“This is punishment enough,” Kevin grumbled.

“In all seriousness,” Daniel said, “get out, Kevin.”

“I can’t believe this, Danny. What are you thinking? After what she did to you?”

Daniel was still between Alex and Kevin, so she couldn’t see his face, but she could suddenly hear a smile in his voice. “You’re supposed to be so tough, so dangerous. And yet you’re saying you’d let a little pain come between you and the woman you wanted? Really?”

Kevin rocked a step back and took a few seconds to respond. “But why? Why do you want her?” The anger had vanished; when he looked at Alex, there was only bewilderment.

“I’ll explain it to you when you’ve grown up. Now, for the last time, get out, or” – and he reached one long arm around Alex’s body and pulled the gun from her back – “I’ll shoot you.”

He pointed the gun at Kevin’s torso.

“Um, the safety is off on that,” Alex murmured.

“Counting on it,” Daniel replied.

Kevin stared at them – Daniel holding the gun steady, Alex watching from behind his arm – and then his shoulders squared.

He pointed at Alex with his free hand. “You. Just… stop…” He waved his hand in a big, inclusive gesture, taking in the two of them and the bed. “All of this. We leave in fifteen. Be ready.”

His hand shifted to Danny. “I…” He blew out a deep breath, shook his head, and then turned and walked out the door. He didn’t bother closing it. “Damn it, Val!” he shouted as he headed through the dark hall, as if all of this were somehow her fault. Einstein barked from upstairs.

Alex sighed and stretched. “Well, that went about exactly as I thought it would. No shots fired – this was the best-case scenario, I guess.”

“Where are you going?” Daniel asked.

“To shower. You heard the man. Fifteen minutes.”

“It’s the middle of the night!”

“All the better to hide my face. You’re not tired, are you? I think we’ve been asleep for nine hours, at least.”

Daniel scowled. “No, I am not in the least bit tired.”

“Well, then…” She started toward the bathroom door.

“Wait.”

Daniel jumped up, ruffling his hair as he walked to the bedroom door. He shut it and then locked it again.

“What’s the point of that, really?” Alex asked.

Daniel shrugged. “Touché.”

He walked to her and wrapped his hands around her upper arms, holding her securely. “I wasn’t ready to get out of bed.”

“Kevin’s not going to knock,” she reminded him. “He probably won’t even give me the full fifteen.”

“I don’t like letting him call the shots. Not only was I not ready to get out of bed, I was not ready for you to get out of bed, either.”

He bent his head down to kiss her, his hands running slowly up her shoulders till they were cradling her face. She knew that under normal circumstances, it would have taken very little convincing on his part to get her to agree. But these were not normal circumstances, and the idea that Kevin might walk into the room at any moment – probably with gun in hand again – tempered her response.

She pulled back. “What about a compromise?”

The look he gave her was less than thrilled. “I categorically refuse to compromise in any way for Kevin’s sake.”

“Can I please at least make my case before you dismiss it?”

He kept his expression stern, but she could tell he wanted to smile. “Do what you have to do, but I will not be swayed.”

“We have limited time, and we both need to clean up. That shower–slash–lap pool in there will easily fit two – well, actually it could fit twelve – and I was thinking we could multitask.”

The hard-line expression disappeared. “I immediately withdraw my opposition and offer my full cooperation.”

“I thought you might see it that way.”

CHAPTER 25

“B

ecause there’s no reason for you to go,” Kevin objected.

Kevin stood in front of the elevator doors, blocking the call button, arms crossed over his chest.

“Why not?” Daniel demanded.

“You’re not going to be a part of the offensive, Danny, so you don’t need to be a part of the preparation.”

Daniel’s lips mashed together into a scowl.

“It doesn’t hurt anything for him —” Alex began mildly.

“Except someone could see his face,” Kevin growled.

“You mean your face?” she countered.

“I’m smart enough to keep my head down.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “I’ll ride in the trunk if you want.”

Kevin evaluated the two of them for a long second. “Are you going to let me focus?”

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

Kevin closed his eyes; he seemed to be calming himself. He inhaled through his nose, then looked at Daniel.

“Here are my requirements for you to join us on this very boring, standard recon exercise: No one will speak of what happened this morning. I will not be forced to remember the nauseating things I witnessed. There will be no discussion that might allude to said nauseating things. This is business, and you will conduct yourself appropriately. Agreed?”