of holding her breath while smashed against the wall, she could have pretended she was returning to Alex’s room. Except this wasn’t the way that she would have come.
She was glad that she didn’t wear heavy perfume since Frank strolled right past her without noticing. She wiggled out of her hiding spot and headed to Alex’s room. Could Frank be the stalker?
Her brain went into hyperdrive. Despite not liking the way Frank stared at her, she couldn’t think of one reason for Frank to sabotage Alex. The man was supposedly his friend and provided Frank’s income. How did Alex ending his tour early benefit Frank? She needed to find out. Lucky Reeves Hewitt, IT wizard for Jenkins Security, was her bestie.
All this skulking around gave her a little thrill, but nothing like those Jenkins boys and their friends. And even though her plans to sleep with Alex had gone by the wayside, she still wanted to prove her strength and smarts. People might focus on her looks, but she knew where her true power lay. And taking down this stalker would fulfill her real desire—to prove just how kick-ass and capable she was. Then maybe it would be time to join Jenkins Security. Or maybe the FBI…
Chapter Two
Lars Jenkins followed closed behind Reeves Hewitt, who pressed into the crowd at the loud brewery. The local spot was packed with Seattleites in the usual laid-back Pacific Northwest uniform of T-shirts, jeans, and runners. This was a scene that he usually enjoyed, but tonight the noise and the jammed space grated on his nerves. His throbbing leg after his grueling workout didn’t help. All he wanted was to put his leg up, chill, and forget.
Why the hell did he allow himself to be talked into barhopping on a Thursday night? Because Reeves, the IT specialist at his family’s security firm, had insisted that he had something important to share that couldn’t be discussed at the office. So, Lars dragged himself out. He was in bad shape if he preferred staying home working on his next project while he had downtime rather than body pressing with hot women.
His recent gunshot hadn’t come close to the groin, but somehow his boys didn’t seem to be sending out the right hormones. He’d had nada interest in getting laid ever since a mouthy blonde sat by his bedside, holding his hand before and after the surgery to remove the bullet from his quad muscle.
Reeves headed down a dark hallway to the back room where the music wasn’t blaring, and the crowd thinned. The smaller wood-paneled space was a relief.
Lars found a seat in the corner and placed his beer on the table. “What’s so important that you couldn’t tell me at work?” He pulled a stool up and sat facing the door, a habit deeply ingrained from his covert work.
He wasn’t a masochist. He’d get back in the game once he was able to move his thigh fully. The damn bullet had torn up the lateral side of his quad. He was fortunate the bullet didn’t hit his femoral artery, or he wouldn’t be enjoying the robust flavor of the heavy lager. Another day that he dodged the final bullet.
“You need to get out and stop pitying yourself. You know that, right?” Reeves sat across from him.
“What the fuck, Reeves? You some sort of babysitter? Did Sten sic you on me?”
Another reason Lars wasn’t up for company. He missed sparring with his twin. Sten was now stationed in DC. Lars would never admit, even under the threat of torture, that he missed his brother during his downtime.
“No, Sten doesn’t know how you’ve been moping around the office.”
“How am I supposed to be acting? Instead of being with my team at Pendleton, I’m babysitting Jenkins Security while Nick is off in Hawaii playing with Emily. And have you forgotten that I just got out of the damn hospital? I’m busting my ass doing intensive physical therapy, in addition to running the training program for Nick’s marine buddies.”
Reeves clinked his glass with Lars’s. “Drink up.”
Lars threw back the lager then placed the half-empty glass on the table.
“You happy? Now tell me before I have to demonstrate my skills as the almost youngest of the five Jenkins brothers.” Sten was two minutes younger.
“I’m immune to the usual Jenkins threats.” Reeves raised his hands. “You must promise that you won’t tell her that I spilled everything. You’re going to need a good cover story.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Danni, of course.” Reeves took a gulp of his beer. “She’s in trouble.”
Lars’s heart rate, and his brain, tore into double time. Danni, the woman of every one of his fantasies, who had never left the hospital during his six-day admission. She’d felt responsible for his injury and did everything to comfort him through the miserable post-op days.
And when he was set to be discharged and ready to pursue the burning connection between them, she’d disappeared. Not even a fucking goodbye after her Florence Nightingale stint. She had returned to her rock star boyfriend.
“Well, she’s not in trouble yet, but she’s headed that way. She is going to be pissed if she thinks I contacted you because I didn’t think she could handle the situation. You know what she’s like. Since she was kidnapped, she’s been hellbent on proving how tough she is. Remember how she offered herself up as bait to protect Sophie from the terrorist? And thank God, Nick was able to stop her from getting involved when the Chinese came after Emily.”
Lars tried for patience while Reeves meandered down his usual circuitous route, but this was Danni. Lars sat forward, elbows on the table, and glared. “What kind of trouble can she possibly get into while she’s with her famous boyfriend?”
“That’s the other interesting part. I don’t think Hardy is her boyfriend.”
Lars’s heart thumped against his chest, and his palms started to sweat. He wiped his hands on his jeans. God, Reeves was driving him crazy. “I’m going to put my fist into your face if you don’t explain what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Danni told me she’s Hardy’s bodyguard.”
“What?”
“Danni called me late last night. She wanted me to run a check on Hardy’s head of security.”
Lars stared at Reeves’s mouth. Words were coming out, but Lars couldn’t comprehend them. Alex Hardy might not be her boyfriend. Maybe the explosive chemistry that Lars thought was one-sided might be mutual.
Lars threw back the rest of his beer. He didn’t want to sound desperate. “You’re telling me that after all this time, Danni isn’t hooking up with Hardy?”
He should’ve asked why Reeves thought Danni might be in trouble first. “Never mind. Her love life isn’t relevant. What has Danni gotten herself into this time?”
“Not relevant?” Reeves rolled his dark eyes. “Man, you basically drool when she’s close by.”
“Every man drools around Danni. She’s gorgeous, and her ballbuster attitude makes men sit up and notice.”
“True.” Reeves smirked. “I’m glad to see her having a good time. She deserves it.”