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Tanner, the older twin by nine minutes, asked, “Does that allow you time to drop the woman you rescued off somewhere?”

If Boone had anything to say about it, Tildi’s home would be with him at Wild River Ranch. Either way, he wanted to give her a chance to see it. “No,” he told his brothers. “Both Tildi and I will be back at the ranch in three and a half weeks.”

His statement was met with silence. He got it. He hadn’t shown any interest in the opposite sex since he’d gotten home. Three years was a long time. But as soon as they met Tildi, they’d understand.

“Okay then,” Chance said. “See you for Thanksgiving.”

Thanksgiving on the ranch with Tildi. That sounded perfect.

After Boone cut the call, Grif and Dutch exchanged a glance. Grif was the first to speak. “So, Tildi’s home is on the way to Wild River?”

“No, but we wouldn’t be stopping by there even if it was.”

Grif grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Dutch nodded and asked, “So, it’s like that, is it?”

“Yeah, Dutch,” Boone deadpanned back. “It’s like that.”

The callto his friend Sevin was short and to the point. Boone just needed him to know that Nico was aware it was Boone who’d tried to take him out. There was no connection between Boone and Sev that Nico would know about.

“I’m headed down to check on Tildi and get on some dry clothes,” he called out to Grif and Dutch. “Grif, you’ve got first watch to make sure that fucker Midnight doesn’t show up. Dutch, bring us around and head for Seattle. Let me know if there’s a problem. I’ll be up to relieve one of you after I get some shuteye and make sure Tildi’s situated.”

Both men gave him a chin lift, though Dutch added, “Roger that.”

Boone moved silently down the spiral ladder to the lower deck where the staterooms were found. The two twin staterooms where Dutch and Grif slept lay to the aft of the ship. Boone turned forward where the master suite lay.

The master stateroom suite sported a high ceiling with three large skylights over a king-sized bed. Forcing the things he could do to Tildi in that bed out of his head – for now – he sat down beside her on the couch in the seating area opposite the bed and drew her onto his lap. Trembling in his arms, she searched his face. Those gorgeous lavender eyes sucked him in.

He'd found her curled up on the couch, her knees curled into her chest, staring around the luxurious stateroom. The clothes Grif had found in Sev’s closet still lay stretched out on the bed.

He had to give it to his friend, Sev. The man did nothing by half measures. It had shocked the shit out of him when Sev had offered to let him useMidnight’s Mistressafter learning Sev’s father was Boone’s target.

It shouldn’t have. There was no love loss between Sev and Nico. There hadn’t been for a long time. Nico hated Sev’s mother. Sev had never shared why, but as the oldest of Nico’sfour sons, Sev would inherit the Midnight throne whether the old man liked Sev’s mother or not.

Boone was all for it. His friend wanted to take the Midnight family in a different direction. Not that Sev was a boy scout, far from it. But even he realized his father was a threat to everyone, especially the Cosa Nostra.

That was between the two of them, though. Boone knew better than to get mixed up in Cosa Nostra business. But with that look on the senior Midnight’s face, as his chopper had turned back, Boone might not have a choice.

She continued to gaze at him without speaking, looking for what, he wasn’t sure. If he had to guess, he’d bet on assurance, so he gave it to her.

After wrapping her in his arms, he said, “It’s all right now, brave girl. You’re safe now. You’ll always be safe with Daddy. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“How many women have you had on your boat?” she asked. “There must be a lot for you to have a whole closet full of women's clothes.”

“First, it’s a ship, not a boat, and I’ve never had a woman here,” he told her.

“Then why do you have a closet full of women’s clothes? They’re not your size,” she said.

Her confusion was acceptable. Her snarky comments were not. “Are you wanting a second spanking in one day, babygirl? If not, I suggest you change your tone, stop accusing, and ask me what you want to know in a respectful manner.”

She squirmed and quickly uttered, “Sorry, Daddy. I don’t want another spanking. Why have you got a closet full of women’s clothes on your boat, I mean ship?”

“Thank you, sweet girl. That was exactly the way to ask. I don’t know why there is a closet full of women’s clothes, darlin’, because this isn’t my ship. It belongs to my friend, Sev Midnight.He let me borrow it for my mission. I asked Grif to pick you out an outfit because I knew he wouldn’t mind.”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and blushed. “Oh.”

He tapped the tip of her nose and repeated, “Yes, oh.”