Treasured by Lexi Blake

Chapter Three

“Did you hear about Kyle?”

Tessa looked up from her phone. She’d been staring at the three messages she’d received from David Hawthorne. They’d come in over the course of three days, and she couldn’t stop thinking about them even two weeks later.

Hey, it’s the crazy professor from Top. I was hoping you had some time this week. I promise a full plate of your own, and I know where to get the best enchiladas. How about it?

That had been sent the morning after they’d met. Professor Hawthorne didn’t play the waiting game. She’d looked down at the text and felt a smile cross her face until she’d remembered the decision she’d made the night before. She couldn’t go through another relationship that involved work. Work was all she had, and the fact that David Hawthorne had the most stunning eyes didn’t change that truth.

Professor Hawthorne was way too close to her bosses, and that was why she’d ignored the text.

The next message had been a voice mail around twenty-four hours after the first.

“Hey, Tessa. It’s David Hawthorne. I’m not sure if you got my text, so I thought I would try calling. I had a great time the other night and would love to see you again. Maybe we could meet for lunch or even coffee. I hope to hear from you.”

She’d listened to that message about a hundred times. He’d gone back to text for his last message.

Tessa, I wanted to say it was lovely meeting you. I don’t know what went wrong, but I’m going to delete your number so you don’t have to worry about me calling again. I wish you all the best. David.

She believed him. He wouldn’t be the guy who bugged her, needing some kind of answer as to why she refused to reply to him after the connection they’d made.

He was gone, and she would have to make sure she didn’t run into him again. The good news was she rarely ever worked with Kyle, and David Hawthorne didn’t frequent McKay-Taggart circles.

“Earth to Tessa.” Wade Rycroft was standing at her desk, and he’d said something about Kyle. “Are you okay?”

She set her phone down and tried to focus. “Yeah, boss. What’s up with Hawthorne?” She’d started calling Kyle by his last name as a reminder of why she wasn’t answering those texts. In the days since that night, Kyle hadn’t once mentioned his brother to her, and he hadn’t acted awkward, so she had to believe that either David hadn’t mentioned her or Kyle didn’t care. She was happy either way. “I thought he was about to go on vacation.”

She’d heard him talking about a beach, but she wasn’t sure where he was going. There wasn’t an assignment on the board with his name on it, so she’d assumed it was a vacation. Which seemed weird since he hadn’t been working for McKay-Taggart for more than six months. Vacation days didn’t kick in until then, but she’d guessed that being a member of the boss’s family had its perks.

Another reason to not date David Hawthorne.

Even when she wanted to. She’d sat up late the night before wondering how he was feeling. If he was hurt that she hadn’t replied or if he’d already moved on.

“Not a vacation, exactly, and that’s why I’m going to need you to report upstairs in thirty minutes.” Wade was a big man who’d spent as much time on a ranch as he had in the Army. He started out of her office, the obvious order being that she was to follow. “Kyle was finishing up a close-cover assignment this morning. He was putting the client on her plane back home when he dropped her luggage and broke his damn foot. He’s at the hospital now.”

She hustled to keep up with Wade. “That must have been some heavy-ass luggage.”

“Apparently it was a freak accident thing. He was in the exact right position to have it bust three bones. It’s not a big deal, but he’s going to have to stay off of it for a couple of days, and then he’ll be in a boot,” Wade explained. He had a folder in his hand as he walked down the hallway.

“That’s awful, and I’ll pitch in to send him a basket or something, but I don’t see what it has to do with me. He doesn’t have an assignment on the board.” He wouldn’t if he was going on a vacation. Tessa had a job starting the next day, but it was a short-term gig. She would be providing additional security for the former president, who was coming into town to give a speech at SMU. She was working with the Secret Service to ensure that President Hayes had a quiet, totally drama free three days in Dallas. Then she would have to stare down the weekend. Again.

How could she miss someone she barely knew? The temptation to call him, to apologize, was almost overwhelming, but it didn’t change the fact that it was a mistake to date someone close to her boss. And she knew she didn’t belong in the world David Hawthorne ran in. He wasn’t some down-on-his-luck professor. He had family money behind him, and that came with strings Tessa had already figured out could strangle a girl no matter how awesome the family was.

“This one was off the books, but it’s important to Ian, so I need you to take it.” Wade kept moving toward the stairs that would take them up to the main office of McKay-Taggart. She rarely went up, preferring the relative laid backness of what the rest of the company called the “Man Cave.” The bodyguard unit was on the floor below the main MT office and above Miles-Dean, Weston, and Murdoch’s elegantly high-tech offices. The Man Cave was comfy with a gym and a kitchenette, and sometimes Wade brought his German shepherd. She was comfortable here.

She shook her head. He was definitely not thinking about the assignment she already had. “I can’t. I’ve got a meeting with Secret Service this afternoon.”

She’d been planning this assignment for six weeks. She’d done the legwork, and now all that was left was to knock it out of the park, impress everyone, and get the promotion she deserved. The bodyguard unit was growing, and Wade was looking to break it into two teams with two leads. There was zero question Jamal would get one of those positions. She wanted the other one. Doing this job well would all but assure her of the promotion.

“I’ve already passed that on to Jamal. He and West will take over for you.” Wade opened the door and started up the stairs.

She hurried to catch up. “Hey, you can’t give my assignment away.”

“I can because I’m the boss. It’s literally what I do. I hand out assignments. This is your new one. I hope your passport is up to date.” He handed over the folder.

He knew damn well it was. “All right. I’ll bite. Where am I going?”

“Argentina. You’re flying to Buenos Aires this evening. From there, you’re going to a city on the coast, and then to a private island.”

“So this is a close-cover assignment?” Who was she dealing with? She’d provided security for movie stars and politicians and businesspeople. South America would have its own unique problems, like any place would. Any place in the world could be dangerous under the right circumstances. “Is the client wealthy?”

“He’s from a wealthy family, and he would definitely be considered a high-value target, if that’s what you’re asking.” They’d made it to the top of the stairs, and Wade held the door open for her.

“Do we have any known threats?” It was kind of sad that she was hoping the answer would be yes. It had been a while since her adrenaline had been up. The last time she’d been shot at had been years ago. What she needed now was a good high-danger case to take her mind off the sexy professor.

She wondered what he was doing for spring break. It had to be coming up soon. Would he head out to his stepfather’s lake house? Or take some luxury vacay?

Her mom used to spend her spring breaks preparing for the rest of the school year.

“Not that Kyle found.” Wade started for the big guy’s office.

Who was Kyle protecting? And why Kyle? There was no doubt the man was good, but he wasn’t seasoned. If this was a client Taggart wanted to impress, why send Kyle?

“You’ve got some of Kyle’s notes in that folder, but he’s going to send you the rest. He worked on a lot of this at his place.” A wide smile came over Wade’s face. “Well, hello, pretty lady. I heard there was an angel up on this floor, but I didn’t believe it.”

She didn’t gag the way she would have if Wade had been genuinely trying to pick up Taggart’s admin with that line. He’d already picked her up and taken her out and gotten her pregnant. Geneva Rycroft gave her husband a grin. “You still have it, babe. That would totally work on me.”

When she’d started dating Michael, this was kind of what she’d been looking for. McKay-Taggart was full of happy couples who worked together and never seemed to have a single problem unless Big Tag pissed off Charlie and then got his lemon snacks taken away. That had been a rough week.

Wade leaned over and kissed his wife. “I’m glad to know I still got it. Is he in there?”

Genny nodded. “He’s been on the phone all morning. And you should know that some of your guys have already been up here planning how to give Kyle as much hell as possible for letting a Louis Vuitton suitcase take him down.”

“We’re going to give him so much shit.” Hutch leaned against the doorframe of his office. Greg Hutchins was McKay-Taggart’s resident IT expert. “My fiancée knows some crazy science stuff that will elevate all of my pranks.”

Yep, she had another wedding to go to. Hutch—the dude least likely to ever get married—was planning a wedding with a scientist cutie named Noelle. It would be the first wedding she had to go to since she and Michael had canceled theirs.

“Poor Kyle.” MaeBe Vaughn worked IT as well. She was the classic gamer girl, with purple hair, black lipstick, and combat boots. She was adorable, and the word around the office was Kyle was sweet on her. She settled her crossbody over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go pick up a cat from Kyle’s and pack a bag for him. He doesn’t know it, but he’s going to his mom’s place. He seems to think he can get up and down the stairs of the town house. Is he floating up them? David’s not going to be there, so he’ll end up starving to death.”

The mention of his name made her heart flutter.

Flutter. It was a stupid word, and an even stupider thing to do. She wanted to ask about why David wouldn’t be there. Did Kyle live with him? Was David taking a trip?

All of those bricks of information fell into place and reminded her that she wasn’t merely supposed to throw her body in front of bullets. She was also an investigator, and she could properly connect the dots.

David was a professor specializing in South American history and politics. Naturally his brother going on an assignment with him wouldn’t be considered a “job.”

David would be a high-value target given who his stepfather was. He would need security. He wasn’t trained and his brother was, and now his brother couldn’t go anywhere. She spoke the language and was used to international travel. She was the perfect person to slide into Kyle’s spot and make sure the boss’s step-nephew remained safe.

Except she couldn’t.

“I can’t do this.” She looked down at the folder, and there was David’s name. “Look, Wade, I get why you want me on this assignment, but I’m not protecting David Hawthorne. No way. I’m not going.”

She couldn’t be alone with the man. If she was alone with him, she wouldn’t be able to hold out. She would end up kissing him again, and kissing would lead to touching, and touching would lead to a lot more. By the end of the week, she wouldn’t want to leave him and wouldn’t be able to protect her heart and her job the way she should.

Everyone had stopped, and all eyes were on her. Wide eyes. The kind of eyes that told a woman she’d fucked up.

“Well, I’ll find someone else, then,” a deep voice said. A familiar voice.

She didn’t want to turn, but she did, and sure enough, there was David looking sexy in a sport coat, a briefcase in his hand like he’d come straight from a lecture.

“If it helps, I didn’t know you worked here,” David said. “I promise I’m not stalking you. I’ll let Ian know we need someone else.”

“There isn’t anyone else.”

Yay, the big boss was standing in his doorway, and he’d heard her completely reject his nephew. Awesome.

“I can handle the trip.” David’s shoulders squared, and he pointedly didn’t look her way. “I was planning on going solo anyway. My mom is being overly cautious. I’ll call my friend and have him send a driver out for me. I’ll skip the bus trip, and once I’m on the island, I’ll be perfectly safe.”

MaeBe held up a hand. “Uh, I’ve been monitoring some chatter on the Dark Web about a celebrity’s son traveling to South America.”

“My dad wasn’t a celebrity, and he’s also no longer with us.” David’s tone was curt, his jaw tight. “I stay out of my stepfather’s business as much as I can. So they must be talking about someone else.”

“Or they don’t know you’ve got a chip on your shoulder about your mom’s husband,” Hutch said with a shake of his head. “Either way, it’s too dangerous unless you take a bodyguard.”

“Santiago, Wade, my office now.” Big Tag looked Hutch’s way. “Why don’t you take David to the conference room? If he slips away, I’ll be shoving those Red Vines you love so much where you don’t want them shoved.”

“That’s rude,” Hutch said. “And effective. Come on, Professor. Let the big guys work this out.”

She could feel the flush that had come over her. Not only had she pissed off the boss, she’d hurt David, and that hadn’t been her intention. She followed Tag inside. “I’m sorry, Mr. Taggart. I can’t go to Argentina right now.”

“You have other plans?” Big Tag was a mass of muscle who didn’t look like he was a fifty-year-old with five kids. He looked like a dude who shot people for a living, and she was likely next. “Because I thought you understood that this was the kind of job where shit comes up and you take care of it. If you wanted a nine to five, you should have applied somewhere else.”

The ice coming off that man could freeze fire. “I think I should stay on the Hayes assignment. Jamal likes to travel.”

“Jamal’s mother is going through chemo treatments, and he’s her main support system. Do you want to drive her to and from her treatments?” Tag’s blue eyes stared at her like lasers.

Her gut knotted. “I didn’t know. Of course not.”

“Everyone but West is on assignment, and West is in training,” Tag pointed out.

“I wouldn’t send West,” Wade said. “He’s got no international experience. He’s barely been off the ranch, so I’m not sending him to Argentina.” Her boss sighed. “I’ll go, Ian.”

He was supposed to go on vacation with his wife and stepson and daughter. They were going to Disney World for spring break. “You can’t cancel your trip.”

They’d been planning it forever. He’d been excited, and his daughter would be devastated.

“I won’t cancel. Genny and Ash can take Bella.” Wade’s face had gone grim. “I wouldn’t be able to look Sean in the face if anything happened to David.”

“Or David could understand that he shouldn’t take a trip that’s so dangerous,” she shot back. She wasn’t sure why David couldn’t understand this was a potentially bad idea.

“David has one shot at getting the information he needs to document a moment in history. History is important to him. It’s his whole career, and from what Grace has told me, it’s always been his focus.” Big Tag leaned against the edge of his desk. “Imagine being a nerdy kid who reads biographies of Napoleon while all your friends are playing video games. Except he didn’t have a lot of them. Friends, I mean. He’s been working on a book about this man for years. I would go with him if I could, but it’s almost spring break, and half the office is taking off. Santiago, did my nephew do something he shouldn’t have? Is there a personal reason you’re refusing this assignment?”

The image of a studious boy reading his books and likely getting bullied and feeling alone struck her hard. David hadn’t done anything but have a great conversation with her and honor her boundaries. He’d been polite and tried to put her at ease even when she’d been rude to him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be alone with him.”

“Wade, could you give us the room? Don’t change your plans. If I can’t convince her to go, I’ll figure out a way to do it myself. I’m not letting David miss this opportunity, and I’m not going to be the one who costs your little girl time with her dad at Disney World.”

Wade nodded and then she was alone with the big boss and a shit ton of guilt. How had she not known about Jamal’s mom? She’d cut herself off from everyone, built up walls around herself, and then bitched about being isolated. She thought because the people around her seemed happy that they didn’t have a care in the world, but she knew Genny had a tough time before she and Wade got married and that every minute they had together was precious. West had hired on after an accident at the ranch he’d grown up on. Kyle hid his pain.

“What did my nephew do?” The question came out in an even tone.

She hated the weakness, but she had to blink back tears. “I spent some time with him a couple of weeks ago. He made me like him, and I don’t want to like anyone right now.”

Big Tag’s shoulders came down, and a groan came from the man’s mouth. “For fuck’s sake. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been through this?”

She sat down because this seemed like it was going to be a long lecture that ended with her going to South America.

It was time to remember that she had a team around her, and she owed them, too.

“Why can’t I get clients no one wants to sleep with? I seriously think I should hire people based on their fucking sex drives,” Tag continued. “I would say older people, but those suckers want some, too.”

How bad could it get? Moments before, David had looked at her like she was the last person in the world he wanted to sleep with. She’d been a bitch, so maybe thinking he would be tempting was now a completely one-sided thing.

“Here’s a clue, Santiago. Don’t sleep with him. From what I can tell he lives like a monk anyway, so if you’re not some musty old book, he probably won’t notice you’re there.”

The boss could really go on and on.

But one thing was clear. She was going to do her job. No matter how much it hurt.

* * * *

So this was what it felt like to be in the big conference room. David had wondered sometimes since he’d heard a lot of stories about this place. His stepdad had sat here and listened to the plans for the op that sent him to Fort Worth all those years ago, to the place where Grace Hawthorne worked.

“You know you don’t have to sit there. I’m not going to slip out.” He wasn’t going to run away, but he also wasn’t about to force a woman who didn’t like him to spend time with him.

Look, Wade, I get why you want me on this assignment, but I’m not protecting David Hawthorne. No way. I’m not going.

She’d been so adamant. It had been a real kick in the gut.

“Big Tag was serious about those Red Vines.” Hutch had been sitting with him while Ian decided his fate.

At least when it came to a bodyguard. Ian couldn’t stop him from leaving this evening. He wasn’t missing this opportunity. He’d been researching this book for five years. Having access to Ricardo Montez’s personal library, to the island and the treasure that was supposedly hidden there, was a biographer’s dream. This book was the key not only to assured tenure, but also to getting this lost gem of a story out in the world.

“So what’d you do to Santiago? Not that it takes much these days.” Hutch sat back, putting his feet up on the conference room table.

“I asked her out.” That was the killer. He wasn’t sure where he’d gone wrong. He’d asked her out. He’d attempted to make sure there wasn’t a miscommunication, and when it was obvious she wasn’t going to answer him, he deleted her number from his phone and hadn’t bothered her again. They’d had such a good connection that night, but he wasn’t the smartest man when it came to dating. He’d missed a cue or something.

Or he hadn’t because she’d been the one to kiss him. She’d been the one to put her lips on his, her eyes glowing in the low light as she’d walked away.

What had happened between that moment and this one? It wasn’t like he hadn’t faced rejection before, but this one had hurt like hell.

Hutch whistled. “Damn. You stepped in it.”

Obviously Hutch had been hired in on Ian’s sarcasm initiative. “Yes, it was clearly a mistake.”

Hutch sighed and sat back. “Tessa’s touchy right now. She was engaged and it ended. It was amicable, but she still has to work with the guy. It’s sad because they’re both nice people. I think she’s got what I like to call the thirty-year-old blues. It’s when all your friends are married and happy and it hasn’t happened for you.”

Maybe the intimacy he’d felt had been one-sided. Maybe she’d taken a look around and realized she could do way better than a professor of history. It wouldn’t be the first time. Hell, he’d had a couple of women who’d dated him so they could meet his happily married stepfather.

Maybe he had the thirty-year-old blues.

His cell phone trilled, and he glanced down. His research assistant. He’d only hired Luis the semester before, and the grad student was already working overtime. Luis Vasquez was a double major in history and Spanish, making him the perfect research assistant. He also had family ties in Argentina, and those had already started paying off as Luis had left for Buenos Aires the day before. David slid a finger across the screen to accept the call. “Did you make it okay?”

“Not only made it to the city, but I’m already here on the island. I managed to get a cell signal and thought I would take advantage. I hope you don’t mind, but I called Eduardo and he said it was all right to come out early. I’m taking some great film for you,” Luis said.

“I thought you wouldn’t be out until later in the week.” He’d been planning to visit with a cousin of his who lived in a seaside town.

“My cousin took off with a girl he met in his math class. They’re on their way to Brazil for the week. I thought work sounded better than sitting in his place alone. I would have to clean it first,” Luis said with a huff, and then a bit of static came over the line.

“I’m glad you got in okay,” David said. “I’ve run into some problems here.”

“I’m sorry. You cut out on me,” Luis said. “This signal is going to drop at any moment. I wanted to let you know that Eduardo’s eager to talk to you. I think he’s found something his dad left, and it’s in a code from what I can tell. He won’t show me,” Luis admitted. “He’s a little manic, but he seems cool. I’m going to go out and get some footage of the estate and talk to some of the people in the town close to here. I thought I’d wait until you get here to go up to the mountain.”

Montaña del Cielo. Heaven’s Mountain. It was on that mountain that Montez had written his manifesto about freedom for all people, decrying the very capitalism that had granted him the money to buy the island in the first place.

Montez’s story was the thing of legend. And it would also make an excellent documentary someday since Montez had at least three wives and a whole lot of exotic animals in his own personal “paradise.”

“Well, enjoy yourself because when I get there tomorrow afternoon we’re going to work our asses off.” He had one week to get what he needed. Or to convince Eddie that his crazy dad’s life was a brilliant story and he should keep the nature preserve he’d built intact for future generations. Montez had been eccentric, but he’d cared about the people on his island and the wildlife there. “My flight takes off in about eight hours, and I’ll contact you when we land.”

“I’m…forward to seeing…again.” The call started to go in and out, proof that any cell service on the island would be unreliable.

And then the line went dead, Luis obviously losing the signal.

David frowned and set down his cell. “I didn’t get a chance to tell him Kyle’s not coming. The last time I talked to him I told him there would be two of us.” He was going to convince Ian that all of this was unnecessary. It was one thing for Kyle to tag along, but he wasn’t about to ruin someone else’s vacation because his mom was paranoid. And it wasn’t like he would be alone. Luis would be with him. He was fairly certain his mom wouldn’t see his twenty-two-year-old assistant as a proper guard, but there was safety in numbers.

“You’re crazy if you think you’re going in alone.” Hutch yawned. “If MaeBe says there’s talk about you on the Dark Web, there’s talk about you on the Dark Web. I mean, if you want to write a book about being kidnapped and held for ransom, this would be a great way to get some research in.”

“No one wants to kidnap me.”

“Maybe they don’t want to but they have to,” Hutch countered. “They probably don’t even like their jobs. Who would? It’s a pain in the ass to kidnap someone. I should know. I worked for the Agency for a while, and then there’s every single bachelor party we have around here. It always starts with trying to make the dude crap his pants and ends up with someone vomiting. It’s why I’m not having one. Of course, if I was me, I wouldn’t care that I wasn’t having a bachelor party. I would still kidnap me in revenge for all the shit I’ve done before. I have to think about that. Do you think sincere apologies would work? My fiancée bought like fifty pounds of good card stock for our save-the-date cards. I could use those. Apparently good card stock makes things seem more serious.”

Luckily the door came open and Ian strode in. Sean’s brother was practically a superhero, if superheroes had potty mouths and were sarcastic. So he was Deadpool. The point was Ian Taggart was a larger-than-life hero. Many of the men and women who worked here were. Who had Tessa been engaged to? Which one of the super-muscular, knew-how-to-kill-a-man-fifty-different-ways dudes had she been in love with?

“All right. I’ve got everything set up. Hutch, when MaeBe gets back have her send me a full-on report on everything she’s got on the threat to my not-nephew,” Ian said. “Your Red Vines are safe.”

Hutch hopped out of the chair and gave the boss a jaunty salute. “I wasn’t worried about the vines, Tag. I was worried about where you would shove them. I’m a taken man now, and all of my bits are reserved for my gorgeous girl. Also, there’s someone named Luis we’re going to have to do a background check on because Kyle’s workup doesn’t even mention him.”

“He’s my assistant. Kyle’s met him. He’s been working with me for months.” There was a reason his mom was paranoid. She’d been around security guys for way too long.

“Yeah, see, most of the time the bad guy doesn’t show up at the last minute twirling his long mustache,” Hutch said. “So I’ll run a background check.”

Was he serious? “It’ll be a waste of time.”

“Big Tag will tell you there is nothing I love more than to waste time,” Hutch replied confidently. “It’s my favorite hobby.”

Ian nodded. “It’s on his employee review every single time. Please, David, waste Hutch’s time.”

David sighed. “His name is Luis Vasquez. He’s a student at UTD employed by the history department. I don’t know his Social Security number or anything like that.”

Hutch waved that off. “No need. I don’t need numbers. Good luck not getting kidnapped, man.”

Hutch was a weird dude.

Ian sat down across from him. “Hutch is going to be wishing he had that luck. I happen to know how his bachelor party’s going to go.”

“He said he wasn’t having one.”

Ian’s lips quirked up in a slightly evil grin. “He’s not the one planning it. It’s okay. We’re calling this party Karma Comes for Hutch. It’s probably not illegal. Mostly.”

He did not envy Hutch. But he kind of wanted to go to that party. “I’m sorry this is such a pain in the ass. I didn’t mean it to be.”

“No, you meant to do your thing and not have anyone notice.” Ian’s grin had faded. “Are you and Sean okay? You were quick to point out we’re not family.”

Fuck. He hadn’t meant to do that. “I know we are, but it’s not the same. Ian, you have to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and for Kyle. And definitely for my mom.”

“But you get upset if someone mistakenly calls Sean your dad.” Ian let a moment pass while David fumbled for what to say. “He loves you, you know.”

The big guy could make him uncomfortable on every level. He was sarcastic as hell one minute and talking about his feelings the next. Often in a weird way, but the earnest Ian knocked him for a loop.

This was Ian the dad. Ian was dadding him.

It made his tongue way looser than normal. “It would be easy to slide into that because Sean has been good to me over the years. But I was an adult when they got married.”

“You were in college. You weren’t an adult, but I understand. It would have been different if they’d married while you were a kid.”

It was more than that. “If I called Sean Dad, it feels like I erase my real dad. I’m not trying to push Sean away or keep something from him. My parents didn’t divorce. My father died and for a long time it was me and my mom and Kyle, and despite the fact that my dad was gone, he was still there, you know?”

Ian nodded. “And then Sean comes in and your mom doesn’t talk about your dad anymore.”

“There’s no blame here,” David promised. “I’m glad she’s happy, but I sometimes wonder if she remembers him at all.”

Ian sat back with a sigh. “I’m sure she does. Look, David, you’re in a hard situation.”

He shook his head. “I’m not. My mom’s happy. Sean’s good to her, and he’s great to my siblings.”

“But you don’t know where you fit in this big family of ours, and sometimes you wonder if you want to fit at all.” Ian summed up the situation nicely. “I can understand that. We’re loud and overwhelming at times, and I can be a massive ass. I know. It’s shocking that I have so much self-awareness, but it’s true. You’ve watched your mom fall in love with someone who was very different from your father, and you have to wonder about that, too.”

“Wonder what would have happened if my father had lived and Mom still met Sean?” David mused. “Yeah, I sometimes wonder about that. They fit. They have a real passion for each other I don’t remember Mom and Dad having.”

“Well, you were a kid, and kids miss things like that if it’s not right in their face,” Ian pointed out. “It’s precisely why I leave the door unlocked every now and then. Gives the kids a jolt they need. It also makes them nauseous for a couple of hours, so I save on food. Sorry. Sarcasm is my go-to when I find myself in a hard conversation. There’s no way to know what might have happened if your dad had been alive when Grace met Sean. I have to deal with the reality in front of me, and I assure you the groups who might view you as a way to make some cash don’t care about your conflicted feelings. I’m not saying that to piss you off or to be an ass. It’s the truth, and I can’t let you go down there without a trained guard.”

His frustration was rising. “I have to go, and I’m willing to take the chance. I don’t see what you can do to stop me.”

“Well, there are a couple of things I can do. I can have you on a no-fly list in fifteen minutes. Hutch will be more than happy to do that. He lives to hack. He even has the T-shirt,” Ian said evenly. “Or I can save you the trouble of getting kidnapped down south and do it right here. I assure you we have places to stash you. We’ll set you up next to your brother.”

“Okay, I get it.” David felt his jaw clench. “You’re bigger and stronger and smarter than me.”

“Definitely not smarter on most things, but I am in this,” Ian allowed. “I know how important this is to you, so take a bodyguard and listen to her. You’re in charge of all things intellectual, and she’s in charge of making sure you don’t get hurt. Do it for your mom.”

“Her? The bodyguard is a woman?” His brain went into overdrive. It would take a while to get over seeing Tessa again. He prayed Ian wasn’t saying what he might be saying.

“Yes, Tessa is going to escort you.” Ian confirmed his worst fear. “I know you and she have apparently had a moment, but she’s all I’ve got unless I want to inconvenience a bunch of families who need some vacation time. And honestly, she’s who I would send. She speaks Spanish, and she blends in. Blending in is important at times.”

That was the last thing he needed. “Come on, Ian. You saw how she reacted. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. I would feel uncomfortable forcing her into that situation.”

Not to mention his discomfort at having to be around the woman who’d managed to break his heart and he’d barely kissed her.

“She can be professional. You can be professional.” Ian wasn’t backing down. “If she thinks the island is safe, she won’t have to be with you every minute of the day. So basically you have a ten-hour flight that you can mostly sleep through and then a boat ride, and you’re on the island. Also, she’s not uncomfortable with you. She’s uncomfortable with herself and the fact that you’re connected to me. She had a relationship with another employee. It didn’t work out, and she’s still not sure why it didn’t. She thinks if she starts something with you and it goes bad she might lose her job. I don’t know why she thinks that since I never get to fire anyone, but that’s where she is.”

David could understand that. “I heard she was engaged.”

“To Michael Malone. Charlie set them up, but I always thought they were too alike. Tessa needs someone who can balance her. Honestly, Kyle’s been talking about setting the two of you up,” Ian said.

His brother had mentioned there was a woman at his office who might fit well with him. Had his brother been trying to play matchmaker? “Why would he do that?”

Ian chuckled. “No idea, man. He’s spent too much time around happy couples, I suspect, and he’s not even close to being ready to go after the woman he’s crazy about. So he’s turned his attention to you. And he’s not necessarily wrong. You hit it off, didn’t you?”

In spectacular fashion. “And then she ghosted me.”

“Well, now you can give her the cold shoulder and let her know how it feels,” Ian pointed out. “Or you could show her that you’re not Michael and you’re not going to move in a world she feels uncomfortable in. I suspect she thinks you’re more invested in your stepfather’s wealthy world than you are. I also suspect she doesn’t understand that the kind of money my brother and I have isn’t the same as Malone money. We might have a private jet, but we share it between three different businesses and bicker over that sucker endlessly. We might have a lake house, but again, it’s a family asset. It’s amazing, but it’s not a mansion. We’re new money and happy to be new money. It’s not the same. Although I suppose canceling your coach seats and shoving you on the aforementioned private jet isn’t going to make my case.”

“What?”

Ian pushed back from the table. “Yep. I canceled your tickets. According to MaeBe, there’s talk of a wealthy American coming into Buenos Aires via commercial jet tomorrow, so we’re going to change that up. You leave at eight this evening from Dallas Executive. I’m not doing it for your comfort. I’m doing it because of those messages MaeBe found on the Dark Web. If they don’t know when you’re coming in, they can’t kidnap you. You’ll have a car and a driver waiting for you. Or we can do the kidnapping thing. It could be fun.”

He sat there for a moment, trying to figure out if his uncle was being…

He’d just thought of Ian as his uncle. Damn it. He worried about his father being erased, but somehow this crazy family his mother had married into had become his, and Ian wasn’t being a dick. He was worried. Sean would be worried. God knew his mother would. “I’ll do this your way. And thank you for putting up with my stubbornness.”

Ian chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. “Your stubbornness is nothing. I’ve had to deal with telling Boomer that a sandwich he wanted to eat had gone bad. That was stubbornness. I’ve given Tessa Kyle’s notes, but you should know they’re thin. You’re going to have to fill her in on some aspects of the op. She’ll meet you at the airport.”

Where he would have to survive an all-night flight with the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. A woman who wanted nothing to do with him.

Because he was some wealthy dude with connections that could cost her a job she loved.

Except he wasn’t.

He was being pessimistic. The way she’d ghosted him had thrown him for a loop.

“You honestly think she rejected me for my family connections?”

A brow rose over Ian’s blue eyes. “She told me so. She also told me she said what she said today because she’s afraid if she’s alone with you, she’ll rip your clothes off and ride you like the intellectual stallion you are.”

That got him sitting up straighter. “She did?”

Ian shrugged. “Not in so many words, but you get the gist. Tessa’s fierce when it comes to some things. She’s a genuine badass, but she took some losses she hasn’t dealt with yet. I don’t even think she realizes how they’re holding her back. If you want her, I would bet you could have her. It wouldn’t take much, but be careful with her. She’s oddly delicate. You might need some of that stubbornness. And I can answer the real question that’s going through your head. You need to answer it and be sure before you go after anyone.”

That made David wary. “What question is that?”

“Was your father the prologue to a great love story?” Ian asked in a quiet tone. “Was he the warm-up act? Is that all you can expect to be?”

Damn, but the man was perceptive. “I guess I do ask myself that question. I look at a woman like Tessa and wonder why she would settle for me. That’s what everyone joked about when my dad was alive. My mom was too beautiful for him, too vibrant. He was a fairly boring guy.”

“Not according to your mom,” a familiar voice said.

David winced because his stepfather was standing in the doorway.

“Excellent timing, brother.” Ian stood. “I’ve got David all set up, and now you can do the stepdad thing. Also, the bodyguard I hired for him wants his hot bod bad, but she’s real gun-shy, and he’s going to turtle on her. If Grace wants grandkids anytime soon, you better talk to him.”

“I’m not turtling.” David wasn’t so out of touch he hadn’t heard the term. He didn’t go into his shell when things got slightly emotionally tough. Did he?

Sean’s brows came up in that way they did when someone said something dumb. “Sure you aren’t.” He slid into the seat Ian had vacated. “And you’re wrong about your dad. He wasn’t boring. He was incredibly smart, and he was tenacious. You do know he put himself through college, right? He worked two jobs and had a family. Your mom said he was Superman because he would get up and work four hours at UPS, then manage to make it home to have breakfast with her before he took his classes. He’d come home and eat dinner with her before he worked another shift at a video store. When he slept she had no idea, but he did it because he loved her and they had you by then. He could have taken a job somewhere and y’all would have gotten by, but he wanted more for all of you. He wanted to ensure that he could take care of you the way he thought you should be taken care of.”

The way Sean was talking about his dad…well, he hadn’t expected it. “How do you know all of this?”

“Because I asked your mom. After we got married, I asked her to tell me everything about Peter. I love your mom, and I wanted to know everything about her and her life, but beyond that, I wanted to know who your dad was because we had a connection, he and I. We both love your mother, and we both love you and your brother. I wanted to know what kind of a dad he was because I didn’t know how to be one, and he seemed to be good at it.”

Damn, the Taggart brothers seemed determined to get him emotional today. He was a man who liked to live inside his head. When things got real, he tended to draw in on himself and get lost in his work.

Fuck. He really was turtling. Had he been doing that for the last twenty or so years? Had he been doing it since his dad died?

“I didn’t realize you were talking to her about him. I guess I thought once my mom met you she kind of forgot about him. I wouldn’t blame her.”

Sean leaned in. “Of course you would. David, you are not going to hurt my feelings because you loved your dad and you felt something when your mom got remarried.”

David needed to make something plain to his stepfather. “I’m glad she’s happy. I didn’t want her to be alone.”

“But you think I’m different from your dad,” Sean said. “So different that you have to wonder what she saw in him. And that’s where you’re wrong. Your father and I are similar in a lot of ways. You know his dad wasn’t exactly kind to him. He survived a lot.”

Now David had to wonder if Sean didn’t know things about his dad that he himself did not. “I know he used to talk about how important it was to keep my temper in check.”

Sean nodded. “Because his father couldn’t. Because his father was abusive. You never knew your grandfather because your dad wouldn’t let him near you. Your father was intensely protective. He might not have gone into the military, but he was a guardian. He was fierce about his family.”

So many memories flowed over David. “He was a good dad.”

“Yes, he was, and he is not forgotten,” Sean promised. “You aren’t some side note for your mother. Or me. You might not share our last name, but you do belong. You might find yourself in this weird family where almost everyone is ex-military, but who do they call when they need to know something other than a football score? You are the reason most of the kids in our family are passing their classes because you help with homework. And you’re handy with cars. It’s a gift.”

He felt a smile spread across his face. “I’m afraid I get my muscle car addiction from my dad. After he made sure we were all comfortable, he bought this 1955 Ford Thunderbird. He spent five years rebuilding that car and then he sold it after driving it for three months. Said the fun was in rebuilding it. I think he also liked how much he could sell the sucker for. He bought Mom a new car from that.”

Sean sat back. “I know what would have happened if he’d lived, David. He would be with your mother today. He would have made sure she was never put in a position where I got to meet her. Even if I had, she would have been happily married, and I would have respected that. I’m not happy you lost your dad, but you have to know that I am happy I got to be in your life.”

David groaned because he had to let this go. “You’re good at this, Sean.”

“I’m glad. So I can tell your mom she doesn’t have to worry about you?”

His mom had her hands full between Kyle’s damage and Carys’s scandalous young love. “I’ll go with Tessa.”

Sean stood. “Good. I appreciate it, and I look forward to reading that book of yours when you finish it.”

David followed his lead because if he was going to make that flight, he probably should get a move on. Sean wasn’t lying. He would read the book when it came out. Sean always read his articles, even the ones his mom could barely get through because she wasn’t interested in voter trends in newly emerging democracies.

His dad would have liked Sean.

When Sean held a hand out, David made his decision. That hand was out because David had held him off. Sean was a hugger when it came to his family.

David gave his stepdad a hug and practically felt the relief go through him.

Maybe he hadn’t been the only one who worried if he fit in.

“Do you need a ride out to the airport?” Sean asked as he started for the door. “I don’t think you’ve been on the jet before. The airport is this tiny thing.”

He could take a cab. Or… “Do they have a place to park?”

“Of course, and it’s secure,” Sean explained. “I want you to call me if you need anything at all. And please leave your cell on. I know it’s weird, but your mom feels safer when she can see a little blip on her phone.”

His mom still tracked him, and he didn’t mind. It wasn’t like he went anywhere interesting. But he was wondering if he shouldn’t drive himself. And maybe make a point. “I’ll leave it on, though you should know cell service is sketchy on the island. And I think I’ll drive myself. Thanks, Sean. I’ll see you when I get back, and tell Mom that Kyle is a whiny man baby when he’s sick and she should prepare for that now.”

Sean sighed. “I’ll let her know. I think he’s going to be stubborn.”

David chuckled. “You have no idea.”

Sean strode off toward Ian’s office, and David felt something settle deep inside. Why hadn’t they had that talk before now?

Sean wasn’t trying to take his dad’s place. He was simply trying to find his own. Like everyone was.

He noticed Tessa was standing outside the conference room, a worried look on her face. “Hey, I thought maybe we should talk. I should explain what happened.”

He was absolutely certain she would give him the “it’s me, not you” talk, and in this case apparently it really was her and not him. The trouble was that made him think he might have a shot with her if he played his cards right. It might be time to take a chance. But he had to do this right or he would lose her again. Luckily, he knew a lot about politics, and sometimes a smart man had to know when to bluff.

He gave her a bright smile. “Hey, don’t worry. It’s all good.”

She stared at him like she wasn’t sure she could trust him. “David, I should have called or at least replied.”

“It’s not a big deal.” It was huge, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “I appreciate your willingness to go with me. I was going to take the Mustang to the airport. I don’t want to leave it in the garage when no one’s going to be home for a week. Do you want a ride?”

Her eyes went wide, and he could see plainly she did. “Uhm, I don’t…”

“We’re going to be stuck in a small metal tube for nearly ten hours,” he pointed out. “If you can’t handle a twenty-minute drive with me, maybe we should rethink.” Another thought hit him, one that made him sad. “Unless you don’t want me to know where you live.”

Warm brown eyes rolled. “What would you do with my address? Send me flowers?”

“Not now since you ghosted me.”

Her lips curled up. “Fair. All right, give me your phone and I’ll put it in.”

He handed her his cell. “You’ll have to put yourself in. I really did erase your number.”

She frowned. “That seems extreme. I thought you were just saying that.”

It was good to know he could surprise her.

He intended to surprise her a lot over the next week. Maybe a book wouldn’t be all he came out of this with.