Bare It All

Trace looked at Reese, and Reese sighed in annoyance. “I was snooping into Trace’s background—something he shut down real quick using impressive contacts—but I assume that made him curious about me.”

“Given your connection to Alice, I was already curious. But, yes, I did a little more digging at that point.”

“You’ve kept up with her?” Reese asked.

“She knows I’ve been watchful.” Tipping his head, Trace studied Alice. “She had the means to reach me if it ever became necessary. But I haven’t intruded. Alice wanted it that way.”

“It wasn’t necessary,” Alice said, waving off his words. “You’d done enough.”

“Enough being...?” All sorts of scenarios went through Reese’s head.

“I cleared her of any involvement with the trafficker.”

“She wasn’t involved.”

“I’m glad you understand that. But cops do like to dig around and draw their own conclusions.”

Reese sawed his teeth together over that—because it was true. Without Trace’s help, Alice might have undergone extensive interrogation and endless interviews.

“I got her the weapons of her choice, and the CCPs to go with them.”

Dash whispered to Rowdy, and Rowdy replied not quite as softly, “Conceal and carry permits.”

“Ahh.”

Hands holding tight to his shoulders, Alice said, “He helped me get back to living my life.”

“That was all you, Alice. Like I said, you’re resilient.”

It struck Reese then: he owed Trace, probably more than he could ever repay. The man had kept Alice safe, but at the same time, he’d honored her wishes, giving her the room she needed so she could stay her beautiful, wonderful self. That couldn’t have been easy.

All this time, he’d resented him—the secrecy, the amount of power...Alice’s gratitude toward him and her loyalty to him.

But it was exactly those things that had enabled Trace to protect her. If it hadn’t been for him...

Reese swallowed hard, unable to let his mind go there. He loved her, damn it. More than he’d even known was possible.

Hell of a time for epiphanies.

He met Trace’s gaze. “It’s inadequate, but thank you.”

Trace nodded. “My pleasure.”

“I’m on it now.” Reese was here, in Alice’s life, and he’d never let anything happen to her. “Just so you know.”

“That’s how I figured it.”

Astute, as well as badass. That didn’t surprise Reese.

“What are you talking about?” Confused, uncertain, Alice chewed her bottom lip, looking from one man to the other. “I don’t understand. You’re on what?”

“You.” Rowdy smiled at her. “They’re talking about you.”

She shook her head, still not getting it.

Reese didn’t want anyone to make a declaration for him, so he said, “We’re figuring out how to keep you out of this mess.”

Skeptical, Alice toyed with the ends of her hair, twisting and curling it around her fingers. “The thing is, you can’t keep me out of it. Cheryl called me. She’ll want to meet with me.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Reese said.

Showing a hint of her courage, Alice cut him off. “You know Cheryl is in trouble, that Hickson or some other cretin is forcing her to contact me. Why would they go to all that trouble if they know where I live?”

Trace indicated the apartment. “It’s not as easy as you might think to break into an occupied building and drag out a screaming woman. And, Alice, you would scream. Right?”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t go without a fight.”

Oh, God. Reese wanted to rebel against that idea. A fight meant she could die in the process of being taken. But knowing Alice as he did now, she’d likely prefer that to being held captive again.

“Once I was gone,” Reese said, “you’d get a desperate call from Cheryl.” His muscles clenched, his heart punched hard. “If you’d taken one step out of the apartment—”

“I wouldn’t let her do that,” Dash said.

And Alice swatted at him. “I’m not stupid!”

Dash barely managed to dodge her.

Settling back against Reese, she muttered, “You wouldn’t need to stop me, because I wouldn’t do anything foolish.”

Reese gave her the full force of his attention. “Define foolish.” He felt irate all over again at how she’d followed Cheryl in the first place.

As if she knew his every thought, Alice said softly, “That was before I promised you that I wouldn’t keep any more secrets.”

Okay, so maybe that had changed things between them. But could she really resist running to the aid of a woman she thought was being threatened?

Giving up his relaxed posture, Trace leveled a look at Reese. “You can be ruthless.”

A statement, not a question. Reese said only, “Yes.”

Alice started. “You can?”

“Hell, yeah.” Dash laughed. “Logan hasn’t told you?”

“Told me what?”

Not in the mood for nonsense, Reese shook his head. “Knock it off, Dash.”

Alice said, “No, I want to hear this.”

“Reese is a regular champion of the underdog.” Dash did little to hide his smile. “According to Logan, if Reese thinks someone’s being treated unfairly, he jumps in with both feet and to hell with the consequences. Not saying he does stuff illegally, just that he doesn’t slow down to weigh the danger.”