Savor the Danger
Page 94
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“For what?”
“It’s chancy,” Trace agreed. “But if we’re all there…”
“All who?” Jackson didn’t like the sudden tension in the room, as if they both expected trouble. “If you mean Alani, forget it.”
“Look at it this way,” Trace told him. “If we’re all going, we can’t leave her behind.”
“We who?”
“The three of us…” Dare said. “And Alani.”
None of that made sense to Jackson. “Why the hell would she be going?”
“Because we need to find who’s behind this. And whoever is following Arizona already knows about Alani—and now they want her, too.”
His stomach bottomed out, then burned with acid. “You want to use the women for bait.”
Trace took an aggressive step toward him. “Even you can’t be that stupid.”
Dare inserted himself in Trace’s path. “You’re not thinking this through, Jackson. Take out your…association with Arizona and Alani. Take an unbiased look at things. A cold perspective.”
He didn’t want to. He couldn’t. Association? What a bland, dispassionate word. That’s what they thought he had with Alani? Did she still think that, too?
Sure as hell felt like more to him.
A lot more.
No way could he ever be cold about anything that concerned her. But he caught their drift anyway—and knew they were right.
Temper shooting up another notch, Jackson accepted the truth and ground out the obvious. “This might be our best chance to trap the bastards.”
Dare nodded. “Whoever is following Arizona won’t hurt her, because they need her to lead them to you, and to Alani.”
Trace picked up on the explanations. “Unfortunately, if they know Alani isn’t with you—”
“Then Arizona could become collateral damage.” Shit, shit, shit.
“But thanks to her call, we’re on to them,” Trace said, “and that gives us the upper hand. We’d all three be watching over her, but from different vantage points.”
“Which means we can keep both women safe.” Dare clasped Jackson’s shoulder. “But Alani can’t know.”
“And neither can Arizona.” Trace reined in his anger. “They’ll be easier to control if they don’t suspect danger.”
“Women tend to get protective.” Dare blew out a slow breath. “Complicates the shit out of things.”
That was a mighty big secret to keep from Alani. She wouldn’t like it. And he wasn’t convinced it was necessary. A history of treating her like a kid blinded Trace and Dare, but Alani was a smart, responsible woman with good instincts. At the hospital, she’d put her own nerves aside to handle the situation with intelligence, savvy and dignity.
“I don’t know.” He’d prefer to carry Alani off to his home and keep her there until he’d unraveled the mystery of who’d drugged him and who was after them.
Trace snapped, “And I don’t like it that some whack-job wants to get to my sister. I want this shit resolved, and if we see him coming after her, we can resolve it.”
“In a controlled environment,” Dare reasoned. “This is our best-case scenario and you know it.”
“Don’t worry,” Trace said, prodding his anger. “She’s my sister. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”
Dare groaned at that well-placed dig.
But Jackson didn’t take the bait; he was too busy sorting out all the scenarios in his mind. “You know I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Is that right?”
“It is.” If it was anyone but Alani, he wouldn’t have to think about it, but with her, everything was different. Knowing he really had no choice, that in the end this would be in Alani’s best interest, Jackson agreed with one short nod. “All right, I’ll do it.”
Dare made a rude sound. “Was there any question about that?”
“No.” He frowned. “So what’s the plan?”
Together, they sorted out all the possible circumstances, how they could change, how the men could be affected and what to do in case they were.
It seemed like a sound plan to Jackson, but he knew Alani would be pissed. Trust was important to her—and she’d earned his trust.
“Soon as Arizona calls you,” Trace said, “let us know. In the meantime, you might want to make sure my sister is on board for another trip, but unsuspecting of—” Trace’s cell rang, cutting off the rest of what he would have said.
After glancing at the caller ID he opened it without concern. “Got it done?”
Jackson and Dare both listened in, saw Trace’s satisfaction and relaxed.
“Great. Keep an eye on him. If he thinks of anything else, let me know, but otherwise, I don’t want him contacting anyone for any reason. Right. Hell, lock him in a closet if he gives you any problems.” Trace grinned. “Yeah, I’ll deal with it later if it comes to that. Thanks.”
After he disconnected the call, Trace stowed the phone. “Marc Tobin is relocated. I left two men to babysit him.”
“Is he making things difficult?” Dare asked.
“Actually…no. They said he’s mostly limping around the room, unsettled, antsy.” Trace gave a grudging shrug. “He wants to be clearheaded in case he thinks of anything that might help, so he’s refusing pain meds.”
“It’s chancy,” Trace agreed. “But if we’re all there…”
“All who?” Jackson didn’t like the sudden tension in the room, as if they both expected trouble. “If you mean Alani, forget it.”
“Look at it this way,” Trace told him. “If we’re all going, we can’t leave her behind.”
“We who?”
“The three of us…” Dare said. “And Alani.”
None of that made sense to Jackson. “Why the hell would she be going?”
“Because we need to find who’s behind this. And whoever is following Arizona already knows about Alani—and now they want her, too.”
His stomach bottomed out, then burned with acid. “You want to use the women for bait.”
Trace took an aggressive step toward him. “Even you can’t be that stupid.”
Dare inserted himself in Trace’s path. “You’re not thinking this through, Jackson. Take out your…association with Arizona and Alani. Take an unbiased look at things. A cold perspective.”
He didn’t want to. He couldn’t. Association? What a bland, dispassionate word. That’s what they thought he had with Alani? Did she still think that, too?
Sure as hell felt like more to him.
A lot more.
No way could he ever be cold about anything that concerned her. But he caught their drift anyway—and knew they were right.
Temper shooting up another notch, Jackson accepted the truth and ground out the obvious. “This might be our best chance to trap the bastards.”
Dare nodded. “Whoever is following Arizona won’t hurt her, because they need her to lead them to you, and to Alani.”
Trace picked up on the explanations. “Unfortunately, if they know Alani isn’t with you—”
“Then Arizona could become collateral damage.” Shit, shit, shit.
“But thanks to her call, we’re on to them,” Trace said, “and that gives us the upper hand. We’d all three be watching over her, but from different vantage points.”
“Which means we can keep both women safe.” Dare clasped Jackson’s shoulder. “But Alani can’t know.”
“And neither can Arizona.” Trace reined in his anger. “They’ll be easier to control if they don’t suspect danger.”
“Women tend to get protective.” Dare blew out a slow breath. “Complicates the shit out of things.”
That was a mighty big secret to keep from Alani. She wouldn’t like it. And he wasn’t convinced it was necessary. A history of treating her like a kid blinded Trace and Dare, but Alani was a smart, responsible woman with good instincts. At the hospital, she’d put her own nerves aside to handle the situation with intelligence, savvy and dignity.
“I don’t know.” He’d prefer to carry Alani off to his home and keep her there until he’d unraveled the mystery of who’d drugged him and who was after them.
Trace snapped, “And I don’t like it that some whack-job wants to get to my sister. I want this shit resolved, and if we see him coming after her, we can resolve it.”
“In a controlled environment,” Dare reasoned. “This is our best-case scenario and you know it.”
“Don’t worry,” Trace said, prodding his anger. “She’s my sister. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”
Dare groaned at that well-placed dig.
But Jackson didn’t take the bait; he was too busy sorting out all the scenarios in his mind. “You know I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Is that right?”
“It is.” If it was anyone but Alani, he wouldn’t have to think about it, but with her, everything was different. Knowing he really had no choice, that in the end this would be in Alani’s best interest, Jackson agreed with one short nod. “All right, I’ll do it.”
Dare made a rude sound. “Was there any question about that?”
“No.” He frowned. “So what’s the plan?”
Together, they sorted out all the possible circumstances, how they could change, how the men could be affected and what to do in case they were.
It seemed like a sound plan to Jackson, but he knew Alani would be pissed. Trust was important to her—and she’d earned his trust.
“Soon as Arizona calls you,” Trace said, “let us know. In the meantime, you might want to make sure my sister is on board for another trip, but unsuspecting of—” Trace’s cell rang, cutting off the rest of what he would have said.
After glancing at the caller ID he opened it without concern. “Got it done?”
Jackson and Dare both listened in, saw Trace’s satisfaction and relaxed.
“Great. Keep an eye on him. If he thinks of anything else, let me know, but otherwise, I don’t want him contacting anyone for any reason. Right. Hell, lock him in a closet if he gives you any problems.” Trace grinned. “Yeah, I’ll deal with it later if it comes to that. Thanks.”
After he disconnected the call, Trace stowed the phone. “Marc Tobin is relocated. I left two men to babysit him.”
“Is he making things difficult?” Dare asked.
“Actually…no. They said he’s mostly limping around the room, unsettled, antsy.” Trace gave a grudging shrug. “He wants to be clearheaded in case he thinks of anything that might help, so he’s refusing pain meds.”
