The first man froze in surprise, eyes wide. Blake drove a fist into his solar plexus, folding him in half, then snapped an elbow across his jaw. The second went for his pocket, but Blake trapped his wrist, slammed him against the wall, and swept his legs out. Both men hit the carpet in a tangle.
“What the fuck are you doing on my comms?” Blake growled, pressing into one man’s chest as he frisked him. He pocketed the random items the man had on him and then quickly checked the second man. He stripped him of his possessions, too.
“A favor for a friend, and you, evidently. Elevator just lit up. That’ll be company.”
“Who?” Blake muttered, dragging both men to slump against the wall as if they’d passed out drunk.
“Hotel security. I called them in. Play it cool.”
Blake’s jaw flexed. Fucking Con. Like he needed the man telling him how the fuck to act. He slipped back inside, eased the door shut, and was halfway across the room when a knock landed. Doing a one-eighty, he dropped the wallets and collected items on the table just outside of Elise’s door, then untucked his shirt and unbuttoned it as he walked to the door. In Hungarian, he asked who it was without opening the door.
“Hotel security,” a voice announced. “Sir, are you aware of two men found unconscious outside your door?”
Blake cracked the door open, wearing a scowl that said he’d been pulled from sleep or something else more intimate. “No,” he said flatly. “I was busy.”
The guard’s brows pulled together, suspicion flickering, until Elise’s voice drifted from the bedroom. “Blake? Is everything all right?”
The guard’s eyes lifted, one brow arching in sudden understanding. The stern suspicion softened into something closer to male camaraderie.
Blake shrugged, expression unreadable. “Long night.” His Hungarian was basic, and the grumpy ass attitude made basic seem normal.
The guard smirked faintly, nodded, and turned to deal with the men in the hall. Blake closed the door with deliberate slowness, then leaned his forehead against the wood for a beat, listening until the voices and footsteps faded.
He let the lock settle into place, every sense strung tight, before turning back into the room.
Elise stirred, her voice soft and raw with sleep. “Blake?” She pushed herself upright against the pillows, blinking at the glow of the desk lamp. “What’s going on?”
He stopped a few feet from her door, forcing the tension out of his shoulders. His expression stayed neutral, though every muscle in his body was still primed for a fight. “Nothing you need to worry about.” His voice was calm, controlled, but he knew she’d hear the edge under it.
Her eyes narrowed, sharp even in her half-awake state. “That’s not an answer.”
Of course, it wasn’t. He couldn’t give her the truth, not without putting more weight on her shoulders than she already carried. Crossing to her bedside, he crouched down, steadying himself so his gaze locked with hers. “The only thing you need to know is that you’re safe. No one is getting past me.”
He watched the shift in her expression, the way her breath caught. He’d calculate the woman was half reassured and half irritated. She wanted honesty. But honesty could get her killed.
She glanced out the bedroom door, and her eyes landed on the table. He saw the instant she connected the dots, the flicker of unease in her eyes. “Those didn’t come from housekeeping.”
Blake’s mouth twitched despite himself, equal parts challenge and grudging admiration that she noticed. “Go back to sleep, Elise.”
Her name tasted heavier than he meant it to. He was acting too protective, too personal. He saw the shiver ripple through her and knew she felt the power beneath the words, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
“You’re impossible,” she whispered, breath leaving her in a sigh.
He leaned in, close enough that only she could hear him. “I’m necessary.” The words were simple, but the conviction behind them was iron.
He could see the pulse at her throat flutter, and for a heartbeat, he almost did more than look. He could have leaned forward and pressed his lips against that pulse. God knew he wanted to taste her. And that thought had him moving. Standing, he broke the tension between them.
She sank back against the pillows, eyes heavy, but he could tell her mind was still spinning. From the knock at the door, his closeness, the connection they felt. Because he knew she felt it. It was sharp and volatile and fuck him if he didn’t want to lean into it and experience Elise in a way that was far from professional. Instead, he walked out of her room, closed the door behind him, and went into the bathroom. He left the door open enough to ensure he could hear her or anyone else, for that matter.
“What the fuck, Con. You let them get all the way to the door?”
“Hey, not my first rodeo, Junior,” Con drawled. “They stopped at the desk, and the desk clerk gave them a key. Figured they were guests. When they stopped at your door, I realizedthey weren’t. I could wake you up for every check-in if you want. Take a picture of their IDs for me, and I’ll run them.”
“Call me Junior again, and you won’t need to worry about my father.” He walked out into the common room and took pictures of the IDs, searched the wallets, and took the phones back to the bathroom with him. “Why do you need pictures? Jewell said she hid her internet searches.”
“She did. This isn’t from that,” Con said as his computer clicked in the background. “These guys are Zajac employees. They’re on his security team. Employment records confirm it.”
“What the hell? That’s a big step. Breaking into our hotel room. Why would they do that? It would leave a trail straight to Zajac.”
