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The little minx is out for blood, and it’s so fucking sexy, but I don’t get a chance to comment before she’s pacing back and forth again.
“This town is so... Ugh! Dayton, if I don’t get out of here even for a moment to breathe, I will kill someone, and it won’t be pretty.” Her chest is heaving now, and she’s tugging at her hair.
“Hey, hey,” I murmur quietly to her, grabbing her hands and stopping her from hurting herself. “Look at me,” I demand, holding her wrists, and that seems to snap her out of her fury.
She looks up at me, and I watch as her pupils dilate. I am starting to get a handle on Ms. Kensington Watson. Despite all of her bravado and unquestionable skills at being an agent, she secretly wants someone to take care of her, and she seems to react positively to firm control.
“I have you now. Take a breath in through your mouth and out through your nose.” She does as instructed, and I talk her through a couple more breaths until I feel her heart rate settle under my fingers. “Okay, good. Now, I have an idea. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere. You can blow off some steam and get away from this town. It does have a habit of closing in on you, and I can’t imagine the high school is any better.”
I open the door to the consultation room, and Kevin and Tim look up. “Are you done?” Kevin sounds surprised, and I shrug.
“No, but Mac isn’t completely sure what she wants, and I thought a drive to help her clear her mind might help her process. Plus, I’m hungry, and thinking on an empty stomach is not fun, so I’m taking her to lunch.”
Kevin smirks at me. “Yeah, okay, you player,” he mutters, putting on a good show for Tim. I just wink, and Tim grunts, looking at Mac warily when she exits the room behind me. Now I know Tim is Kevin’s best friend, and he seems like a standup guy, but we haven’t been able to get a good read on him yet as far as the case goes. He is one of the original members of the club, both he and his wife. They seem to be on the up and up, but so do a lot of the other residents of this town.
We wave goodbye, and I feel their eyes on us as I drag Mac out the back door and to my car. Mac admires the classic American muscle car as I open the door to the 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am, helping her in. Before she sits, I reach over and grab a gym towel off the back seat and lay it down for her. Her eyebrows jump in surprise, and she looks at me questioningly.
I just smirk. “Your skirt flew up before, and I saw the red handprints on it. This might make the ride a little more comfortable.”
Her eyes narrow, and she glares but sits down gingerly. I close the door behind her and hurry around to the driver’s side. I start the car and leave the lot, heading past her foster home and in the direction of some hot springs that are a favorite of mine whenever I’m in town. At this time of day, they should be empty with all the teens still in school. I stop by Subway, running in to grab us some subs and drinks, before continuing on our way. Mac’s eyes close not long into the trip, and I decide to keep my thoughts to myself so she can get some rest. It was a late night with the team meeting, and I’m sure she needs the rest. After all, she’s still healing from the damage I did to her.
I turn the radio on low. An easy listening country channel floods the car, and I tap my finger along to the beat.
“I did not picture you as a country music fan.” Mac’s voice is low and husky as she turns her head to look at me.
I don’t take my eyes off the road as I shrug. “My parents were obsessed with it for some reason,” I reply.
“What nationality makes up Dayton Wexley?” she asks, closing her eyes again. “It’s not a very Asian name.”
“My parents are of Korean descent, but they are third generation American, born and bred. My great-grandfather was stationed here during the Korean War as a liaison to the Americans, and he married my great-grandma, who was also here for the same reason, and neither of them left.”
“Ah, but that doesn’t explain the slight accent,” she says, and I’m impressed she can hear it. Not many do.
“My family ensured that we were bilingual. Korean was spoken at home, and I guess we all have a touch of the accent from my grandparents.”
“Do you still see them, and do they know what you do?” she asks quietly, and I guess it’s only fair. I know everything about her family—hell, they are practically my own.
“Yes, I do still see them, and no, they think I am a traveling tattoo artist. They know that I’m friends with Anders and Max, and we kind of played up Max as being a bored rich kid. It’s a good cover, as you know, and they never question where I am in the world. It’s safer that they don’t know, and neither do my four siblings.”
“Four? Oh wow, that must have been fun growing up.” A wistful smile spreads across her face, but her eyes stay closed.
I snort my disagreement. “Ah, no. I was the youngest of five, and the rest were girls. I assure you it was hell.”
She chuckles. “Oh no, was poor little Dayton used as a doll by his big sisters?”
“Constantly,” I grumble as I turn off the main highway and drive my precious car down a gravel access road. The locals have made it wider over the years, but I still take care with my car. I pull into a small parking area and turn the engine off. She opens her eyes and looks around.
“Where are we?” she asks, and I pat her knee.
“It’s a surprise. Come on, it’s a short hike.” I grab our subs and drinks before climbing out, and then I get my duffle bag from the trunk. I shove the food and drinks inside and put it over my shoulder. When I get back to the front, she’s waiting for me.
“Will I need my backpack?” she asks, and I shake my head.
“Nope, I have everything. Come on.” I grab her hand and tow her up the path toward the springs.
She allows me to, which is just one more tick to the wants to be looked after box. If she didn’t, then she would have yanked her hand out of mine, but she just sighs and follows along like a lamb. This isn’t what I thought our newest team member would be like, but she’s starting to feel comfortable enough with us to let her guard down, and I’m going to make the most of it.
Chapter 28
