Healing Danger (Fortis Security Series, #1) Read online

  “Yes, well, something came up at Daniel’s, and I need everyone to look at something before I send it to be checked for prints.” Everyone had turned serious now as if sensing that something bad had happened.

  Dane placed the clear bag on the computer desk next to Lucy and stood back so everyone could get a look at it.

  Lauren studied the picture intently, it did seem innocent, but she was dismayed to realise she didn’t know the man who was so obviously fond of her friend. Studying it more she noticed the sign on the wall behind them was slightly out of focus, but she recognised it as the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. What was Claire doing there? She pointed to the sign.

  “Look.” Dane peered over her shoulder. “What was Claire doing at the hospital, and why Gloucester?” She mused aloud.

  “I’m not sure, we could ask Daniel, but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea after his outburst earlier.” he said. Lauren could see he was still feeling angry with his friend for shouting at her.

  “What outburst?” asked Nate? Dane then explained about what had happened and how Daniel had been drunk. He left out the bit about Lauren’s reaction, thankfully

  “Shit, that’s not like him, I’ve never seen him raise his voice in anger to a woman, it’s just not him,” Nate said, looking at her sympathetically.

  Lucy reached out and squeezed her hand.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine, I know he wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “Like hell you are,” said Dane, “he scared the crap out of you, honey, and if he wasn’t my friend and grieving, I would have kicked his ass.”

  “Please, leave it, I’m fine, I promise.” He didn’t look convinced, but nodded.

  “Okay. So what do we all make of this?” he said, directing everyone’s attention back to the picture and note.

  “Lauren’s right,” said Nate, “it is the Royal Gloucester Hospital. Someone should go and check it out. We should also show Drew, he might know who the guy is and how he is connected to all this.” Dane didn’t like it, but he knew Nate was right.

  “How did his background check go?” he said, turning to Lucy.

  “So far it’s clean, no arrests or convictions. He was a good student and got excellent grades in his exams. He studied computer coding and I.T security at college. He’s also passed the licensed hacker course. He looks genuine bro.” Lucy said, with a smile.

  ~~~

  God, it looked like this boy had the entire female contingent of the building in his corner. Dane ran his fingers through his hair in frustration

  “Okay, get him in here.”

  Nate left to get Drew, who was sleeping in the room set aside for guests or overnight work, which was mainly Zack and Dane as neither had lives outside work.

  Maybe Drew was everything he said he was and he was just being over cautious, but he’d been fooled once by someone he perceived an ally and it had cost him two men. He was never gonna lose someone he cared about by being too trusting or losing his concentration.

  Drew walked in looking sleepy, and in that minute looked just like the kid he really was. With his hair sticking up everywhere, and rubbing his eyes. Nate followed behind him.

  “Someone doesn’t like being woken up suddenly, boy wonder here tried to put me on my ass,” he said laughingly, causing Drew to mutter something under his breath.

  “Sorry, what was that?” Nate asked, putting his hand to his ear.

  “I said, I’m sorry. I just don’t like being woken up suddenly. It makes me nervous.”

  ~~~

  Nate nodded. The kid had reacted like a seasoned soldier and Nate had a feeling that Drew had trouble letting his guard down for some reason. It made Nate sad for the kid; something had made him that way.

  “Are you okay?” Dane asked Nate.

  “Yes, he let go as soon as he realised it was me and to be honest, I’m insulted that you would think I wouldn’t be.” Nate said with a pissed-off look at Dane.

  ~~~

  He had the tendency to be overprotective. He knew Nate could handle himself, God he hadn’t met anyone yet who could rival Nate’s hand-to-hand combat skills and yet his instinct was always to make sure everyone was okay.

  “Yes, well, if it happens again, I’ll put you in cuffs.” he said to Drew.

  “I’ve said I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again. Just shout to me first next time. It’s gonna take a while to adjust.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

  Dane walked up to him and Drew stood up slightly taller, he was wary of him and rightly so

  “Drew. I want you to look at this picture and tell me if you know the person,” he said, pointing towards the desk. Drew looked at the picture carefully while Dane and Nate studied Drew watching for any little tells that would let them know if he was lying.

  “The lady is Claire Thompson, but I don’t know who the creepy-looking guy is.” Dane looked at Nate and Nate nodded. He thought Drew was telling the truth and so did he. Shit, nothing about this was going to be easy was it?

  “Nate, can you get this to your friend in forensics and get it tested for prints, please?”

  “No can do boss, she’s on maternity leave.”

  “Fucking hell, can’t we catch a break on this? Okay, what about Sly, is he home? He has contacts in Forensics through his cousin. See if he can do it, please.”

  “Sure, right on it.” Nate replied, slipping from the room.

  “Lucy-keep digging on that other thing,” he said, “I want to make sure nothing is missed, talk to as many people as possible. Drew you can go back to your room now, but I want you at the briefing tomorrow, at,” he looked at his watch; it was now 7pm, “at 9am okay?”

  Drew nodded that he would be there.

  “I want to do anything I can to help.” Dane tipped his head, looking at the kid for any signs of dishonesty and couldn’t see any.

  “Fine, see you then.”

  The back part of the Fortis building was secure, so only people with the access codes could leave or gain entry. Dane followed Drew’s progress on the monitor, the kid didn’t seem like he wanted to harm them, but he wanted to be sure. He’d thought the doors all having access codes, including the kitchen, was overkill when Zack had done it, but now he was glad he had, it allowed Drew to think he was free but allowed him no freedom at all. Moreover, it kept him safe from Preedy and his lot. He looked down at Lucy who was giving him a funny look.

  “What?”

  “Don’t you think you’re being a bit tough on him, Dane? He looks clean and I believe him. He even offered to do a DNA test earlier, while you were out, because he can see you don’t believe him.”

  “No, Lucy. Trust is earned and a DNA test is a good idea.”

  “No!” Lauren stated emphatically, who had otherwise been very quiet this whole time. “I believe him about that. He doesn’t need a test.”

  “Lauren, honey.” But she stopped him with her outstretched hand.

  “No, I won’t be swayed on this. Trust goes both ways Dane and if we don’t show him any he won’t show us any.”

  He looked down at her beautiful, stubborn face and knew she wouldn’t be changing her mind any time soon.

  “Fine, no test, but finish the detailed background check.”

  Lucy smiled a big smile at her. “Score one for the girls!” she said, holding her hand out for a hi-five, which she laughingly obliged. “He needs someone to stand up to him,” she looked over at Dane then, who was shaking his head and chuckling good-naturedly.

  “Come on. You look dead on your feet, let me take you home,” he said gently, holding out his other hand to her.

  ~~~

  Lauren took it and followed Dane back out to his car and climbed in while he held the door. He was ever vigilant as he walked round the front and scanned the car park and surrounding buildings for any threats. She loved how he hadn’t let her go once, the entire time they were at Fortis and smiled
, unable to contain the happiness that being around him made her feel.

  She watched him as he rounded the front of the car, after making sure she was secure and realised how wrong she’d been. This man wouldn’t hurt her; she would bet her life on it, he was a protector. How had she not seen that before?

  Laying her head back on the headrest, she let her mind drift over the day’s events. A brother, her incident with Daniel, the note and picture, her fear in the market when she thought someone was trying to hurt her, her anger at Dane, her lust for him. Her mind was a jumble and kept zipping from one thing to another, she was just too tired to process it all properly. But one thing she could process, was that she liked being with him, he made her feel special and safe. Maybe after some food and sleep, she would be better equipped to deal with it all.

  However, the thought of sleep, brought a new wave of drama for her to think about. Where would Dane sleep? Was she ready to sleep with him yet, oh she wanted him in a bad way, but was she ready for that final hurdle, to give herself to him in her most vulnerable state? She wasn’t sure.

  She looked across at him; his face was in profile as he drove. He had such a strong face with a square jaw that was covered in a fine dark stubble making him look even more rugged and handsome, if that were possible. His face was all angles and planes, but the laugh lines at the corner of his eyes and the slight dimple he got when he smiled softened it.

  She let her gaze travel over him, his biceps bulged and flexed as he drove, but it was his forearms that caught her attention-they were strong with corded muscle and a dusting of dark hair over tanned skin.

  She remembered how those arms had come around her as he had kissed her in her kitchen just last night, and the mere thought of that kiss almost made her moan aloud. God, she was getting hot and bothered over his forearms. How would she survive seeing him naked, if the rest of him was as perfect as she had seen or felt so far? She’d probably pass out from desire and make herself look like a total idiot.

  She had never been particularly hung up about her body, she ran and tried to stay in shape, but there were still bits of her body she didn’t like, like her overly round bum and her two large breasts. How was she going to measure up to this hunk of sex beside her?

  Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. She was worrying over things she couldn’t control again. She used the techniques her counsellor had taught her. She visualised putting the problem in her imaginary box and putting it in the imaginary cupboard. She let out a breath; there she felt better already.

  ~~~

  Lauren allowed Dane to lead her up the steps to her flat, he took her keys and opened the door ushering her in ahead of him. He deftly switched off the alarm that Nate had installed earlier. He always seemed to be aware of her safety, but never in an overt or overbearing way, it, just seemed like it was second nature to him. She guessed that was down to years of training and being in highly dangerous environments or maybe he was just a true gentleman.

  She threw her bag on the side table in the entryway and went into the kitchen to get a bottle of cola.

  “Do you want anything to eat or drink?” she asked, holding up the bottle.

  “Yes, please,” he said, coming up beside her, “can I help?” Lauren looked in her fridge and realised someone had put away the food she had brought from the market. Who had done that and when?

  “Who put this away?” she asked, turning to Dane and pointing to the meats and cheeses.

  “I had Lucy bring it over earlier, it’s been in the fridge at Fortis so it’s all still fresh. Nate gave her the key that we were using while we sorted the alarm. I hope that was okay.”

  “Yes of course, thank you,” she said touched by his thoughtfulness. She bumped her shoulder with his in a show of affection. She was getting more confident around him all the time and she loved how natural it felt to touch him, just being around him felt so right. Dane gave her a heart-stopping smile.

  “So sandwiches it is then.” He said and started leaning down and taking out things from the fridge. They worked side by side, him making the sandwiches, while she cut up the large juicy peaches. They carried them through to the living room and sat on the couch side by side, shoulders touching, while they ate.

  Both were quiet for a while until she asked him to tell her more about what Fortis did.

  “I have a feeling it’s not just your average security company?”

  “We do offer close protection to different clients, mainly VIP and the like, but our primary role is more, shall we say, covert.” He looked uncomfortable, like he was waiting for her to freak out or judge him somehow. “We do black ops missions for different allied governments, mainly UK and the US.”

  “Black Ops? What does that mean, I’ve heard it said before, but don’t really understand?”

  “Well, if a government has a job that needs doing that isn’t strictly authorised or can’t be acknowledged by the government. For instance, governments might send us in if there is a hostage situation that needs resolving and they can’t acknowledge it. Or to help out another country they wouldn’t like to be seen helping or to rid them of certain cell leaders that they can’t openly come out and say they need taking care of because it would affect the fine balance that is politics.”

  “So by taking care of, you mean kill?”

  “Yes Lauren, sometimes we have to kill to keep this country safe,” he said defensively.

  She reached out her hand to touch his forearm, and he immediately took her hand and linked his fingers with hers.

  “No, don’t misunderstand, I’m not judging you-I was just clarifying it.”

  ~~~

  She looked thoughtful and Dane worried that he had pushed her away and scared her. But she left her hand in his, so that was a good sign and reassured him slightly.

  So many people didn’t understand this kind of work. They just thought of them as mercenaries, and there were those in the business, that were cold, ruthless bastards that just went with the money, but at Fortis they were the good guys. Zack only ever took the jobs that he thought were for the greater good of the country and never knowingly took excessive risks with his team.

  Dane was holding his intellectual breath as he waited to see what she would say.

  “So, you’re kind of like the knights of the round table then,” she said, “you keep us all safe and we don’t even know you do it.” He laughed then, he’d been called many things, but he had never been called a knight before.

  “A knight, I like that, I rather see myself as Sir Lancelot.” He said striking a silly pose and smiling. She laughed, then too, and it was a wonderful sound to hear. They settled into a companionable silence then.

  Lauren yawned and Dane realised that she must be exhausted after the day she’d had. He was used to high adrenalin situations, but she wasn’t and it must be hitting her hard.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, holding her hand over her mouth. Dane stood and pulled her up.

  “Come on, let’s get you into bed,” and even though he knew she was exhausted, he was sure he saw the flair of desire shoot through her eyes before another yawn hit her. He slipped his arm around her back and walked with her to the bedroom.

  “I’m gonna check all the doors and windows and set the alarm and then, I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said as he stopped at the door.

  “No, that’s not necessary, we’re both adults and I’m sure we can share a bed without things being awkward.”

  He looked at her then and she looked vulnerable.

  “Okay, honey you go on, I’ll be in soon.”

  He walked around her flat checking that all the doors and windows were secure and wondered if he would get any sleep tonight lying next to her. She had looked so beautiful and fragile when she asked him to share her bed that he hadn’t been able to say no, didn’t want to say no. He could see it had taken courage for her to offer. A person was so vulnerable when they were asleep and he loved that she trusted him to sleep next to her. Ah
well, he probably wouldn’t get much sleep, but it would be worth being tired if he got to hold her.

  Dane walked into the bedroom and in the light from the moon, he could see her. She had changed into shorts and a vest top. And was asleep on top of the covers. She was lying on her side with her hands tucked under her cheek making her look so innocent and perfect that it made him catch his breath.

  He had the overwhelming need to protect this woman. She made him territorial and possessive as if he wanted to mark her as his, which was stupid because he wasn’t that kind of man, but that was the effect she had on him. Stripping to his boxers, he lay down next to her and was surprised when she rolled over towards him and tucked herself against his shoulder. Dane put his arm around her and pulled her close, settling her against him and thinking he’d get no sleep at all.

  ~~~

  After Dane and Lauren had left, Lucy got back to work on the background checks for Drew. She’d already searched the electoral roll, the DVLA, HMRC everything she could think of including colleges, schools, hospital records and police databases. As far as she could tell, he was clean. She’d even hacked his college reports and it seemed he was a good kid.

  His medical history seemed good, just the normal childhood stuff. She felt satisfied with what she found. However, she knew Dane wanted more, so she went deeper on everything looking for inconsistencies.

  Satisfied that there was nothing odd or shifty about Drew Lucy wrote her report and saved a copy to the hard drive.

  She decided to see if she could enhance the picture that she’d scanned in earlier that was sent to Daniel. She switched machines and opened up the FRS programme. Will had tweaked the programme so that it was much more sophisticated now.

  She grabbed some coffee while she used the other monitor to start looking into Marcus Preedy and any of his known associates.

  Nate ambled into the tech room around 10pm.

  “What you still doing here, Luce?”

  “Hey, oh I’m just running some software to see if I can get a hit on the picture. Nothing yet though. What about you?”

  “I just took the letter over to Sly to check for prints. Thought I would crash here to keep an eye on Drew.”