He’d tortured himself when he’d wrapped his arms around her. Her tiny frame fit perfectly against his. Not that it mattered.

But it did. He knew it mattered. The only way he was going to escape her was to leave. Hire someone to take his place at Blake’s side, pack his one bag, and disappear.

And what about the raven left with Billy’s body? Was it a warning? A warning that wouldn’t mean anything to anyone other than the remaining members of Neil’s team?

More reason to pack up and leave.

But who could protect Gwen better than him?

Neil knew the answer before he bothered booking a flight.

He didn’t need anyone thinking he cared about her, thus making her a target.

She stared out the window at the passing traffic on the freeway. She should have been riding in the back, where the tinted windows would obscure her face. But Gwen refused. Said he was no more her driver than she was his maid.

“Do you think about it…your time in the military?”

Her question came from nowhere. He wasn’t sure how to answer it.

“Neil?”

“Sometimes.”

“Was it awful?”

He gripped the wheel, recalled the smell of her hair, and ignored the memory of burnt flesh and blood. “War is hell.”

“I can’t imagine. The only violence I’ve witnessed was my brother breaking the nose of a boy chasing me in school. And you and Carter fighting those men in Texas.”

He felt his spirits lift. He’d enjoyed teaching the man hitting on Gwen a lesson in propriety. He flattened his lips and said, “Violence doesn’t solve as many problems as it creates.”

“You’re probably right. The threat of violence does tend to keep people in line, however. Take today for example. We spent the day firing weapons. I doubt anyone would mess with you but I realize how I might be considered vulnerable. If the people out there who would do me harm knew I had a weapon, my guess is they’d look for an easier target. Don’t you agree?”

“Some.” Purse snatchers and cowards.

“I don’t imagine I’ll ever have the need to use the gun for its intended purpose. It does feel right to have one, however.”

That, he completely agreed with.

Short of that ivory tower he thought of putting her in when he saw her, owning a gun was better than nothing.

“You’ll need to keep it at the house.”

Gwen nodded. “I didn’t think to carry it with me.”

He pulled off the highway and onto the street leading to the Malibu estate. “A Taser fits inside a purse. It’s legal for you to carry.”

“One of those electric zapper things?”

A rare chuckle rose in his throat. “Yes. One of those.”

She smiled at him and damn if he didn’t want to melt into that smile and forget every awful thing about his life.

“Do you have one?”

“No.” He didn’t need one. “But I’ll get one for you.”

“That would be lovely, Neil.”

Only a lady would say a Taser as a gift was lovely.

Neil parked behind Gwen’s car. He placed the larger revolver she liked the most inside her trunk along with an extra box of ammo.

She opened the door, and tossed her purse inside. “Thank you, for today. I feel better knowing I have the proper weapon.”

He liked the ivory tower idea better. “You’re welcome.”

Neil stepped away from the car, intending to give her room to drive away.

“Oh…uhm, the alarm on the house?”

“Yes?”

“All the doors and downstairs windows have to be closed in order for it to set properly, right?”

He paused. Stepped closer. “That’s right.”

“Don’t freak out,” she warned him.

When a woman suggested he not “freak out,” it meant he had reason to.

He lifted his hands in the air and forced the tension away from his shoulders.

“OK…well, I found the back door opened, just a little bit, when I woke up the other day. The alarm said it was engaged.”

“The alarm won’t set if a door is open.”

“That’s what I thought. With all the interference lately, I thought I should mention it.”

“Are you sure the alarm was armed?”

“Positive. I checked it twice. Though I think the cameras and outside motion detectors are overkill, I do think a home alarm is wise.”

“Did you set it before you came over today?”

“I did.”

He fished his cell phone from his pocket, clicked on his mobile app of her home. “Karen’s not home?”

“No.”

The alarm said it was set, and the cameras didn’t indicate any issues. He didn’t like it. Any of it.

“I’m coming over.”

Surprisingly, Gwen didn’t argue.

“I have a few errands to run,” she told him. “Do you mind looking into it without me there?”

He preferred it, actually. The distraction of her being there might make him miss something. “Not a problem.”

“Thank you,” Gwen said as she drove away.

Yet the farther Gwen drove away from him, away from the safety he knew he could provide, the less control he felt.

He hated a lack of control. Made him weak.

“So Blondie has a gun,” the man said to himself as he witnessed the two leave the range.

His camera recorded them, found the subtleties of their behavior that he would analyze later.

MacBain wasn’t acting alarmed. Didn’t even realize he was being watched.

“You’re slipping, dude.”

He doubled around to his perch above the Malibu house and watched as she left alone.

He knew, without a doubt, that she hadn’t mentioned the dead bird in her conversation with Neil.

If she had, he would never have let her leave.

Time to up the ante.

Kenny Sands, the owner of Parkview Securities, met Neil at the Tarzana house.

“This doesn’t make sense.” Ken stated the obvious.

Neil had run test after test. Sure enough, the back door no longer tripped the alarm. Yet when on a chime mode, a feature that let the homeowner know when a door or window was being opened, it made noise.

“There’s been an unusual amount of noise in the backyard motion detectors, too. I thought I fixed it last week, but it seems to light up anytime the neighbors use their hot tub.”

“That shouldn’t affect it.” Kenny picked up his cell phone. “Hi, Jane. I need you to send a team to 5420 Cherry Lane.” He paused. “No, have them bring a full truck. We’re replacing the wiring to the back door.”