One of Shane’s eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure? Because I woke up by myself in the family room this morning.”
She ignored his grin and the lift of amusement in his voice. “I meant sex.”
He gave her a wink, then returned to the frying pan and cooking bacon. “Not my business.”
She inhaled, enjoying the smell. Then she wondered where the groceries came from, as her idea of breakfast consisted of cereal eaten over the sink. But another more pressing question picked at her brain. “He wouldn’t tell you?”
“Holt is my best friend.”
Not the clearest answer, but then she guessed that might be her real answer. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Which raised another question. “Is he always so...bossy?”
Shane made a noise that sounded like a snort. “Absolutely.”
Just as she feared. Having two of the same type under the same roof—and Shane might add a third—would make the next few days rough. “Wonderful.”
He dumped the bacon on a rack and then turned back to her. A smile lit his face a second later. “Really, never play poker. You don’t exactly hide your feelings well.”
“Your best friend can be difficult.” An understatement but not wrong.
Shane put a cup of coffee in front of her and pushed the milk container closer to her. “You should meet his sister.”
Lindsey froze in the act of pouring. “I didn’t know he had one.”
“A baby sister. Makena.” Shane got a strange look in his eyes. “She’s...um.”
Well, well, well. “Is the word you’re looking for hot?”
“She’s definitely that. Tall with long black hair.” Shane wiped a hand over his mouth, then shook his head. “They share their Japanese mom’s features and a raging case of stubbornness, which I blame on their tough career military dad.”
Lindsey liked the insight into Holt and his personal life, but she got the very real sense Shane had pivoted into biographical data to keep from talking about Makena. A part of Lindsey would love to know what Holt thought about his best friend having an obvious thing for his baby sister.
Later she just might, but now she stuck with low-controversy subjects. “Sounds like a good way to grow up.”
“Not really, but I’ll let Holt tell you about it.”
That grabbed her attention. After spilling about her past last night, she’d drifted off to sleep. Holt didn’t offer up anything, but she really hadn’t given him a chance. “I’m not sure he will.”
Shane dumped food on her empty plate. “You don’t see it?”
The aroma of eggs and bacon filled her head. She fought off the temptation to start eating before he took his share. “What?”
“How he looks at you.”
Her appetite withered and she lowered her fork. “Like he wants to strangle me?”
Shane laughed. “Yeah, sometimes that, but I mean the other times.”
She ran through the conversation and the things he’d said last night after the deputy left, and she came to one conclusion. “Are you matchmaking?”
“Of course not.” He dug his fork into the pile of eggs in front of him. “I’m a tough run-and-gun type.”
But that twinkle in his eyes. Shane might be big, but he was also quite charming. She wondered if Makena had ever had all that attraction and cuteness aimed in her direction. The woman wouldn’t stand a chance.
Shane swallowed and reached for his coffee mug. “I’m also the only one in this house sleeping alone. Just saying.”
Lindsey thought about ignoring the comment but decided not to. “I don’t trust many people.”
“I get that, but if you’re going to pick one person, Holt is the right one.” Shane shoveled in another forkful of eggs and washed it down with more coffee. “And after that comment I need to go out and shoot something to get my commitment-phobic reputation back.”
Definitely matchmaking. “Very reasonable.”
This time he picked up bacon. “It’ll give me something to do while Holt is out.”
The way Shane said it clued her in. Holt had mentioned work and errands and things he needed to do, but it sounded as if Shane knew more. “Where is he?”
“The boss called him in for a one-on-one meeting.”
“You mean that Connor guy who runs the Corcoran Team, right?” She hoped but she doubted.
Shane winced. “I mean his boss at the gun-running cult. Holt is pretending to be Hank at the moment.”
Her stomach dropped and a spinning started in the center of her chest. She dropped her fork and it clanked against the side of the plate. “I notice you waited until now to tell me that part.”
Shane looked at her plate, then at her face. “Did the stall work?”
It only prolonged the inevitable. Now she’d worry all afternoon until Holt walked in the door again. “Let me put it this way. Do you have a gun I can borrow for some of that shooting practice?”
Shane smiled. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“Right.”
“I like you, Lindsey Pike.” Shane reached for the coffeepot. “And I promise you Holt will be fine.”
She decided to believe him. It was either that or storm up to the camp, and that couldn’t happen...though she might make an exception for Holt. And that scared her to death.
Chapter Nine
Simon leaned back in his chair and eyed up the man in front of him. He had the look of someone skating on the edge. Stayed in shape and scored off the charts on the shooting trials, but there was a certain something bubbling under the surface, as if he stood a step away from causing chaos. Simon liked that about him.
Without the Lindsey piece, Hank would be the ideal candidate to groom as second in command. But Lindsey’s presence put that plan into serious question. Nothing new there. She had a tendency to ruin everything and everyone she touched. She would understand that soon enough.
“You’ve had a busy few days.” Simon tapped his fingertips together as he quietly assessed and analyzed every move and reaction.
But Hank didn’t give anything away. His expression never changed. His temper stayed even. When questioned about his shaky past, he insisted the day he fired on the collaterals in that Afghanistan village he was following orders and worried for the safety of his men. Instead of being honored or winning an award he got booted. Faced charges and had to start over.
Simon knew all about starting over. It took years but he’d worked his way up at New Foundations, taking every crappy job and learning how the camp operated. When he found the training subpar, he left and acquired the skills and contacts he needed.
He returned renewed and when a position of power opened, he went for it. He removed the people in his path and made a grab for what he wanted. And when the day came to take over and spin the camp’s direction, he did not hesitate.
He sensed those same qualities in Hank. Simon just had to bring them out. Mold them to what he needed.
Hank continued to stand half at attention with his arms folded in front of him and legs apart. “I’m just trying to keep my head down and do my job.”
“That didn’t work.” When Hank frowned at that, Simon explained. “My understanding is you recently ended up in the middle of a crime scene.”
“That’s not exactly what happened.” Hank hesitated over each word as if wondering how much he should say.
“Tell me what did.” Simon knew but he wanted to test Hank’s ability to tell the truth. The man bucked authority since authority had jerked him around, but Simon demanded full obedience. It was one of the things missing from his predecessor’s regime. The first thing Simon did after he cleaned out the members who would slow them down and try to tinker with his vision.
“My friend owns the property where Grant’s body was found,” Hank said.
A sanitized version. Simon appreciated that Hank could offer one, but he needed more. Mostly, he needed Hank to know all of his moves were being watched and accept it. “Lindsey Pike.”
�
��Do you know her?”
“Of her.” An understatement, but the answer worked for now and Simon was not ready to explain. But soon. “The deputy sheriff has been asking questions about her and Grant.”
Hank leaned in. A subtle move but noticeable if you watched closely, and Simon did. A potentially dangerous thing since jealousy and ridiculous talk of love had led to the downfall of more than one man.
“What do you mean?” Hank asked.
“Grant had a crush on Lindsey.” Simon repeated the made-up tale. “He came over and you two kicked him off the property. Not to state the obvious issue but now he’s dead. Even ignoring New Foundations’ stated preference for its members not to draw attention, the timing is not ideal.”
Hank returned to his expressionless stance, looking both rigid and disinterested. “You think I’m involved.”
Simon dodged that question more to test Hank’s reaction than anything else. “Surely, you can see where law enforcement would draw some conclusions.”
“They’re wrong.”
The guy stayed solid. Didn’t shake. Good to know. “I’m sure, but still we need to play this the right way.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sit down.” Simon gestured to the seat in front of him and waited until Hank, like the good soldier he was, obeyed. “You should come back to the bunkhouse. For now.”
“I would prefer to stay with her.” Before Simon could respond, Hank continued. “I have a friend in town and he’s staying with me at Lindsey’s house, as well. It would be awkward for him to be there while I’m not. She barely knows him.”
Unexpected news. Simon hadn’t planned ahead for another new player in town. Nothing in Hank’s file pointed to him even having friends. “I had the impression after your military issues your support system disappeared.”
“All but this guy. He was there and tried to testify for me.” Hank remained as blank as ever. “I’ve actually been thinking about introducing him to you and the idea of the camp. He would appreciate what we do here.”
Simon didn’t care for the turn in the conversation. He’d learned from his short time in charge to be aware of tone and subtext. “Which is what? What do you think we do here?”
“Live our lives without hassles. No government interference. No rules except the ones agreed to long ago.” Something close to a smile formed on Hank’s mouth. “That’s why I came here and why I stayed.”
“And no one here is subjected to the government’s idea of criminal charges.” Simon believed in handling issues in-house, which explained Grant’s current state.
“Exactly. I’ve had enough of those.”
Simon liked that Hank didn’t try to deny or explain. Not that he could do the former. They’d talked about his past in the very first interview. “That’s why I think you should be a little careful with Ms. Pike.”
“Is that a warning?” Hank asked in a voice suddenly filled with venom.
Simon matched Hank’s attitude with some of his own. “Does it need to be?”
“I don’t intend to stop seeing her.”
Interesting. Simon still couldn’t tell if that insistence made Hank an ally or an enemy, but it did set off an alarm that Simon would not ignore. “Of course not, but I am considering increasing your duties here. Moving you into Grant’s position and providing you with more extensive training.”
“I would appreciate that.”
Of course he would. Anyone would, especially the type who came to the camp. Simon understood the need of men to belong and feel as if they were accomplishing something.
Up until now they’d been working behind the scenes. Fighting the government by supplying weapons to a militia here and providing men on the ground there against the ATF. For the next step to work, the promise of instability and the reorganization, New Foundations needed to move into the leadership role and not just be the might behind the fight.
Leading sometimes meant destroying and rebuilding. It was a general principle most people forgot these days. They threw money and people on the same problem over and over again. He would not make that mistake.
“The position requires, at times, taking on some difficult tasks,” Simon said, laying the groundwork.
Hank nodded. “I’m fine with that.”
“If Ms. Pike had something to do with Grant’s death, your loyalties could be tested.”
A stark silence pounded through the room. The clock on the edge of his desk ticked and the springs on his chair let out a slight squeak as he rocked back and forth.
It took a full minute for Hank to speak again. “If she did it, I’ll drag her up here myself to atone for her crimes.”
Right answer. “I knew I could count on you.”
* * *
HOLT BARELY MADE it in the door before he heard Lindsey’s heavy sigh.
She started walking toward him then jogged. She hit his chest with her arms wrapped around his neck. “You’re home.”
The relationship bounced around from on-the-verge-of-sex to trying to maintain control. After holding her last night, smelling her hair and touching her skin, Holt doubted he could go back to playing indifferent, so he didn’t try.
His arms tightened around her and he placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I should leave more often.”
Shane cleared his throat. Since he practically stood on top of them, it was hard to miss. “I was thinking the same thing.”
A red flush stained Lindsey’s cheeks and she tried to step back. “Sorry.”
Holt didn’t let her get far. He hated the idea of her being embarrassed or using the reaction this time as an excuse not to show him affection next time. He telegraphed all of that in a kiss, this one slower and a bit more lingering, before he let her go. “Don’t be.”
She stood there, fidgeting as she rubbed her hands together. “I just thought you could be in trouble. That—”
“It’s okay.” And it was...for now. He’d played the role of Hank without slipping even though he’d had to fight off the urge to smash a fist into Simon Falls’s face the entire time they talked in his office.
“Is it?”
Fear. He got that from her voice and the relief in her eyes when he walked in. She worried for him and he did not hate the sensation of having someone care about him. “True, Simon Falls threatened. He worked that in along with trying to plant the seed you killed Grant.”
She went from nervous to ticked off in two seconds. It was an amazing thing to see. She drew up, her shoulders stiffening, and a new determination washed over her. “What?”
Yeah, he knew that would get her attention. “After that, Simon moved on to offering me Grant’s job...sort of.”
Shane nodded. “So, your typical business meeting.”
As if Holt knew. “Don’t ask me. I’ve never had one.”
“Go back.” Lindsey stepped between them with a hand on Holt’s chest and another hovering in the air in front of Shane. “He’s blaming me?”
“He and Deputy Carver.” That was the interesting part for Holt. Simon made sure to mention law enforcement, which made little sense for a man like him. Sure, he probably had to walk a fine line, but if he really did want to start his own militia, cozying up to the sheriff seemed like an odd course.
Shane shot her an I-told-you-so smirk. “Remember my comment about the setup? Here you go. These are the building blocks.”
“This is sick.” She touched a hand to her head.
Holt lowered it again so he could see her face. The fact he kept holding on meant nothing. “What do you know about Falls?”
“I’ve never seen or met him. He never leaves the campground. I once tried to have someone smuggle out a photo but it didn’t work.” She shrugged, clearly frustrated by the walls she kept hitting. “All my research points to a guy who appeared on the scene out of nowhere and moved into the leadership role when the person above him died.”
That all sounded familiar. “Us, too. This Falls character didn’t exist
before a few years ago.”
“Right when the accident that wasn’t occurred,” Shane mumbled.
Her gaze shot to him. “What?”
Holt decided it was best she knew what they knew. “We’ve reviewed the record and think someone tampered with the guy’s car.”
“You mean Simon Falls.” She looked from one man to the other. “He killed the guy in power and took over.”
“Simon did benefit from the death.” Holt didn’t have the proof. He also didn’t have a doubt that was what happened, but he’d like some verification about Simon from people who lived there. “Do you have files on other people up there?”
“Yes.” Lindsey launched right into offering help. Gone was the stalling and backtracking from when they first met. “I’d start with Todd.”
“Lindsey, we need to talk to the people who got out. The intel we have doesn’t show anyone escaping,” Shane explained.
For the first time since they’d started talking about the camp she smiled. “You don’t have the intel because I’m good.”
“You made that happen? You engineered the escapes?” Shane asked, clearly impressed.
“I get them out. New Foundations lies in order to keep its ‘no one ever wants to leave us’ motto clean, but there are people who have escaped, those I’ve helped and probably more who got out before I stepped up.”
If he hadn’t been attracted to her before then that explanation would have done it. Holt admired her and genuinely liked her. He was also determined to protect her, and that meant digging into her private life and all of her accomplishments in uncomfortable ways. “You can get us a meeting?”
She bit her bottom lip but then nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s trusting.” He liked it.
“Are you telling me you can’t be trusted?” The words sounded tough but she said it in a joking voice.
“I’m telling you I’m the one man you need to believe in.” And he wasn’t kidding. He meant it to his soul.
She nodded. “Done.”
* * *
WHILE LINDSEY GATHERED her intel and files and all the material she kept in coded folders that no one could read because they didn’t make sense as written, Holt stepped outside. The weather had turned and a warm air blew over the porch.
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