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“Right. Busy day ahead.” Jarrod cleared his throat, smile dimming. “I’ll walk you two out. Oh, Tenaya, there is one thing I wanted to ask.”
He gestured for them to exit ahead of him. As they moved into the hallway, he addressed her, voice lowered confidentially.
“Does Tai here know about your stalker? Or the murder?”
Tenaya froze mid-step, breath seizing in her lungs. Jarrod couldn’t possibly be implying that she’d hide something like that.
Dread hollowed her stomach. Surely Jarrod wasn’t cruel enough to weaponize the information about her stalker? But his neutral expression gave no clues.
Tai turned to him, one eyebrow raised. “You’re talking about that Victor creep, right? Of course, she’s told me. That’s why I’m taking her as far away as I can until the police catch him.”
Jarrod’s gaze remained on Tenaya. “A great plan. It’s good to hear Tenaya’s been open about the horrible business. She’s not always the most forthcoming.” He feigned a shrug. “Professional hazard in our profession for sure.”
Tenaya swayed, lightheaded. She gripped Tai’s hand, desperate to escape before Jarrod could twist the knife deeper.
But Tai merely laughed, the sound rich and unconcerned. “I appreciate you looking out for my girl, but we’re solid. No worries.” He slid his fingers through Tenaya’s, squeezing gently. “I trust her completely.”
Warmth tingled through Tenaya despite her distress. Tai’s unconditional faith soothed her ragged nerves like a balm. For just a moment, the halls of Steadman Graham faded away.
Jarrod’s sharp voice shattered the respite. “Good to know. I’m sure the police will catch whoever is responsible soon enough. Just, you know, watch your backs, okay?”
Tai’s arm around her waist tightened, steadying her. “Always. Anyway, I’m not into dwelling on the negative. If they haven’t caught the creep by the time we get back to LA, I’ll hire whatever security I need to.” His casual words carried an unmistakable warning.
He nudged her down the hallway. “Later, my man.”
Tenaya concentrated on each step, afraid she might collapse if not for Tai’s solid strength supporting her.
Finally safe in her office, she collapsed into her desk chair, heart racing.
Tai crouched before her, dark eyes soft with concern. He smoothed her hair back tenderly. “You okay?”
Tenaya let out a shaky breath, clinging to his steady gaze like a lifeline. Tai’s powerful presence eased her panic, making the world feel solid again.
“I’m okay now,” she whispered. And miraculously, with his hands framing her face so gently, it was true.
Too bad they had a lot more to wade through before she’d feel truly safe again. If she ever did.
17
Tai glowered through the plate glass window of the upscale gym, irritation simmering. Outside, the California sun beamed down on the busy street. A beautiful autumn day. But instead of being outdoors, he was trapped with the perfumed spandex crowd.
He grimaced as the two women next to him glided along on elliptical trainers, going nowhere fast as they chatted loudly about their upcoming spa vacations. The place even piped in new age music. Far from relaxing him, the lilting flutes made him want to kick that unused punching bag in the corner through a window.
Give him the open country any day. He could be running the trails behind the ranch right now, desert wind in his face, sagebrush scenting the air. Instead, he was stuck here playing Ken doll while Tenaya finished her workout.
He shot her a frustrated glance where she sprinted uphill on the treadmill, ponytail swaying. Sweat laced the back of her hot pink tank top, proving she didn’t shy from hard work.
He might be learning to appreciate the gumption it took to be a success in the shark-pool that was the LA law scene, but everything else about this assignment was testing the shreds of his patience. Granted, shadowing her these past two days had given him a new appreciation for her intelligence and the demands of her job, though not a shred of insight into the coldness she radiated toward her father.
But the waiting, the enforced passivity, was torture. Two days in and not a hint of the psycho stalker. Clearly, this Zhezhnov character wasn’t taking the bait. Since subtle wasn’t working, Tai itched to try a more aggressive approach.
“We need to take the fight to Zhezhnov,” he murmured into his comlink.
Bridger made a sympathetic noise. “Which would work, if we knew where the creep was.”
“The man has to make contact sooner or later,” Graham, the other team member on surveillance duty, added. “Strong and steady, Marine. Strong and steady.”
Tai wiped sweat from the weight bench with more force than necessary. Staying alert was the problem when all he did was stand around looking pretty. He was a man of action, trained to confront threats directly and violently. “I am not loving this. Have I mentioned that?”
