The duct vent cover exploded off the wall. A black-clad blonde slid down a rope, shooting thug one on the way down. At the same time, a second shot came from the vent, taking out thug two.
I looked down at the tranquilized men at my feet. “I wouldn’t underestimate my girlfriend.”
CHAPTER 28
GAGE
True to my word, everyone on the team got a smooch from me. Well, at least the few I’d met. Also, Pasco’s was a kissing noise sent over a cell phone. And Li’s was from the safe distance of a room away, after entering the hotel room wearing head-to-toe black, sporting the most lethal-looking rifle I’d ever seen, and announcing that she’d shot the remaining two of the four thugs in the hallway in 2.3 seconds flat. Pasco had timed it for her. But Kessler got a real kiss on the cheek.
“It’s good you kept that platonic,” Kat said.
She’d slid down a second rope and joined us. She was wearing black high-top sneakers, but I only knew that because she pulled up the hem of her dress to show me. And that dress. Christ, she’d been killing me in that dress since the moment I’d seen her walk into the church before the wedding.
“You don’t want to make Kessler’s boyfriend jealous,” Kat said.
I raised my eyebrows. “Is he, by chance, the spy?”
Kat smiled. “Former spy. A good one, too. You would not want to cross him.”
“What’s their story? How do they make that work?” Kessler had promised she’d tell me after the mission, but I would rather hear Kat’s take on it.
“Their story, well, they met on the job, broke about a dozen rules by getting together, got separated by the agency, she got put out in the cold, he brought her back in. And then he gave up the business so she could stay in it.”
That last bit I didn’t see coming. “He’s okay sitting on the sidelines?”
Kessler was now close enough to hear us. She swept a hand down in front of her. “When this is what he’s waiting for? Absolutely.” She winked, then went back to the task of coordinating the arrival of the agency’s helicopters which would be picking up the two unconscious thugs.
“He gave it all up.” I shook my head. “God, that’s…” I struggled to find the right word. Romantic? Epic?
“It’s stupid,” Mai said, pulling off her balaclava. “He’s one of the best. But love is stupid like that, and still totally worth it.”
Kat and I glanced at each other.
“I think that’s your cue to leave,” Cynthia said. “You have a wedding reception to attend. Mai and I can write the after-action reports.”
“Again,” Mai said. “You’re welcome.”
“Thank you,” Kat said.
We walked to the hotel door, and she paused. “I’ll meet you down there. I have to check on Mr. Whiskerbottom Fuzzypants.”
I took her hand. “I was hoping I could come with you. I want to make sure the little dude is okay, too.”
She squeezed my fingers. “I’d like that. But I understand if that’s all this is. I do a dangerous job, and not everyone could live with that.”
I nodded. “I’ve thought about this a lot. In fact, it’s all I’ve thought about since our argument yesterday. And something occurred to me during Rex and Chelsea’s vows today. They’re putting their faith in love, in marriage, and in the future, and it could all be snatched away tomorrow.”
Kat furrowed her brow. “That’s pretty morbid thinking for a wedding.”
“No, it’s not because I realized it’s worth it to them to take the risk. I can’t bubblewrap the people I love or the animals I love or my own heart anymore because that’s just an illusion. A beloved husband and dad can leave for work and never make it home again. A devoted pet can die of a broken heart and leave too soon.” I took Kat’s face between my hands and stared into her pale blue eyes. “An idiot can go to the men’s room and get kidnapped by the men his spy girlfriend warned him were coming for him. It’s life, and it’s dangerous, and it’s beautiful, and it’s messy. I want the chance to see how dangerous and messy and beautiful it can be with you.”
She laid her hands over mine and gave me a dazzling smile. “Me, too. Let’s go check on a cat. Then we should check out the Christmas tree, or maybe the very comfortable hotel bed, just for a change of pace.”
She reached for the hotel room door.
“Hold it!” Kessler called. “Not so fast.”
We both looked at her.
