“Aye, sir,” James confirmed. He slid me a subtle little smirk, as if he knew what I was up to. “It’s been a long time since I got out, though. I’ve been private the past twenty-five years.”
I smiled.
“I won’t hold that against you.” Dad returned his focus to me and rubbed my arm. “I wish I could say we could go straight home—or straight to the hotel—but there’re two federal agents outside wanting to talk to you.” He faced James again. “They seem to wanna talk to you too.”
James scratched his nose. “Yeah, I tend to delegate such bullshit to my superiors. I’ll sneak out in a bit.”
Dad faced me with a wry grin. “I like that guy.”
I knew he would.
And yeah, I felt triumphant about it.
“So do I.” I beamed at James.
“On that note, I hope we get to see you again,” Dad told him. “If nothing else, then for a proper steak dinner before we head home.”
James locked eyes with me, and I was sure he could see the pleading look on my face.
“I’m sure we can find a day,” he agreed.
I wanted to see himtomorrowif he could. If he was going off soon, I needed a few more moments of inhaling him.
I planned on texting him just that once my phone was charged.
CHAPTER 10
James Hyatt
Ha! Fucking perfect. I stepped out of the elevator as Beckett walked by, presumably on his way to the cafeteria.
“You still limping, Beckett?”
“Fuck you!” he called over his shoulder.
I laughed and veered right instead, aiming for the lobby.
Kiera should be here any moment, and I kinda wanted to curse her out. I’d slept like shit last night, and it was her fault.
Was that the deal now? I needed her close by so I could sleep soundly?
That was fucked up.
All of a sudden, my condo across the street felt empty and lifeless. I’d come home to not even an echo. No sound whatsoever. No one greeting me. No one smiling at me. Which… If that had happened two weeks ago, I would’ve had my gun out because someone was breaking in. But now, something was missing. Everything I’d been content with before I’d left was now lacking.
I nodded once to Gina in the lobby, then positioned myself closer to the revolving door. I’d fucking hate to have her job. Just sitting here all day in this giant void of a lobby. Two stories tall, glass windows all around, nothing to look at… It had to be big. We gathered classes of recruits and government personnel here before seminars and whatnot. But other than that, it was a huge waste of space. Virginia’s biggest fish tank, possibly.
I checked my watch.
Had I ever missed anyone before?
My head snapped up when the doors started spinning, but it wasn’t Kiera. It was a damn Tenley. One of the twin brothers. River, maybe? Both had sworn up and down they’d never return once they’d retired several years ago, and look how that was going.
Yeah, it was River. Reese was more the kind who smiled and bumped fists. River offered short nods.
We’d been recruits together once upon a time.
“If it ain’t one of the many operators who retire and then come crawling back.”
