“Sure.” He lifted a shoulder. “However, this guy knows what you can do and is prepared for you. Also, I’ve trained with the best, have about a hundred pounds on you, and am pissed off enough to run through a wall. Feel free to kick me, princess.”

A knock on the door prevented her from responding.

She leaned to look through the keyhole and saw Vaughn Ealy on her front porch. Could this night get any worse?

* * *

Angus planted his hand on the dog’s vibrating head again. “Hello.” The guy standing in Nari’s entryway was tall and broad, with that look only a cop had. Or a federal agent. He had brown hair, sharp eyes, and seemed familiar with the room.

“Hi,” he said, sounding displeased.

Nari sighed and shut the door behind him. “Angus Force, this is Vaughn Ealy.”

Thought so. Angus didn’t bother extending his hand. “The guy who nearly cost both of you your careers because of his mishandling of his team?”

Nari groaned. “We are not doing this. Why are you at my apartment after midnight, Vaughn?”

“Now, that’s a great question,” Angus agreed, his skin prickling. The urge to put Nari behind him tightened every one of his muscles, and his left hand curled into a fist as he fought a craving to break the asshole’s nose.

Vaughn met Angus’s gaze evenly, his expression showing similar thoughts. He looked down at Nari. “I received word that you refused HDD protection, and then I heard that you bailed out a suspected serial killer. So I’m here, trying to see if you’ve lost your mind.”

Angus paused. She’d made calls inquiring about bailing him out? That was sweet—and stupid.

“He wasn’t arrested, so there’s no bail situation. In addition, he’s not a serial killer.” Nari wisely took a step away from Vaughn toward Roscoe, who’d picked up on the tension and was standing at full attention. “My personal life is none of your business.”

“Wrong. You work for me, so it is my business. I have cause to fire you,” Vaughn snapped.

The threat didn’t sit well with Angus. “You know, buddy, I have nothing to lose in beating the shit out of you. How often do you call women names?”

Vaughn rolled his eyes. “That’s a line of bullshit. Didn’t happen.”

Both of Nari’s eyebrows rose. “It did happen and you know it. Also, you were wrong about the entire situation, and a young agent could’ve died. You can try to rewrite the facts, but that’s what happened.” She spoke clearly and without passion, which really must have ticked Vaughn off.

His lips tightened. “We could argue your faulty memory all night, but that doesn’t change the situation. Do you or do you not want to continue your work with the HDD?”