Page 53 of Her Delta Force Protector

“I just want to say that I know this is upsetting, Harper, but the good news is that by putting a tracker in your laptop, they’ve given us the means to find them, and we will,” Chase said.

“Thank you more than I can say. I told your brother that I’m treating you both to dinner when this is over.”

“I never refuse dinner. Kade, whatever you need from me, you got.”

“Appreciate it. Let me come up with a plan, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay. Just don’t leave us out of your plan. We want in on teaching these assholes a lesson.”

“Copy that.” Kade disconnected, then shifted in his seat to face Harper. “You okay?” Some color had returned to her cheeks, but of course she wasn’t okay. “Hey, you’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“I’m never going to be able to use a computer again. It’s my fault they know where you live, where your brothers and your—”

“None of that. No blaming yourself for any of this.” The thought of someone shooting at her enraged him. Especially when it was at his home, and where Everly had been playing only moments before. These people were going down.

“If I hadn’t come here, none of—”

“Hush. You’re right where you need to be.” He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened to her if she hadn’t come to him. They needed to make a mission plan, but more than that, she needed a few hours of downtime, and he knew just the thing.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Harper turned her face up to the wind and sun as Kade throttled up his boat. When they’d arrived back at the cabin, she’d wanted to close herself up in the guest bedroom and brood. She never clicked on links from people she didn’t know, not in emails and not on social media. It hadn’t occurred to her that she couldn’t trust a cop. It really creeped her out that someone had put a bug in her computer so they could find her no matter how well she hid. Then there were the trust issues. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to trust anyone again unless she knew them inside and out.

Kade had practically bullied her onto his boat, refusing to let her hide in her room and feel sorry for herself. Now, she was glad he had. It was hard to be depressed and angry at the world when breathing fresh mountain air, and the sun was warm on her face as the boat raced across the water. She couldn’t help but smile at Duke holding his nose up to the wind, his trademark goofy grin on his face.

“Cold?” Kade asked.

“Not at all.” The afternoon was a bit brisk, but with a sweater and her leather jacket, she was comfortable. Kade wore an Army sweatshirt, and had the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. There was something about a man’s forearms that was arousing, and Kade’s were downright sexy. His muscles flexed as he steered the boat across the lake, and she wanted to wrap her fingers around his arm and feel the strength under her palm.

“Want to drive?”

“Yes!”

He stepped back from the wheel but kept one hand on it. “Come here.”

“Should I sit or stand?”

“It’ll be easier for you to see over the bow if you stand. Have you ever driven a boat before?”

“Nope. You’d think living on the Gulf I would have, but my dad gets seasick, so we were never into boating.”

He pulled the throttle back a little, slowing their speed somewhat. “Just don’t jerk the wheel hard to the left or right. She’s all yours.” When she took the wheel, he stepped up on the seat and sat behind her on the top of the backrest.

That put him within reach, and it eased her mind that he would be there for her if she did something wrong. It also meant that she was nearly standing between his legs, and that, she was very aware of. Another boat passed them off to the right, and when their wake reached them, he pressed his knees against the outside of her thighs to keep her steady. She scanned around her, looking for more boats to send a wake their way so he’d do that again.

Her life was a mess, and men were after her, which was as serious as it could get, but the reprieve from thinking about the trouble she’d gotten herself into for a few hours was a blessing. Somehow Kade had known it would be, had known just what she needed.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“This.” She waved a hand around. “For knowing what I needed today.” For being there for her when she didn’t know who else to turn to. For putting his life on hold for her, maybe even risking it before this was over. For being a friend she could count on. Even for taking her dog when she’d asked.

Damn tears burning her eyes. Those tears were for her, for the bone-deep loss she felt at knowing he was a man she could love to the end of her days but who would never be hers. She’d never cried over a man before, and she didn’t much like doing it now.

“Watch it!”

Startled, she jerked her gaze to the front of the boat. “Shit.” Two Jet Skis had raced around the back of another boat, putting them in the path of Kade’s boat. The men on them were paying attention to each other and not their surroundings as they sped across the lake. Forgetting Kade’s warning, she yanked the wheel to the left, then promptly lost her footing.

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