She was operating way out of her league.

“You’re right. I want it all. I just don’t understand why we can’t have it.”

His face tightened and then his arm slid around her back. “Not possible. No matter how much I might want that, too.” He pulled her closer until her cheek rested against his chest. He gazed down at her and Kaylee wondered what he saw when he looked at her. A client? A friend? An inexperienced girl?

Whatever he saw, it obviously wasn’t enough.

“I want so much for you, Kay. One day you’ll meet the right guy and have the life you deserve.”

“I don’t want to date some other guy.” Kay squeezed him around the waist. His arms tightened around her for a moment, then he let go.

“You don’t want to now, but in time what you’re feeling will fade. You don’t really know me. If you did… Well, anyway, one day you’ll meet someone worthy of you. You should make another date with that lawyer guy. He seemed like a pretty cool dude. I treated him like shit, and he took it well. That’s a good sign. I won’t interfere this time. I promise.”

He let her go and walked over to the alarm panel next to the door. A series of loud beeps told her he’d set the alarm. Without another word he lay down on the couch and wrapped himself in the comforter.

CHAPTER EIGHT

OVER THE NEXT few days, Eli tried to stay in the background. Kay ran errands, spent time with her daughter, and went to work. She kept to her usual routine. The only thing that was different was Eli shadowing her.

He settled himself in the waiting room at Nick’s office, watching Kay handle the constantly ringing phone. Whatever project his brother had her working on was taking up all her time. She’d been rushing in and out of Nick’s office all morning. She hadn’t even taken her lunch break yet.

He’d taken advantage of her being distracted to finally dig into the e-mails he’d been ignoring. He pulled up the e-mail he’d received from Agent Harris. It linked him to a secure website. He entered his password and then the e-mail opened. He scrolled through pictures of mug shots and scrutinized grainy images of tattooed arms and legs. It was hell being forced to revisit a period of his life that he’d rather forget, but it was the only reason he wasn’t currently in jail. He had knowledge that was invaluable to the authorities. So he was an asset.

One they would use until he ceased to be of value anymore.

He’d just finished college when he was approached by a man named Justice about an opportunity to work in private security. An opportunity to help victims of kidnappings and violence. A chance to help right wrongs and be useful.

Things he’d desperately needed to feel.

Caught up in the young man’s seductive stories of battles fought and won, Eli had joined the secretive vigilante group called the Circle of Seven. After witnessing the inability of law enforcement to help a lot of victims, especially women, he’d believed in their cause wholeheartedly. Working outside the law, they were able to help whoever they deemed worthy. The power had been like a drug, a potent drug that kept him enthralled and unable to see the truth of what he’d become. It wasn’t until he’d seen his friend and mentor almost kill an innocent girl that he’d been forced to acknowledge they were no better than the criminals they’d claimed to fight against.

He’d become one of the monsters he’d worked so long to eradicate.

After he’d finally seen the truth about the Circle, he’d been offered amnesty in exchange for working with the FBI to uncover the leaders of the vigilante group. Despite his claims to the contrary, they were convinced he knew how to reach the group’s elusive leader, known only as Zeus. In the beginning, he’d had to physically meet with the agent in charge on a regular basis, and every meeting had felt like an interrogation.

No, I haven’t been contacted by anyone in the organization.

No, I haven’t had any contact with any foreign nationals lately.

No, I’m not plotting against the United States.

He’d slowly reintegrated back into normal society and tried to atone in his own way for the atrocities he’d allowed to happen under his watch. He sat back, stretching his arms overhead. At least he was allowed to conduct his business and move around freely now. After seven years, he still wasn’t living a “normal” life. But it was better than being in jail.

Anything was better than that.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. The display read Tank Marshall.

“What have you got for me?”

He’d assigned Tank to track and observe Kay’s ex, Timothy Banner. Tank was an interesting character. Quiet. Methodical. Thorough. He was a former Army sniper, so he was trained not only in marksmanship but also in reconnaissance.

“He’s back in town.”

Eli sat up, the tablet on his lap almost sliding to the floor. “Since when?”

“Credit-card activity places him at a deli in D.C. yesterday morning and then a gas station in Williamsburg last night. He just checked into the Stanton Hotel in Virginia Beach.”

Eli gripped the phone tighter. “Interesting coincidence. He hasn’t been in town for a while right?”

“Not for a few months.”

It wasn’t that unusual for a businessman who traveled a lot to be out of town for long periods of time. Eli had noticed Banner tended to spend the majority of his time on the West Coast since a few of his local business ventures had failed last year. However, it was incredibly interesting that he was suddenly back in town just a week after the suspicious package was sent.