Page 9 of Dauntless

I chewed my lip. Dating two men was way out of my territory or comfort zone, but I didn’t know what else to do right now. I wasn’t ready to decide, and the two of them didn’t seem to be forcing me right now either. Someone might be after me, the added security wasn’t overreacting, though I didn’t know how I’d handle it. “Fine. I’ll agree to all of it. I would also like to be a part of the investigation if I can help. You know. Angel had mentioned her friend, Loren Blake. Maybe I can talk to her next?”

“Loren’s a dead end,” Elliott replied. “Over the years, we have all spoken with Loren, and she had nothing.”

“Angel probably doesn’t realize that Loren gave all of her things she had left behind to me a long time ago,” Dane said.

I shrugged. “She said I needed to ask. If you’re too busy, I’ll go by myself, and maybe she’ll share something she hasn’t yet.”

“No,” Dane replied adamantly. “If any of The Agency members are still after you, I don’t want you in danger.”

“I’ll only go see her to ask a question,” I offered. “Would it help the case, Elliott?”

“Maybe,” Elliott answered taking the glare Dane shot over to him. “Let me think it through first. Let’s just get you back home now.”

“I’m not staying at home. I had enough of doing nothing in the hospital,” I told them. “I’m going to work tomorrow.”

Elliott rolled his eyes, but I had already seen the smile he was trying to suppress.

“Let’s just leave all this discussion of the case for now,” Dane griped.

I pursed my lips. Yes. Let’s do that.

They switched the conversation to light chatter about nothing for the rest of the ride to the plane. When we reached the small runway next to the airplane, I turned to Dane. “Thank you.”

He pulled me to straddle his lap and kissed me deeply. When we stopped to catch our breaths, he said, “I want to do so much to you right now.” He kissed my neck. His hands moved down between my thighs and inside my underwear to stroke my clit between his fingers. I moaned and moved in his touch. Elliott’s groan let me know he was enjoying watching us and that turned me on even more, but just as quickly as Dane had me in his arms, he untangled himself gently letting me go.

“It’s not fair to get me all worked up and stop,” I complained.

“I’ll make up for it when I see you in New York,” Dane whispered.

I grinned. I admired his persistence.

Dane’s expression took on a serious glint. His eyes bore into mine, and the warmth caused a tightening in my chest. “I already miss you. Take good care of Gia, Elliott.” He kissed me tenderly.

I scoffed. “I can take good care of myself.”

Elliott suddenly clasped me around the waist and buried his face in my neck. “Ballbusting badass.” We laughed.

I turned to Dane and found him staring at the two of us. I raised my brows and Dane waved me away dismissively.

Elliott and I got out of the car, and he placed his arm around me again. We watched Dane leave and waited as I stood staring after the car until it was out of sight.

***

I was relieved, though admittedly uneasy when I walked inside the house. I hadn’t thought much of the kidnapping in the hospital, but now that I was soon to be left alone, it weighed on me along with Angel’s warning. I didn’t want to live in fear, but how could I prepare if I didn’t see what was coming?

I thought on all of this as I followed Elliott through the rooms. He offered to check each one to help ease my nerves. We found nothing. The place was still cold and empty as it had been when I left. There was no sense of home, and from what I had come to understand, that was the main reason I had been feeling uncomfortable living here. I’d been feeling unsettled for years. Sure, work had, for the most part, satisfied my life, along with spending time with friends, and Patrick when we were working together on his election campaigns. After the separation and divorce, I had thought I had been missing sex. Although it was part of it, what I really missed was love and intimacy. The warmth that came from being with someone special, and the closeness of sharing a home. I hadn’t understood how much I wanted both until Dane and Elliott. It was kind of sad that those few days alone with them and my stay in the hospital had been the most satisfying experience I had with a man since the early years of my marriage. When they were there, I wasn’t alone. I had a unique bond with them.

“Everything’s clear,” Elliott announced cutting into my thoughts. We had returned to the bedroom I used as an office. “My security guard, Tove is on his way over,” he reached inside his coat for a pen and paper and wrote as he continued to speak. “Here’s his number and mine, my FBI team contacts, police, and my address here if anything happens. Keep them in a safe place.”

I went over to turn on the laptop, scanner, and printer on the desk. “You have to go now?” I hated how small my voice sounded. Being vulnerable was something I tried my best to fight all my life. I had never let my guard down, not even with Patrick. It was something he admired in me until he didn’t, but with Dane and Elliott, it was different.

“I don’t want to leave,” he said in a gentle tone, hugging me. “But I need to go over what Angel said with my team. See if we can decipher it to help the case so we can hold the man that kept her responsible. I’ll come back tonight.”

I nodded against his chest. I wanted space, but more than anything, I didn’t want to be alone. I also wanted progress on the case, though I still had a hard time imagining Elliott being a part of law enforcement. “It’s still weird to think of you as a secret agent.”

“Yeah for me too, but that’s where I ended up, though I think I’d have made one hell of an interior designer,” he said and chuckled and sat down on my chair, then he lifted his arm.

I scooted over and placed my head on his shoulder. It was surprising how natural this act came between us.

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