Page 27 of Trap ’N’ Trace

Not being fluent in German, Angus trotted into the foyer. When Dayne opened the door, her eyes went wide. Three enormous men stood on the threshold, each of them as tall and as broad as Dayne.

One of them gave Dayne a bear hug.

“Yo, bro.” The next man clapped Dayne on the shoulder.

The third man’s jaw went tight as he scanned the interior of the house. Kat couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about his countenance screamed: keep back. After he and Dayne shook hands, Dayne led them all to the kitchen. She had a mental flash of four giant jungle cats, all power and grace as they stalked their prey.

“Everyone,” Dayne said, “this is Kade Sampson, Jaime Pataglio, and Markus York. Kade is with Homeland Security, Jaime is with the Port Authority, and Markus is with Secret Service.”

She’d already guessed they were law enforcement. Like Dayne’s, not only was their physical fitness totally off the charts, but it was in their bearing and demeanor. Confident. Authoritative. Cautious.

“This is Katrina Vandenburg.” Dayne caught her eye and a spurt of heat shot up the back of her neck.

Kade extended his hand and smiled, flashing a set of boyish dimples that softened the hard features of his face. The man was beyond handsome, but… No heat.

“Always a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman.” Dark eyes twinkled as Jaime brought her hand to his lips, dropping a chaste kiss on her fingers.

“Down, boy.” Dayne’s eyes glittered like shards of green ice.

Jaime held up both hands then knelt to pet Remy and greet Angus. “Hello, little man.”

Angus barked with unabashed joy at the attention.

“Ma’am.” Markus York shook her hand, although his overall demeanor was still distinctly different from those of his friends. Brooding, even, and there was something else reflected in his obsidian eyes. Pain. She still hated the ma’am thing, but with Markus, she let it go. This man was hurting. She knew it because she’d seen it in the mirror. Too many times. “I don’t mean to insult you, but your security for this place is some of the worst I’ve ever seen.”

“So I’ve heard.” Too many feds couldn’t all be wrong. Maybe she did need more security.

Next, Dayne introduced Kat’s staff one by one and by their first names. As she watched and listened, the depths of her love and friendship with these people hit her with stark clarity. They were everything to her.

Anguish squeezed her heart like a vise. Three months ago, they’d all sat around this same kitchen counter, sipping on beer, wine, and eggnog for the annual Christmas party she threw for all of them. Amy had been there. But Amy would never be at another Christmas party. Anywhere.

Her chest tightened to the point where she couldn’t breathe. Was this my fault? By not wanting to turn her property into more of a prison than it already was to her, had she compromised her friends’ safety?

She pinned her arms over her stomach. Guilt ate at her insides like a cancer. If she’d had better security at the Haven, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Perhaps Amy would have gotten some kind of advanced warning that the killer had gotten inside. Maybe she wouldn’t be dead. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

She wanted to scream. There was only one thing she could think of that she could do. For those she loved, she’d tolerate anything.

“Kat?” Dayne’s brows drew together. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” As much as I can be, anyway. “I’ve changed my mind. Install as many cameras as you think are necessary to keep us safe. All of us. Especially at the Haven.” She choked back a cry of rage. “I don’t care what it costs.”

Chapter Eight

Dayne shot Kat a quick glance as he turned onto the Palisades Parkway. “What made you change your mind?”

“About what?” Her voice was clipped, her hands clasped so tightly together he thought they’d crack.

“The security system. More cameras.” Right before she’d authorized a blank check for any system upgrades he recommended, there’d been an about-face shift in her attitude. Up until that moment, she’d been dead set against it.

“I don’t want any more of my friends murdered. I was being thoughtless and stupid.” The last word came out on a decidedly bitter note.

Understanding smacked him in the face. With it came a healthy dose of compassion. For all her outward composure, she really was scared to death of losing her privacy. A simple thing most people took for granted. Something she’s willing to give up to safeguard those she cares about most. In his world, not everyone was so selfless. “If I had cameras pointed at me every time I went out in public, the last thing I’d want was more of them all over my home. What you’re doing is a good thing.”

“Good thing.” She uttered a sound of disgust. “I never should have questioned you in the first place.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He squeezed her hand, releasing it just as quickly because it felt too good beneath his rough fingers. He cranked the warm air and was rewarded with a whiff of roses. She really did smell pretty.

Remy stuck her head through the opening, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in Kat’s perfume.