At the living room, she stopped short.
Matt and Shane lounged on the couch reading files while Nathan stood near the door, a ball cap on his face and thick sunglasses over his eyes.
Josie’s heart began to pound. “Nice glasses.”
Nathan shrugged. “Yeah. Helps with the security cameras everywhere. Standard when I travel.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
Shane glanced up, a frown settling between his eyes. “Angel?”
Memories shot through her head in rapid succession. She took a step back, her wide-eyed gaze on Nathan. “It’s you.”
He cocked his head to the side. “What’s me?”
She breathed out. Hard. “In the coffee shop. Ball cap. Eyeglasses.” Her gaze slashed to Shane and then back again. “It’s you.” She knew he looked familiar. Rage and fear boiled into a lump in the pit of her stomach.
Shane unfolded to his feet, his gaze moving from Josie to Nathan and back again. “Honey, a lot of people have aviator glasses.”
Pure raw fury ripped through her so fast her breath heated. “Don’t lie to me. He was as big as you. Built like you.” She turned on Nathan. “It was you. The asshole in the coffee shop.”
Pain splashed ice over the fury. She rounded on Shane. “You didn’t save me. You set me up.” Two years ago. The scene where Shane had been her hero. When everything started. They’d planned the confrontation. No wonder the bully had left so easily without argument. The bully was Nathan.
He cut his eyes to Shane.
Josie leapt for the black gun on the table, flipping off the safety and backing away. She kept all three men in her sight. “The safety’s off this time, Matt.” Her voice trembled low with fury. Her hands shook.
He remained relaxed from his perch on the sofa. “You know, this is the second time you’ve held a gun on me this week, little sister.” He cleared his throat. “If one of these two tried that, I’d break their hands.”
“You’d try,” Shane and Nathan said in unison, gazes locked on her.
Matt tilted his head in acknowledgment. “Put the gun down, Josie. Let’s talk.”
The keys to her Toyota sat on the coffee table. “Throw me my keys, Matt.”
Shane stepped between the table and Josie. “Not going to happen. Now put down the gun before you really piss me off.”
She widened her stance, swinging her aim to the center of his chest. “So, genetically enhanced boy. Can you stop a bullet?”
“No.” Anger began to burn slate through his eyes. “Now, Josie.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? You set me up.”
“Yes.” His gaze remained on her eyes, not on the gun.
“The whole thing… meeting me, marrying me… you fucking set me up.” Her grip tightened on the weapon.
“No.” He took a step toward her. “The meeting was a setup. The rest was real.”
“Bullshit.” She dropped her aim to his knee. Her own stupidity slapped her in the face. “Take another step, and you’ll limp for life, Shane. If that’s even your name.”
“It is,” Nathan chimed in. “Always has been.”
Her breath began to come out in short pants. “Give me my keys.” She needed to get out of the cabin. Confusion rioted through her mind.
“No,” Shane said.
Did he just get closer somehow?
Josie backed up until she met the wall. “Why? Why me?” Did he need a cover for a couple months? If so, why had he come back?
“You had something I wanted.” His gaze swept her body, a slight smile tipping his lips.
Even when she was scared and pissed off, her body responded to him. Warmed and tingled. She lifted her chin. “What did you want?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Give me the gun, and we’ll discuss the matter.”
Nathan eased toward the door. “I’ll give you some space. Good luck with this, Shane.” He dodged outside, whistling the Dixie Chicks’ “Ready to Run.”
Josie gasped, starting to swing the gun toward the door and then refocusing the weapon back on Shane.
He smiled. Studying her. Knowing her. “Matt? Take off, would you? I need a moment with my wife.” He emphasized the word wife just enough to snap her spine to attention.
She kept her gaze on her husband. Betrayal burned like cigarette ashes down her esophagus. “You move, Matt, I’m shooting him. Watch me.”
Matt stretched to his feet. “That’s okay. He probably deserves it.” Then Matt opened the door. “I’m going for a jog. See you folks later.” The door shut behind him.
A strangled scream filled Josie’s throat. The gun did not even remotely scare these guys.
Shane blew out a breath. “Josie—” Quick as a whip, he struck, pinning her arm against the wall. His body boxed her in, while the grip on her wrist tightened. “Let go of the gun.”
She bit her lip, holding on with every ounce of stubbornness she owned.