Alpha One (Shadow Agents 1)

To us both being naked. The awareness simmered between them.

“You can’t stay here.” Susan’s rushed denial had Juliana blinking. “This isn’t... You’ve never stayed here, Juliana.”

It was late. Juliana was exhausted. She wanted to hit the bed and fall into oblivion. “I’m going to be staying here now. So are they.” Simple.

Susan just shook her head.

“Which rooms are free?” Juliana asked her. “There should be more than enough for us to use.” She was already getting a chill from being inside the house. The place was always so cold. Her father had restored every inch of the old antebellum. Or rather, he’d paid folks to restore the house. Maybe it was cold because the place was so big and drafty.

Maybe.

She knew her father kept a small staff in the house. A driver. A housekeeper. A cook. And—

“Take any room you want,” Susan said softly as her shoulders sagged. “Take everything... It’s yours, anyway.” Then she brushed by Juliana. “I’m in your father’s room.”

Juliana felt badly about upsetting Susan. She knew the woman was hurting, too. She was pushing into this place—where I don’t belong—and ripping into Susan’s life. Bringing her hell right down on the hapless woman. “Susan...” She wanted her to be safe. Juliana took a breath and though she hated to say it, she forced the words out. “Maybe you should leave for a few days, until...” Until it’s safe. Until I’m not afraid you’ll get caught in the cross fire when Guerrero attacks.

Susan truly had always been kind to her, and when this nightmare was over, Juliana would give her the house. She could take it and be happy.

Juliana sure didn’t want the place. She much preferred her small house on the beach. It never seemed cold there.

Susan’s pretty face tightened. “You’re kicking me out?”

And she’d screwed up. Juliana tried to back up. “No, no, that’s not—”

“For your protection,” Logan inserted smoothly. “The government will be happy to provide you with temporary lodging for a few days, until the situation becomes more stable.”

Susan just shook her head. Her gaze seemed to swim with tears. “I’m not in any danger. No one would want to hurt me!”

“I’m sure that’s what Charles thought, too,” Juliana said quietly. She’d arranged to send flowers to his family, but she’d do more for them, too. When her father’s estate was settled—after the government had their turn to go through everything, she’d see that they were taken care of.

“Wrong place,” Gunner added darkly. “Wrong damn time.”

Susan flinched. Then her eyes focused on Juliana. “Why? Why is this even happening?”

“Because my father was involved with some very dangerous people.” Susan would have been the prime person to realize that truth, only, she seemed clueless. “Now they want me dead.”

“We’ll be escorting you out tonight, Ms. Walker,” Gunner said. “Just show us to your room, and I can help you pack up.”

Susan was still staring at Juliana. “I told you. I shared a room with the senator.” Then she turned away, moving toward the circular staircase with her head up. But at the stairs, she paused with her hand on the banister. “He was going to marry me.”

Juliana barely heard the quiet words.

“We’d planned... He was going to give up his office. Retire. Stay with me.” Her head tilted and Juliana saw her scan the house. What did Susan see when she looked around?

Not death and ice, like Juliana saw.

Antiques, wealth, good memories?

“It’s all gone,” Susan whispered and she climbed up the steps.

Juliana’s gaze darted to the closed study door. Her father had died in that room. He’d put one of his prized guns to his head and squeezed the trigger.

Susan had found his body. So that meant she must have found the suicide note, too. She knew that the senator had fallen far from grace.

It’s all gone.

Yes, it was.