I hear you, Van. Loud and clear.
Once the greetings were over and shock of the team’s presence had begun to dissipate, she returned to her earlier question of why they’d suddenly appeared on his doorstep.
“You sent for the calvary over a break-in?”
“I didn’tsendfor anyone. I called Lucky after the break-in and asked him to look into a couple things.” Eyes she’d spent the last two days getting lost in narrowed as they slid in Lucky’s direction. “Had no idea they were coming here until I got a call letting me know they’d just landed in Seattle and needed my address.”
“Hey, man.” Lucky raised a set of defensive hands. “You never asked me not to share. And even if you had, it’s not like I’d sit on something as big as our girl being in trouble.”
Natalie gave a slight tilt of her head. “Yourgirlis right here. And we’re still trying to figure out if there’s even any trouble to begin with. I hate to think you all dropped everything for a wasted trip here.”
“Never a waste to see you and our boy, darlin’.” Chase gave her a quick wink.
“Boyer’s right.” Lucky shrugged. “Besides six heads are better than two.”
“And twelve hands are better than four.” Logan’s deep voice had her returning her gaze to his. One broad shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I called Lucky the night of the break-in. Filled him in on what all had happened and asked him to look into your co-workers.”
She frowned. “At the firm? I already told you, no one there has a reason to want to hurt me.”
Another shrug, this one accompanied by an arched brow and a look that matched his next words. “Can’t take the chance.”
“I started with some of the higher-ups in Frost Avionics first, though, so I’m only about half-way through running your co-workers at Schwartz.”
Natalie shook her head, fearing everyone was going through a lot of trouble for nothing. “Digging into those people’s personal information without their permission feels wrong.”
“Not if it leads us to the person who scared the hell out of you.” Logan practically growled.
“Your boy’s right.” Archer slapped Logan on the shoulder on his way into the house. “Your safety trumps their privacy every day of the week.”
Your boy?
Her eyes shot to Logan’s, her gut tightening with dread. Surely he hadn’t—
“And twice on Tuesdays.” Lucky’s quip came with a smirk as he followed Archer’s lead and went inside.
Waiting until Chase and Van were several feet past the threshold, Natalie slid close to Logan and whispered low enough only he could hear.
“Did you tell them we slept together?”
She really, really hoped he hadn’t. Not because she was ashamed or thought they could keep their budding romance a secret forever. Her trepidation had nothing to do with either of those things.
It was just that it was all still so very new that she was still processing the shift herself. And, selfishly, she kind of wanted to keep what she and Logan had found to themselves.
Just for a little while longer.
“Not their business.” Logan’s immediate response and sharp shake of his head put her anxious nerves at rest.
Good answer.
And one she should’ve already known would be the man’s response.
Of course, Logan wouldn’t have shared the precious, passionate time they’d spent between the sheets. He was far too respectful of her—of all women in general—to cheapen what they’d found with a bunch of juvenile locker room talk.
Feeling guilty for having entertained the thought in the process, she flashed him an apologetic smile and a gentle squeeze to his impressive bicep as she joined the others inside. An hour later, she and Logan had gone back over everything that had happened, starting with the tires, and ending with the piles still waiting for her on the floor.
The rules she was breaking weren’t lost on her, both personal and professional. Not to mention the actualcrimesshe was committing by allowing Logan and the others access to what she’d learned about Frost Avionics’ financials up to this point, as well as the mystery folder.
But Archer had been right. Her safety was more important than worries over offending people. More important than even her job. As for the idea of having to do actual jail time, however…