Something in the bottom of his gut tightened. A familiar warning shot of fear he knew all too well. “Don’t go far, beautiful.”
Eve rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs with her sister. “Where would I go all the way out here? There’s no need to handcuff me since we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
True. It’d be virtually impossible for her take off on her own. But with Eve, impossible was never a word he used lightly.
When they were both gone, Ryder lifted his brows. “Handcuff?”
Zane’s cheeks warmed. He downed the rest of his wine in one swallow. Pushing back from the table, he said, “Law enforcement technique.”
“You were never in law enforcement, dumbass.”
Zane grinned. “Whatever works, right?”
Ryder stood. “Let’s you and I get some air, Archer.”
Marley rose as well. “Miller, that means we’re on dish duty.”
“Aw, Mom,” Miller groaned. “Do I have to?”
She smiled and moved into the kitchen. “We’ll make a game out of it. For every Ryder joke you can come up with, I’ll clean two dishes to your one.”
He bolted from his chair. “Done.”
Ryder shook his head. “See the shit I put up with?”
Zane couldn’t help it. He smiled.
The cool mountain air felt good against Zane’s skin, and as they stepped out onto the back deck that overlooked the black lake, he filled his lungs with sweet, mountain air. The rain had stopped, and breaks in the clouds filtered just enough moonlight to shimmer like ribbons of silver across the surface of the lake.
Ryder leaned his forearms against the railing. “You think Wolfe will go along with our plan?”
Zane shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. That unease was still there about Eve, but after their heart-to-heart earlier, he knew they’d turned a corner. “She doesn’t have many other options. She’ll go along with it.”
“I talked to Tierney just before dinner. He’s in New York at a photo shoot with his wife. He’ll meet us in DC day after tomorrow.”
“You don’t think Roberts will be suspicious?”
“Of course he will be, but we’ll use that to our advantage. I know the way the guy thinks. Which brings me to you.” He turned, still leaning against the railing but this time with one elbow. “I have no fucking clue how you think. And that’s usually a liability.”
Zane stiffened. “I already told you I quit. You don’t have to worry about—”
“I don’t want you to quit. I didn’t want you to quit a year ago. Tell me this. Did you know Wolfe was innocent? Did you have any hunch before you went after her?”
Zane thought about his answer. And knew lying right now wouldn’t do any good. “I wanted her to be. But no, I didn’t think she was.”
“And yet your instincts still said to go after her.” Ryder turned back toward the railing, rested both forearms on the damp wood, and looked out at the sparkling lake. “I can teach tactical maneuvers. I can teach an operative how to read a situation and analyze a threat. What I can’t teach is instinct. I’m not happy about the way you went about it, but your instinct on this one was right.”
He slanted Zane a look. “Just, next time, tell me what you have fucking planned before you go off the reservation. It’ll sure as hell save me an ulcer.”
Zane’s muscles relaxed one by one, and a slow and easy smile spread across his face. “Will do.”
He turned for the door.
“Archer.”
One hand on the door handle, Zane looked back over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Don’t fuck things up with Wolfe tonight. We need her on our side on this.”
Zane huffed a sound that was half laugh, half disbelief. “Don’t I know it.”
The kitchen was empty when he went back inside. Marley and Miller had obviously gone to find rooms of their own. Since the lodge boasted eight bedrooms, there was plenty of space for all of them to spread out, but Zane didn’t want a room of his own. He wanted Eve. And he wanted to make sure the distance he’d felt her drawing between them was just his own damn insecurities and nothing more.
He found the master bedroom empty too. Turning back for the hallway that ran to the other end of the house, he peeked into the first bedroom and found it quiet. Miller’s duffel bag sat on the bed in the second, and water ran from the adjacent bathroom. He was just about to try the third door when it opened and Eve drew up short with an abbreviated gasp. “Zane.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Geez, you scared me.”
“Sorry.”
He moved back just enough so she could step out into the hall and pull the door closed behind her. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. Sleeping, finally. I made her take the sleep aid the hospital sent home with her.”
He nodded and studied her closely. “How about you?”
“Me? I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”
He brushed a lock of hair back from her temple. “Eve,” he said softly.
She closed her eyes and. “We argued. The last time we talked. At our dad’s funeral. Did you know that? I’d flown all the way back from Turkey for the service, and she laid into me about never being around. And I was already feeling guilty enough about not being there with him at the end. I was so mad at her. I just . . .” She shook her head. “I just had to get out of there. So I left. I left her to take care of it all. And when I think about that, and then about the fact that none of this would have happened to her if it weren’t for me—”
“Stop.” He couldn’t let her beat herself up anymore. “Olivia’s alive. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Kinda hard to believe that when I look at the bruises on her face and arms.”
He tipped her chin up with his hand. “Open your eyes, Evie.” He waited until she did, until her amber irises focused on his. “She’s alive because of you. Because you didn’t give up on her and because you sent Miller to get her. And speaking of Miller, something tells me he’s not gonna let anyone get within ten feet of her.”
She swiped at her cheek. “I saw that too. And I’m more than a little worried about that fact. Miller’s an ex-assassin.”
“Can you think of anyone better to protect her?”
Eve frowned, and a sexy little crease formed between her eyebrows, one he wanted to kiss away. “That’s not funny. Don’t try to make jokes right now.”
“I’m not. I’m being perfectly serious.”
She looked away, then ran a hand through her hair.
“Look, if it makes you feel any better, your sister isn’t Miller’s type. He likes his women long-legged, big-breasted, and short on brains.”
Eve huffed. “That’s definitely not Olivia.”
One side of Zane’s lips curled. “No, it’s not. Whatever’s going on between them has to do with the rescue and nothing more. Miller’s not stupid enough to get involved with one of his principals, no matter how sweet she might be. And honestly, I’m pretty sure the DIA trained any kind of real emotion out of him long ago.”
Eve’s gaze met his. “I just wish Olivia knew that.”
“She will. Trust me. By tomorrow, anything you thought you saw between them will be long gone. Miller will make sure of it.”
Eve frowned like she wasn’t sure, but she heaved out a breath. “I’m too keyed up to sleep right now. Maybe I need to go for a walk.”
He lifted her off the floor and threw her over his shoulder. “I think we can find another way to tire you out.”
“Archer.” She pressed a silky soft hand against his lower back. One that warmed him from the outside in. “I’m not really in the mood right now.”