Chapter 17

SAWYER ENDED HIScall and slid the phone into his cargo pocket. As he continued his circuit around the property, he considered how best to tell Janie that her brother was holding back information.

By the time he finished the circuit, he’d still not come up with a good way to pass on the information to Janie. Sawyer grimaced. There wasn’t one. Perhaps her brother had an explanation for his presence in Hartman. He already had a pretty good idea what Moran would say. Whether or not it was the truth was anyone’s guess.

He entered the safe house to find Janie sipping tea while she stared at the screen in front of her.

“Everything all right outside?” she asked without glancing up.

“No signs of incursion.”

She flashed him a quick grin. “I’ll take that as a yes. Brody made a fresh pot of coffee since you took his perimeter check.”

He made a beeline for the coffeepot and poured himself a mug of the steaming brew. A sip of the liquid had him sighing in satisfaction.

“That good, huh?”

“It’s excellent. Still working?”

She nodded. “I need a few more minutes.”

“Take your time.” His news could wait.

Sawyer walked to the security room, where Brody monitored the cameras set up around the house and property.

“Feeling restless?” Brody asked when Sawyer dropped into the seat beside him.

“I called Zane and asked him to find out where Moran is staying. He’s at the Kingsbridge Inn on Highway 231, Room 217.”

His friend studied his face for a moment. “What else?”

“Janie’s brother has been in town for three days, longer than Janie has been back in the US.”

“He insinuated he’d only been in town for a few hours.”

“I know. I also ran the photos of the two men he was arguing with through our databases and got a hit.”

“Who are they?”

“Juan Delgado and Esteban Varga. They’re lieutenants in the Vatos Locos.”

Brody growled. “I was afraid of something like that. We need to have a talk with him soon.”

“I’m waiting for Janie to finish working on her shop order.”

“You shouldn’t take her with you, Sawyer. Moran could be dangerous. For certain, his friends are.”

“I’m not hiding the truth from her. No matter how difficult the news is , you wouldn’t hide the truth from Sage.”

Brody froze. “Like that, is it?”

“Time will tell, but I think so.”

“Be careful, my friend. I only had to deal with Sage’s parents. You have Janie plus Brent and Rowan to handle. I’d rather deal with the vice president and his wife than our boss and Rowan. They’ll chew you up and spit you out if you hurt that woman in there.”

“Trust me, I haven’t forgotten.” Talk about a nightmare scenario. If things didn’t work out between him and Janie, he’d better have an excellent reason to end things with her and not hurt her heart. Yeah, piece of cake. For a saint, maybe. Sawyer was anything but a saint.

Grabbing his phone, Brody sent a text message and received a response seconds later. “Max will be here in ten minutes to go with us. He was already on his way to keep watch.”

Sawyer relaxed a little more. Excellent. If Moran was still dealing with the lieutenants from the gang, Sawyer and Brody wouldn’t be outnumbered. While the two of them could handle three opponents, Janie would be too close to the action for Sawyer’s comfort. In such a close space, anything could happen.

Minutes later, Janie walked into the security room and glanced around. Her eyes widened. “Look at all the screens,” she murmured.

“We have several security cameras around the house and property,” Sawyer said. “During a watch shift, we monitor the cameras and walk the perimeter in case the cameras failed to pick up an intruder.” Not likely, but they didn’t take chances.

“I did not know this much security was in place. No wonder you wanted to stay here.”

“What kind of security do you have at your home?” Brody asked.

Her face flushed. “Not much.”

Sawyer straightened. “How much is that?”

“No security system.” She held up a hand. “Look, I know I should have looked into it. I’ve been focused on getting Natural Bliss up and going. I have good security at my shop.”

“Baby, you need protection at home, too. Especially now that you’re involved with me. I’ll talk to Brent and have him set up a security team to install a system at your home.” Brent should have insisted Janie have a security system. Sawyer was surprised he hadn’t.

She flinched.

Understanding dawned on him. “He doesn’t know.”

“I didn’t want to worry him.”

“It’s necessary for your safety, Janie. Although we try not to bring our work home with us, nothing is one hundred percent secure. I want to schedule the installation team to come to your home tomorrow and install a top-of-the-line security system.”

“Sounds expensive.”

“It’s better than losing your life because you don’t have the protection.”

Janie blew out a breath. “You’re right. I’m just being tight-fisted with Granny Irene’s estate money, and that’s ridiculous. She wouldn’t want me to risk my safety to save a few dollars.”

“You’re more important than your business,” he murmured. “Brent will cut you a deal. We have deep discounts for friends and family. You definitely qualify.”

“All right. Thanks for setting that up for me, Sawyer.”

“Of course. I’m glad to help. Besides, you having a security system will give me peace of mind when we’re deployed.”

She watched him long enough that Sawyer had to resist the urge to squirm. “I should have thought of that. Brent always makes a big deal about Rowan using their security system when he goes out with a team. Naturally, you would want the same safety precautions for anyone you care about as well. Do you tell your mother and brothers to be more watchful when you deploy?”

He smiled. “Caught me. I warn them without words. I don’t want to send a text in case it’s intercepted, so I send a picture of a backpack. When I return, I send a picture of an open suitcase. Like you said, it’s a precaution. I want my family to be extra vigilant when I’m on a mission. The Fortress tech team also keeps close watch on the Internet. If there’s a breach, they contact my family. We have enemies, Janie. Not everyone appreciates the work we do in the shadows.”

“I do. I wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t arrived when you did.”

He brushed his mouth over hers. “I’m glad we were close.” Sawyer turned to Brody. “We’re going to see Moran.”

Janie’s head whipped toward Sawyer. “You found my brother?”

“Zane located him in two minutes.”

“So he’s not trying to hide.”

Brody stood. “Even if he was, he can’t hide from our tech team for long. Very few people can live off the grid. Too easy to make mistakes and give yourself away.”

She shrugged. “Cash and carry.”

“Security cameras are everywhere,” he countered. “Zane already knew David was in Hartman. Wouldn’t take long to find him via security feeds and traffic cams. He’d start with the coffee shop and follow him from there.”

“However Zane came by the information, I’m glad to know where to find David. I don’t like how we left things between us.”

Brody sent Sawyer a pointed look. “I’ll check the perimeter one more time, then make certain the SUV is ready.”

Right. Not subtle at all.

Janie stared at Brody as he left the room, then shifted her gaze to him. “Something is wrong. What is it?”

Janie Moran was one sharp lady. “When Zane located your brother, he also told me David had been in town for three days.”

Her brows knitted. “How is that possible? I haven’t been home for three days.”

“That’s right.”

“But what does it mean?”

“Your brother lied.”

“Why? What good would it do?”

“Keeps you from suspecting him and his motives. Janie, he arrived in Hartman before you did. What does that say to you?”

“That he cared enough about me to come to the only place where he knew I would eventually return.”

And perhaps he came to Hartman to finish the job the hijackers could not complete.

“Don’t.” Tears filled her eyes. “Please, Sawyer. Don’t say it.”

Heart breaking for her, Sawyer wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a moment. “I’ll uncover the truth, no matter what it is or where it leads, Janie. When I do, we’ll handle the fallout together.”

She sniffed. “I don’t want David to be responsible for the attacks.”

“If he is?”

“He’ll be responsible for the deaths of more than a dozen people who were innocent.” Her voice broke. “I can’t handle that.”

“Yes, you can.” He eased her closer to his body. “You’re strong, Janie, and you’re wise enough to know you were an innocent victim as well. If David is responsible, you’ll deal and live a vibrant life because to do otherwise would give him more power over you than he deserves.”

Janie was quiet a moment, then murmured, “You’re right.” After a few more beats, she loosened her hold on him and stepped out of the circle of his arms. “Come on. Let’s get this over with. If I’m wrong about David, I’d rather know the truth than live in a fantasy world that could lead to harm for you and your teammates.”

Sawyer’s respect for Janie and her strength grew. A tough lady, indeed. He led her from the security room. They stopped by his room to grab his Go bag, then proceeded to the back door.

After they reset the alarm and stepped outside, Sawyer escorted Janie to the SUV where Brody and Max were engaged in a quiet discussion.

“Ready?” Brody asked, his gaze shifting to Janie.

“Yes. Thanks for coming, Max.”

“No problem, Janie.” He opened the back door for her and Sawyer, then sat on the shotgun seat while Brody climbed behind the wheel.

During the drive into Hartman, Sawyer and his teammates remained vigilant. Fortunately, no trouble interrupted the journey to Kingsbridge Inn.

Brody parked at the side of the hotel. He and Max stepped out and scanned the area. A signal from Brody had Max slipping around the corner of the building.

“What’s he doing?” Janie asked.

“Checking to see if he spots a threat to you.”

“And if he does?”

“We’ll deal with it. Don’t worry yet. Let’s wait and see if Max notices anything worth worrying about first.”

She lapsed into silence, although Sawyer knew she was still concerned about the upcoming confrontation with her brother. Couldn’t miss the clenched fists and shallow breathing as she looked out the window at the nearly empty parking lot.

“Janie.”

She turned. “Yes?”

“Trust me?”

“Always.”

“Then you know I will stand for you and with you. David’s decisions are his own, and he’ll have to live with the consequences of his actions. If he’s innocent, you and he have nothing to worry about. Unlike what your brother thinks, our skills aren’t for sale to the highest bidder. I care about you, Janie. No one is going to hurt you on my watch. No one.” Including her brother.

A nod. “I believe you. Thanks for watching out for me.”

His vow was a slight comfort, he knew. His gut said David Moran was up to his neck in trouble. Whether he was responsible for the danger to his sister was another matter. He just hadn’t figured out what trouble dogged Janie’s brother and if that trouble had spilled over onto her.

Max returned a moment later and signaled the area was clear. Brody turned and gave a slight nod to Sawyer.

He glanced at Janie. “Ready to do this?”

A ghost of a smile curved her lips. “Not really, but I don’t want to wait either. The delay will only make things worse.”

Good call. “Wait for me to come around.” He circled around the front of the vehicle and opened Janie’s door. “If the confrontation becomes too much for you, let me know. I’ll get you out of there while Max and Brody learn the answers we need.”

“I’m not a coward,” she said shortly, and went to walk ahead of him.

“Hold it.” Sawyer caught her upper arm and turned her back toward him. “That’s not what I meant. You are a tower of strength. That doesn’t mean I want you to endure verbal abuse from anyone, including your brother.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” she protested. Her eyes told a different story, that she wasn’t as sure about David as she projected.

“Yeah, he would. He already has.” He cupped her chin and raised her face to his. “I won’t let him get by with it,” he warned. No one could abuse Janie. Ever. She was his to protect, and no one would hurt her if he could prevent it.

“I understand.”

He brushed her mouth with his and straightened. Sawyer glanced at Brody. “Ready.”

“Max.” Brody inclined his head toward the front entrance. “Sawyer, you and Janie follow him. I’ll bring up the rear. Let’s get this done and get out of here. My skin is crawling.”

Sawyer wrapped his arm around Janie’s shoulders and stayed alert in case trouble lurked inside the hotel. Brody wasn’t prone to exaggeration. If his team leader felt trouble was near, you could bank on it.

He sighed. Great. Taking Janie into the lion’s den wasn’t on Sawyer’s list of priorities. In fact, that was the last place he wanted her.

Resolved to place himself between Janie and any threat, Sawyer drew her closer to his side as they entered the inn’s lobby and walked to the elevator.

Less than a minute later, they approached room 217. Max held up a fist, then pointed to the door. It was ajar.

Sawyer’s gut tightened as he nudged Janie against the wall beside the door. Moran might have left the door like that if he was getting ice. However, Sawyer had a clear view of the alcove from here. Janie’s brother wasn’t there.

Brody moved up beside Max. Both men drew their weapons and Max nudged the door open further with his elbow. They entered the room noiselessly.

“What’s going on?” Janie whispered.

“Trouble.”

Brody stepped into the doorway, his expression grim. “Max is calling for an ambulance. Moran is down.”