That couldn't have been easy.

All this time, he'd resented him-the secrecy, the amount of power...Alice's gratitude toward him and her loyalty to him.

But it was exactly those things that had enabled Trace to protect her. If it hadn't been for him...

Reese swallowed hard, unable to let his mind go there. He loved her, damn it.

More than he'd even known was possible.

Hell of a time for epiphanies.

He met Trace's gaze. "It's inadequate, but thank you."

Trace nodded. "My pleasure."

"I'm on it now." Reese was here, in Alice's life, and he'd never let anything happen to her. "Just so you know."

"That's how I figured it."

Astute, as well as badass. That didn't surprise Reese.

"What are you talking about?"

Confused, uncertain, Alice chewed her bottom lip, looking from one man to the other. "I don't understand. You're on what?"

"You." Rowdy smiled at her. "They're talking about you."

She shook her head, still not getting it.

Reese didn't want anyone to make a declaration for him, so he said, "We're figuring out how to keep you out of this mess."

Skeptical, Alice toyed with the ends of her hair, twisting and curling it around her fingers. "The thing is, you can't keep me out of it. Cheryl called me. She'll want to meet with me. "

"That's not going to happen," Reese said.

Showing a hint of her courage, Alice cut him off. "You know Cheryl is in trouble, that Hickson or some other cretin is forcing her to contact me. Why would they go to all that trouble if they know where I live?"

Trace indicated the apartment. "It's not as easy as you might think to break into an occupied building and drag out a screaming woman. And, Alice, you would scream. Right?"

She nodded. "I wouldn't go without a fight."

Oh, God. Reese wanted to rebel against that idea. A fight meant she could die in the process of being taken. But knowing Alice as he did now, she'd likely prefer that to being held captive again.

"Once I was gone," Reese said, "you'd get a desperate call from Cheryl." His muscles clenched, his heart punched hard. "If you'd taken one step out of the apartment-"

"I wouldn't let her do that," Dash said.

And Alice swatted at him. "I'm not stupid!"

Dash barely managed to dodge her.

Settling back against Reese, she muttered, "You wouldn't need to stop me, because I wouldn't do anything foolish."

Reese gave her the full force of his attention. "Define foolish." He felt irate all over again at how she'd followed Cheryl in the first place.

As if she knew his every thought, Alice said softly, "That was before I promised you that I wouldn't keep any more secrets."

Okay, so maybe that had changed things between them. But could she really resist running to the aid of a woman she thought was being threatened?

Giving up his relaxed posture, Trace leveled a look at Reese. "You can be ruthless."

A statement, not a question. Reese said only, "Yes."

Alice started. "You can?"

"Hell, yeah." Dash laughed. "Logan hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

Not in the mood for nonsense, Reese shook his head. "Knock it off, Dash."

Alice said, "No, I want to hear this."

"Reese is a regular champion of the underdog." Dash did little to hide his smile. "According to Logan, if Reese thinks someone's being treated unfairly, he jumps in with both feet and to hell with the consequences. Not saying he does stuff illegally, just that he doesn't slow down to weigh the danger."

"Jesus," Reese growled. "I'm a cop, it's what we do."

"You saved Cash." Alice leaned against him. "That had nothing to do with being a cop."

"That had to do with being a human being." And not once had Reese regretted that decision, not even when Cash had eaten a shoe or marked the entire apartment as his territory.

In fact, given how Alice had bonded with the dog, he was more grateful than ever that he'd been the one to find Cash that day.

Unable to keep his hands off her, and feeling more possessive than any contemporary man should, Reese brought Alice around to his lap.

Wearing a comical look of surprise, stiff instead of relaxed, she perched on his thigh.

Trace took in the two of them with und e r s ta nd i ng. "Unfortunately, the situation is that the station still has a few bad cops running loose. Your lieutenant is doing a great job, but she's one person, and she can't do it alone."

"Meaning what?" Reese asked.

"I'm going to lend her a hand with that.

I have better resources for exposing the frauds. Soon, I'll present her with a file of names and evidence." Trace didn't wait for any objections. "In the meantime, I'd like to help out with Alice, too."

Well, Reese thought, he had wanted the National Guard. But maybe one ultra-elite, super secretive wraith would do. "What do you suggest?"

As soon as he gave the implied agreement, Alice turned to him with joy.

She smiled as if they weren't in the middle of a complete and total cluster fuck. "You trust him?" she asked.

Reese cupped her cheek, and gave her a solid truth. "I trust you."

"And you, " Trace said to Alice, "trust me." He nodded at Rowdy and Dash.

"Apparently them, as well."

"Oh, and Logan," she said quickly, while still gifting Reese with that pretty smile. "They're all wonderful."

Trace did his own smiling. "I'm glad."

And damn it, now Reese even felt like smiling.

"It's more complicated than just dealing drugs, and, like it or not, Alice is in it up to her neck." All business now, Trace pushed to his feet. "Protest it all you want, but facts are facts. I can handle it-"

His arms going tight around Alice, Reese stood, too. "Hell, no."

Without missing a beat, Trace said, "Or you can handle it." His gaze never wavered. "That is, if you think you're up to it."

"I'm up."

Amused by that, Trace glanced at Alice before fixing his golden gaze back on Reese. "Of course, you did get yourself handcuffed to a bed."

Grinding his molars together, Reese eased Alice to the side and took a more aggressive stance. Trace would not push him aside, not in this.

Not with Alice.

Then Trace added, "Something similar once happened to me. Except my pants were down and a depraved bitch planned to molest me."

Dash whispered, "No shit?"

Rowdy sat forward. "So, what did you do?"

Lifting a brow in question, Trace said, "Do?"

"About having your pants around your ankles."

As if that were a fond memory, he smiled. "A woman saved me. Thanks to her, I was able to regain the upper hand." He looked at Reese. "She's now my wife."

Reese had a disturbing idea of where this little dance down memory lane might be going. "Is there a point to this story?"

"You need to let Alice help."

Doing his best to hide all emotion, Reese said simply but unequivocally, "No."

Trace ignored the denial. "This needs to be wrapped up. All of it."

"You think I needed you to tell me that?"

"No, but apparently you need me to tell you that Alice has to be there."

"Not happening."

"I can ensure her safety."

"No."

Undaunted, Trace said more firmly, "Alice has to be available to meet Cheryl. That's the only way you'll get everyone." His voice gentled. "And you already know it."

Alice cupped Reese's face, her smile reassuring, her gaze imploring. "I can do this, Reese. I promise."

Reese knew he had little choice, but that didn't mean he liked it. He pulled her into his chest, crushed her close and muttered, "Fuck."

"Believe me,"

Trace said, "I understand and I sympathize. If there was any other way..."

"I know." Reese slowly blew out a breath and reached for distant control.

"Okay."

They were still finalizing plans when Cheryl called and requested to meet Alice...at the same time that Rowdy would be meeting DeeDee.

Distract, divide and overwhelm. But Reese knew how he felt, and he knew Alice's determination. He saw the resolve on Rowdy's face, and the confidence in Trace's stance.

They would do this, but they'd do it Reese's way. And once it was over, he'd bind Alice to him for good.

CHAPTER TWENTY-.

SEVEN.

ROWDY SHOWED UP an hour early in an old Falcon he'd bought for less than two hundred dollars. The car looked and sounded like a junker-that's how Rowdy liked it. Overall, it was reliable transportation and got him where he wanted to go. No one would trace it back to him.

Best of all, the truck was sturdy and locked securely.

He parked toward the back of the bar, out of the reach of a weak security light.