Claire was soft and rounded, and where Josie’s hair was a dark reddish brown, Claire’s was the color of cooked carrots…or maybe a shade or two darker, but very red nevertheless. It sprang out from her head in curls she’d done nothing to tame. Her clothes looked as though she’d gotten them at a rummage sale. Worn and faded jeans, an oversized Portland State sweatshirt that had seen better days and tennis shoes that would have looked disreputable on a homeless person.
“There was a fire at the mercenary school.”
Claire rushed forward and hugged Josie with one arm. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything? A cup of tea. I bought a new apricot blend. Maybe you want a glass of cold water.”
“I’m fine. I just want a shower and bed.”
“Right. Look, you take your shower, and I’ll make you a cup of tea. You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to.”
From Josie’s description, he’d assumed Claire would be quiet, but the woman was a chatterbox.
“I wouldn’t mind some if you’re making it,” he said.
Claire and Josie both turned startled eyes on him as if they’d forgotten he was there. It was a new experience for him. He didn’t court female attention, but he didn’t seem to be able to avoid it either.
“Of course. My name is Claire.” She let go of Josie’s shoulder and stuck her hand out.
He shook it, impressed by her firm grip and steady brown gaze.
“Daniel Black Eagle.”
Claire looked at Josie as if asking for an explanation.
“It’s Nitro.”
Claire’s eyes widened, and she gasped. “Oh.”
He frowned at Josie.
“He’s dropping me off because my car was destroyed in the fire.”
Claire’s eyes filled with concerned dismay. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. I’m alive and so is Dad. That’s all that really matters.”
“I’m not just dropping you off, Josette.” He liked that name and figured if Claire could use it, so could he. “Until we find out whoever is responsible for the fire, you and me are going to be like Rodgers and Hammerstein. Always together.”
She stared at him with nothing less than shock. “You can’t stay here.”
“Sure I can.”
“I don’t have a spare room.”
“Your sofa looks comfortable.” If a bit short, but it was longer than average.
The overstuffed couch looked a whole lot more amenable to sleep than a lot of beds he’d had over the years.
“That’s not the point. You aren’t staying here, Nitro.”
“I asked you to call me Daniel.”
She rolled her eyes, her frustration palpable. “Daniel…you cannot stay here.”
“Then you are going with me.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
She groaned, and he couldn’t help the smile that creased his lips.
She was damn cute when she was irritated.
“I’m a trained soldier. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Why can’t he stay here?” Claire asked as if Josie hadn’t spoken.
“You know why!”
“It would seem to me that would be the very reason to let him stay.”
“It’s a bad idea.” Josie frowned darkly at him.
He hadn’t understood anything the two women had just said except that Claire thought he should stay.
He turned toward her. “Someone tried to kill Josette’s dad with the fire, and she could be at risk, too. I’m going to help her find the culprits.”
Claire spun to face Josie again. “Someone tried to kill your dad? Where is he?”
He listened to Josie explain while he found a place in the hall closet for his duffel bag and weapons case.
Claire looked even more worried than she had when Josie arrived looking like a fire survivor, which she was. “You told me it was always better to have more than one soldier on a mission.”
“So?”
“This investigation sounds like a mission to me. I think you should let Daniel stay and help you with it.”
“He doesn’t have to stay in my house to help me.”
“Yes, I do.” He was done discussing it. She could argue until she was hoarse with it, but he wasn’t going anywhere. “Claire, you said something about tea.”
“Of course. Josette, take your shower while I make your colleague some breakfast.”
“He’s not my colleague. I’m not a merc anymore.”
“But you are going to work with him on a mission. That makes him your colleague.” Claire’s logic seemed to deflate Josie, who started down the hall.
“I’ll take my shower. Why don’t you cook Nitro some breakfast, Claire?”
“I think I’ll spare him the pain and pour him a bowl of cereal.”
“I’d rather you cooked,” Josie threw back over her shoulder as she turned into a doorway to her left.
Claire just laughed and led Daniel into the kitchen where she pulled out a box of health-food-type cereal and a carton of organic milk from the fridge.
Handing him a bowl and spoon, she smiled wryly. “The last time I cooked, I set the kitchen on fire.”
He looked around him. The maple cabinets appeared to be in perfect condition. “It didn’t seem to do any lasting damage.”
“No, but the fire department wasn’t amused to be called out to put out a pan of flaming tofu dogs.”
“You called them to put out the fire?”
“The neighbors did. I was working on something on the computer and didn’t notice the smoke until the fire trucks arrived.”
He could not fathom being that unaware of his surroundings and shook his head.
Josie came out of the shower a half an hour later looking clean, but pale with exhaustion. Claire cajoled her into eating some cereal and then bullied her into bed.
Daniel added his voice to the other woman’s arguments, and Josie glared at him. “You’re not staying here.”
“Save it for after your nap.”
“Grown women don’t take naps.”
“You’re no good to me or your dad exhausted. Your brain isn’t even working well enough to realize my staying makes the most sense.”
That brought some more grumbling, but she turned smartly on her heel and stomped off, saying something about knowing when she wasn’t wanted.
He could have argued that particular point by the simple expedient of standing up from the table and revealing evidence to the contrary, but he found himself smiling as he watched the cranky woman disappear around the corner to the hall.
“I’ll look, but chances are he’s not using plastic for anything and he’s got an alternate identity set up somewhere.”
Daniel knew Hotwire was right, and the chances of tracing Tyler McCall’s whereabouts with the computer were slim, but they had to try. Because, frankly, unless Josie saw something in the journals he hadn’t, they had no other leads for finding her dad.
He’d been reading them ever since she went to bed and Claire had left for her classes. He’d learned a lot, but none of it relevant to the explosion and fire at the compound. So he’d called his friend Hotwire for his input.
“His disappearing act doesn’t make sense,” Hotwire added. “Why would he leave Josie to fend for herself if he knew the source of the threat and was hiding from it? Wouldn’t he take her with him?”
“Maybe Josie isn’t at risk.”
“Someone willing to blow up his compound to kill him would be willing to use his daughter to get to him.”
That’s what worried Daniel. “It’s not going to happen.”
“You said he had Josie call you before he took a powder.”
“Yes.”
“Then he didn’t leave her to fend for herself, did he? He knew you’d watch her back and better than he could in the state he was in.”
“Maybe.” But Hotwire was right. Tyler knew Daniel well enough to know he’d never abandon Josie to investigating the explosion on her own. Just as he had to have known Daniel would call his friends in to help.