Her face turned pink. “You went through a bunch of HDD agents to get to me?” Her voice hushed, and she looked at him the way nobody in his entire life had looked at him. As if he could do anything. As if he was her hero. His body heated, and he wanted more than anything to hold that look forever. To actually be a hero, which he’d never come close to.

“Yeah,” he whispered, cupping her still-bruised jaw. “Vaughn is getting stitches right now. I could go hit him again if you want.”

Her smile was like the sunset between darkened rain clouds. Bright and real. True. “That’s okay. I trust that you did a good job the first time.”

“I helped,” Raider groused from the doorway, wiping blood from his cheekbone.

“Raider!” Nari cried, turning and giving the big agent a hug. “I’ve missed you.”

Raider hugged her back, his angled face softening. “I’ve missed you, too. It’s only been a week and it’s not the same.”

Angus tugged her back to him and put an arm over her shoulder. “We’ll figure something out.”

Nari faltered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when Raider had you bailed out. I helped from here on my phone, but I couldn’t leave Opal until she was out of surgery.” She turned pale and bit her lip.

Angus slid his finger along her lip, getting her attention. “I know. You did everything I needed you to do.” How much pressure had Quan put on her to be the perfect HDD employee? She was apologizing for something that didn’t require an apology. He leaned down and kissed her nose. “Thank you for your help.”

She blinked, her pupils dilating.

Jesus. Didn’t anybody ever thank her? She was so damn good at everything that she made her job seem effortless and even fun. Probably because she did have fun. But that didn’t mean she should be taken for granted, and Angus had done that very thing for a year. He sighed. “How about I take you somewhere safe and make a bubble bath for you?”

“Now wait a minute here,” Quan said, stepping closer. “Your dalliance with my daughter almost got her and the leader of the HDD killed. It’s over. It’s time for you to leave.”

Nari looked up at Angus. “Did he actually just say dalliance?”

Angus tried not to laugh. “Yeah.”

Raider looked down the hallway. “Um, gang? I have a cadre of HDD agents headed this way, and while a couple of them didn’t seem to mind your beating up Vaughn, they’re not going to like your being in the administrator’s room.”

Angus caressed Nari’s arm, then took her hand. “Let’s get out of here.” He started walking toward Raider, who’d already edged into the hallway.