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men last night or her genuine surprise at him sleeping on the floor instead of demanding a place in her bed.
    Gavin led the way across the parking garage, heading to the far side where they’d left her Mustang the night before on the outside row. Even though he knew it might be a bad idea, he had to say something to her.
    “Look, I don’t mean to butt in where I don’t belong,” he started as they crossed the chilly lot, “but something you said last night is bothering me, about gentlemen and how they don’t exist for you. Anyone would—”
    “Do we need to stop at your house to get any stuff?” Shelley interrupted, jerking on his arm as she spoke and forcing him slightly off balance. “I should have offered last night. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    “I was thinking those men wanted us dead.” He struggled to keep his hold on her suitcase and stay upright, leaning into her as she continued marching forward. “But to answer your question, no. I don’t have a home anymore. What you see is what I have, that’s why this job was so important to me.”
    “What?” She stopped walking, forcing Gavin to stop as well, clearly stunned. “You told Nick you ran a spa. How’d you end up with nothing at all?”
    He glanced around the deserted garage, glad no one was there to overhear Shelley’s echoing voice. “All for the love of a woman,” he said softly. “Or, more accurately, all because of the stupidity of this trusting man who thought he could find redemption.” He sighed. “Turns out, he’ll always be a thief, no matter what he does to turn his life around.”
    Shelley tilted her head slightly and gazed up at him. Her eyes shone an intense blue in the sunlight streaming through the openings in the cement wall. “You don’t think redemption is possible?”
    “I don’t know. Apparently not for me.” Gavin shrugged. “But that’s not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that any gentleman should be pleased to have you—”
    Her fingers pressed into his lips and she pushed him slightly back between two cars, effectively stopping his speech.
    “Please, Gavin, you have to stop being nice to me. Don’t say things that aren’t true.”
    “You keep interrupting,” he protested. “How do you know they aren’t true when you don’t even let me finish?”
    She backed away and dug into her purse while answering, “Because you’re the first man I’ve met who even tried to be a gentleman. In four hours, I have to drop you off. I’m not likely to ever meet another gentleman if redemption isn’t possible, so don’t get my hopes up.” Pulling the key fob for the Mustang from her purse, she grinned at him. “I’m just happy to learn your breed isn’t entirely extinct.” She winked and pointed the keys down the row of vehicles at the rental car, hitting the remote start button.
    A sudden explosion shook the ground, throwing Gavin into the vehicle he stood by and then onto the cement. Heat from the direction of the Mustang flared and flames leapt to the ceiling. Car alarms began shrieking all around the parking lot.
    Damn it! They found us!
    Gavin wondered if the rogue agents waited in the garage to finish them off if the bomb didn’t do the trick. The alarms made it impossible to hear if anyone moved around the space, but cars didn’t blow up on their own. He turned his head carefully toward the side, almost afraid to check on Shelley. He’d already seen one dead woman less than twenty-four hours ago, and Shelley had been more exposed to the blast.
    She had collapsed near the car he fell against and wasn’t moving. Shattered glass littered the ground and covered her clothes and hair. Staring at her from a distance didn’t tell him anything. He’d have to man up and find out if she was okay.
    Getting into a crouched position and avoiding the broken glass as best he could, Gavin crept to the end of the cars and peered around them, searching for any evidence of Stephen or Terrence. Though