Even so, she jumped a little, the stack of folders trembling slightly in her arms as her head snapped toward me. Those wide green eyes met mine, alarmed for a heartbeat, before recognition sank in, softening the rigid line of her shoulders. I watched tension bleed from her posture as relief spread across her delicate features, her breath rushing out in a quiet sigh.
“Keegan.” A tentative smile curved her soft lips as I closed the distance between us. It damn near took my breath away just seeing her look at me that way.
“You good?” I asked, my voice pitched low even though something fierce and protective still raged hot beneath the surface.
Her eyes widened again, surprise flickering in their bright green depths. Her cheeks flushed slightly, the freckles standing out as she blinked up at me in confusion, like she couldn’t believe I’d actually noticed her agitation. For a moment, it looked like she might confess something. Then, with a slightlyforced laugh and a shake of her head, she offered a dismissive shrug.
“Oh yes. Everything’s fine.” She tried to appear casual as her gaze skittered briefly away from mine. “Just a busy day. A lot of files to process.”
It was the worst lie I’d ever heard.
My brow furrowed slightly, and I took a deliberate step nearer, closing the space between us just enough that she had to tilt her head up to maintain eye contact. The urge to reach out and touch her was overwhelming, but I forced my hands to stay at my sides, keeping my posture easy and open. I didn’t want to intimidate her, but I wasn’t going to let her brush me off either.
“Bullshit.” I kept my voice firm but gentle enough not to frighten her. Her eyes widened again, her lips parting on a quiet gasp as I leaned just a little closer, my voice dropping to a low, protective rasp. “You’re scared, Linden. Something’s happened. Someone’s rattled you—or threatened you. Maybe you feel like someone’s been watching you?”
She didn’t deny it. Her gaze darted away, skimming across the tarmac as though looking for an excuse or distraction, but she didn’t pull back. Instead, she tried again for casual, shrugging one slender shoulder with a dismissive little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“It’s nothing.” She shook her head. “I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s been a long couple of days, and I haven’t been sleeping well. Honestly, Keegan, I’m fine.”
She moved to step past me, but I reacted instinctively, gently catching her by the elbow and stopping her retreat. Her breath hitched, her eyes flicking up to meet mine again, uncertainty and something warmer swirling together behind their bright depths. My touch wasn’t forceful, but it was clear—I wasn’t going to let her leave without giving me more.
“Come with me.” I guided her away from the center of the tarmac to a quiet spot near the hangar wall, away from prying eyes and ears. She didn’t protest, just followed my lead, her gaze darting between me and the airfield around us as though still worried we were being watched.
I stopped and turned to face her, my hand slipping slowly from her elbow but staying close enough to catch her if she tried to bolt again. Her shoulders were set in a rigid line, and I could practically feel her pulse quickening from here. She was nervous and maybe a little unsure, but she wasn’t pulling away.
I took a slow breath, calming the protective anger simmering beneath my skin. I needed her to talk, to trust me enough to let me help. My voice softened, but the words were quietly authoritative.
“Look at me, Linden.” I waited until her eyes lifted to mine, wide and uncertain. “I can help, but only if you tell me what’s got you spooked. Why you’re nervous. If someone’s threatened you, I need to know who. And I need to know why.”
Her lips parted as her chest rose and fell in shallow movements. Something flickered in her eyes, hesitant yet yearning. I was hoping like hell she felt the same pull between us that I did, that something instinctive inside her would drive her to confide in me. To lean on me.
I wasn’t counting on her trusting a near stranger with whatever secret had put fear in her eyes. But I stepped just a little closer, lowering my head so my words were for her alone, quiet and demanding but gentle enough to feel safe.
“You can trust me, little dove.”
4
LINDEN
Ididn’t know Keegan. We’d barely spoken the day he caught me before I hit the tarmac. It wasn’t nearly enough to justify trusting him.
But something in me insisted I should. And then there was the nickname he just used.
Little dove.
When I was nine, a pair of mourning doves nested in the backyard of our house when my dad was stationed in San Diego. I’d watched them every morning before school, and he’d told me doves looked delicate but survived in places harsher birds couldn’t. That they were resilient and made smart decisions, like roosting in dense cover in cold conditions.
My dad was great at turning everything into a life lesson, and that was one I hadn’t thought about in years.
It was also what tipped the scales into Keegan’s favor.
“I found something in the records,” I admitted.
He listened while I explained about the mismatched files for Carson’s last flight, recognition flaring in his eyes when I said my brother’s name. Which wasn’t too surprising since everyone at Aegis would’ve heard about the crash, and other test pilotsprobably would’ve paid particular attention to the information about his death.
Then I told him about how Jim had me give him the paper copies, but I scanned them first. And that it felt as though someone had been watching me ever since then.
“I’m sure I’m overthinking it.” I shook my head with an embarrassed laugh. “It’s just hard to stay objective where my brother is concerned.”
