“Since everyone but me seems to know what you’ve gotten yourself into, Saint, why don’t you bring me up to speed?”

  “Yes, sir.” Saint didn’t pull out the sir often—they were an informal team with a loosely established hierarchy that no one felt the need to rub in—but he wanted Dain to know he respected him. Or remind him of the fact, since he had no doubt his team lead and friend already knew. But Dain had covered for him at the risk of his own position, his own reputation, and that couldn’t go unacknowledged.

  He gestured for them all to sit, then began the story. “I met Rae the night we went to Big Daddy’s.” His teammates listened as he outlined the events of the past few days, leading up to and including what Remi Agozi had told them last night and the doctor’s prognosis this morning. When he finished, they all sat in the aftermath, absorbing what had happened, what Rae had been put through. When he broke the silence, Dain said quietly, “Two questions.”

  Saint squared his shoulders.

  “You’re sure she didn’t reveal anything about her past or her current situation to you that night? Think hard, Saint. The slightest clue could mean the difference between keeping her safe and being too blind to see the threat when it appears.”

  But Saint was shaking his head before the words left Dain’s mouth. “I’ve been over every detail of that night in my head, over and over—every expression, every word.” Every touch. “King and I have run through it repeatedly, searching for clues to find her. I’ve got nothing.”

  “And don’t you find that odd?” Elliot mused aloud. “Even the most safety-conscious woman will slip occasionally, a name, a hint of a location, something on her person. Rae gave you absolutely nothing to work with—you wouldn’t miss it if she had, not with your experience.”

  Saint sat, letting the implication of Elliot’s point rise to the surface. “You think there was more to it than just being cautious with a first date.”

  “I think she had something to hide from someone besides you. And I should know.”

  Elliot had spent most of her life hiding, even lying to her team until just recently.

  “You think she’s on the run?” King asked.

  It was Dain who answered. “We can’t know for certain, not yet.” He ran a hand over the Mohawk riding the ridge of his otherwise shaved head, thinking. “But I think it’s something we definitely need to take into consideration. It might also explain why you had so much trouble finding her, because if she’s on the run, Rae may not be her actual name. May be close to her name, or a portion of her name, but not her actual name.”

  The thought startled Saint, although it shouldn’t. It explained so much—and hurt somewhere deep inside that he didn’t want to acknowledge right now, in front of his friends.

  Dain’s dark eyes pinned Saint again. “Second question.”

  He refused to squirm under Dain’s scrutiny. Whatever the question was, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.

  “Do you love her?”

  Of course Dain would ask. The man who’d been married for almost eleven years to the love of his life. The man who had almost lost the love of his life just a few short months ago. But Saint had known Rae for a week, had spent only two days in her actual presence. Still his answer came out with no hesitation.

  “I want her. I need her, Dain.” And not just physically. But that’s all he would admit to, for right now at least.

  Dain stared him down so long Saint thought he wouldn’t accept the answer, but finally he nodded. “Okay.”

  “Saint,” King interrupted, “you told her you were living together. What happens when she’s released from the hospital?”

  “She’ll come home with me.”

  “And how do you intend to pull that off?” Dain asked.

  Saint sought out the only female in the room. “I was hoping Elliot would help me.”

  Elliot shrugged. “Hey, I can buy girlie shampoo and find some clothes that will probably fit, but that doesn’t mean it will be her style of clothes or the scent she likes.”

  “Coconut,” he said, remembering the scent that had filled his nose as he’d held her close, her hair in his face.

  “Coconut?” Elliot’s tone held the faintest sneer.

  “We can’t all prefer Dial,” King joked.

  Elliot shifted defensively in her seat. “Hey, Deacon has expanded my horizons.”

  “More like Sydney has.” Elliot’s stepdaughter-to-be loved girlie things, including nail polish, all things pink, and bubbles with fruity scents. “Strawberry, I believe.”

  “At least it’s not coconut,” Elliot muttered.

  “The point is”—Dain raised his voice to cut through their bullshit—“things are not going to cut it. Living with a woman involves a lot more than that, and you’ve never lived with a woman.”

  “I have four fucking sisters, bro!”

  “But Deacon’s right,” King said. “It’s not the same. And that’s not even the most important thing.”

  “What is?” What could be more important than getting Rae home?

  “We lost her attacker last night.”

  Shit. King was right. In the overwhelming reality of finding Rae, he hadn’t forgotten that she was in danger, but he had forgotten one very important detail. “Her accident was right near my apartment.” Saint narrowed his eyes on his teammate. “You think whoever this was followed us that night.”

  King was nodding. “Probably from the bar. Not sure how, but if he’s so intent on finding her that he followed her to the hospital, this is more than a random hit-and-run. He didn’t just not see her start across the road, run her over, then flee the scene in a panic. This was deliberate. He didn’t accidentally choose her—he knew she would be on that road. He was waiting for the opportunity. Which means he followed her that night. It also means taking her back to your apartment would be a big mistake.”

  Saint wanted to kick his own ass. How had he not followed that trail of thought to its logical conclusion? “So what do we do about it?”

  “We come up with an alternate plan,” Dain said. “In the meantime…” He closed the lid on his laptop, gathered his phone and a notebook, a pen. Saint felt his heart rate kick up when Dain rounded his desk and headed for the door. As he jerked it open, he threw a look over his shoulder. “Let’s go. We’ve gotta hunt to start.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Release day.

  As much as Rae was desperate to leave behind the white walls and lack of privacy that came with staying in a hospital, the thought of walking out the door for the final time was making her stomach churn. It was why she’d foregone breakfast. Eating anything would mean a revisit, she was sure, and she didn’t need anything else to worry about. The man pushing open her door was worry enough.

  “Rae.”

  Saint’s smile was always so soft when he said her name. At least most of the time. Sometimes he just had a gleam in his hazel eyes, a hunger that took her breath away and made her want to dive under the covers to hide—with or without him, she wasn’t certain. It wasn’t a nasty look like some men had given her on the docks, just an honest want that scared her for a very different reason.

  The record scratch that sounded in her brain added to the heaving in her stomach, and she was out of the bed in an instant. Saint didn’t question her, simply took her in with a single glance, then assisted her stumbling advance until she collapsed before the toilet. Nothing came up, of course—and weren’t the dry heaves a fucking joy. They didn’t stop for long minutes. Thank God Saint had the decency to retreat until she’d gone quiet. When he peered back around the cracked door, it was to catch her with one arm draped along the toilet seat, her head resting on top. The most embarrassing position yet, and he’d seen some doozies since they’d met. Or since he’d found her again, she guessed.

  It had been an eventful two weeks.

  “Okay?” he asked, not commenting on her literal toilet-bowl hug.

  Do I look like I'm okay? She kept the sarcasm to herself—he didn’t deserve to bear the brunt of her nerves—and forced herself upright. “I need a shower.”

  His look was understanding, and for some reason that made her want to scream. He lifted a duffel bag from the floor, presumably where he’d dropped it. “I brought you some clothes.”

  She tried desperately to focus on the idea of not wearing a hospital gown anymore instead of the faces that had flashed in her mind a few minutes ago. Faces associated with a place she couldn’t name but could picture clearly for a second before it all disappeared.

  While her mind was wandering, Saint had obviously been watching, because he dropped the bag again and moved to sit beside her on the bathroom floor. Rae swallowed protests about germs and fluids when he gave her a warning look. “You are not okay,” he said firmly. “Physical or mental?”

  “How did you know?” she asked quietly.

  “Because I deal with people in stressful situations a lot.” His gaze was steady, his voice firm without a hint of pity. “I’d have to be brain dead not to realize this has to be terrifying for you. You’re going home with a man who is essentially a stranger, with no other anchor in this world except a handful of people you can’t remember past a few weeks ago, and you’re still not at a hundred percent physically, no matter how much you front.”

  And I’m remembering things I don’t understand and can't hold on to. “On second thought I could stay here a couple more days.” Her smile was weak; she could feel it even if she couldn’t see it.

  “’Fraid not.” He stood and reached for her carefully like he always did, as if afraid he’d startle her.

  Forcing herself to put her big-girl panties on—or at least get cleaned up so she could put them on—she reached for his hand. Kept her grip firm to match his despite feeling like a wet noodle. And ushered him back to the door when he turned toward the shower. “I can clean myself up, Saint.”

  He frowned back at her, but his only protest was, “Fine, but I’m coming in once the curtain is closed in case you fall.”

  “No peeking.” She smirked, desperate to regain some sense of normalcy between them.

  As he closed the door behind himself, she heard, “You take all the fun out of things.”

  “Remember that the next time you want to contradict me,” she called after him.

  Remi arrived just as she exited the bathroom, a pair of basic khakis and a white tee having replaced her hospital gown. The clothes felt off, as if they didn’t belong to her, though they were freshly washed and fit just fine. She carried a pair of brown socks with the words Shit Happens along the toes—how appropriate—to the bed and kicked off the slippers Leah had brought her some time before her short-term memory had stabilized. Speaking of Leah…

  Remi was obviously on the same wavelength because, before she could ask, he gestured toward the door. “She should be here any minute. She needed to finish a couple of things before her break.”

  Rae’s smile was genuine. “Thanks.”

  While she slid the socks on, Saint brought over a pair of bright blue tennis shoes that looked brand-new. “These might be a little stiff,” he told her as she took them from him. “The ones you were wearing before had to be replaced.”

  Would everything feel new? she wondered. The only familiar things were this room, her hospital-provided clothing, and the slippers Leah had brought. She couldn’t remember anything Saint had handed her, and the thought of continuing to face so much that was unknown… She swallowed hard.

  Saint sat next to her, and she realized there was something else that was now familiar: him. The weight and heat of him beside her, the broad hand warm on her lower back as if he knew she was getting unsettled all over again. Probably wanted to avoid a repeat of her earlier performance. A glance his way and their eyes met, his intense with concern and heat. She dropped her gaze, unable to endure the power of that stare.

  The door opened, breaking the moment. Leah briskly entered. “How’s my girl?”

  If Rae had to guess—and really, what other choice did she have?—she’d say Leah was several years younger than she was, but the woman had the motherly thing down pat. Of course, she was a mother. And a nurse, which no doubt reinforced her life experience. Rae was thankful to both parts for being here.

  “Your girl is nervous, I think,” Remi answered. Rae took that in stride too. All three of the people in this room seemed able to read her easily, sometimes more easily than she could read herself.

  “Yes,” she agreed, then shrugged. “Don’t see that going away anytime soon.”

  “It will,” Leah assured her as she passed Rae a bright pink, shiny gift bag, complete with tufts of white tissue paper peeking from the top. “This is for you.”

  “And while you’re doing that,” Remi drawled, “can I see you out in the hall, Solorio?”

  It came out as a question, but the way he moved toward the door and the look he gave Saint were no less than a demand. Saint pressed his hand more firmly to her lower back, then leaned in before stopping himself. Had he been about to kiss her?

  Did she want him to?

  God, could all this shitty uncertainty just stop?

  “Be right back,” he murmured low in her ear, shooting a shiver down her spine. She watched him go.

  Leah cleared her throat, and Rae blinked. Wow, she mouthed. “He is seriously sexier than anyone I know.” Then she snorted. “Not that I know too many men right now.”

  Leah laughed. “Oh, he ranks pretty high above society in general.”

  “Not above Remi,” Rae said shrewdly.

  Leah waved a hand at her face as if she were hot. “Or his brothers, honestly. The Agozi family has very good genes.” Her amusement faded as she turned serious eyes on Rae. “You don’t have to go with him, you know.”

  Rae grimaced. “Let’s get real. Anyone willing to take me on is taking on a project.”

  “Is that how he makes you feel?”

  “God, no!” Rae was surprised to realize she truly meant that. “I haven’t felt a single moment of hesitation from Saint,” she said honestly. “Doesn’t mean I’m not scared.”

  Leah moved closer and tapped the bag Rae held. “Open that.”

  Rae dug inside and pulled out a cell phone.

  “I’m scared for you,” Leah said, “not because I think you can’t handle what’s coming your way, but because I know it won’t be easy.” From her back pocket she retrieved a slim white business card with writing on the back and passed it to Rae. “We’ve researched every last inch of Saint’s life and found nothing but a stand-up guy, but I wouldn’t feel okay if I didn’t know you could contact me independent of him, if you felt even the slightest need to. The codes to the phone are on the card. I’m not going to ask you to commit them to memory”—she grinned at the same moment Rae did—“but I am asking you to keep it on you at all times. Turn it on.”

  Rae found the correct button and pressed, and Leah walked her through the basics of calling and texting from this particular brand of cell phone. It didn’t feel familiar, but neither did it seem completely foreign, so Rae assumed she’d had at least a similar cell before. Her personal items had all been missing when she’d been picked up by the paramedics, so she couldn’t be certain.

  “Got it?” Leah asked.

  “Got it.” Rae pulled up Leah’s phone information and sent her a quick text, establishing contact. The cell in the pocket of Leah’s nursing uniform dinged.

  “Good. Remember, you’re not alone.” Leah took her hand. “Call me anytime, day or night, and we’ll be there.”

  “Thank you. I—” But the right words to say escaped her. How did you thank a person who’d helped save your sanity?

  Leah seemed to get it. She winked before giving Rae a hug. “I know. And don’t thank me. It’s just what friends do.”

  Friends. Rae thought about that as she held Leah close a moment longer. She had friends. She wasn’t alone. She clutched the phone in her hand as she released Leah. “Thank you for that too.”

  Leah nodded. “I’ll be calling you, so you better answer.”

  “I will.” She hesitated. “Leah?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You said Remi and his brothers investigated Saint.” Another pause. Rae tried to pull air into her lungs, but the damn things felt squeezed tight. She didn’t want to ask the question, had in fact avoided every mention of her past, though she wasn’t sure why. Something about it scared her, but now, in this moment, she had to ask. She had to know. “Did they investigate me?”

  This time it was Leah who paused. “Yes.”

  Rae squeezed her eyes shut. “What did they find?”

  “Nothing. And that’s what scares me about letting you go, Rae. They’re not just good, they’re the best, and they couldn’t find a thing about you.”

  Rae opened her mouth to reply—with what, she didn’t know—but the door swished open and the moment was lost. In a quiet flurry, goodbyes were said, belongings gathered, and then the floor attendant was pushing Rae out to the sidewalk while Saint hurried ahead to pull his truck around.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Saint had taken the week off work, and because they were doing maintenance and paperwork for most of the day, King and Elliot were able to get away at lunchtime for Rae’s release from the hospital. While Saint was loading her into the car, his team was on the alert for their mystery man. Eli Agozi had managed to block the first intrusion into the hospital’s camera system after the man had escaped, but they weren’t sure if he’d managed to get back in another way, and Saint wasn’t taking any chances on being followed.

  Apparently Remi Agozi had the same thought, because he’d pulled Saint aside and warned him he would be trailing behind. Saint had debated handing over his address, but despite the layers of security he and his teammates had put in place to keep their home addresses secret, protect their families, Remi had not only his apartment address but also his home’s location. The man had stood for Saint’s scrutiny without apology.