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We’ll see where it goes from there. But, honey, a word of advice. Sit back and relax a little. You get too wound up over every little thing and you’ll wear yourself out. And let Brock help you. He’s a good guy. He’s one of the most loyal men I know, and that means he’s not looking to undermine you.”
    “I just wish I’d known Brock was going to be here. It would have…well, I was going to say it would have been easier, but I don’t think Brock ever makes anything easy.”
    PJ laughed. “Slade loves to be dramatic. Guy could have texted you about Brock, but no, that’s a possible leak that could get out. So you get the surprise. Now I hate to eat and run, but I need to meet Talib. With Kamal and Erin securing themselves in their apartments for the foreseeable future, I get a bit of down time. So does Talib.”
    Standing, Keira nodded. “I need to go find Brock. I’m going to put him in charge of Khalil’s security for now, and if you’ll take care of keeping Shira safe, that should cover our bases. I don’t imagine those two will be leaving the palace any time soon, any more than Erin and the sheikh will.”
    Grabbing her towel, PJ stood. “Got it, boss. By the way, with Brock, you never know what might happen if you give him a little encouragement. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
    “And that’s a good thing?”
    PJ grinned. “Very good. You two seem like a perfect match.” With a wave, PJ headed out.
    Growling under her breath, Keira threw off her cover-up and dove into the pool. Ten laps later, she shook the water from her head and clung to the side of the pool. Perfect match? She wasn’t here for that. But she couldn’t shake the sizzle that had settled under her skin. Given their cover, she couldn’t keep Brock at arm’s length, and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to.
    She dipped back into the pool and swam another ten laps. Maybe if she wore herself out, she wouldn’t be so damn aware of Brock’s body—and they could both focus on the job and nothing else.

Chapter 8
    Heading out in his car, Brock took the back road into the city. He called Slade from a burner phone, one he hadn’t used before. A moving target was a harder one to follow, and he wanted to make sure this call wasn’t overheard. Two rings and Slade picked up.
    “How’s Keira?” Slade asked, his voice raspy, as if he’d been up all night.
    “You tell me,” Brock said. “Seems like you know a lot more about each of us than you ever told me.”
    Slade gave a slow laugh. “It’s my job to know each member of my team. It’s what enables me to make the best use of their skills. Take Keira, for instance. She’s still got her walls up. She’s never quite gotten over her folks abandoning her. I think she’s worried it’ll happen again.”
    “How’s that?”
    “Think about it. She puts herself at fault for not being loveable enough to hang onto her parents. That’s how she feels. Now she’s in a situation where possible failure looms again. If she’s not good enough...” Slade let the words fade.
    Glancing at the traffic, Brock changed lanes. “So she fails and she thinks we’ll dump her? That’s not going to happen.”
    “Because you’re there to make sure she succeeds? Sounds like you’re getting in deep with her.”
    Slade didn’t sound judgmental, but Brock winced anyway. “I’m here to watch her back. That’s why you sent me.”
    “Is it? You’ve still got your walls up, too, Brock. Keeping people safe by keeping them back. Doesn’t always work.”
    “Like you have to tell me that,” Brock said. He thought back to Tayra, his ex. They’d married straight out of high school and she’d stuck it out with him for six years. He could count on his fingers the number of days he’d actually been home.
    She’d finally had enough on Brock’s last mission with the SEALs. He’d gotten her letter in South America. He hadn’t seen her since. Tayra had moved back to