She didn’t say anything; she waited.
“There’s a lot of talk, Eve,” he finally said. “A lot of people are seeing your interest in him.”
“So?” She crossed one knee over the other before crossing her arms over her breasts and frowning back at him.
“Are you? Interested?” he asked gruffly.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged as though it didn’t matter. “Come on, Dawg; we practically live in the same house, and see each other often. He’s cute as hell, and damned interesting—”
“He’s also a suspected traitor who was dishonorably discharged from the Marines four years ago.” He shocked her, his tone heavy with disapproval. “You’re family, Eve. I’m not going to let you walk into something that’s going to end up hurting or endangering you. Brogan Campbell will do both.”
Eve forced herself to bite back the sharp retort that would have slipped free if he were anyone else.
“If he’s a suspected traitor, then why isn’t he in prison?” she asked carefully.
“He was discharged for striking a commanding officer while on duty. After returning to the States he migrated here. Within six months of his arrival high-ranking officers from Fort Knox began experiencing home and vehicle thefts. Those thefts were of top-secret military documents that were under review, or in the process of being transferred to locations where the information was needed. Campbell was seen in or near the area with almost each incidence. He’ll be caught, Eve, and when he is, I don’t want your name coming up in this. I do not want my sister suspected of being a traitor. That’s a stigma that never goes away.”
She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t.
Staring back at Dawg, she racked her brain, trying to make sense of what he was saying.
“There has to be a misunderstanding.” She finally forced the words past her lips. “He’s an arrogant son of a bitch, Dawg, but Brogan Campbell’s no traitor.”
He wiped one hand over his face, behind his neck, then turned away from her and paced to the wide window across the room. Standing there for long seconds, he finally drew in a deep breath before turning back to her. The look on his face wasn’t comforting.
“When he’s caught—and he will be caught,” Dawg stated quietly, “everyone he’s associated with will be stained by his guilt, Eve. Business associates, employers, friends.” He paused, his jaw tightening again. “Lovers.”
“We’re not lovers, Dawg.” Eve rose to her feet, anger and nervous energy refusing to allow her to sit in one place now.
The only reason they weren’t lovers was the fact that she feared that first broken heart. It hadn’t happened yet, and she didn’t want it to happen with Brogan.
“Not yet.” He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck again. “But it’s in the air, Eve. I didn’t believe it when I heard the talk that he was interested in you. I figured you’d send him packing like you do every other man whose reputation is less than perfect. Instead, what I saw this morning was a man and a woman who couldn’t wait to find a bed.”
Eve felt heat fill her face as the words passing his lips sent embarrassment racing through her. She didn’t drop her gaze, though. She had nothing to be ashamed of, and she wasn’t going to act as though she did. If he was waiting for the shame, then he was going to be waiting a damned long time.
His jaw flexed; the fact that he was grinding his teeth was more than obvious.
“Are you waiting for an apology?” she asked as she cocked her hip and faced him curiously. “Because if you are, you’re going to be waiting awhile, Dawg.”
“I don’t want a damned apology,” he bit out. “I want you to find someone else to mesmerize you; that’s what I want.”
Her brow lifted. “He’s no traitor.”
“You don’t know that, Eve.”
“I can feel it, Dawg,” she argued fiercely, her desperation to prove he wasn’t tightening inside her. “You told me once that you’ve lived by your instincts most of your life; well, I have, too. I’ve had no other choice, any more than you did. And my instincts tell me he’s no traitor.”
“Those aren’t your instincts, Eve. They’re your hormones. And trust me, your hormones will lie to you and have a hell of a time doing it. And when your hormones have betrayed you, you’ll find yourself sleeping with a traitor, under investigation for collusion, and your mother and sisters suspects as well.” His shoulders flexed, shifting beneath the well-pressed shirt he wore. “Listen to me, Eve; I wouldn’t lie to you, honey. And God knows it would kill me to watch you have to go through that.”
Eve could only shake her head as her chest tightened with fear, regret, and an aching need she couldn’t deny.
“Eve, he will be caught,” he warned her again as he moved to her, reaching out to grip her shoulders gently, staring down at her, understanding and anger filling his gaze. “I’ve never asked anything of you. I’ve done all I could to protect you, your mother, and your sisters. But I’m begging you now: Don’t let him destroy you. Don’t let him do what I can see him getting ready to do to you.”
This was truly the only thing he had ever asked of her, Eve realized as she felt her heart cracking with the pain of the choice he was giving her.
How could she ignore him? He’d never ignored her, her mother, or her sisters. He’d taken care of them. He’d seen that they were fed, educated, and their futures provided for, and all he asked was that she stay away from one man.
A man she was so hungry for it was eating her alive.
She nodded slowly. “I’ll try, Dawg.”
He pulled her to him, hugging her fiercely as she returned the embrace weakly.
“That’s all I ask, Eve,” he said, kissing the top of her head gently. “That’s all I ask.”
THREE
Brogan glared at Timothy Cranston as he watched the monitor. The television and game room had a small warning plaque just inside the door. Notice: This room could be monitored by both video and audio surveillance. A small smile played at the agent’s lips, but his brown eyes were narrowed, his expression thoughtful as he watched Dawg Mackay hug his sister fondly.
Of course it was fondly. The son of a bitch had just played the brother card and forced her to promise to stay away from the big, bad Brogan.
Bastard!
Hell, the ironic part was that he actually liked Dawg.
The Mackay cousins weren’t known for their polite society ways, or their ability to soothe ruffled feathers. They were known for quite the opposite, actually.
When they’d first met, Dawg had laughingly told Brogan that he reminded him far too much of his cousins and asked whether he was a Mackay, despite the red hair. Six months later, Dawg had flat-out asked him whether the underground rumors he was hearing that Brogan was involved in the military thefts were true.
Brogan’s boss had an agenda, unfortunately. Part of that agenda was pulling the Mackays in without officially asking them for help. Brogan had just stared back at him for long seconds before telling Dawg he was going to have to answer that question himself.
He’d evidently done just that. Since that day, Dawg had been as cold as Lake Cumberland in winter.
“You told me Dawg and his cousins would keep their noses out of my business,” he reminded Timothy as he leaned forward in his chair, frowning at the stark pain that filled Eve’s expression.
She’d tried to convince her brother that her instincts about Brogan were right. That, like him, she’d had to learn how to depend on them, how to trust them, just to survive. And still, the brother who was known as not just protective and sheltering, but also respectful and tolerant, had demanded she stay away from the man it was clear his sister was unable to stay away from.
“He is keeping out of your business,” Timothy murmured. “It’s your sex life he’s screwing with.”
Brogan could feel his jaw aching from the clenched tightness of it. It was all he could do to restrain the urge to stomp downstairs and push his way into that room to confront the
other man. To ensure that nothing and no one could pull Eve’s attention from him.
His fists clenched, his short, clipped nails biting into his palm as he forced himself to remain sitting.
The last thing he wanted, needed, was for anyone to guess that he and Timothy were more than friendly enemies. Timothy had taken the same public stance on Brogan as Dawg had: a cool reception and a refusal to warm. It was required. Cranston was known as a former Homeland Security agent. Even the Mackays were unaware he was still an Agent in Charge for the Department of Homeland Security.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t in charge of this operation. He was only overseeing it. If he had been in charge, maybe, just maybe he could have convinced Timothy to keep Eve out of the operation they were conducting in Pulaski County.
Because the Agent in Charge of this operation had deemed Eve necessary. Even before Brogan had looked into those mesmerizing emerald eyes and knew he wouldn’t rest until he’d taken her to his bed, his boss had decided that Eve Mackay’s participation was required.
“I have things to do.” Straightening from the chair he’d taken in Timothy’s small upstairs office, he turned and glared at the agent as Timothy sat back comfortably in his chair. Mercedes had designated the area as Timothy’s and no one but no one, she’d declared, entered without his permission. Even her.
“Go on.” Timothy waved him away. “You’ll be here for dinner?”
“No, I won’t be,” he growled.
“Ahh, you’ll be at the bar.” Timothy nodded with a smile. “Eve’s not a puppy you can convince to heel with treats, Brogan. I’d remember that if I were you.”
“Damned good thing I don’t see her as one, isn’t it?” he said with a grunt.
Striding to the door, he opened it enough to ensure no one was in the hall before slipping from the room and taking the back stairs to the kitchen.
Mercedes Mackay left the kitchen open through the day, and plates of sandwiches and snacks in the stainless-steel refrigerator that sat next to the back door. If anyone caught him there, he’d have a reason for it.
He’d used a lot of bed-and-breakfasts over the years, and he had to admit, hers was one of the most unique.
Fortunately there was no one in the kitchen, and no one entered as he strode across it and slipped out the back door.
This was a fucking mess.
He’d come to Pulaski County to find thieves; instead he’d ended up playing the traitor and stealing top-secret files that were never meant to be seen by anyone other than those who were carrying the files.
The files were stolen from four high-level couriers traveling through Fort Knox, Somerset, Harlan County, and Pikeville. Others were stolen from the homes of the high-ranking military officers they’d been delivered to. Each file had contained information unrelated to the files stolen before them.
Brogan had seen the reports of the files they had contained, and he could see nothing to tie them together.
Striding from the porch along the walk to the parking lot, he moved to the Harley and mounted it smoothly. Unlocking the helmet from between the handlebars and sliding it over his head, he activated the Bluetooth headset, then, with a quick flick of his wrist, turned the key and let the powerful motor throb for long seconds before pulling from the parking lot and turning onto the main road.
“Dial Doogan,” he said into the headset, activating the hands-free feature built into it.
“Doogan,” his boss answered before the first ring finished, his voice a dark, slow drawl that did nothing to indicate the man’s impatience.
“Dawg’s interfering,” he told the other man. “He just pulled the brother card on his sister and made her promise to stay away from the big, bad Brogan,” he said with a grunt.
Doogan laughed at the reference. “Do you think she’ll listen?”
“Mackays are known to keep their word, and she promised. What do you think?”
Pulling into the light flow of traffic along the main drag, Brogan headed away from Somerset and the temptation to follow Eve to her bed. He wanted nothing more than to make damned certain she didn’t obey her brother.
“Fuck,” Doogan growled. “Think you can convince her to break her word?”
That was Doogan, always going for the jugular.
Bastard.
“Why should I?” Brogan bit out. “Come on, Doogan; she’s one woman with no military connections at all. How can she possibly be of any importance to this operation?”
“Because I said she was.” The other man’s voice lowered, his tone becoming darker, harder.
“Doogan. I’m the wrong man to keep in the dark,” Brogan warned him. “I’m the one man who could jack this operation all to hell just by letting folks know exactly who I am. Don’t force me to take that route.”
“You’d do that because of one woman?” There was a fine edge of surprise in his boss’s voice.
“I’d do that if you risked her, and I’m starting to wonder if that isn’t your intention.”
There were times he wished he knew the Agent in Charge better. Doogan was a man who had refused to climb the ladder of DHS success. He remained in his position of Agent in Charge far longer than he should have. He could have risen, taken a directorship or even a position as team commander.
“That’s not my intention, Brogan,” the other man finally assured him. “I’ll tell you this much: Eve Mackay is pivotal to this mission. There’s one person in Pulaski County who I suspect knows a hell of a lot more than we, or our thieves, want them to know. My contact has spent the better part of eight years watching everything that goes on in that county. He’s one of our spotters, and a damned good one at that. But even he doesn’t know who this person is. All he’s heard where these thefts are concerned is that they are tied together, and that there’s one person who could answer a hell of a lot of questions if they would. The only thing, though, that’s going to bring them out of the woodwork is if one of those Mackay girls needs them. And they’d trust only whoever they trust. And despite appearances, there’re very few people any Mackay trusts. If they see she’s in your bed, and in your life, then you could possibly be considered in a position of trust and the situation deemed important enough to come out of the woodwork and reveal his secrets.”
“Because if he knows as much as you think he does, then he’ll know who I am and what I am.” Brogan grimaced.
He didn’t like the thought of that at all. The very thought of it had a chill of warning lifting the hairs at the back of his neck. “There should be another way to ensure that this person makes contact,” Brogan snapped. “Bringing her into my life might not be the best way to do that, Doogan.”
“It’s the only way, Brogan,” Doogan stated, his tone chilling at the indication that Brogan was second-guessing his orders.
“And how do you know it’s the only fucking way?” he bit out furiously. “You’re asking me to endanger an innocent woman’s life.”
“Or save it,” Doogan countered. “And don’t deny you’re interested, Brogan. There’s more than one report that’s come in mentioning the suspected thief and Dawg Mackay’s sister.”
Oh, he’d just bet there was. He could practically feel the rumor mill heating up every time they were in the same place at the same time.
“It might not be as easy as you thought it would be,” he informed the other man. “She’s made a promise now. She won’t break it.”
“The only way this will work is if it appears Eve is aligned with you, Agent Campbell,” Doogan drawled lazily. “So align with Eve Mackay and stop trying to convince me I’m wrong. When you’re the one reading the reports and listening to the director tear a strip off your ass because of military secrets falling into the wrong hands, then you can countermand orders. Until then, if it wouldn’t bother you too much, try sticking with the plan we agreed on before you went out there.”
Brogan could feel frustration and livid anger brewing inside him.
Without another word he broke the l
ink before giving the cycle a surge of gas as he headed into the mountains.
He might not be the one reading the reports or getting his ass torn over the thefts, but he was the one taking the risks and fighting his own lust for a woman he was seriously afraid could end up owning his soul.
His father had once told him that a man knew when he’d met his mate. That if he waited, kept his dick under control, and didn’t fuck up, then he’d find that mate.
He was thirty-four. A little old to be finding his mate, he thought.
Not that he believed in the whole mate-finding business. He didn’t. But if it actually existed, then there was no doubt he’d found his in Eve Mackay.
The hunger he felt for her was like a white-hot flame burning his senses and his common sense to cinders. He’d waited two and a half years. Waited and watched, flirted with subtle demand, and teased until he finally managed to snag her interest.
Not that it hadn’t been there before; it had been. But there were things that had to be done first, plans that had to be placed into motion.
Everything was in place now.
Brogan and his partner, his brother, Brody, now held the better part of the files that had been marked to be stolen. The inside source who had first contacted DHS gave them the information on each file targeted, and Brogan made damned sure he got to them before the real thieves could.
If the thieves wanted to acquire the missing files, then they were going to have to come to him.
According to Doogan, there was only one piece to the puzzle left to acquire: Eve’s loyalty and the perception that she was Brogan’s lover.
What would make a source contact him if he knew Eve trusted him enough to be his lover? What the fuck was going on in this damned place, and just how screwed up were the criminals operating here?
Pulling the cycle to a wide clearing at the side of the road, he turned around and headed back to town. Like Eve, he’d had no sleep the night before, and if he was going to seduce his wild little Mackay, then he was going to need all his wits about him.