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okay?”
    He smiled at her. “I promise you can trust us on this.”
    “In any event,” Mark said, “we need to do some things immediately. I called a company we use locally and they’ll be here in an hour. They’ll replace your existing security system with a really high-tech one. One that works on encrypted sound waves. And yes, it will be easy for you to use,” he added, anticipating her objection.
    Lauren raised her eyebrows. “They can do it that quickly? Usually there’s a waiting list.”
    Mark grinned at her. “Not for Phoenix. We call, they come. I’m also having them install hidden cameras at the four corners of your roof. We’ll put sensors around the perimeter of the property and everything will feed into a laptop we’ll set up, either in the den or the kitchen.”
    “We’ll show you how to use it,” Dan assured her. “What to do when you want to go out in the backyard and also when you enter and leave the house. There will even be a sensor for your garage door, so we’ll get you a new opener with the code programmed into it.”
    She squirmed in her chair, hating to ask the next question. “H-How much will all this cost?”
    “You let me worry about that,” Mark told her. “And don’t give me any trouble about it. Faith would have my head if we didn’t take every precaution here.”
    “They’re also bringing a different answering machine,” Dan added. “One that’s separate from the phone. Don’t use the landline for anything. Let the machine pick up all incoming calls.”
    “What about my web clients?” she asked. “I can’t just leave them hanging. And what if I get another call for my special…skills?”
    “Troy will pass along messages from people other than the stalker. Return those calls on your cell phone.” He looked at the other two men. “And we agree that for the moment it would be best if you don’t take any healing calls.”
    “But—”
    Troy covered one of her hands with his. “We don’t want you to do anything that will rile the media again before this has even had a chance to die down. And we certainly don’t want to spike the stalker.”
    Lauren chewed her bottom lip. “If someone really needs me, I don’t want to turn them down. If they need help, I want to provide it.” When Troy opened his mouth to say something she shook her head. “As good as you all are, I’m sure you can find some way to spirit me out of here and take me to wherever I have to go without stirring up a crowd. And you can make sure to keep a lid on things, right?”
    Reluctantly, they agreed.
    “But,” Mark said, “there’s a condition with all of this.”
    She frowned. “What kind of condition? What have you cooked up?”
    “You can’t stay here alone, even with the security we’re installing.”
    “Are you kidding me?” She stood with her fists planted on her hips. “You’ve got all these cameras set up inside and out and two monitors—one in my office and one in my bedroom. If anyone gets even close to the house, I can call 9-1-1 immediately. I’m used to being alone and you know it.”
    “Lauren.” Mark closed his hands over her fists and lifted them, unclenched her fingers. “I know that. Faith and I worry about that all the time. But I think this is a little more troublesome than usual. You’ve got more media. You’ve got nutjobs with signs, and your stalker has turned up again. This time his venom seems to be escalating. Either I put someone here, or you’re coming to stay with us.”
    “I can’t ask someone else to put themselves in the middle of this situation,” she protested.
    “No worries.” Mark grinned. “Troy will be staying here.”
    Hot and cold flashes surged through Lauren’s body and a little shiver skated along her spine. Troy staying here? With her? Just the two of them? She looked at him and although his face was carefully blank she couldn’t miss the heat darkening his eyes. Did the other two men sense the chemistry crackling