“Questioning about what?” Holland stood her ground, not giving her uncle an inch.

  Beau’s eyes narrowed. “I have enough evidence to prove he hired the assassin who tried to kill you. I’ve seen his bank transactions. Very damning. You know I told you that boy was trouble. He’s going to use your death to shine a light on his father’s death and get NCIS to reopen the case. That family is ruthless.”

  “He doesn’t have to do that. I’ve already reopened it.” She glanced over to the left, where Dax had his back to the wall, just out of her uncle’s line of sight.

  Connor might have joked about Dax and the gun range, but he handled his sidepiece like a pro. He might not do this kind of thing every day, but he would be competent. He wouldn’t waver. Gemma moved behind her.

  “Lieutenant,” Gemma said with a nod. “What seems to be the problem? My partner and I are working a case. We came out here to speak to a witness.”

  Her uncle’s head tilted as though he was trying to see inside. “You’re here to talk to Morgan?”

  He must be desperate, because he’d forgotten he wasn’t supposed to know where Morgan lived. It was time to get him talking.

  “He’s not here.” Holland frowned, pretending confusion. “How long have you been working for the Bratva?”

  Beside her, Dax closed his eyes. When he opened them she saw how furious he was.

  Holland had to keep him talking, had to keep that camera rolling. If she let her uncle take Dax in, he would very likely be thrown into a cell where some paid asshole waited to take him out. And her uncle would get to keep his hands completely clean.

  She couldn’t let that happen. That meant getting her uncle to talk so when Connor found a position and made his move, he didn’t get charged with murdering a police officer.

  Because there was no way this wouldn’t get bloody.

  “What are you talking about?” Her uncle crossed his arms over his chest and towered over her. “Holland, everything I’ve done is to protect you. That boy has been dragging you down for years. Now he’s using you to prove something when he should just have accepted his father’s crimes. You can’t trust these rich boys. They’ll do whatever they need to when it comes to protecting their money.”

  He didn’t know Dax at all. He wasn’t a typical rich boy. Yes, he’d been wild, but he’d always been a faithful friend, loyal and kind. He wasn’t shedding light on his father’s death for money or glory or so he could move up the ranks. All that mattered to him was the truth and honoring a father he loved, despite his faults.

  Dax was the kind of man who loved with his whole heart.

  “How did you know this is Peter Morgan’s place? The deed isn’t registered in his name,” she pointed out. She kept her eyes on the men behind her uncle. One of them was edging toward the porch.

  Chad. Naturally Chad was her uncle’s man. It made her wonder if Beau had ordered Chad to date and sleep with her so he could keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn’t uncover anything she shouldn’t.

  “Holland, it’s time to stop thinking with your libido,” Chad said. He’d removed his jacket, showing her the big pistol in his holster. “It’s time for you to pick family rather than some guy who screwed you over as he fucked you.”

  “No,” she disagreed. “It’s time for me to figure out exactly how involved my family was in taking down Admiral Spencer.”

  Gemma moved beside her. “I think we might need to interview your uncle. I’d like to know where he was the day of Admiral Spencer’s death.”

  “That is none of your business,” Beau spat. “Now turn over Dax Spencer.”

  “If you want to talk to Captain Spencer, you can do it at NCIS headquarters.” Maybe she could get him to back off. In her office, she could control the situation. She might even do some questioning of her own.

  “Don’t pull jurisdiction with me. I’m sick of the way the Navy thinks they’re better than the rest of us,” Chad snarled.

  Most PDs were more than happy to hand off to NCIS. This had nothing to do with protecting turf and everything to do with Chad’s wounded ego. She could do without it. She needed to focus on getting information out of her uncle.

  And keeping him from getting his hands on Dax.

  She knew it was killing Dax to not face them, but she was the only one who could confront them. She would do this for Dax and right the wrong she’d done him three years ago.

  “I am going to need to know where you were on the day of the admiral’s death.” She couldn’t back down from that.

  “I believe I was working that day. I’m sure I was. Holland, you don’t want to do this. Don’t push me to do something I’ve tried to avoid.” Her uncle stared at her, stony eyed. “Let me see if I can break this down. You’re lying about Peter Morgan. He’s in there and you’ve talked to him. He told you that I was the one he dealt with at the beginning of the investigation.”

  “Was there really an investigation?”

  “Gotta make these things look good, sweetheart,” he admitted.

  Outside, in the distance, she saw a hint of movement. Connor. He must have dashed around the swamp and was now settling into position in case this blew up.

  “Why would you do this? Why? You knew I was friends with that family.” The betrayal was an actual ache in her body.

  If her uncle was worried, he didn’t show it. He put a hand on the wall and leaned in. “That family means nothing to me. Do you know what I get paid to put my ass on the line every day? Next to nothing. So when the big boys offer me money to take down some rich asshole, I take it. This is the way the world works. We can’t fight organized crime. All we can do is take a little piece of the pie. That’s what a smart man does.”

  “Holland, you’re going to get us all killed. They won’t stop. They’ve been careful, but they won’t let you uncover the hows and whys of their plans,” Chad argued.

  “Why did they want the admiral dead?” Gemma asked. Holland could feel how tense her partner was, but her voice was calm.

  “It doesn’t matter to me,” Uncle Beau said. “Way I heard it, he was putting his nose where it didn’t belong. Morgan got twitchy and turned snitch. The admiral wouldn’t bend to their demands and the big boys decided to pull the plug on him.” Her uncle tried to look inside the house. “You hear that, Spencer? You want to know who killed your daddy? You come out here and I’ll tell you.”

  “Or are you going to let your girlfriend do all the dirty work?” Chad taunted.

  “He’s not here,” Holland explained. “I left him behind because he can’t stay calm and let me do my job. It’s just me and Gemma. Are you really going to take us on? Are you ready to kill a fellow officer?”

  “I don’t want to, but I’m certainly not going to jail,” her uncle vowed. “Of course, I’m also ready to turn this all around. You see, you’ve been acting oddly lately. Hasn’t she, Chad?”

  “Very odd. She used to be so sweet. I’m pretty sure those were drugs I found at her apartment the other day.” Chad sighed. “We put them in evidence. Oh, I was almost certain they belonged to the captain, but I can always change that theory. You might have been trying to harm yourself. After all, you’ve been spiraling.”

  How obvious. “So you’re going to put me on a seventy-two-hour psych hold? Really? How will you deal with everyone else?”

  “That’s simple,” her uncle said with a smile. “I’ll kill ’em. Starting with your partner.”

  He had his gun out before Holland could think. Gemma shoved her out of the way and slammed the door shut as the first bullet went flying.

  She felt something heavy hit her. Dax had thrown himself over her body.

  The door exploded inward and she heard another volley of shots.

  “I’m giving you one last chance, Holland,” Chad shouted. “Come out and we’ll talk, but you have to give the rest of them up. That’s the only way this ends.”

  She heard a shout and another shot.

  “Or Connor can handle them,” Dax growled, jumping to his feet.

  “There’s still three of them and they’re armed to the teeth,” Holland whispered. “But I think I’ve documented enough. He fired first. The tape will show that.”

  “Sweetheart, I got an audio of the conversation in case Morgan’s video doesn’t capture voices. I’ve got his confession on my phone,” Dax replied. “Gemma, are they coming in?”

  Gemma had taken up a position behind the couch. “Not yet. But I can’t really see much.”

  “He’ll try to wait us out or smoke us out,” Holland said a moment before her uncle proved her right by shoving the door open and rolling in a canister of tear gas.

  “Damn it.” Dax pulled his shirt over his mouth and held a hand out to her. “I’m going out first.”

  Her eyes were already starting to burn. Lara and Morgan would have some time, but if she didn’t finish this, those two would be trapped and unprotected.

  She looked back through the smoke at Gemma, gesturing to the back door. Gemma nodded and silently started moving toward the rear of the house to retrieve Lara and Morgan.

  In the distance, she heard gunfire again.

  “Let’s go. That’s Connor giving us some chaos to escape in. Sweetheart, I know you don’t want to, but please let me go first,” he practically begged as he coughed.

  But he didn’t understand. “They’ll be reluctant to kill me. I’m going out with my hands up. You come behind me. Then you can save me.”

  If he walked through that door alone, they would immediately kill him. She could distract Beau, Chad, and the others. She could give him a chance. Between Connor, who was firing enough to start his own war, and Gemma, who would return after setting Lara and Morgan on the path around the swamp to provide another distraction, Dax had a shot at survival. Lara would make a clean getaway and meet up with Connor in front of the house, probably when the rain of gunfire ended.

  Honestly, she didn’t give a shit if Morgan died. He was an ass.

  “Sweetheart, I can’t lose you.” Dax squeezed her hand.

  Despite the gas that was making her eyes tear, she kissed him. “Then don’t.”

  There was no more time then to figure out their relationship or decide what she should do. There was only the here and now and she loved him. She couldn’t let him walk out there first because he would die and her life would be over.

  Even if she never touched the man again, she couldn’t live in a world that didn’t have Dax Spencer in it.

  She dropped her gun and darted out the door, holding her hands up high. Holland hoped her leap of faith, that her uncle and Chad wouldn’t simply shoot her, paid off. She had to take the chance so Dax could live.

  As soon as she emerged, fresh air hit her eyes. Tears flowed freely down her face, but she could sort of breathe again. She dragged air into her burning lungs as she took in the scene in front of her. A body lay strewn on the ground about ten feet away. Another was laid out to her left. Chad and her uncle were back to back, looking for the sniper.

  Her uncle stopped, training his gun on her. “Stay right where you are. Where’s Spencer?”

  “I told you. He’s not here.” She needed him to believe that now . . . but Dax couldn’t linger in the noxious house too long. “I told you, I left him behind. He’s too reckless.”

  “Who’s out there shooting?” Chad demanded.

  “Gemma’s fast.” She wasn’t revealing Connor’s presence. “But I’ll play along with your plan. Take me in. Just don’t shoot me.”

  She only needed them to believe her surrender for a minute or two, just until Connor could get a clean shot at Chad, then the others could back her up to take her uncle in.

  But she feared Dax wouldn’t stay in the background.

  In fact, she knew he would come for her. Always. He could be angry with her, feel betrayed by her. It wouldn’t matter. He would come for her.

  She wasn’t a woman who needed saving, but Dax would still be there, supporting her.

  “Go and get in the car, Holland,” her uncle insisted.

  “Do it!” Chad yelled.

  She nodded, stepping off the porch and into the yard. “I will.”

  Smoke poured out behind her and she moved slowly, not really having to pretend distress and disorientation.

  “In the back of the car,” her uncle yelled, his finger on the trigger.

  He followed directly behind her. Holland’s heart pounded furiously. She hoped like hell her calculated risk hadn’t been a mistake. She’d had to leave her gun behind and had zero way to defend herself. She was trusting that blood meant something to this man who’d already ruined her life and Dax’s.

  So many things could go wrong. But she prayed that Dax would be all right.

  She pretended to hobble down the porch steps, hands still raised. When she looked back, she saw Dax emerge from the house. Instantly, she hit the ground.

  “Twelve o’clock,” she yelled. He wouldn’t be able to see well. She needed to give him some point of reference.

  Gunfire cracked all around her. She tried to see what was happening, hoping Dax wouldn’t be mowed down in a hail fire of bullets. She couldn’t lose him. She’d been so scared of what would happen between them, but she knew that losing Dax would ruin her life. She would never love another man.

  The mist of gas began to clear. Tears still poured from her eyes, the burning painful, but she had to be Dax’s eyes now.

  Then the world exploded with gunfire again. Nearby, she heard a thud. Her uncle tensed and grunted. She dragged a hand across her eyes, trying to focus.

  When she stared at Beau, he clutched his chest and coughed, spitting blood from his mouth as his weapon fell from his hands. He’d been shot—and it looked bad.

  “You chose the wrong side, girl.”

  She wasn’t listening. Despite all the terrible things he’d done, she couldn’t simply let the man who had half raised her die. She knelt and held his jacket over his open wound to stem the bleeding. “Don’t talk.”

  He pushed her hand away. “Listen to me. If you ever loved me, let me die. I can’t go to prison.” He sputtered and gasped. “Hear what I’m saying while I can still talk. Stop looking for answers or they’ll take you all down. They won’t stop. This game has been going on for decades.”

  Dax darted to her side, kicking Beau’s gun away. Vaguely she noted that Gemma had a weapon trained on Chad, who had fallen to his knees, hands in the air.

  “What game?” She leaned over to try to hear her uncle’s words.

  “Sergei’s game. That’s what the old man told me. He said Sergei will burn everything down. He’ll burn you, too.” He coughed again just before a terrible blankness entered his eyes.

  Holland couldn’t spare a moment for grief now. Maybe later, but at the moment she was simply glad to be alive and have Dax beside her.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re safe now. Gemma is arresting Chad. Connor and I took out everyone else and he’s taking Lara and Morgan to safety now. Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

  She looked down at her uncle and her tears weren’t just about chemicals now. He’d been such a big part of her childhood. He’d been the reason she’d gone into law enforcement. He’d been a lie, but she’d loved and idolized him as a girl.

  “I’m sorry for all he did to you.”

  “You had nothing to do with that. It’s going to be all right.” Dax held her tight.

  They’d done their job. The scandal surrounding the admiral’s death had been exposed as a hoax and the investigation was over. But not only was someone still after the president, her whole world had changed. Nothing could ever be the same again.

  TWENTY

  Washington, D.C.

  Twenty-four hours later

  Dax wanted to reach for Holland, but she seemed so damn far away. From the moment they’d boarded the private jet to the White House with Lara, Connor, and Gemma, she’d been distant. She’d sat with Gemma, writing up a joint report to satisfy the White House, NCIS, and the New Orleans Police Department.

  The night before she’d slept on a couch at NCIS, napping in between interview sessions.

  He’d sat and stared at her and wondered if she would ever let him touch her again.

  Now he walked into the residential wing of the White House, wishing he could hold her hand.

  “Oh my god!” a familiar voice said. Gus was standing in the hallway, dressed to the nines in a cocktail gown and sky-high heels. They clacked along the marble as she ran toward him.

  He braced himself for an armful of sister. “Hey, Gus.”

  She slammed into him and that was when he noticed Roman behind her. He wore a tux, his hair slicked back. How long had Roman been shadowing his sister? Now that he thought about it, Roman had been lingering around Gus for a really long time.

  “I was so worried. When Gemma called and said you were all out in the bayou about to be horribly murdered, I freaked out,” Gus said, stepping back and looking him over. “You look all right. Better than you did after New York.”

  “Yeah, well, I only got gassed this time. I avoided a bullet,” he admitted. Actually, the last few months of leave had been way more dangerous to his well-being than being on his boat.

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Roman held out a hand. “Sorry, we were at a party for some diplomats. Zack is on his way. You guys got here quick. I’m glad to see you’re all right. Holland, I’m so sorry about the last few years.”

  Holland was dealing with Gus, who wasn’t taking no for an answer on the hugs. She’d wrapped herself around her friend. “Holland sucks. Stupid girl. You should have called me when you found out the Russian mob was after you.”

  Holland smiled and squeezed her back. “They weren’t after me, silly. They were after you and Dax.”

  “I still would have taken them down,” Gus promised. “I missed you, sister.”

  Holland’s eyes suddenly had a sheen to them. “You have no idea how I’ve missed you, Gus. The world is not as bright without you.”