Robbie knocked on the mahogany door in front of her and waited. It was attempt number three, Jana Patel jumping to the top of the list of names after no response at the Humphrey or Jenson houses. Retrieving addresses had been the work of a moment with one quick call to Lt. Col. Plummer. And after listening to Paul fill his commanding officer in on the reason and give her all the credit, she'd realized just how much he believed in her. Hopefully, she wasn't leading them all down a blind alley.

The smell of fresh-cut wood drifted along the long porch that dead-ended barely ten feet from the identical model next door. The scent drew her eyes to the garden that curled its way along the rails, softening all the harsh lines of the wrought iron, the abundance of pinks and purples accentuated by the brownish-red mulch.

Pretty. Maybe I should plant some flowers. Except then she'd have to take care of them. Plants needed love and attention to thrive. Not her strong suit.

The door opened and Robbie couldn't help but stare at the woman in front of her. A deep sleek side part added volume to the raven hair that had been backcombed into a soft bouffant at the top and anchored by a low off-center ponytail over one shoulder. On its own, the look was chic and unique, but that wasn't the end of it. Adding in the tea length swing dress and cat-eyed glasses made the dark-skinned beauty look like she'd stepped out of a 1950s sitcom.

"Hello." A smile of anticipation pulled at ruby lips.

"Jana Patel?"

"Yes." One brow quirked up over the red frames.

Robbie held up her badge. "I'm Agent Westcott with the FBI"

All enthusiasm slid from Jana's face. "What can I do for you?"

"Could we speak for a moment?" Robbie looked to the home next door. There wasn't much privacy with tract housing. "Inside?"

Impatience flickered in the woman's eyes. "What is this about?"

"Elizabeth Shaw."

Jana glanced over her shoulder before taking a step down to the porch in her kitten heels. Reaching back, she shut the door as quickly and quietly as she could. "What about her?" she all but spat.

Okay, out in the open was going to have to do. "Did you know Elizabeth?"

"Of course." She squared her shoulders and crossed her arms. "It's a small world on base. What happened to her was terrible."

"How about a Charles White. Do you know him?"

The woman's expression got downright dangerous. "Look," she hissed, "I don't know what you want from me. I have a husband and two children, and just like I told her, I want nothing—"

Her eyes went to the street with the sound of a car approaching. Robbie turned in time to see a black sedan pull into the driveway. A silence stretched as they both watched the man in uniform step out of the car.

Honey, I'm home, played in Robbie's head.

Major Patel walked the steps, all the while sizing up the pairing of his wife and the stranger at their door. He must have sensed the tension because he slid an arm around Jana's shoulders when he reached her, pulling her tight to his side. "Whatever you're selling, we're not interested."

Nice to meet you too. "I'm not—"

"No, sweetheart, this is Ms. Westcott. She's starting a Quantico women's club." Jana stared Robbie down as the lie floated effortlessly across her lips.

"Yes, I run some classes on base." At least that part was true.

"I see." The major gave those shoulders a couple of playful squeezes, rocking his spouse back and forth like a dashboard doll. "Well, I'm afraid Jana is pretty busy with her duties here at home." He kissed the side of her forehead. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Jana nodded, wearing a smile that looked over-rehearsed. There was definitely something fishy going on in the Patel household, and it had nothing to do with dinner.

"Are the kids inside?" he asked, but it came out more like a command.

"Yes . . . I'll be right there."

Once the door had firmly closed behind her husband, Jana lost the smile. "I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Elizabeth," she whispered fiercely. "I paid up, and I don't want anything else to do with that scumbag, so leave me out of whatever this is."

Paid?

Jana spun around, causing the folds of the skirt to billow out around her.

"Wait." Robbie reached out to empty air. "Who did you—?"

The door was shut in her face.

)l(

Steve entered the boardroom at a fast clip. Mark was seated at the head of the table with a woman on either side of him, one of which had fairy-tale red hair.

Angela.

As soon as Mark spotted him, he shot to his feet. "What is it? Where's Janine?" he barked.

Steve rushed to reassure him. "At home. It's okay. Virginia is there."

The man visibly  sagged. "You're going to give me a fucking heart attack one of these days, I swear."

The two women stood, each of them placing a hand on their colleague's arm, like they were somehow predisposed to dole out support in unison. The blonde with the short hair had to be the other Chilvati sister.

Mark backed around the chair and came at him, looking intense. "So why are you here, leaving my wife and children unattended?" The sisters followed, towed along like double water skiers.

Shit. Steve kept his opinions to himself as that blue gaze stabbed into his. This was not the time to point out Virginia's obvious capabilities, because first and foremost in his boss's mind, she was his wife. "I had a tail on me today, right from the school parking lot. Thought you should know."

Mark's expression hardened.

"Oh, God," one of the women gasped.

"It's all cool. I called it in and took the dude on a tour of the city, heading straight in Adam's direction. Then I made this awesome kickout and cutback with Adam taking the rear. Total role reversal, man—the predator becomes the prey. What an idiot."

"What did he look like?"

"I didn't get close enough. Adam might."

Mark crossed his arms. "And all this was happening with Janine in the car."

Ahhhhh . . . "I kept it on the down-low. She had no idea what was happening."

Mark's eyes narrowed as he exhaled a doubtful humph, but at least he had dialed down the hostility. A little. Very little.

The blonde took over. "I'm Loretta Chilvati." She stuck out one hand out and used the other to point to the woman beside her. "And this is my sister—"

"We've met," Angela bit out.

"Oh." Loretta's brows dropped low as she glanced over at her sibling.

Steve enclosed her hand in his, noticing the grip was firm, but not out to break bones. "Steve Morgan."

"Captain Morgan actually," Angela added.

"Yes." Loretta tilted her head while studying him. "I've read up on you. You're an interesting man, Captain Morgan—high IQ, three master degrees, but with no inclination to use any of them."

Jesus. Did they have blood samples smeared on glass slides and stuck under microscopes somewhere too? "What can I say? Life is short."

She was a shrewd one, he could tell, and she wasn't buying it. As light blue eyes bored into his, her chin lifted, accentuating the long elegant neck. "Yes, well, it is nice to have such a smart, handsome, single man on our side. Am I right, Ange?"

The younger of the two rolled her eyes. "Don't."

Suddenly, Loretta's focus shifted over his shoulder, and her face brightened. She stepped around him, making Steve turn to see what held her attention.

Whoa. The Asian amazon dressed in a dark suit had to be over six-feet-two. She looked very familiar. Where have I seen her? Steve wondered.

The woman glided into the room. "I dropped off those paintings, but I have to go. I couldn't find a spot and your assistant is driving around the block for me." The giggle that followed was solely for Loretta as the two women embraced.

"Come meet Steve." Loretta said softly.

In a flash, those phoenix eyes were on him. "Well, hello." She made her way over with a smile.

Loretta seemed to glow as she floated her hand between them. "This is Anna Yang, my partner. Anna, Steve Morgan."

Of course. The Anna Yang Gallery in Culver City, named after its founder, a fashion model-turned-art dealer who was also well known for her social activism related to LGBT rights. Steve dipped his head. "Nice to meet you."

"And what do you do around here?" she asked.

Before he had a chance to respond, Loretta blurted, "He's our tech guy."

So, Anna was being kept in the dark about a few things. Steve concentrated on keeping his face blank.

"I see." Anna crossed her arms, then raised one of them up to pinch her chin. "Single?"

A low groan coming from the redhead nearby was followed up with a, "Stop it, you two."

"Are we done?" Mark said tersely, still a little hot under the collar.

Anna shrugged and stretched her arms wide with a throaty laugh. "Just asking."

All was forgiven when she made her way over to Angela to kiss her cheek. She did the same to Mark while offering to them all, "I'm cooking on Friday so come to our place." She turned to leave, and as she walked past Steve, her hand reached out and patted him twice on the chest. "You too, gorgeous."

Muttering. Lots and lots of muttering. Steve wasn't sure, but he thought he heard some profanity thrown into the mix.

As Loretta walked her partner out, Steve's cell dinged. He pulled it out of his jeans and read the message but made sure the couple had cleared the doorway before muttering, "Shit."

A deep "what" was hissed at him.

"Adam lost him."

"Goddamn it!" Mark began to pace but paused long enough to come chest-to-chest with Steve and growl, "An idiot, huh?"

Angela dropped her head, but only for a moment. When she looked up again, she began to track Mark's back-and-forth with her eyes. "You don't have to do this you know. It's too risky. You have a family to think of. We wouldn't blame you for walking away."

Mark turned on her, his anger not picky about its target. "I will not be scared away by the likes of your brother or that piece of shit Trovato!"

"Easy there, boss." Steve waved an arm in an attempt to direct the man's attention back to him.

Like a rodeo clown trying to divert a bull.

But there was no need.

Angela winced yet held her ground, pointing a finger at Mark. "That's bullshit and you know it. This"—she lifted her arms to take in the massive room—"is not worth it. Family comes first."

Mark eased his rigid stance and nodded his head toward the doorway. "You all are our family too, Angela. If you think for one minute that we are going to abandon you, you're crazy."

"I second that," Steve said.

They both ignored him.

Mark pulled out his cell phone. "I'm going to call my wife." His glare shot to Steve as he walked by. "Don't leave. I'm not done with you."

Angela's brow was creased with worry as she watched Mark exit the room. Her focus shifted to Steve for only a second before she wheeled around and walked back to the long gleaming table.

He followed her over, struggling to think of something to say. This woman had a strange way of making him tongue tied. "Your meeting is over?" Stupid, stupid question, he said to himself as he watched her pile up all the documents.

She straightened with a loud exhale before lifting her face to the ceiling and stretching her neck to one side, then the other, the long strands of red slipping away from slender shoulders. Those shoulders carried a lot of weight. A little massage would do them some good, but he had enough sense not to touch her. That would be far too presumptuous.

Plus he wanted to keep his balls intact.

She went back to the stacking and packing. "Sorry about my sister and sister-in-law," she spoke down to the table. "They think that since I rarely date, I need help finding one." Her head ripped around and those grey eyes pierced into his. "I don't."

"I wouldn't think so . . . however"—he eased one hip down onto the table—"I do know of this bitchin' little restaurant—"

"No—"

"—that serves awesome seafood." He raised his brows.

"I don't date employees."

"Well, technically I'm not your employee." He winked. "Despite being your 'tech guy'."

"Still a no." The rejection may have stung a little more if it weren't for the sweet smile she gave him. "But thank you for going along with that. Loretta doesn't want Anna to know about all the . . . threats. She'd worry too much."

Gratitude. He could use that as leverage. Just drinks maybe. "How 'bout—"

"Steve," Mark bellowed from the hall. "Was that tail a green Audi?"

"Yeah, why?" He stood as a nervous tingle went down his spine.

"It's parked outside the house." Without so much as a blink, Mark turned on his heels and shouted, "Let's go."

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

So there is definitely something suspicious about that list🤔

Who do you think is in the green Audi, and what do they want?😠

Thanks for reading! I sure do appreciate it♥️See you all next Sunday😘