Angus planted his hand on the dog’s vibrating head again. “Hello.” The guy standing in Nari’s entryway was tall and broad, with that look only a cop had. Or a federal agent. He had brown hair, sharp eyes, and seemed familiar with the room.
“Hi,” he said, sounding displeased.
Nari sighed and shut the door behind him. “Angus Force, this is Vaughn Ealy.”
Thought so. Angus didn’t bother extending his hand. “The guy who nearly cost both of you your careers because of his mishandling of his team?”
Nari groaned. “We are not doing this. Why are you at my apartment after midnight, Vaughn?”
“Now, that’s a great question,” Angus agreed, his skin prickling. The urge to put Nari behind him tightened every one of his muscles, and his left hand curled into a fist as he fought a craving to break the asshole’s nose.
Vaughn met Angus’s gaze evenly, his expression showing similar thoughts. He looked down at Nari. “I received word that you refused HDD protection, and then I heard that you bailed out a suspected serial killer. So I’m here, trying to see if you’ve lost your mind.”
Angus paused. She’d made calls inquiring about bailing him out? That was sweet—and stupid.
“He wasn’t arrested, so there’s no bail situation. In addition, he’s not a serial killer.” Nari wisely took a step away from Vaughn toward Roscoe, who’d picked up on the tension and was standing at full attention. “My personal life is none of your business.”
“Wrong. You work for me, so it is my business. I have cause to fire you,” Vaughn snapped.
The threat didn’t sit well with Angus. “You know, buddy, I have nothing to lose in beating the shit out of you. How often do you call women names?”
Vaughn rolled his eyes. “That’s a line of bullshit. Didn’t happen.”
Both of Nari’s eyebrows rose. “It did happen and you know it. Also, you were wrong about the entire situation, and a young agent could’ve died. You can try to rewrite the facts, but that’s what happened.” She spoke clearly and without passion, which really must have ticked Vaughn off.
His lips tightened. “We could argue your faulty memory all night, but that doesn’t change the situation. Do you or do you not want to continue your work with the HDD?”
“She does,” Angus answered for her. “However, she’s going to take leave for a couple of weeks to get her mind back in the game.” He held up a hand. “Before you ask, I’m not going with her. I’m staying here to fight the case against me, and after tonight, Nari and I will have no contact with each other.” The words were like a punch to the gut, but the woman was too kind, and she was going to ruin her life because of him—if she didn’t get killed first. He hadn’t protected his sister, but he’d protect Nari whether she appreciated it or not.
Vaughn leaned back. “A temporary leave of absence might be a good idea. When you return your head will be on straight again and we can get work done.”
Was it Angus’s imagination or did the jerk’s gaze drop to Nari’s breasts for a minute?
She stood taller, which didn’t come close to the height of either man. “I’m done with everybody in this room except for the dog. Vaughn? Go home. I’ll report to work on Monday morning as originally planned.” She didn’t turn around. “Angus? I’ll deal with you in a minute.”
The tone made his cock hard. Oh, he was a deviant bastard, but Angus didn’t care. “Gladly,” he drawled.
Vaughn’s chest puffed out like a silverback gorilla in a fight for dominance. “Force? How about I give you a ride to wherever you’re going tonight?”
“I’m already here,” Angus said smoothly. There was no need to let the agent know he was sleeping on the sofa. There also was no need to demand an HDD team on Nari because she was leaving town the next day. “I believe the lady asked you to leave. I’d hate for her to kick your ass.”
Scarlet crossed Vaughn’s cheekbones.
“Angus,” Nari snapped. “Knock it off. Vaughn? Leave.” She motioned to the door.
Roscoe growled, finally giving up on obedience.
Vaughn looked at the dangerous Czech German shepherd and then reached for the doorknob behind his back. “Fine. We can discuss this more on Monday morning. But make the right decision, Nari. I don’t want to irritate your daddy by firing you, but I will if need be.”
With that last dig, the agent left.
Nari turned to face Angus. “None of that was necessary. Now, you can sleep on my sofa tonight, but tomorrow I think it’d be better if you used Mal and Pippa’s guest room until you get your legal situation sorted out and we solve these cases.”
“That’s fine,” he said quietly. “You’ll need to decide where you want to go, and I’m happy to pay the travel costs. How about the Maldives?” Those overwater bungalows looked like wonderful places to relax. Then he paused. “No, Wolfe won’t want to be out of the country just in case Dana has problems. All right. Hawaii it is. Pick an island and we’ll make the travel arrangements tomorrow.” His body felt cold at the thought of her out of his life for good, but it was the right thing to do.
She hung her head, as if struggling desperately for patience. “I am not leaving.”
“Nari—” He kept his voice as gentle as he could. “I’m not asking or suggesting. You are going, and if I have to hogtie you and hire a private plane with Wolfe as your guard, I’ll do it.” Fire shot through her dark eyes, only spurring on his unwelcome lust. “Yes, it’s kidnapping, but I’m already facing a slew of upcoming charges, so what’s one more? Don’t fight me on this, baby. You won’t win.”
