I took her hand. I didn’t know where we stood, but regardless of those details, she needed comfort and reassurance. “Think of this as getting closer to answers. Mai and her resources can help us figure out what’s going on with your business partner.”
She nodded. The movement was quick and nervous, but her shoulders did inch down a bit.
As I’d predicted, the second of the two recently landedplanes coasted over the tarmac, heading in our direction, although it was still a distance away. The plane door opened, and automated stairs lowered to the ground. One lone figure climbed out of the plane and walked toward us. He looked familiar.
I turned on the car and pulled out of the shadows. Now he was less than fifty feet away, and it was who I’d thought. “Wait here,” I told Savannah.
I climbed out of the car and strode toward Kyle Bloom, one of my old platoon buddies. His dark hair was longer now than it had been when he was in the Rangers, but his baby face hadn’t changed a bit.
“Bloomers!” We bumped fists, hugged, and patted each other on the back. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Mai sent me.”
“Wait, you’re working with my sister?”
He nodded. “I joined her organization about six months ago. We’ll get you briefed up when we’re in the air.” He looked over my shoulder. “Right now, I want to meet your friend.”
His wolfish grin annoyed me, even though I knew he was a good guy. “No flirting,” I warned him as we walked to the car. When he cocked an eyebrow at me, I added, “She’s going through some shit.”
“Hence why I’m here.” He furrowed his brow. “I just got in-briefed today, so I haven’t heard the lady’s name. This isn’t Savannah, by chance?”
“Keep your voice down.” We were approaching her side of the car.
“As in,Savannah, the one who got away?” Bloom whispered.
I shot him a murderous glance, but he was too busy grinning at Savannah, who was stepping out of the car, to notice.
“Sav, this is an old Army buddy of mine, Rodger Dodger.”
“Kyle Rodgers, ma’am.” He shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Non-assholes are allowed to call me Kyle.”
“Nice to meet you. I hope that means I can call you Kyle?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Bloom hadn’t wiped that stupid grin off his face. “Bags?” he asked me.
I popped the trunk, and he and I pulled out the luggage. I gently held Savannah’s elbow as we crossed the tarmac. I didn’t try to hide it, and Bloom didn’t miss it.
“My boss is Kat Hartmann,” Bloom said. “You’ll meet her when we get to HQ in Maryland. She’s great. You’ll love her. But I should warn you,” he dropped his voice, “her boss is on the flight with us. She runs the whole agency.”
“And which agency would that be?” I asked.
Bloom grinned and ignored my question.
His non-response registered on my hackles. But he was my friend and Mai’s teammate, and I was tired and cranky and overly reactive.
Bloom preceded Savannah up the airstairs and I followed her, glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching. Not because I expected any trouble, but because of old habits and SA and all the standard bullshit that I was supposedly leaving behind as I entered civilian life.
I stepped onto the small, private plane that had eight passenger seats, four on each side of the aisle, two on each side facing forward and the other two facing backward. There were two passengers already on board, but Kyle was blocking my view.
I glanced at the cockpit where the pilot, a fifty-ish-looking man, was doing pre-checks. We grunted greetings at each other.
“Savannah, let me introduce you,” Bloom said as the automated stairs began pulling up behind me. “This is Ms. X, or just X if you prefer, and one of my teammates, Ryan Wheeler.
Ms. X. Yeah, that didn’t sound ominous at all.But Bloom and Mai and the promise of help, I reminded my skeptical mind.
I turned to see the other passengers on the plane. X was a stern-looking woman wearing a jet-black pantsuit with herblack hair pulled up in a tight bun. Wheeler was a touchy-feely blond guy who already had one hand clasped around Savannah’s fingers and the other resting on her elbow.
I immediately hated the fucking guy.
