Free Dangerous by Jacquelyn Frank Page A

considered each other family. Like the partnership she had with Kellen. Her seven-year-old, Parker, called him Uncle Kellen. Her partner practically lived on her sofa during their off time, even though he had a gorgeous condo of his own to go home to. For all his machismo, Kellen didn’t like being alone. A large extended family and life in the military had gotten him used to being around a lot of people. Inez supposed one rambunctious boy could easily dispel that sense of loneliness.
    It was likely that Liam felt he had to remain aloof in order to maintain his command, but it was more than that. Or rather, less than that. He was used to working in a team, finding a rhythm so everything ran in perfect synchronicity, but she suspected that individual personal relationships baffled him. Even his relationship with Colin, his own brother, seemed distant. Oh, no one doubted that Liam would walk through the burning fires of hell for his brother, but he was no closer to Colin than to anyone else under his command.
    Inez sat at the restaurant table across from Liam, dressed in one of the designer dresses she was allotted every year so that in situations like this she could blend in unremarkably. Technically, she and Liam had been out on about a hundred dates over the last three years; just like this, sitting as though they were a normal couple instead of heavily armed and alert bodyguards. She watched exits and distant persons; he watched the principal and those near her.
    Frankly, after learning exactly who was after Devon Candler, and that they had what Liam termed ‘a powerful motivation’ to obliterate her, Inez would have felt more comfortable with more backup. Kellen had been left in charge of the house in Liam’s absence, and she felt naked without him. Not that she wouldn’t trust her life to Liam in a heartbeat. Because she would. However, she had a connection with Kellen that couldn’t be duplicated.
    But for the moment she was dependent on Liam, and Colin was their only backup as he waited outside under the guise of their limo driver. As a cop she’d faced down a rare Morphate or two and it had been a terrifying experience. She’d once emptied two 9mm clips into one, and that had only slowed the perp down long enough for them to make an arrest as quickly as they could. By the time they got the Morphate back to the station he’d already been conscious and healing.
    Inez’s dress was black and fell to just above her knees. It was conservative around the neckline and sleeves because she had to wear her new NHK armored vest under it. She loved the new vest. It was so light and perfectly fitted to her to accommodate her busty proportions. Most armor smashed her boobs down and that was a bitch to handle for eight- to ten-hour shifts. Veronica Klein was a genius, and anyone who said different was a jackass. Liam was brilliant in her book as well. He’d had a strong hand in the ergonomics of the design; like the part about tailoring it to fit the individual. That thoughtfulness inspired devotion and loyalty from one’s troops, so it really perturbed her to see Liam out of sorts, knowing she couldn’t do anything about it.
    If Liam had heard her describe him as ‘out of sorts,’ he would have found the description woefully insufficient. He sat facing Devon, who was only two tables away from them. He could see her, as well as her smarmy date, quite clearly. He had to admit, the man was a classic. Tall, dark, handsome, and positively oozing charm. He was also constantly finding reasons to touch Devon. On her hand over the table, rubbing her back as he seated her, or touching her neck and face in an obvious flirtation whenever they got up to dance.
    Whenever they danced, Liam pulled Inez into his arms and joined them so he could keep closer watch. The dress Devon was almost wearing caught a great deal of attention, so it was very difficult to sort out carnal interest from