Chapter 6

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about this weekend!" Anna gushed, rushing over and enveloping Lena in a big hug. "Jett told me all about the creep who cornered you in the basement. Men, am I right? They all think they're God's gift to women. I'm so glad Gray was there to scare the shit out of him."

Lena pulled back, smiling despite herself. She wasn't surprised in the least by Anna's exuberance. Lena guided her away from where the receptionist, Clara, was currently talking on the phone with a client. "It was creepy," Lena admitted. "The guy had just started working here but claimed he'd noticed me around. He said he didn't see a ring on my finger and wanted my number."

"The nerve of him!" Anna said, her voice rising. "So what if you don't have a ring? You could still be in a relationship or not at all interested in an ass like him. What an absolute dick. That's the last thing you needed after what just happened to you and Kaylee. You've barely been back at work."

"Exactly," Lena said, shooting her a knowing look. "I'm glad he's gone. I don't think I'd have felt comfortable running into him at the office after that little encounter. Gray rushed out of the gym looking like he wanted to murder the guy."

Anna nodded, a look of glee suddenly crossing her face. "The guy from IT probably pissed his pants when that happened. Gray's a good guy but badass. I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley, you know what I mean?"

"Well, that's the absolute truth," Lena agreed. "He'd never harm a woman though."

"Of course not! I just meant if I was the bad guy."

Lena tried to hide her smile. The idea of Anna prowling around pregnant like some criminal in a dark alley was ludicrous. "Believe me, the guy was shocked when Gray yanked him away from me." She wrapped her arms around herself, remembering the feel of that guy gripping her forearm—and the instant terror that had coursed through her. "I'm not sure what he expected, but he was totally clueless. He didn't seem to think he'd done anything wrong, but cornering me in the basement to get my number was idiotic."

"Dick," Anna muttered, and Lena huffed out a laugh. It felt good knowing Anna was angry on her behalf. While the two women weren't very much alike personality wise, they'd become friends. They'd had lunch together, grabbed coffee, and of course spent time at the office and at Jett and Anna's large home.

"I just hope he doesn't scare some other woman like that. How are you feeling?" Lena asked, ready to change the subject. She glanced at Anna's baby bump. Anna was showing earlier this time around and was positively glowing today.

"Good, but I've been so tired. I took a quick cat nap when the nanny was there earlier but then came in to the office. I'm convinced it's another boy," Anna said, running a manicured hand over her belly. "Wouldn't Jett love that? A house full of penises," she surmised as Lena choked back her laughter. "There's already too much testosterone around here as it is."

"I thought the nanny had Brody all day?" Lena asked, glancing over at the sleeping baby.

"She did, but I felt like I'd miss him too much, so I brought him into work and gave her the day off. It must be those darn pregnancy hormones. I'm either in tears, sleeping because I'm so exhausted, or begging Jett to take me to bed and have his wicked way with me," she teased, waggling her eyebrows.

Lena shot her a surprised look.

"Oh, honey, let me tell you—those pregnancy hormones make you want it all the time. Maybe not in the first trimester when I had morning sickness all day long, but now? I can't get enough of my man. I should set you up," Anna said, looking excitedly at Lena. "Just think, our kids could have playdates together."

"No way," Lena said, shaking her head. "The last thing I need is a man."

"Look, I know some of the story with your ex. Don't worry, Jett only gave me the barest details," Anna quickly added. "I realize that you're skittish for a very good reason. But not every man is horrible."

"They're not all bad, but I still don't need you to set me up," Lena said, flashing her a warning look. "I'm perfectly happy."

The door to the secure area opened just then, effectively ending the conversation as Jett and the rest of his team came walking out. Ford made a beeline for Clara, ducking down to give his own pregnant wife a lingering kiss. Luke and Sam were deep in conversation with Nick. Jett sauntered over to Anna's side, and Gray hovered at the edge of their group. He was often silently watching from the sidelines, Lena had noticed, and she blinked in surprise as she realized his focus was solely on her right now.

Lena met Gray's gaze and tried to tamp down her body's immediate reaction as he approached. Still, nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach and heat coursed over her skin. She'd done her best to keep her distance this week, putting the past weekend behind them. It had felt intimate crying in his arms in her bedroom, but Gray was a colleague, not her boyfriend. She was embarrassed he'd seen her like that. Then she'd cooked breakfast for him like they were a couple or something.

Gray had come over last weekend to make sure she was safe. That was all.

"Hi there." His voice was a low rumble that practically sent a shiver snaking down her spine. He looked good today—too good. The cargo pants and black tee shirt that he wore showed off his muscles and strong physique, and she knew exactly how those muscles felt against her.

Lena felt her cheeks begin to warm.

"Hi," she said, immediately feeling flustered.

"You've been avoiding me this week." No pretense. Gray was blunt and to the point. His dark, short-cropped beard made him look rough-and-tumble, and the intensity in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.

He stood a respectable distance away, but she could breathe in his clean scent and feel the warmth of his big body. It felt like every nerve ending in her body was firing as she reacted to him. Her pulse pounded; her breath hitched. Even her voice wobbled as she answered him. "It's been a busy week."

He nodded. "It has. We're monitoring multiple situations and have another briefing this afternoon."

"I hear the Mexico mission is on standby," she said, swallowing. Gray's watchful gaze on her was unnerving. Maybe she'd flushed around him, felt his heated look as she'd moved around her kitchen and made breakfast, but nothing had happened. He'd checked her property after they ate, made sure she was okay, and left.

And she'd kept her distance all week.

Gray had literally broken her bedroom door down to get to her. He'd offered to replace it, too. While she was shocked, she also wasn't. He was former Special Forces, just like Jett and his teammates. And he'd done what he needed to get to her.

The conversations in the lobby continued on around them, and Lena felt like they were in their own little bubble, separated from the world. Gray knew she'd been steering clear of him, and it was obvious that he was done with her avoidance tactics.

"The mission is on standby until we resolve your and Kaylee's case," Gray told her, his eyes intense. "We have a little flexibility in the timing with Mexico, so Jett wants to handle this first. We just got some information that might lead us to Ivan Rogers."

"Oh really?" she asked, suddenly feeling worried. "Do you have a location?"

"Not yet, but we're narrowing down the possibilities," Gray said, clearly noticing her concern. "We think he flew to one of the areas where his sex-trafficking operation is run. Jett already told you his homes were searched."

Lena nodded, but a tinge of worry coursed through her. "He did," she said, her voice faltering. Tears smarted her eyes. "I think we'll all feel better when he's found," Lena managed to say.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentler.

"Just more bad memories," she murmured quietly.

Gray studied her for a moment, and it felt like he could see right through her. "I know about bad memories, hellish moments that live with you forever." Their eyes met, something passing between them. Gray hid his demons well, but she sensed that what he'd just told her wasn't something the others were privy to. No doubt they knew he'd been tortured, but the mental anguish he still dealt with? The thoughts that plagued him in the middle of the night?

Gray kept that shit locked up.

She shifted slightly, and Gray's eyes moved from her own, tracking down over her. She felt his gaze on her hips. Her thighs. Trailing down her legs to the high heels she wore. He looked ready to roll into battle, and she felt like a sexy secretary or something. Why couldn't she be strong like him? "You're braver than me," she said. Brave in his career choice, brave for approaching her. Gray and his teammates literally ran into danger. She'd panicked in the middle of the night.

He shook his head. "You're brave as hell, Lena," Gray told her. A beat passed as she searched his dark eyes. Nothing but sincerity shone within them.

"Oh, I meant to tell you—those zip ties you found were one of my neighbors," Lena said, grateful for a reason to change the subject. "A guy up the street was finishing his basement and had a number of supplies delivered. A couple of smaller items blew away in a wind gust. Another neighbor had plastic sheeting in her yard."

Relief crossed over his face. "That's good news. When did you find out?" His jaw ticked, and she could tell he'd been worried.

"Just this morning. I'm still not sure what I heard outside the other night, but at least the zip ties were nothing nefarious."

"I'm glad," he said.

"Me too. Oh, and don't worry about the bedroom door. I already had a handyman install a new one."

"Hell. I was going to pick one up this weekend."

"I know. I just feel safer when I can lock my door. I know it's silly since the house is locked."

"It's not silly at all," he countered. "And now I feel guilty for not doing it sooner."

"There's no need to feel guilty. It's already taken care of," she assured him. She cleared her throat. "I need to head downstairs. I'm helping Anna out with the numbers again and have to check the inventory for a few—"

"I'll go with you," he said abruptly, cutting her off. Her lips parted in protest. "It's no trouble, Lena." Once again, a shiver raced through her as Gray said her name. His deep voice calmed something inside her, and she definitely shouldn't like it as much as she did.

"There you two are!" Jett boomed, sauntering over to them with Anna at his side, baby Brody in a stroller. "I'm taking Anna home for the day so she can rest. She should not have given our nanny the day off," he chastised, soothing Anna's frown with a brief kiss. "I'll be back soon. We're briefing at fourteen hundred."

"Got it, boss," Gray said.

"You'll help Lena downstairs," Jett said. It wasn't a question.

"Already taken care of."

Lena stiffened, not liking that Jett seemed to think she couldn't handle going back down there alone. Anna quickly jumped in, thanking Lena for covering for her yet again. "You might have to hire someone else when baby number two comes," Anna said sweetly, snuggling closer to Jett.

"Don't I know it. We need more admin help, more men on the Shadow Ops Team." He muttered a curse. "We're busy, which is damn good. I have to admit even I didn't expect Shadow Security to grow so quickly."

"Tell your brother to retire," Anna said with a wink. "I'm sure he'd love to join the team."

Jett barked out a laugh. "Slate? There's not a chance in hell he'd retire from the Navy to come work for me."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening either," Lena admitted. Jett's brother Slate commanded a SEAL team in Coronado. There wasn't a reason for him to give that up at this point in his career. The two men were complete opposites. Whereas Slate thrived on military order, Jett ran things his own way. Not every man was cut out to run black ops. Jett loved toeing the line, seeing how much he could get away with. Lena had to admit, his team got shit done. She could hardly fault her boss for being on the right side of justice. Not when she knew of the evil that lurked in the world.

Jett eyed Gray. "You were the last guy I convinced to come on board. Who was that old buddy of yours that you hung around the pool halls with? You swore up and down he was one of the best damn snipers you've ever known."

Gray smirked. "Boone? I think he's out of the game, boss. And for good reason."

Jett pointed a finger at Gray. "I want his contact info. We've got a hell of a lot going on, but there's more on the horizon. It's about damn time I looked at expanding the group."

Gray's chuckle filled the lobby. "The day Boone joins the Shadow Ops Team will be the day hell freezes over, but sure, I'll pass on his contact info to you. I'll tip him off, too, so he knows that you're coming for him."

"You do that. We need the best of the best on the team. If you trust him, that's all I need to know."

Gray nodded, the two men exchanging a knowing look. Lena could hardly imagine what they'd seen while serving together but knew all of the men would lay down their lives for one another. Gray might be haunted by his past, but that hadn't stopped him from joining his teammates in more deadly missions. For running right into danger to save her.

As they said their goodbyes to Jett and Anna, Lena found herself heading toward the stairwell again, alone with the one man she felt safest with. Goosebumps covered her skin as Gray's warm hand landed at the small of her back. He reached out with his other, pulling open the door, the heat from his muscled body seeping into her skin.

"It's okay," he murmured as she hesitated for just a beat on the stairs.

"I know." Her voice was breathy again, but her nerves weren't from returning to the basement. Not at all. The shakiness in her voice had everything to do with the man behind her. She smoothed her palms over her pencil skirt, looking up to meet Gray's gaze.

Her stomach lurched, and Lena got the feeling that Gray knew all too well the effect he had on her.

The trouble was, she couldn't do anything to stop it.