Hero Book 3 - The Battle: Military Romance by M. S. Parker

there and wait for a drink to be sent over. It'd come with an envelope of instructions, and the first half of the cash.”
    “What about the other person with you in the basement?” I stepped forward and Lennon stepped back.
    “I told you enough, and now I'm leaving.”
    Before I could say anything, Lennon unzipped his hooded sweatshirt and showed me a gun in his waistband.
    Shit.
    His hand was shaking and I wondered if it was nerves or if he had another reason to be so twitchy. Either way, there was no way I wanted his hands anywhere near a loaded gun.
    So much for making a citizen's arrest and then holding him for the police. I was pretty sure I could disarm him without him getting to the gun, but I wasn't going to take that risk with all these men around me. I wasn't going to put them at risk. I'd just have to hope the cops could find him again.
    Lennon slipped out the side door without another word. When he was gone, my sparring partner directed me to Lennon's locker and then left me alone to do whatever I had to do.
    The lock was easily broken, and I rifled through the dingy belongings. It was mostly dirty clothes and a couple magazines that were a little too kinky for me. Finally, tucked inside the pocket of his jeans, I found a faded receipt for Silverlake Java.
    I stuck it in my pocket. Part of me wanted to go right away, but I knew I needed to keep Devlin updated, and that I should probably clue in the cops. Heading back to the house had nothing to do with seeing Leighton.
    Really.

    Devlin called to me while I was still outside. I went straight to his office, but I couldn't stop myself from looking around, trying to spot Leighton. I hadn't heard anything coming from the pool house, so I was starting to suspect she'd taken advantage of me being away and left.
    “Shandra is spoiling Leighton with lobster bisque for a late lunch,” Devlin said as soon as I walked into his office.
    With that news, I relaxed enough to sit down, though I really wanted to continue to the kitchen and seen Leighton for myself. Being away from her so long was making me feel restless.
    Still, I had a job to do.
    “My lead panned out, and I found the fake bartender.”
    Devlin stopped mid-step.
    “He had a gun, and there were people around, so I couldn't take him down.”
    “Are you okay?” Devlin's eyes narrowed.
    Was he worried about me? The thought was strange, but not unwelcome. I'd expected frustration from him that I hadn't been able to bring Lennon in. Not at me, but at the circumstances at least.
    “I'm fine. In fact, I got a name for the police if you want to share with them. Lennon Miles,” I said. “Though I think it might be a good idea to say that you got it from one of your contacts rather than me. I don't think they'd take too kindly to me having found it before them.”
    Devlin nodded. “You're probably right.”
    “I did get another lead,” I continued. “Do you want me to share that too, or do you want me to pursue it?”
    “I think you're doing quite well on your own,” he said. “I'll trust you to share what I need to know.”
    I nodded, and then asked, “How have things been around here?”
    Devlin followed my gaze to the door and smiled. “Leighton's fine, Haze. She hasn't even mentioned leaving the house.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “And you think that's fine? It doesn't sound like she's back to normal.”
    “I don't think she’s trying to get back to normal,” he said, walking over to the French doors and looking outside. “I think my granddaughter is trying to reassess what she wants to do and who she wants to be.”
    My stomach clenched at the words.
    “I don't have anything else.” He didn't look at me as I stood up.
    He knew where I was going.
    Leighton's laugh stopped me half-way down the hall. Devlin's words echoed in my head. If Leighton was indeed trying to move on instead of getting back to the way things had been, then I was nothing more than a constant reminder of the worst times, the