Her face was so open and vulnerable his heart pulsed hard. "I have my own reservations, Dex. I know that it's not a betrayal because my husband is dead, but I'm just not ready for anything like this. I can't handle it."

Her honesty made his heart roll over and his chest clog up. Feeling as if he might turn inside out at any minute, he hadn't expected this attraction; that, he was honest about. "I think you can handle anything," he said huskily, feeling like a first-class bastard. Inhaling heavily, he said, "But we'll figure this out together. Deal?"

She nodded and met his gaze with so much gratitude in her eyes it nearly broke his heart. "I'd rather work with you than have you pissed at me. It's not a good look on you."

"I thought I explained that. I wasn't pissed at you."

"Felt that way, but I get it. I understand."

"Let's move on. We can agree on that?"

"Yes. We can."

"Hoo-rah, that's something. Now why don't you tell me who could be behind the attempt on your life? Who would go to these lengths to try to kill you?"

"I can't imagine I'm that important enough to send a hit squad after me."

"Are you sure there's nothing that comes to mind? Anything, even if it's small."

"Other than my terrible car accident, I am trying to get a bill passed. It could be damaging to corporations... Wait, I had a break-in after Brad died. A window was broken."

"Was anything missing?"

"No, not that I could find?"

"You have opposition on this bill?"

"Yes, Senator Robert Mullins from New York and he's been pushing me, then threatening me, not to go through with the legislation. It's the only business I have to complete for Brad. My term ends in three months. It takes a lot of effort to get a bill through the Senate and then through Congress, especially one like this, but I'm close to victory."

"New York, huh?" Dex rubbed his hand over his stubble. "That means Wall Street. Could he be simply protecting his constituents, or does he have a shady deal going?"

"I have no clue. I don't really know that much about him and his business or his dealings. Really, like I said, I'm a lame-duck senator with no pull. I think most people just feel sorry for me because I lost Brad and my baby."

"He's going to the top of our list. We need to figure out how to get back to DC."

"I think I have a plan for that."

"Okay, shoot." He was starting to feel uncomfortable, but resisted taking the meds until they were finished talking about these important issues.

"I still have my purse and all my IDs, including my credit cards and passport. Blessing is going to be here tomorrow to take us to Kabul and I can charter us a jet home. You have Agent Hatch's ID, but you shouldn't need it. All my personnel have already been cleared. It should be just a matter of getting on the plane and flying back."

"That will work."

"Don't you think you should contact your commanding officer at least? Let him know you're safe and you're helping me?"

Afsana came into the room carrying two dishes, interrupting them. "Let's try some solid food, Dex, if you think you're up to it."

He realized he was starving and took the plate. She was serving them mantu-dumplings filled with onion and lamb-steamed and topped with a tomato-based sauce, and qoroot, a dip that was a mixture of yogurt, garlic and split chickpeas. It smelled heavenly. He forked up a dumpling and savored the bite, rolling his eyes. "Delicious, Afsana. You are an excellent cook."

"I agree. Could I get the recipe for these and for the kebab you made the other day and that...qor?"

"Qorma Lawand?"

"Yes, that's it. It was to die for, Dex."

"I've had it. Onion-based with yogurt, turmeric and cilantro and chicken."

"I'll let you get back to your discussion. I'll be back for the plates. I'm so glad to see you looking better than when you arrived, Dexter."

"Thank you for your hospitality again, Afsana. You and Raffi are our saviors."

"It is our pleasure. Raffi wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, Dex. He and I must go to our cousin's tonight like we planned, for the celebration of the birth of his second child, so we will say our goodbyes before we leave. I am so glad that you are both all right. If there is any way you could get word to us that you are safe in DC, we would be so grateful. Enjoy."

Dexter picked up on the thread of the conversation. "No. I'm not risking a call to my commanding officer."

"You don't trust him?"

"It's better to keep him and anyone out of the loop until we're sure you're safe. That means finding out who's behind this. Do you know anything about Agent Hatch?"

"No. I don't even know his first name. Hatch and Markam were assigned to me by DS and took me to the airport. I was told they had military training and could better protect me in Afghanistan. I didn't think anything of it. I've always trusted the DS."

"Why wouldn't you? They're sworn to take a bullet for you, not to put one in you."

"This is all so distressing. Edward must be going out of his mind with worry."

"Speaking of that. Do you trust him? He knew you were going to Afghanistan."

"Edward? Why would he want me dead?"

"Any family fortune issues, disagreements over property...anything like that?"

"No, nothing. We all got a fair share of the estate. Edward inherited the house, but I didn't want it and neither did Ty. He was more interested in becoming a SEAL and really didn't want the responsibility. It's a big mansion and it's drafty and costs a fortune to upkeep. I already have the home I bought with Brad, so no interest in that."

"All right, so we eliminate Edward, and we have Senator Mullins and your potentially damaging legislation. Babe, people have killed for less."

"It's hard to believe that he would jeopardize his standing that way and the fact that he's making a bid on the White House. He actually had the nerve to ask me for an introduction to one of Brad's hugest campaign contributors, Stephen Montgomery."

"Montgomery? Not the billion-dollar tech mogul, CEO of the Montgomery Group?"

"That's him. I know he's famous, but I've known him since I was a child. He's an old family friend."

"You do run in some rich circles."

"Oh, Dex. I am rich, filthy rich. Brad had a fortune he left to me. I have more money than I know what to do with. Someday I'm going to figure out how I can use it to help people."

This woman had a way of blindsiding him. She rattled off that she was rich and no way would he have ever guessed from the way she handled herself that she was a blue blood. But it was clear from the way Ty had described his family that they were wealthy.

"So, Blessing said she'd be back tomorrow. We should get some sleep and be ready to travel."

"How is your wound and your fever?" Instead of waiting for him to answer, she pressed her palm against his forehead, displacing his hair, then slid all that softness down his temple over his rough cheek. "Oh, that is much better."

He was doing everything in his power to keep his hands off her and here she was touching him. Unable to move, feeling as if someone had dropped a boulder on his chest, he tipped his head back and swallowed hard. He knew he would relive all these moments with her thousands of times in his mind. If he lived to be a hundred, he would never forget her.

His jaw locked and she stiffened, realizing what she had done. She went to pull away and he grabbed her wrist.

"I know what we agreed. But you are still sleeping right here with me."

Hell, that would cost him. He'd really need those pain pills tonight.

Chapter 8.

Kabul,

Parwan Province, Afghanistan

Austin woke up when the military plane touched down on Kabul's runway. Derrick was already awake, and Austin wondered if the guy ever slept. Normally, Derrick looked like a shrewd, elegant spy, an American 007-the kind of guy you didn't want to piss off. But in combat gear he looked different...dangerous and deadly. For the hundredth time, Austin wondered what Derrick had done before he'd become an agent.

Austin sent his hands through his messy blond locks and stretched. Derrick looked pensive, like he was rolling something over in his head.

"What's going on over there?"

"Follow me on this. According to Kaczewski's brother, Russell-"

"Wait. When did you talk to him?"

"Just now, when you were visiting the back of your eyelids."

"Ah. Continue."

"Russell tells me that Jones's brother Tyler is tight with Dexter."

"Yeah, so."

"So, I figure Senator Jones and the SEAL had to have met at Heathe. Probable?"

"I'd say."

"According to his record, Kaczewski is a Boy Scout. Odds are he headed right for Jones the minute something went down. Hatch was killed dressed as an insurgent. Could be he dressed that way to throw them off and protect the senator?"

"What's the alternative?"

"I don't know at this point, but no one's come forward with any type of ransom or claiming responsibility, yet the SEAL and the senator are gone."

"You think they're still alive? On the run?"

"If that's the case, what are they running from and why haven't they checked in?"

"Good question."

"If you were a wounded navy SEAL and your best friend's sister was in danger, what would you do?"

"Take out anyone threatening her, haul ass and lay low. Try to find out who's trying to kill her."

"Exactly. Markam is in the wind."

"That's my guess. No body. He could be with them. Let's get settled and get your computer up and running and do a little digging. We find Markam, we get answers."

Hours later, Austin was propped on the hotel room bed and Derrick was on the other one, both busily clicking on their computers. Austin had been digging up information on Markam since they hit the hotel room. "These guys are clean as a whistle. Who assigned them to Jones?" Austin growled.

"I talked to the duty guy. He said Jones's brother Edward made the request," Derrick said.

"I talked to Edward and he said he requested his uncle pull strings to get Piper to Afghanistan to see their wounded brother, but doesn't know anything about a request for a special detail for his sister," Austin said.

"It makes sense they would want agents with military background. What branch of the service were they in and what did they do?"

Austin brought up both files. "Markam was a marine, and he was stationed at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters out of Kabul, working as a liaison to...security forces."

"Fancy that. What security forces?"

"Just a general statement in his record."

"How about that security company, Outcast?"

Austin brought up a list of security contractors working with the government during the time Markam was a marine. "It's on the list."

"We have a dead Outcast member involved in that SEAL ambush. That's a connection. I say we go have a word with Outcast."

"Sounds like a plan."

They caught a cab outside the hotel and were soon at the Outcast offices. Once inside the lobby, they stopped at the desk.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist, a brunette with black-rimmed glasses, said.