“Would you prefer for Beau to stay with you? Some of my patients fear enclosed spaces and avoid claustrophobic situations. I can put a protective garment over him that will prevent any harm coming to him. Our first priority is ensuring your comfort and more importantly we need you to relax and obey our directives as we give them. Can you handle that?”

“No. Yes. I mean I’ll be fine,” Ari said quickly although she wanted nothing more than for Beau to remain. But she refused to put Beau at further risk because of her. He’d already been shot at—twice. Wrecked and forced off the freeway in an overturned vehicle. Enough was enough and it was time to put her big-girl panties on and act like the independent woman she’d worked so hard to become since graduating college and going out on her own in the workforce, not that her father was at all happy with her choices. But it had been her mother’s gentle but steady hand that had caused her father to back down and allow Ari freedoms she hadn’t been granted until the last few years.

“I can handle this. I’m okay. Really. I don’t want to put Beau at any further risk. He’s risked enough for me to day.”

“And you’re terrified of enclosed spaces,” Beau said tersely. “I’m staying.”

She looked at him astonishment. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Honey, you didn’t see your absolute look of terror and utter discomfort the minute you laid eyes on the scanner. I’m not leaving you alone to endure it when it will be hell for you. So don’t even try to argue. Because this is one argument you will not win.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But if you get radiation poisoning or whatever it is you get from these X-ray machines, it’s your own damn fault and I refuse to feel guilty if you get cancer and die.”

Beau’s lips quirked into a smile. “Why, Ari, you’re beginning to make me think you care,” he teased.

Her expression went utterly solemn. “I do care, Beau. I care too much. I wish I could be selfish and do whatever it took to get my parents back no matter the cost to others’ lives or the injuries they could sustain, but that’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person I’ve ever been and it’s not who I want to become.”

It was becoming an increasing habit for him to press his lips anywhere but her mouth, almost as if he were guarding against the possibility of creating too much intimacy between him and a client, but in Ari’s mind, those tender moments meant far more to her than if he had kissed her on the mouth.

She closed her eyes as he briefly feathered a kiss over her furrowed forehead.

“Now, we’ve wasted too much time on senseless arguing and we need to get you suited up and me as well, because as I said, I’m going to be here every step of the way. If you get scared just say my name. I’ll be right here.”

“Thank you, Beau. You know and I know you’ve gone above and beyond what you’d normally do for a client. So thank you. It means a lot to have your support, your promise to find my parents and your promise to protect me from the people who are after me.”

“You’ve already thanked me and it was more than enough,” he said softly. “Now let’s get you checked out so Doctor Carey can ease my concerns over your condition.”

FIFTEEN

BEAU shouldered his way into the house, carrying Ari’s limp body firmly against his chest. As requested, Caleb and Ramie were still there, lounging in the living room, though Ramie looked to be asleep, nestled in the crook of Caleb’s shoulder, her hair partially obscuring her face.

Beau cocked one inquisitive eyebrow in Caleb’s direction. The brothers had always been masters at silent communication. It was if they were so in tune with one another that a simple look could convey a wealth of information. Or questions.

Which is likely why Caleb had seemed confused and even angry that Beau hadn’t consulted him about Ari, not that Beau had been given the opportunity, given the speed in which Ari’s situation—and the danger to her—had escalated.

“She’s fine,” Caleb murmured. “Late night last night. Tori had a bad dream. Ramie stayed up with her.”

“Anything I should know about?” Beau inquired.

Caleb was silent a moment. “At the time, I wouldn’t have thought so. But now? Yeah, I think you probably need to hear this.” His gaze drifted over Ari’s unconscious form. “How is she?”

“I’d say she has zero tolerance for painkillers,” Beau said wryly. “Either that or she’s just exhausted, which is likely given the events of the last twenty-four hours. Doctor Carey gave her the all clear on the CT scan, but gave her an injection because she was out of her mind with pain. She was out like a light in less than five minutes. I had to carry her out of the clinic and into the car I called for while waiting for the results of her scan.”

“Put her to bed then,” Caleb said quietly. “We have a hell of a lot to discuss. Zack’s been doing a lot of digging. Despite you not wanting to involve Dane and Eliza, I did call upon Eliza’s expertise in accessing data not readily available to the public. Zack’s in the security room making some calls, but he’ll know you’re back, so I’d expect him here by the time you return from putting Ari down.”

Something about Caleb’s tone immediately raised Beau’s hackles and his internal radar started beeping like hell. His brother’s expression was grim and he radiated seriousness.