Ben waved his hand to get our attention. “My sister’s in town with her significant other. Well, not this town. We live half an hour away. But since I got called into work, Mai and Chase will be keeping Savannah company tonight. Mai could pick you up at the clinic after work, then take you and Bella back to our place.”
I knew I’d be agreeing to allow Mai to babysit me, but I tried to look on the bright side. At least there might be wine. And it would be nice to spend more time with Mai and Savannah.
“That would be great, thank you.” I told Ben. “Bella and I accept.”
Kyle called for Bella to follow him and me, and the three of us left the conference room.
“Hold up.” Pasco ran after us. He pulled a small metallic disk from his pocket. “Inactivated, it’s a passive tracking device. But press and hold it for three seconds, and it becomes a panic button. One for Bella.” he bent and pressed it to the inside of her collar. He pulled a secondone from his pocket and held it out to me. “And one for you.”
“Absolutely not.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Pasco.
He looked at Kyle to plead his case.
“Don’t even think about ganging up on me,” I told Kyle.
“Kat thought it might be a good idea, until we know what Riker wants.” Pasco offered it to me again.
I grabbed it from his hand and tucked it into my jeans pocket. “There. Now you can big brother me all day while I’m at work.”
“Sorry, Cami,” Pasco said.
“I know you mean well.” I pretend punched his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Kyle put his arm around me as we walked to the exit. “Sorry about that, but it’s really temporary, I promise. And also, thank you. I know you did that for me and not Pasco.”
“Well, I thought you might lock me up here at HQ if I didn’t agree.”
He stopped at the exit door and turned to face me. I couldn’t read the look on his face.
“Have you felt locked up these past two weeks?” he asked quietly.
I widened my eyes. “No. But...”
The combination of the fear of Scott’s threats and the excitement of being with Kyle had obscured it, but I’d been restless to return to my real life, to have my independence back. Not in the same way as before I’d met Kyle. I didn’t want to give up what we were building. But I needed to balance the old with the new.
“For two weeks, I haven’t been grocery shopping or to the gym. I haven’t hung out at the Thirsty Horse with girlfriends. I haven’t even walked down the street by myself.”
The look on his face was wistful.
I took both his hands. “I want you in my life, Kyle. I wantus, the three of us. But....”
“But you want a normal life, too.” His demeanor brightened. “So, how about this? As soon as Riker is neutralized, you’ll move back into your apartment, and we’ll start dating.”
“From living together twenty-four seven to dating.” I frowned. “Did I just get demoted?
“Never.” He pulled me into his arms. “You can come to our house any time you want. I’m hoping to be invited to your apartment. We still have unfinished business in that bathroom. And I’ll need even more help with Bella once this crisis is over and Kat cracks down on take-your-dog-to-work days.”
“It’s a deal.” I bent down to pet Bella, who had settled at Kyle’s feet. “It sounds like I’m needed here.”
“You are needed,” he said. “And you are wanted. And you are... We should discuss all the things you are later. Maybe on our first date.”
29
KYLE
By 1900 hours, weeks of frustration and hours of non-stop focus had finally paid off. We’d identified Riker’s get-away vehicle, his cousin’s white SUV that had been reported stolen days ago. With that information, we’d found spotty traffic cam footage that outlined his travel route. The trail dried up, but we had enough context clues to narrow down potential hideouts, pull building plans, and finally pinpoint the only likely location for hiding dogs and now a hostage.
I texted the good news to Cami. Not the details, but the fact that we’d made progress and were preparing to move out soon.
