ERIN SAT ON THE bumper of the ambulance while the first responders moved around her. Could it really be over?Mark was in custody.According to Riley, the black ops Allied Security team was either dead or wounded, and accounted for. The videos made the employee list fairly easy.All that was left was for the police to fit their stories together.Erin had lied to them, and for that, she'd have to shoulder the guilt.A pair of black boots stepped into her field of vision. They were scuffed and in one spot the leather peeled up. If he wasn't careful that could get him hurt."You need new shoes," she said."Erin?" Riley knelt in front of her. They hadn't had the opportunity to speak since he'd taken Mark down. Between the injured and answering the questions from law enforcement, they hadn't had a moment to speak. Riley's brow creased and there were deep brackets around his mouth. "I thought we came to an understanding. I've got your back. Don't you know that?""I couldn't a
RILEY HELD THE DOOR for Erin and together they stepped out into the sunshine, leaving NexGen in their wake. Whether someone at the company was guilty or not would be the job of someone else. He kept his hand on her back, steering her out to the parking lot where Casey waited for them."Feel better?" he asked."Not really. Lighter, but not better." She stepped up on the curb, the red paved walkway between the rows of cars stretching the length of the lot."What's wrong?" He tugged on her hand until she stopped."I don't know." She lifted her shoulders.There'd been something sad and resigned about her since the hospital. He'd thought it was about quitting, but now he wasn't so sure. He stared down at her, all his thoughts jumbled together. He didn't know how to say what was in his head, but if he didn't get it out now, he might not get the chance. There was no guarantee they'd see each other again after this."Where are you going after this?" he asked."Miami, I guess." Ag
SIX WEEKS LATER. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, FT WORTH, TEXAS.ERIN STEPPED THROUGH THE doors, escaping a few moments ahead of those allowed in the courtroom. She'd sweated through her shirt to the point that her jacket felt damp, but it was over. Two days of testimony, and her part was over.Riley, Khalil and Casey sat on the bench across from the doors."How'd it go?" Riley crossed to her and wrapped an arm around her waist."Fine." She glanced at Khalil.Their secret was still theirs. There was so much to untangle in regard to the black-ops side of Allied's business that no one cared about their role beyond how it all went public. She would take the fact that Khalil kidnapped her to her grave, and so would the others.She squeezed Riley and let go of him.Over the last few weeks she'd gotten to know Khalil. They'd talked, helping heal much of the other's pain and come to terms with the future in a new light.She took Khalil's hand in hers."Thank you," he muttered."None of this
Volume Two: Dangerously InvolvedThursday. Tech Conference, Kyoto, Japan.YVONNE KRIEGER WAS GOING to be sick.She and her brothers were about to meet very important people from their Krieger Asia offices. She couldn't hurl now."Vee, you okay?" Her older brother Theodore leaned close.God, did he always wear so much cologne or was this new? And why did she have to sit between Theodore and Douglas?"Fine. I just need to be out of a car, plane or train for a little bit." She pressed her hand to her stomach and tipped her head back as the town car slowed."Well, we're almost there." Theodore gave her knee a squeeze. "Supposedly we have a security detail that's meeting us here.""Is that really necessary?" Yvonne lifted her too heavy head and frowned at her brother.They were into virus protection software, for Christ's sake. Not weapons or anything dangerous. Between the two of them they'd taken over many of the operations for their family company, Krieger, Inc. T
NOLAN THOMPSON WAS GOING to need the coffee gods to be on his side today.What the actual fuck just happened?He strode toward the elevator in a daze.When he'd packed for this job, he'd expected boring. Playing bodyguard in Japan wasn't a terrible way to spend a week.Then a familiar scent had tickled Nolan's nose, bringing to mind long caramel hair, rumpled sheets and the sweetest moan he'd ever heard.Kim.She'd been standing right there.She looked different all buttoned up in business attire with her hair twisted up off her shoulders and subdued make-up. Hell, if it hadn't been for that scent that had haunted him for the last six weeks he might not have recognized her at all.Man, that night.There'd been something different about her. The sex. How they fit. It was like they belonged. Normally Nolan kept his relationships short. Traveling the way he did and his lifestyle didn't lend to putting down roots. But she'd made him want to try, if only for the sex.Too ba
Nolan sipped his coffee.It wasn't unusual for clients like Yvonne to hook up with one of their guys. It also wasn't against the rules. A lot of women liked the thrill of screwing their bodyguard. But Nolan had never liked mixing business with pleasure.He hadn't done anything wrong, and he could be inviting more problems if he volunteered his past relationship with Yvonne. The downside was that Nolan couldn't ask to be reassigned without offering some kind of explanation.The best thing to do would be to take this up with Yvonne. They could either agree to play nice or he could come up with a reason to get his schedule changed. But he had to do it now.He had an idea...Nolan turned toward Grant and thumbed down the hall where Yvonne had headed. "Hey, did we ask about where to put the crates?""Shoot, no we didn't." Grant scowled."I'll ask." Nolan circled the seating area.Melody scowled. "I don't think-""I'll just take a second." Nolan darted down the hall before
Friday. Tech Conference, Kyoto, Japan.YVONNE SAT ON THE floor of her friend's bathroom, her face pressed up against the tile wall to cool her heated skin.She could not be sick.The keynote address was in an hour. She'd fought tooth and nail with Theodore about allowing her take part in it. Right now she was one third of the family equation with Theodore and Dad behind the company. She would not be cut out of this opportunity.Heels clicked on the tile. Her best friend Tabby Grissler came to a stop across the spacious bathroom, face creased in concern. She was a beautiful woman, far more socially poised than Yvonne. They'd been thrown together at a young age since their families were peers, not competitors. The Grissler companies were all about things that flew, planes, guidance systems. With the lack of competition between them, Tabby had grown to be one of the few women Yvonne could be completely open with. They might be utterly dissimilar-Tabby partied, Yvonne didn't; Ta
NOLAN STOOD BACKSTAGE WATCHING Yvonne and Theodore toss lines back and forth.They were good.Theodore had charm while Yvonne played the role of expert. She was looser, warmer than he'd seen her through the day. Though he'd only really gotten a glimpse of her as they walked from meeting to meeting. He didn't have clearance to be in the same room while discussions were going down.Was this her public persona? The face she put on for the world?If that were the case, what side of her had he met in Vegas?Why did he care?Their lines were drawn. She didn't like him. He didn't fool around with assets. Just a few more days and they'd never have to see each other again.Yvonne turned her head, and the light caught in her hair, making it glint. Tabby had turned the conservative woman Yvonne presented to the world on a daily basis into this creature. She was stunning.Had Tabby worked her magic on Yvonne when they'd met?Nolan wasn't going to ask because he was fairly certain