Her gaze glazed over. “What does it matter now? I hate you all for what you did to my girl. Especially the Navy man. I hate that fucking Navy man.”

  “The admiral?”

  “Short little shit. Hate him.” Suddenly, she pounded her fists on the table. “Hate you all!”

  She screamed then, a sound that seemed to come from deep in her soul. Then she burst into tears.

  The door flew open and the guard hurried in. Sue Carlyle struggled, her eyes wild as she spewed curses, looking both angry and terrified.

  The guard had her cuffed in record time. “Look who gets to visit the SHU. You’re a regular guest there, Carlyle.” The guard looked up. “Sorry. She’s very unstable. I hope you got what you wanted because she’ll be like this for days.”

  A female guard came in and hauled the prisoner out.

  “What’s wrong with her? Besides the obvious?”

  The guard frowned. They could hear Carlyle shouting all the way down the hall. “She’s delusional. Likely due to the insane amount of drugs she’s done. She’s here for dealing, but that woman was way too interested in her own product.”

  So her brain had been damaged because she’d done too much meth. Paranoia was one of the by-products of the drug. “Does she talk much?”

  “Oh, Carlyle likes to tell anyone and everyone who will listen about how some Russian guy killed her baby girl and he’s coming for her, too. I don’t suppose you represent the Russian mob? Because that’s who she’s blaming.”

  Holland managed a little laugh, but she was already thinking.

  As she exited the prison, she was still ruminating on her bizarre conversation with Sue Carlyle and the implications. The woman wasn’t a good witness, and most lawyers would say that anything she’d uttered was unreliable and inadmissible in court. Holland sighed. It was unlikely her boss would reopen the admiral’s case based on the ramblings of an obviously insane woman. So she needed to figure out where that money had come from and why Sue thought the Russian mob was after her.

  Had the admiral’s death been the result of a shakedown gone wrong? Had the plan been to blackmail him? Control him by dangling his indiscretions in his face? If so, why would Russians have targeted him, of all people? And how would a Navy man be involved? Sue couldn’t have been talking about the admiral. She’d called him a short shit. Admiral Spencer had been somewhere around six foot two.

  None of this made sense. Then again, neither had Sue. Holland frowned. Maybe she was putting too much stock in the woman’s drug-riddled words.

  She pulled out her keys but stopped short of her vehicle because someone stood, blocking her car door.

  “Hello, Special Agent Kirk.” A nondescript man in a perfectly pressed suit nodded her way.

  “Do I know you?”

  “Not at all, and my name is irrelevant.”

  She tucked her purse—which held her gun—closer. “It’s pretty relevant to me.”

  “I merely represent another party. I know you’ll spend an inordinate amount of time and effort trying to find me, but I promise it’s useless. I’m merely here to reason with you. You’re getting involved in something that no longer matters.”

  She wasn’t going to pretend to misunderstand. The longer she kept him talking, the more likely the security cameras dotting the parking lot and slowly sweeping every inch would pick up his face so recognition software could identify him. “It matters to the admiral’s family.”

  “I’m sure it does, but they need to move on or they’ll face more loss. Greater loss. You don’t want to lose anyone, do you?” As she reached into her purse for her weapon, he shook his head. “Don’t pull that gun on me, Special Agent. I’m just here to talk, but I’m not alone.”

  She turned and saw he was right. Two other big guys stood sentry on either side of the parking lot, both with their stares locked on her. They also wore impeccable suit jackets that likely concealed the weapons they were carrying.

  She was outgunned. “What do you want?”

  “I merely wish to explain to you that if you don’t stop this investigation, someone will get hurt. No one wants that. The admiral got into a bad situation, and while my employers regret the eventual outcome, they would prefer that the past remain there.”

  “You work for the Russian mob?”

  His expression never changed. He was damn good at his job. “I work for a group of people who had prior dealings with the admiral. This one went wrong.”

  “You’re saying the admiral was dirty.”

  “The admiral had proclivities he kept hidden. My employer indulged said proclivities from time to time. If you continue down this path, not only will you further harm the Spencer family name, but we might decide to deal with the real problem.”

  “The real problem?” She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that question.

  “You wouldn’t be kicking up this dust if it weren’t for Captain Spencer. He’s the one behind everything. He will be disappointed when embarrassing photographs of his father surface. That would prove detrimental to his career. If you continue to create problems, it may be detrimental to his health.”

  Holland tried to hold her fear in. “If you have those photos, why not release them?”

  “We never intended to release them, merely keep the images to ensure the admiral couldn’t turn on us. Someone else turned him in. I believe it was his aide. He proved to have a stronger moral code than the admiral would have liked. Do you understand?”

  She understood this man was threatening Dax and she didn’t like it. “The Spencers have a right to know who killed the admiral.”

  He sighed. “We had no reason to kill him. Why are you looking for zebras when you hear hoofbeats? I thought they taught you Occam’s razor in school.”

  “The simplest explanation is almost always correct.” Yes, that was something investigators learned. “But you’re here threatening to kill a Naval officer if I don’t back down. What’s the simplest explanation for that?”

  “That my boss doesn’t wish to be exposed for his part in this situation and he’s prepared to do anything he must to stop it. Now, you can choose to go home and tell your boyfriend everything I’ve told you. He’ll be brave. He’ll stand firm and eventually he’ll have some accident that you won’t be able to pin on anyone in my organization. Or you can do the smart thing and tell him you found proof that his father committed suicide. He’ll be depressed, but somehow I think you’ll find a way to bring him out of it.”

  Anger flared inside her. This asshole wanted to corrupt justice. He wanted Dax kept in the dark . . . or dead. She had to get out of here without getting shot. The minute she could get away from these assholes, she would arrange to view the parking lot’s security tapes and ID these men. “I’ll take it under advisement.”

  “See that you do.” He nodded to his henchmen and backed toward a black SUV. “And, Special Agent, I believe you’ll find the cameras have mysteriously malfunctioned. It’s a shame that technology doesn’t always work.”

  She gritted her teeth, fearing the power he must have. “I can still figure out who you are.”

  “Then I’ll have some sort of ‘accident’ and they’ll replace me. I know how these things work. My boss will simply hire someone else and the business will continue.” He paused, regarding her with a shrewd stare. “You’re not convinced, so I’ll prove my point. If you don’t shut down the investigation, we’ll start small. Maybe simply scare the captain. After that he will receive the photos of his father. If that doesn’t convince him he’s on a witch hunt and the investigation still doesn’t cease . . . then we’ll start eliminating the problems. You’ll be last so that you can watch them all fall. How will you live with that, I wonder? Will that ‘justice’ you’re seeking have been worth the price? Think about it. Good evening, Special Agent Kirk.”

  He slipped into his vehicle and was gone. She memorized the plate number but wondered if it would mean anything. After a quick call to the prison, she learned the cameras had indeed been shut down briefly for a software issue.

  So whoever this man represented was powerful enough to have someone on the inside.

  Shock rolled over Holland as she climbed into her car and sped away, trembling fingers gripping the wheel. She had no idea what to do now, what to say to Dax. But maybe she knew one person she could trust who would give her straight talk.

  Flipping a U-turn, she headed to her uncle’s office.

  * * *

  Dax glanced at the clock. Almost lunchtime. He hated the fact that Holland was investigating the case alone while he was stuck in the office talking about procedure and processes.

  “I think this wording really works,” Courtney said, peering at her computer screen.

  “Good.”

  She looked at him, a frown on her pretty face. “You’re really distracted. Is there anything I can help you with, Dax? Your brain has been somewhere else all morning.”

  Courtney was an attractive girl with a waterfall of dark hair and hazel eyes. If he didn’t have Holland, he might have been interested. She was sweet and funny, but she didn’t have Holland’s grit or acerbic wit.

  His brain had been on Holland. All day. All week. Ever since the day he’d come back into town, he’d been able to think of little but her. “Sorry. I’ll be better this afternoon.”

  After he knew Holland was out of that prison and back at her office. Though her job was always dangerous. Somehow it was easier not knowing exactly where she was. He could pretend she was comfy and cozy in her office and not tracking down some crazed bitch who’d likely sold her daughter for cash.

  Courtney’s eyes narrowed. “So everything is going well? I know the answer to that question since I haven’t heard from Holland. We usually have lunch a couple of times a week but I’ve barely heard from her.”

  Because he’d consumed her every spare moment. His lunches were all scheduled here. If she could, she met him. Twice she’d been called away on assignment, but he understood that. “Sorry. We’re a new couple. I’m sure we’ll hate each other soon.”

  Not if he had his way. They would be one of those couples that couldn’t get enough of each other, the sort who annoyed everyone around them because they were so deeply entwined.

  “I don’t know about that.” Courtney looked back at her computer with a sigh. “I think I’ve pretty much lost my best friend.”

  Damn. He hadn’t meant to come between Holland and her friends, especially one with whom she was so close. Dax knew well how important it was to have people he trusted. After Joy’s death, Holland needed friends more than ever. Courtney seemed a little frivolous for Holland. The girl was smart, no doubt. And funny. But she spent an awful lot of time talking about her nails. Still, maybe Holland had needed someone lighter in the wake of her grief.

  “She’s not ignoring you. I’m just a possessive bastard and I’ve stolen all her time for myself.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile. “She’s talked about you, but I don’t know how the two of you met.”

  Courtney smiled with the memory. “She was working a case involving some serious procedural problems during a training exercise. I’m kind of the expert, so she talked to me to make sure she fully understood what was expected. I deal with NCIS on a regular basis. About half of them are non-military based, so I’m a fairly good translator.”

  The military had its own language and sometimes civvies got a little lost. Sailors tended to speak in an odd mixture of acronyms and slang only other sailors understood. He could definitely see where someone like Courtney could be an asset. She’d grown up in the military but had her schooling in the civilian world. “You two hit it off?”

  “We’re both civilian females in a military world. No offense, but this is still a man’s turf.”

  The landscape was changing, slowly. “I can understand that.” Though they seemed like opposites, the women were apparently fast friends. “Holland really likes you.”

  Courtney smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I like her, too. She can be so serious sometimes. She needs someone to pull her out of herself. Her job can be a little grim, you know. She needs to be reminded that there’s fun in the world, too. I force her to go out a couple of times a week. Well, I did until the last few weeks.” She shot him a wry grin.

  He’d been greedy about his time with Holland and he didn’t intend to change. While he was here, he intended to have Holland to himself as often as he could. “I don’t suppose you could tell your superiors we need another six months or so to get this manual done, huh?”

  She leaned forward, a sympathetic expression softening her face. “You don’t want to go back to your ship, do you?”

  “I don’t want to leave her.” But he had responsibilities. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he owed his ship and his men another year. He was due to report back in two weeks.

  The thought of leaving Holland kicked him in the gut.

  “She’ll be fine. I’ll be here and she’ll have her work. The time will fly by. When you get leave, you’ll come back.”

  “Do you think she can be happy in that kind of relationship?” It was a question he’d been asking himself nonstop.

  “I think she’s capable of handling anything she wants to.”

  There was something about the way she phrased that answer that set him on edge. “If she wants to?”

  Courtney paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I think she’s never seen herself as a military wife. Her mom was, and from what I can tell, it didn’t work out so great for her. I was actually surprised she gave you a chance. And I can’t see Holland dealing well with all the press you get.”

  “I don’t get too much.” After those first photos of them entering Antoine’s weeks ago, they hadn’t encountered any more press. The paparazzi had moved on to more interesting prey, including his friends. Mad and Gabe were back on a supermodel kick, and it seemed to satisfy the tabloids. He was fairly certain they were doing it to give him a little cover.

  “You will as time goes by. I can’t imagine the president isn’t going to give you some high-profile job.”

  Zack knew better. He’d already told his friend he refused to be turned into some kind of politician. If he left the military, he would go into private security or some other field. He was not about to get stuck in D.C. No way. No how. “I won’t be taking any high-profile jobs. That’s not for me.”

  “Really?” Courtney asked, one brow raised. “Because having the president as a childhood friend usually means a career in politics at some point. I’m sure he needs people around him he can trust.”

  Zack needed that badly, and Dax felt a bit guilty for refusing his buddy. He knew Zack had intended for his father to sit on the Joint Chiefs. Dax was lucky he wasn’t eligible due to his rank or Zack and Roman might have browbeaten him into it. Still, maybe he should think about taking a position with Zack. If he couldn’t get a more stationary position with the Navy.

  God, he’d just decided. He would leave the Navy for Holland so they could build a life together. He didn’t want to spend years away from her, never sure of when he might see her again. He was at the tail end of his contract. If he didn’t re-up, he could be in D.C. by this time next year. Holland could apply for a transfer and never have to leave NCIS. They could get married, buy a house, start a normal life.

  Somehow that didn’t sound so scary anymore.

  Courtney was wrong about one thing, though. “If I decide to work for Zack, that will likely be the end of my paparazzi days. No one cares about old married people.”

  “Married?” Courtney’s eyes had gone wide.

  He nodded. “Yeah. If I take a job with Zack, it’s because I’m going to get married and start a family, and I don’t want to miss out on my kids’ childhoods. My dad did. He got back as often as he could, but he still missed things. I want to be there for every minute. I can find a way to serve my country and still have my family the way I want it.”

  He could do it. He and Holland could make it work.

  Courtney sat back. “Wow. I didn’t expect that so fast. You’ve only been with her for a few weeks.”

  “But I’ve known her for years. We’ve been circling each other the whole time. This is finally the right time for us.”

  “Well, I hope so. She’s not big on marriage. I hope she says yes.”

  He was going to make sure she did. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  Dax sat back with a smile. He was going to change his whole life for her—for the better. “She will. She doesn’t know it yet, but she loves me.”

  Courtney stood up. “You’re a good man, Dax. I hope she realizes what she has in you. I’m going to go and file this.”

  Her eyes were suspiciously red as she walked out.

  Dax frowned. He did not understand most women. The good news was he did get Holland. And only she mattered.

  He picked up the phone to call his mother. He had an engagement to plan.

  * * *

  Do you have a description of this man?” Her uncle had gone utterly still the minute she told him about the man who’d been waiting for her in the prison’s parking lot.

  She nodded. “I talked to him for probably ten minutes. I can definitely describe him. He had two other goons with him, but I didn’t see them as clearly.”

  “He didn’t disguise himself? Didn’t wear sunglasses or a hat?”

  “No.” She understood why that disturbed her uncle. The guy in the suit had behaved like a man who didn’t have anything to worry about, as if he was above anything she could do to him. She’d worked law enforcement long enough to know that was a possible scenario. There were places she couldn’t go, things that were classified. She wasn’t naive and she certainly understood that powerful people sometimes went to very long lengths to keep secrets hidden.

  With a deep sigh, her uncle walked to the window on his left. His office had windows on three sides. He’d always told her he liked to be able to intimidate his men at all times. Now he slowly approached each window, closing the blinds and sealing them in.