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ear. “Was it NINA?”
    The media all thought NINA was responsible too. Why?
    Beth didn’t know—yet.

4

    W e’ve got a problem.”
    Joe recognized his former Shadow Watcher teammate’s voice in his Bluetooth. After taking down NINA’s human-trafficking operation and rescuing Mark’s Lisa, the team decided it best to keep their distance for a while. Broader target . Fortunately they had secure phones to stay in touch.
    “What’s up, bro?” Joe slid on his stomach through the grass and held up his night-vision goggles.
    Nearly nine thirty, long past dark, and still no sign of Karl Masson. Joe’s sources had been adamant that the escaped NINA operative was in this state park. His RV and the car he towed behind it hadn’t moved in two days, but the man was a no-show.
    Mark filled Joe in on the club attack.
    Joe’s stomach clutched. “Are Beth and Lisa okay?”
    “Lisa’s safe. Beth’s rattled but fine. She’s why I’m calling.”
    She’s safe. She’s safe. Breathe, Joe. Breathe . “Oh?”
    “Yeah. She’s looking into the incident, Joe.”
    “Dangerous work.” If NINA was behind it, deadly.
    “And then some. She wants you to call her.” Mark sighed. “She’s like you.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Always the strong one holding up everybody else.”
    “You’re subtle as mud, bro.” Mark had overhead one too many calls from Joe’s wayward brothers, hitting him up for bail money. “It’s different. She’s different.”
    “I don’t think it’s different.”
    “Taking care of everybody is her nature.” Joe loved that about her. As a kid, he’d longed for someone to take care of him and his brothers. But with his parents, that was a pipe dream. They’d rather drink than feed their kids. With Beth, caring was just there. As natural to her as breathing. Was it encoded in her DNA or something? He wondered. Often. The woman was gorgeous—slim, brown shiny hair with gold streaks and bright brown eyes—and got Joe’s attention, but her nurturing everyone—even him … That snagged his heart and reeled him in like a fish. Where she stood toward him was anyone’s guess.
    “Not to change the subject, but you need to know. We had a fatality—Clyde Parker.”
    Joe recalled the arthritic senior he’d first mistaken for Nora’s husband and his stomach clutched again. “I’m sorry, bro. He was a good man.” Joe skidded back to a tree and sat up behind it. “How’s Nora taking it?”
    “About like you’d expect.”
    “Yeah.” Joe let his gaze drift. “You summoning the team?” Mark would get the indirect question. Do you think NINA pulled the attack?
    “Considered it, but things here are too hot. FBI is handling it.”
    And Homeland Security. “I’m there if you need me.”
    “I’m not officially in the loop. Anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
    “Understood.” Beth wanted him to call. She confused Joe, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. She seemed interested in him, but his charm didn’t work on her. Figured. The one woman he wished it would work on was immune. “Did Beth say why she wanted me to call?” Was it personal or professional?
    “No.”
    “Care to speculate?” Joe couldn’t tamp his interest.
    “Could be she’s shaky. Seeing everyone blacked out like that and Nora losing Clyde—you know Beth’s really close to Nora, right?”
    “Yeah, I know.” There wasn’t much Beth and he hadn’t discussed except those parts of their work that neither of them could discuss with anyone.
    “She might want to talk about Sara’s husband.”
    Beth and Robert Tayton had a longstanding feud. She didn’t trust him andhe hated her for it. Sara was stuck in the middle, playing peacemaker, and Beth hated that most of all. “What’s the snake-oil salesman done now?”
    “I don’t know. He didn’t show up today. Sara couldn’t reach him. She was worried.”
    That’d send Beth into a tailspin. Back in college, she’d promised Sara’s mom she’d watch